S'pore's public service needs to shift from doing things for people to doing things with people: Chan Chun Sing
The Coordinating Minister for Public Services delivered his speech at the Annual Public Service Leadership Ceremony on Sep. 18.
Singapore's public service must undergo a transformation to better serve the needs of its people in an increasingly complex and contested world, according to Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing. Speaking at the Annual Public Service Leadership Ceremony on September 18, Chan emphasized the importance of moving away from the traditional model of doing things for people to doing things with people.
Chan highlighted several key areas for the public service to focus on. Firstly, they must become entrepreneurs of strategic space, charting their own course amidst a changing global economy and geopolitical landscape. This involves understanding the world and Singapore's partners, as well as forging new bilateral and multilateral partnerships.
In the economic sector, Singapore should continue to refresh its network of Free Trade Agreements and deepen external and international exposure, encouraging officers to stay informed and pursue overseas opportunities.
Secondly, the public service should strive to become entrepreneurs of governance excellence. This means creating distinctive value for themselves and others, addressing national challenges in ways that develop solutions and capabilities of value to others. Chan provided the example of Singapore's semiconductor ecosystem, where the country has become a key node in the global supply chain and developed new governance approaches to benefit citizens, such as the ServiceSG initiative.
Lastly, Chan emphasized the importance of becoming entrepreneurs of collective action. This involves shifting from doing things for people to doing things with people, building common ground and painting a shared picture of success. Despite individuals having differing preferences and strong convictions, Chan stressed the need to align on the bigger picture, trade-offs, and the range of considerations, such as housing needs, land use, energy, transport, and sewage planning.
In conclusion, Chan urged the public service to recognize what they can and cannot do, determining what others are better equipped to handle and how to bring citizens, communities, businesses, and government together towards a common outcome.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
