Issues in Public Management: Political Direction and Public Communication in Hong Kong

Public officials are entrusted with the primary responsibility of executing public policy and decisions of the political executive, but they are also required to contribute to the planning, decision-making and execution phases in modern governments. The outbreak of a deadly virus in Hong Kong in 1998 caused considerable anxiety in the community, and the response of the government could not satisfy the expectations of the public. The case of the Bird Flu highlights a number of issues related to the arrangements and procedures for managing crisis in general, and planning and coordination for execution on a specific level. The efforts to alleviate public anxiety were affected by the lack of political direction as well as the failure to ensure confidence through effective public communication. The effective management of such crises requires the existence of an open system of public communication and collaboration between the government and the community on the basis of political direction.