PSD's Addendum to the President's Address ‑ 14 April 2023

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
(PUBLIC SERVICE DIVISION)
(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY POLICY & PLANS OFFICE)

ADDENDUM TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

MR CHAN CHUN SING
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND
MINISTER-IN-CHARGE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE

          The Public Service Division is committed to advancing a Public Service that can always be trusted to deliver excellent service and a better future for Singapore, by building future-ready organisations, new and more agile capabilities, and a strong and diverse leadership with development opportunities for all our officers. 

Redesigning Public Services Centred around our Citizens and Businesses

2          We are reorganising our service delivery across different service delivery platforms including physical centres, call centres and digital platforms, around citizens rather than only around agencies. 

3          We are also streamlining and redesigning regulatory processes to make it easier for businesses. We are organising information on GoBusiness so enterprises can access services and resources in an integrated and business-centred way. For example, first-time prospective business owners can now register their business through a step-by-step guided journey on the GoBusiness platform. 

Reskilling Public Officers and Leaders with Deeper and Diverse Skills

4          In a fast-changing environment, the Public Service needs to develop a workforce that can learn, unlearn, and relearn, so as to continue serving Singapore better. We are shifting our HR system so that it is anchored on competencies and skills, with more emphasis placed on competency development for officers, and with the use of competencies to guide how we recruit, reward, and recognise officers. We are also instilling a mindset of continuous growth among public officers, to support their longer-term employability and contribution. 

5          We are concurrently helping officers build new skills and experiences throughout their careers, through training and development opportunities that take the form of structured job rotations, attachments to the private sector, cross-agency projects, and short-term immersions with other government agencies. This will ensure skills diversity and more career mobility for all public officers. 

6          The Public Service will also need to build capabilities in Science, Technology, and Engineering. The Public Service is reorganising itself to leverage Science and Technology (S&T) advancements to overcome manpower, fiscal, land and carbon constraints. The Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office coordinates the development of S&T capabilities across government in areas like robotics and automation, modelling and simulation, and low-carbon and sustainability solutions, with experts residing in Centres of Excellence that support technology adoption and demand aggregation in these areas across the Public Service. For example, the Land Transport Authority supports the public sector’s shift to clean energy vehicles; the Urban Redevelopment Authority supports urban operations and service delivery though urban modelling and simulation platforms.

A Strong and Diverse Leadership to Underpin a First-Class Civil Service

7          Strong leadership is critical to the Public Service’s effectiveness in an increasingly complex environment. We will continue to invest in developing our pipeline of leaders, ensuring that there is diversity of skills and experiences. We are diversifying our selection and sourcing process for scholarship holders and direct recruits, beyond traditional talent pools. 

8          We are also transforming our leadership development approaches to better prepare in-service leaders to lead their teams and organisations. These initiatives which include the introduction of leadership competencies, 360-degree feedback exercises, job rotations, and a stronger mentoring culture, are being extended to more leaders in the Public Service, including professional and specialist leaders, and middle managers. 

Conclusion

9          Even as we reinvent, reorganise, and reskill the Public Service to serve our people and nation better, the values and ethos of the Public Service must remain. The Public Service will continue to reinforce the sense of purpose in our officers and leaders, and maintain the trust of Singaporeans.