PSD's Addendum to the President’s Address

Prime Minister’s Office 
(Public Service Division)

Addendum to the President’s Address

Mr Teo Chee Hean
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service

1     The Public Service will support the Government’s efforts to work with all Singaporeans to build a better and brighter future for Singapore. Singaporeans, whether individuals or community and volunteer groups, are increasingly interested to contribute their ideas and energy to make Singapore a better home for everyone. The Public Service Division will help public agencies and officers build capabilities and strengthen partnerships with Singaporeans.

Strengthening Community Partnerships

2     Our ministries and agencies will strengthen community partnerships, so that Singaporeans can work with the Public Service to innovate and deliver better solutions. Singaporeans can also offer their views and ideas to help the Public Service in developing, reviewing, and implementing policies. We will also draw from more diverse groups of individuals to serve on our boards, councils, and advisory panels. We will continue our practice of deploying more public officers and leaders to operational functions.

3     To enable a smoother experience when Singaporeans interact with different government agencies, our ministries and agencies will improve coordination and collaboration across agencies, and integrate front-line operations across agencies where possible. We will also communicate our policies more simply and clearly.

Leveraging Technology Better

4     To serve Singaporeans better as we move towards a Smart Nation, the Public Service will make better use of technology such as data analytics and automated systems to better understand citizens’ needs, improve public services, and raise productivity and efficiency. We will encourage our officers to form professional communities to share best practices, acquire new expertise, and adopt new technological solutions.
5     The Public Service will also strengthen its core of engineering expertise and engineers so that it can better plan for, deliver, and maintain public infrastructure in a systematic, integrated, and sustainable way.

Developing Our Officers

6     Most importantly, our public officers must have the necessary skills and aptitude to do their work well. The Public Service will continue to recruit officers who are committed to the ethos of public service, and seek to develop and retain them, by providing meaningful and fulfilling careers. We will continue to develop officers to their full potential, based on performance and potential, rather than academic qualifications or divisional status. 

7     We will promote lifelong learning in line with SkillsFuture, and help our officers deepen their skills as they progress through their careers. PSD and the Civil Service College will expand the range of development programmes, by adding new disciplines (e.g. public engagement and technology management), and using new, engaging methods of instruction such as simulation, gaming, and online learning. Officers working in professional areas will be supported to seek certification and accreditation, to keep pace with advancements in their fields, and become more proficient in their work.

8     The Public Service will also maintain its policy of paying market competitive salaries to recruit and retain public officers of good quality to serve Singaporeans well.

Strengthening Leadership and Values

9     We will also enhance leadership development in the Public Service, so that Public Service leaders not only lead their teams well, but also foster a culture of collaboration across agencies to better serve Singapore and Singaporeans. We will also help leaders at all levels to inspire and coach officers, and to care for their well-being and development.

10     We will continue to stress the importance of values in selecting and developing leaders and officers. All public officers and leaders must believe in, and hold themselves responsible for, the mission of the Public Service. Leaders at all levels must set the tone and build the right culture to inculcate the Public Service values of Integrity, Service, and Excellence. These values are at the core of maintaining a high quality Public Service which is honest and capable to serve Singapore and Singaporeans.

Building our Future Together

11     As we progress towards SG100, the Public Service looks forward to strengthening its capabilities and partnering Singaporeans to build a brighter future together.