HKIP Guidelines for Handling Institute's Business during the COVID-19 Epidemic
In the past several months, the HKIP have kept monitoring the development of the COVID-19 epidemic. We have hoped for the best and have all along taken the necessary precautionary measures following the advices of the government. However, unfortunately the situation is still not and unlikely to be normal soon, as at this moment. We still have to stay vigilant against the epidemic and taking precautionary measures for a considerable period at least .
Against this background, the Institute is obliged to establish and issue formal guidelines for precautionary measures to avoid spreading of COVID-19 upon organizing our events/activities as well as handling Institutes’ business at the immediate future. Accordingly, members are requested to follow the following guidelines until further notice:
When handling Institute’s business, meeting in person should be avoided as far as possible. Discussion and processing of Institute’s business via emails, text messages, phone calls or video conferencing are recommended.
Council meetings and Committees’ regular / ad hoc meetings should be conducted via video conferencing if required.
Should face-to-face contact is unavoidable, members must fully comply with government’s prevailing regulations and advices including wearing facial masks and adhere to requirements to reduce gathering.
As regards the Membership Board interviews, a hybrid meeting arrangement has been adopted to minimise the number of people in the interview room. Whilst the Chairman together with one to two Members of the Board and the Secretary of the Board will meet the applicants in person in the HKIP office, other Members of the Board should attend the interview through video conferencing. Similar hybrid meeting approach may also be adopted for the coming Annual General Meeting (AGM).*
All meetings, events or visits to declared infected areas by the Government (or subject areas of travel warning issued by the Government) must be postponed until further notice.
For tours, visits and conferences (both announced and under planning) within Hong Kong, we recommend relevant committees to arrange them only if the situation permits, following the advices of the Government.
To provide continuous professional education to our members, event organizers should adopt online lectures, talks and/or seminars during this period. HKIP Secretariat have already setup a paid “Zoom” account with necessary online meeting hardware ready for this purpose. Event organizers are most welcome to contact the Secretariat for assistance.
Daily cleansing and disinfection of the HKIP office have been arranged and will continue in this period. Hand sanitizers are also available at HKIP office.
Should members have to visit the HKIP office, they are required to wear masks, to test body temperature and to use hand sanitizer.
The Institute will closely monitor the situation and to review the above guidelines as necessary to ensure the safety of our members in this critical period. Thank you very much for your kind cooperation.
HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF PLANNERS
MAY 2020
*Remark:
For members’ info, legal advice has been sought, which opines that within the current context of HKIP Constitution / Bye-laws, we can hold the coming AGM via video conferencing in this critical period. Our Honorary Legal Advisor takes the view that the meaning of “30 Members present in person”(i.e. quorum requirements from our Constitution / Bye-laws) includes 30 Members connected electronically in each other’s presence so as to hear and be heard and to see and be seen (which must include to vote). All of the aforementioned requirements can be achieved via most video conferencing software currently available in the market. Accordingly, members who attend the coming AGM via video conferencing need to have a computer / smart phone equipped with a webcam to show his/her face and a microphone to speak (when required) during the meeting in order to meet the legal requirement as stated above.