Challenge July – August 2009

PEOPLE • PE RSPEC TIVES • POSSI B I LITIES

W W W.CH A LL ENGE.GOV.SG

JULY-AUGUST 2009

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH RATCHETING UP SUPPORT DURING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

TONS OF PERSPIRATION

ORANGE THURSDAY

WHAT IT TAKES TO IMPROVE SERVICE LEVELS

BEHIND THE SCENES IN SINGAPORE’S H1N1 BATTLE

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Contents

JulAug2009 01

Foreword COUNTER CRISIS

14

Uncovering the silver lining behind the clouds.

02 04 05

18

Service

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH…

PS21 STAR SERVICE AWARDS WINNERS 2009

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SERVICE STARS

Distinguished Star Service Award winners share their insights into good service.

A TALE OF THREE POLICE CHECKS

34

PS Week

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WHAT WILL YOU DEFEND?

Challenge talks to the people who worked behind the scenes in this year’s Total Defence campaign.

Training THINKING AHEAD. THINKING AGAIN. THINKING ACROSS

Food PATRIOTIC PLEASURES

With National Day just round the corner, Challenge presents choice treats that literally bring out the colours of this special occasion.

JOURNEYING TOGETHER

Capturing this year’s Public Service Week in pictures.

Feedback SHAPED BY CORPORATE CULTURE

THE LAST PAGE

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Backstage

Professor Neo Boon Siong offers a framework for strategic planning and whole-of-government collaboration in the context of the Singapore public sector.

Columnist Neil Humphreys navigates public service in three countries for a simple certificate.

Service

ORANGE THURSDAY

THE HONG KONG EXPERIENCE

Opinion

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Backstage

Singapore’s H1N1 preparation efforts involved multiple agencies taking on multiple roles.

30

Customer engagement and staff buy-in underscore Hong Kong’s approach to service excellence.

Cover Story

Going the extra mile to help members of the public affected by the economic crisis.

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16

Service

Short Takes

Public Service news and happenings at a glance.

TONS OF PERSPIRATION

Two judges for the PS21 Star Service Awards share their views on what organisations can do to improve their service levels.

I Say

Memorable moments of Public Service Week 2009.

28

Service

Dr Kevin Tan, President of the Singapore Heritage Society, and an alumnus of the NUS Faculty of Law, talks about his experiences interacting with our public agencies.

PEOPLE • PE RSPEC TIVES • POSSI B I LITIES

Trivia Quiz NATIONAL DAY NUGGETS

Take the NDP test.

W W W.CH A LL ENGE.GOV.SG

JULY-AUGUST 2009

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH RATCHETING UP SUPPORT DURING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

COVER BRIAN CHIA

TONS OF PERSPIRATION

ORANGE THURSDAY

WHAT IT TAKES TO IMPROVE SERVICE LEVELS

BEHIND THE SCENES IN SINGAPORE’S H1N1 BATTLE

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Foreword

CounterCrisis THE WHISPERS OF OPPORTUNITY, THE INSPIRING STORIES OF HELP. AND THAT’S WHERE THIS ISSUE FINDS US – UNCOVERING THE SILVER LINING BEHIND THE CLOUDS.

I’m sure we all know it by now. We’re in an economic downturn. We have heard the discouraging news – layoffs, bailouts and the uncertainty of how long this will last. But we have also heard the voices of hope amid the gloom – the whispers of opportunity, the inspiring stories of help.

And that’s where this issue finds us – uncovering the silver lining behind the clouds. The Chinese word for crisis – weiji – is a combination of danger and opportunity. Perhaps that’s the wisdom we can hold on to during this time, and perhaps this economic crisis can be the catalyst to return to the following three areas.

A Return to Values

PHOTO: WINSTON CHUANG

At the World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos this year, Mr Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum called for “an honest and deep review of our underlying values and ethics” in the efforts by policy makers, businesses and stakeholders to restore trust and confidence.

As the Singapore Public Service, one of our values is integrity. In a time when spending is tight, how do we maintain our integrity by staying the course on policies we believe are correct? How do we manage our relationships with our business vendors?

When we serve our community, is it with compassion and flexibility or are we really just bureaucrats? Our cover story brings you our own version of our recession heroes – officers and agencies who have responded with empathy and resourcefulness to those we serve.

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And our feature story showcases our Star Service Awards winners.

A Return to Cooperation Because of the unprecedented nature of this crisis, countries have realised that they cannot solve the problem on their own and many have rallied together for a coordinated response. Again and again, we have heard leaders around the world call for greater collaboration in dealing with this crisis. As the Public Service, what does collaboration mean to us? The concept of “whole-of-government” becomes all the more important. How do we work across agencies to support each other in the work that we do to deliver more effective results? Are we brave enough to streamline or to do more to be more effective? How are we strengthening our public, private and people sector collaborations?

A Return to Innovation And finally, a return to innovation. Crisis is the perfect context for ingenuity. As part of the Government’s immediate response to the crisis, the Ministry of Finance swiftly put together a Resilience Package with an inventive Jobs Credit Scheme and a decision to dip into our reserves to resolutely tackle the situation.

Read more in this issue’s supplement – Beyond Stewardship, where MOF celebrates its 50th year of managing our monies and more. As we go past our immediate reactions, the next phase would be to take stock of our policies, programmes and processes, identify the weak parts and to re-think, re-structure and innovate! Let’s not forget how inventiveness took Singapore to where we are today. And inventiveness will keep us at our competitive edge, even beyond this crisis.

Have a comment, suggestion or feedback to share with the editorial team?

E-mail us at PSD_Challenge@psd.gov.sg

Tay Li Shing EDITOR

6/25/09 5:21:36 PM

PEOPLE • PERSPECTIVES • POSSIBILITIES ⁄ WWW.CHALLENGE.GOV.SG ⁄ JULY-AUGUST 2009

PUBLISHER

PS21 Office, Prime Minister’s Office (Public Service Division)

The Treasury, 100 High Street #02-03 Singapore 179434 Tel: 6835-8350 Fax: 6333-4010 E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Website: www.challenge.gov.sg EDITOR

Tay Li Shing

HAVEYOURSAY ...

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Wendy Goh and Edmund Soo EDITORIAL ADVISOR

Calvin Phua PS21 OFFICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Ng Shu Zheng and Amy Sum For enquiries or feedback on Challenge, Please write to the Editor at PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434.

Tel: 6835-8350 Fax: 6333-4010 E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

PUBLISHING AGENT

SPH Magazines Pte Ltd MANAGING DIRECTOR

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Tan Ee Sze EXECUTIVE SUB-EDITOR

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Alex Goh ART DIRECTOR

Ginny Gay BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, CUSTOM PUBLISHING

Sharon Chan EXECUTIVE, CUSTOM PUBLISHING

Jessie Kek SENIOR COORDINATOR, PUBLISHING SERVICES

Wendy Ong CONTRIBUTORS

A former journalist with The Straits Times, Tan Ee Sze has extensive experience in developing and managing publications.

She is also the author of several commemorative books and children’s publications.

Anna Yap has been using the Internet since she was given a copy of the first browser – Mosaic – in 1993. Since then, she has been writing about IT and Internetrelated topics. She’s also held the position of senior associate with a leading PR agency.

Lianne Tan is a freelance writer and Singapore Tourism Board-licensed guide. Prior to this, she spent more than 14 years as a marketing communications professional in the technology sector.

James Gerard Foo, Kharina Zainal Challenge is published bimonthly by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd (Registration No: 196900476M) for PS21 Offi ce, Prime Minister’s Office (Public Service Division). Copyright of the materials contained in this magazine belongs to PS21 Office. Nothing in here shall be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent of PS21 Office. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of PS21 Offi ce nor SPH Magazines Pte Ltd and no liabilities shall be attached thereto. All rights reserved. Editorial enquiries should be directed to the Editor, PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434. Tel: +65-6835-8350, Fax: +65-6333-4010, E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Unsolicited material will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and suffi cient return postage. While every reasonable care will be taken by the Editor, no responsibility is assumed for the return of unsolicited material. All information correct at time of printing. Printed in Singapore by Times Printers (Registration No: 196700328H).

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Are Singapore civil servants inflexible?

Are mid- and junior-level civil servants in Singapore inflexible and cut-off from what is happening on the ground? Several Members of Parliament (MPs) interviewed by Shin Min Daily News recently said it was true that some civil servants were overly bureaucratic, but that these formed a minority.

According to MP for Aljunied GRC Madam Cynthia Phua, there are two types of civil servants: The first will do what they can to address the requests of the people; the second will do everything by the rules and leave no room for negotiation.

Madam Phua once had to tussle with a government department for three months over partially uncovering a drain so that rain water could flow into it. However, because the official she dealt with was inflexible, she had to get the official’s superior to go with her to spot check the drain in question. Only then did she get the go-ahead.

Another MP, Mr Teo Ser Luck, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, said he has received feedback about bureaucratic officers in the two ministries. But many people have also told him that government departments are now more understanding than in the past, he said.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry and for Manpower Mr Lee Yi Shyan suggested an alternative view: Those who approach government departments for help may already have in mind the kind of help they want, so when officers are unable to give these people exactly what they want, they may feel that these officers are inflexible.

Are Singapore civil servants inflexible?

Challenge magazine would like to have your thoughts on this subject.

Write in to I Say at psd_challenge@ THE LETTER psd.gov.sg. Please limit your OF THE MONTH comments to 300 words and WILL WIN A OSIM include your name, e-mail UPAMPIE HANDHELD address, agency and MASSAGER WORTH $98. ALL OTHER PUBLISHED telephone number. All entries ARTICLES WILL WIN should reach us by Aug 5, SHOPPING 2009. You can also discuss this VOUCHERS WORTH at forum.challenge.gov.sg. $30 EACH.

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I Say

PUBLIC OFFICERS WRITE IN TO SHARE THEIR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS

MtFaber

OF PUBLIC SERVICE WEEK 2009.

The weather on the day of the Mt Faber walk to commemorate Public Service Week was hot, but during the walk along the winding narrow road, the lush semi-forest offered a respite from the afternoon sun. From time to time the forest gave way to a view of the harbour and nearby islands. Despite the workout, the shutterbugs among us managed to capture shots of wild flowers, birds and scenery.

It was quite an occasion to see fellow staff members of Singapore Polytechnic, regardless of size, designation or department, mingle and laugh together. The Henderson Wave bridge, beautifully described in words in newspaper reports, was quite a sight to behold for those who were seeing it for the first time! And when we reached the top of the hill, the view was most rewarding. We also welcomed the bottled water and fruits that were distributed, which also served as a reminder for us to eat healthily.

LETTER OF THE MONTH

TheSouthernRidges

SemakauLandfill

It was a fantastic experience.

After a long work week, I took part in the Public Service Walk @ Southern Ridges together with my colleagues, enjoying the panoramic views of the sea and breathing in the fresh air.

Through the walk, I got to know my colleagues better.

Some who came had difficulty walking but still they completed the series of steps leading up to Mount Faber.

What I have learnt is that in life, we encounter difficulties but when we persevere, we will make it!

The learning journey to Semakau Landfill was very interesting and an eye-opener for me. It is the world’s first man-made offshore landfill. The briefing helped us to understand the challenges faced by Singapore in waste disposal and management, and to appreciate the foresight and vision of the Singapore Government to create the Semakau Landfill. The tour also helped us to see how this landfill can co-exist with the vibrant marine eco-system, mangroves, grassland and shoreline habitats. The other takeaway for me was the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – to help cut down the amount of waste we throw away so that we can prolong the lifespan of our incineration plants and landfill site. I have a much greater appreciation and admiration for the work done by National Environment Agency and its officers. I am more conscious of the important role each individual plays in reducing the amount of waste we throw away and in practising the 3Rs in our daily lives.

Zhang Shupei

Housing and Development Board Ngiam Su Wei

Civil Service College NGIAM SU WEI WINS A GOODWOOD PARK HOTEL DINING VOUCHER WORTH $100.

ALL OTHER PUBLISHED ARTICLES WIN SHOPPING VOUCHERS WORTH $30 EACH. ALL WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED VIA E-MAIL.

Yu Yat Hong

Singapore Polytechnic

BCA’sSensoryGarden I found the learning journeys very meaningful, especially the visits to Parliament House where I gained a greater insight to the various functions of Parliament; and the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Gallery and Sensory Garden. I was fascinated with the Sensory Garden and found the idea of using all five senses within the garden unique. The universal design principles, coupled with the different activities catering to people with disabilities and different age groups, are truly fantastic. Thumbs up to BCA Academy for coming up with this good idea!

Also worth mentioning is the “No Wrong Door” (NWD) e-learning course that I had enrolled for during Public Service Week. This gave me the opportunity to learn more about the NWD policy and it has helped me to apply it in assisting the public and in locating the appropriate resources and support whenever the situation calls for it. This helps a lot in delivering a more customer-centric service to members of the public.

Rosalind Teng

Ministry of Law

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6/25/09 5:22:41 PM

ShortTakes

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CAAS

AviationTraining The Singapore Aviation Academy (SAA), a training arm of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) on April 27, 2009, to collaborate in promoting learning and human capital development in air traffic management and air navigation services. The MOU was signed by Mr Goh Chin Ee, Director of SAA, and Mr Alexander ter Kuile, Secretary General of CANSO. The signing was witnessed by Mr Lim Kim Choon, CAAS Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr Ashley Smout, CANSO Chairman. The MOU provides an avenue for the development of joint training programmes, the sharing and exchange of expertise and speakers by SAA and CANSO, and collaboration in research and studies.

CPF

MTI

CharityWalk As part of a series of activities commemorating the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s (MTI) 30th anniversary, all 11 MTI agencies came together for a Charity Walk on Mar 13, 2009 in support of a common beneficiary – President’s Challenge 2009.

The event, which took place at the Southern Ridges, was led by Jurong Town Corporation and supported by MTI Headquarters and the Department of Statistics.

The guest of honour was Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Lim Hng Kiang. Also present were the Minister of State, Mr Lee Yi Shyan; Permanent Secretary Mr Peter Ong; 2nd Permanent Secretary Mr Ravi Menon; the chief executive officers and their representatives from the 10 statutory boards of the MTI family.

Through the event, the 11 agencies raised $110,500 for the President’s Challenge.

MINDEF

SupplierAwards

PRIDEDay2009

The CPF Board held its 2009 Supplier Award Ceremony recently to pay tribute to key suppliers who are instrumental in helping the Board meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality and prompt service to its members. Started in 2001, the annual award ceremony recognises key suppliers who have been prompt in their delivery, responsive to the Board’s requests, are committed, provided reliable goods and services, and have fully supported urgent or national projects. This year’s winners are Agathos Solutions, CB Richard Ellis, GIB Automation, Pico Guards, Singapore Press Holdings and Toppan Forms.

“Simple Ideas, Big Difference” was the theme for this year’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) PRIDE (Productivity and Innovation in Daily Effort) Day, which took place in June at the HDB Hub. It reaffirms that simple ideas from individuals and teams have made a big difference to the effective use of resources in MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). For the first time, the event was held in conjunction with the Innovation in Action Seminar organised by the MINDEF Innovation and Transformation Office.

Projects from MINDEF, SAF, Singapore Technologies Engineering and the Defence Science & Technology Agency were showcased at the PRIDE Day exhibition. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Mr Teo Chee Hean officiated at the MINDEF PRIDE Day award presentation ceremony, which included the newly-introduced MINDEF Innovation Award.

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Cover Story

Challenge discovers how officers go the extra mile to help members of the public affected by the economic crisis, and how agencies have instituted measures and programmes to help those in need. By Anna Yap

WHENTHEGOING GETSTOUGH… ILLUSTRATION: BRIAN CHIA

MOM: A no-frills alternative to justice It costs just $3 to get justice meted out to errant employers in Singapore. The Labour Relations & Workplaces Division (LRWD) at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) administers the Employment Act in a “no frills” alternative for employees who earn less than $2,500 a month.

In these difficult times, Labour Court has become a lifeline for disgruntled employees. In the first three months of 2009 alone, some 740 Labour Court cases have been heard – an increase of 13 per cent compared to 2008.

There has also been an increase in the proportion of claims involving nonpayment of salaries – from 63 per cent of some 2,600 cases in 2008, to 76 per cent of cases in the first three months of 2009.

Take the case of a customer service

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officer in the tourism industry, who was identified only as Ms Leng. For more than three months, Ms Leng, 26, was not paid her salary. She resigned, hoping that her employer would settle her salary arrears quickly. That was wishful thinking on her part. Two weeks after leaving the company, there was still no payment. That was when she decided to seek MOM’s help.

“Her former employer owed her three and a half months’ salary and transport allowance,” said Ms Gayathiri Kasavalu, an Advisory Officer with LRWD. “On the day of the inquiry, her former employer registered a no-show. The Assistant Commissioner for Labour for

this case, Christopher Lim, decided the case in Ms Leng’s favour in the absence of her former employer, and ordered the latter to pay her more than $6,000.”

But despite being issued a court order and a reminder for payment, Ms Leng’s former employer did not respond. MOM then placed the company and its directors under debarment for employment of foreign workers. Applications for work permits to employ foreign workers sent in by the company and its related companies were systemically rejected.

“Ms Leng’s ex-employer finally realised the seriousness of not complying with the Labour Order, and the company quickly settled Ms Leng’s payments in full,” said Ms Gayathiri.

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Cover Story

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CPF Board: Compassion in times of need Getting requests to expedite Central Provident Fund (CPF) withdrawals from customers during this current economic downturn is not uncommon for the CPF Board’s customer service officers, but for Ms Veronica Leo, there was extra pathos in trying to get the wishes of a seriously ill man granted.

“During one lunch hour in February, I called queue number 6069 and a frail and balding man who had come together with his wife rose to see me,” recalled Ms Leo, who works at the CPF Woodlands Service Centre. “He wanted

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to see if his CPF funds could be withdrawn.”

Mr Lim had contracted terminal lung cancer and had been told by his doctor that he may have only three more months to live. With a newly wedded wife from Thailand and a one-year-old baby, Mr Lim was very anxious and emotional, and his only wish was to withdraw the $7,600 in his CPF account to buy a house for his family in Thailand.

“I’m a parent myself so I understood exactly how Mr and Mrs Lim were feeling,” said Ms Leo. Besides performing her usual duty of submitting the CPF withdrawal application, Veronica encouraged Mr Lim to apply for a claim on his insurance policy with NTUC Income under the Dependents’ Protection Scheme (DPS).

A few weeks later, the couple came

back to Ms Leo, anxious as something had held up the withdrawal application. Ms Leo called the processing department to check on the Ms Veronica Leo application status and discovered that there was a delay because CPF was still waiting for clarification from the National Cancer Centre.

“I saw that Mr Lim looked very frail and weak because of his chemotherapy, so I tried to impress upon my colleagues the urgency of the matter,” says Ms Leo. Much to the relief of all concerned, CPF managed to obtain an e-mail clarification from Mr Lim’s consulting doctor five days later, and that expedited the withdrawal. Mr Lim received his CPF money on April 15, 2009.

Mrs Lim later wrote to The Straits Times Forum Page expressing her appreciation for Ms Leo’s help. “My thanks to Ms Veronica Leo and the CPF Board…we were spared unnecessary red tape and the trauma of making multiple visits,” she said.

6/25/09 9:47:09

NLB : Programmes on economic survival The National Library Board (NLB) has introduced a series of knowledge-based workshops and talks that have been created to address the social and life-skill readiness of retrenched professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), mid-career job seekers and fresh graduates. Dubbed the Economic Survivor Series, the programme looks to educate individuals, households, small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs on how to stay relevant and resilient in a downturn.

“The Economic Survivor Series is in line with NLB’s aim of fostering learning and expanding the learning capacity of the nation,” said Ms Chris Koh, Associate I, Programmes & Exhibitions at NLB. “Through this series of holistic skill development training, we hope to help individuals build self-awareness and self-knowledge.”

To provide the content and delivery of the Economic Survivor Series’ programme, the NLB works with key partners such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the

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Workforce Development Agency, the National Trades Union Congress, NParks and Community Development Councils.

One of the participants in the Economic Survivor Series programme was Ms Rosalind Kwek, 34, who had resigned from her job this year as an interior designer, a position she had held for eight years.

“The company was undergoing restructuring and the department I was in was closed down. I was offered Ms Chris Koh a transfer to another department but it wasn’t something that would further my career,” said Ms Kwek.

Undaunted, she has embarked on her own learning journey. “I went for an Economic Survivor Series workshop titled ‘Secure that Job’,” says Ms Kwek.

“It covered topics such as how personality affects job fit; upgrading of skills, and even the possibility of entrepreneurship.”

Other key learning points at the workshop included advice on how to write a good resume and how to handle tough interviews. “The workshop focused very much on the brushing up of one’s skills, and really made me think about my own career development,” said Ms Kwek.

She also attended a talk held at the Bishan Public Library entitled “The Power of Body Language in 4Dimensions”. The talk educated participants on how image and body language impacted career development.

Said Ms Kwek: “I would recommend the Economic Survivor series to my friends. It was very motivating and has made me feel real positive about the whole situation!”

The Economic Survivor Series’ programmes are open to all members of the public at no charge, and are held at the NLB’s network of 22 public libraries.

6/25/09 5:19:43 PM

Cover Story

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PA: Helping residents to tide over tough times The People Association’s Central Singapore Community Development Council (CS CDC) serves about 890,000 residents, or about onequarter of Singapore’s population. One of its core functions is to provide needy residents with financial assistance as well as employmentrelated services such as job matching and referrals for skills upgrading.

As the economic downturn persists, the number of needy residents applying for financial assistance as well as help in finding jobs has increased by about 30 per cent as compared to the last quarter.

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Mary, 43, was one such resident. An administrative worker with a global bank, Mary’s contract was not extended after December last year due to the poor economic climate. Her husband was also forced by his company to take two weeks of unpaid leave this January. The family’s income thus dropped drastically.

Unable to cope, Mary, who suffers from a speech and hearing impairment, approached the CS CDC for help.

Ms Andrea Tan, manager of Social Services at CS CDC, was the one who attended to Mary. The entire interview was conducted by writing on paper, recalled Ms Tan, who put in an extra

effort to get all the necessary information from Mary.

As a result of the interview, Mary was granted a monthly cash grant to tide her over Ms Andrea Tan while she searched for a job. She was able to use the cash grant to help her with household expenses as well as travelling expenses incurred in her job search. She has since then found a job on her own, as an administration personnel in a local company.

6/25/09 5:18:59 PM

PUB: Assisting needy households

Ms Wong Wai Cheng

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Service

The Public Service honoured its service stars at an award ceremony on May 6, 2009. Among the 100 recipients were six Distinguished Star Service Award winners who stood out for having gone beyond the call of duty to deliver excellent service to their customers. Challenge talks to them for their insights into good service. By James Gerard Foo

Work with your heart Ms Sim Lai Kiow Senior Staff Nurse, Geriatric Centre, Alexandra Hospital, Ministry of Health Taking care of terminally ill patients is a challenge even for experienced caregivers. But senior staff nurse Sim Lai Kiow treats it as a “gratifying experience” that has given her many insights into life and enables her to grow personally. As a palliative care nurse at Alexandra Hospital, Ms Sim’s day typically comprises checking on patients’ conditions, giving them psychological and emotional support, and updating their families on the situation.

Last year, Ms Sim’s Continuous Project Improvement Programme (CPIP) team, which seeks to extend palliative care to all terminally ill patients, won the Outstanding Asian Hospital Management Award. Says Ms Sim:

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“It is only right that we make their final journey as comfortable as possible. In fact, as nurses, we should not only care for the patients but also their families.”

Ms Sim, who is in her 50s, hopes to carry on working for as long as possible and has this piece of advice for nurses: “Work not only with your knowledge and your skills but with your heart as well.”

Service insights:

“To be able to deliver good service, you must first love what you are doing. Be compassionate, empathetic and treat your patients as your loved ones. Always lend a listening ear and be there when they need you. Good communication skills are important. Know your patients well and make a point to update them and their families on their conditions. Good service does not mean that you must do “big” things. Little things – like blowing your patients’ hair dry after bathing, giving frequent cool gargles to those who have dry mouths and changing their clothes immediately if they are soiled – can make a great difference to a patient who is ill.”

6/25/09 10:06:46

A positive attitude Mr Abdul Jalil bin Kasman Technical Workshop Instructor, Design and Technology Department, Coral Secondary School, Ministry of Education His job description says he prepares teaching aids for workshops and keeps them in good working order. But Mr Abdul Jalil bin Kasman is not one who sticks rigidly to job descriptions. In fact, the 52-year-old workshop instructor with Coral Secondary School’s Design and Technology department is appreciated more for the things he does outside of his job scope – like the time he constructed a rack for students to practise their spray painting, so that they would not damage the grass outside the workshop.

When the D&T students are rushing to complete their projects, he will also stay back to help them with the final touch-ups and fine furnishing and ensure that the projects – especially the more complicated ones – are in good working condition.

Service insights:

“I believe good service comes with a positive attitude. Taking pride in whatever I do is something that motivates me every day when I go to work. Never take reporting to work daily as a chore, but rather see it in terms of new challenges and how we can tackle them in our everyday lives.

The world is ever-changing, and we must constantly upgrade ourselves in order to meet the expectations of our customers. Though I’m now near my retirement age, it does not mean that I stop learning. In times of crisis, I believe that all the new things I have learnt and all the knowledge that I’ve equipped myself with will come in handy.”

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6/25/09 10:06:52

Service

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Bringing about ‘change’

Striking the right balance

Mr Sim Beng Chong Operations Manager, Henderson Secondary School, Ministry of Education

Mdm Roswati bte Mustadi Assistant Checkpoint Services & Investigation Officer, Checkpoint Services & Investigation Branch Singapore Customs, Ministry of Finance

Mr Sim Beng Chong knows how to get the students to cooperate without wielding the big stick. The 51-year-old operations manager with Henderson Secondary School, a former police officer, explains: “I share my experience in the police force with students, especially the ‘difficult’ ones. I use real-life examples to tell them the consequences of their actions. I tell them that a proper school life will prepare them for the next stage of their lives in work and family.”

Service insights:

“When I handle students with behavioural issues, my ultimate aim is to build up the character of the students and let them know we are here to guide them. The approach that I take is to listen to their explanations and reasoning so that I understand their thinking. Although disciplinary measures still have to be meted out eventually as a consequence of their actions, the way I relate to them allows them to know that I am here not just to enforce punishment, but more importantly, to also care for their well-being and to help them. My key word to them is ‘change’; only ‘change’ can make them transform themselves and be a good student and useful citizen to the nation.”

Ms Roswati bte Mustadi speaks Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic and several other languages. And she has put her linguistic skills to good use over the years.

The 35-year-old mother of three recalls: “Last year, while I was on duty at the airport’s GST (Goods and Services Tax) counter, I saw a Japanese tourist holding some forms, looking rather lost. I approached him and asked if I could help. When I realised he could not speak English, I spoke to him in Japanese which came as a pleasant surprise to him.”

Service insights:

“Besides going the extra mile, I believe that using a friendly tone, speech, smile and the right body language are critical in providing good service. To me, good customer service is about striking the right balance between being firm, fair, fast and friendly.”

Never just another job

The importance of empathy

Mr Ben Teo Yik Hon Senior Probation Officer, Probation Services Branch, Rehabilitation, Protection and Residential Services Division, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports

Mdm Sarina bte Sanjar Executive, Human Resource Strategic Unit, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore

Since joining the Probation Services Branch in March 2005, 34-year-old Ben Teo has had his share of high and low points, but this father of two makes it a point to always be positive as he feels that clients always look up to officers like him for guidance.

Service insights:

“Being real to my clients is the foundation to delivering excellent service. Once I gain their trust, they willingly open up in order for positive changes to take place. And once a life is changed, there will be a positive impact on his family as well as his community.

Working in the Social Services is never just another job. There are lives involved. Providing good service requires us to be constantly on our toes. Until we take the time to listen to and empathise with our ‘customers’, we can never fully perceive the situation from their perspective or comprehend their problems.”

As an executive officer with Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore, Madam Sarina bte Sanjar’s job includes helping Muslim travellers who face difficulties here. A 15-year veteran, she says those seeking help are usually distressed but also relieved that someone is listening to their problems.

Madam Sarina, 35, recalls helping a stranded traveller get a ticket home even though the full sum had not been paid to the travel agency. “It took a lot of tough negotiating but I was very happy with the outcome. If you place yourself in his position, you will want to do your best for him.”

Service insights:

“Help people with a smile as the first impression makes a lasting impression and makes the person feel more at ease. When we are not able to help, offer alternatives which will place the person at ease. We must also be willing to accept comments and disagreements in order for us to have clearer two-way communication.”

Service

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Two judges for the PS21 Star Service Awards share their views on what good customer service is and what organisations can do to improve their service levels. By Lianne Tan

TonsOfPerspiration GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE means going beyond the expectations of the customer, and in order to exceed expectations, customer service providers have to work on anticipating the “unexpected” wishes of customers, says Mr Peter Mainguy, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

But “wowing” the customer one time is not enough. As Mr Yap Kim Wah, Senior Vice President of Product & Services, Singapore Airlines, points out: “We need to sustain this on a consistent basis, repeatedly. When we reach this level of interaction, this is when true customer loyalty kicks in.”

Mr Mainguy and Mr Yap were judges at the recent PS21 Star Service Awards. The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia and Singapore Airlines were also among the top five companies in the recently released 2008 Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore, conducted by the Singapore Management University’s Institute of Service Excellence and supported by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.

Mr Mainguy, who has lived in over 17 countries across five continents, says he can “personally vouch that Singapore’s public service is one of the most efficient in the world”. But he cautions: “You cannot rest on your laurels and rely on past perceptions to get by. Just because you’ve been doing well doesn’t mean you’ll automatically continue to do well.”

Mr Yap shares this view. “Beyond the hype of marketing and the usual spew of management clichés,

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good customer service basically boils down to a lot of hard work and dedicated effort by everyone within the customer service chain. It is a programme that needs constant renewal and improvement, as customer expectations will keep rising given the competition in the market.” he says.

“To me, the recipe for good customer

Lead by example Mr Mainguy: Making customer service a priority is a directive that has to come from the top. In a company, this means the CEO and senior management have to take the lead, while the ministers, permanent secretaries and CEOs have to lead by example in the public service.

Mr Yap: Look after your staff, and they

IN A COMPANY, THIS MEANS THE CEO AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT HAVE TO TAKE THE LEAD, WHILE THE MINISTERS, PERMANENT SECRETARIES AND CEOS HAVE TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE. MR PETER MAINGUY, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE RITZ-CARLTON, MILLENIA SINGAPORE

service is: an ounce of inspiration and tons of perspiration. In the business world, the customer has a choice.

We cannot have a mentality of selfsatisfaction, where one believes that since ‘I’m doing all I can, and my people are very enthusiastic, therefore my programme is good.’ This attitude is flawed because it does not consider the customer. The real test is when having evaluated all the choices available, the customer decides to return, now that’s when you know, you have got it right.”

Asked what organisations can do to improve their service levels, Mr Yap and Mr Mainguy offer the following insights:

will look after your customers. A simple concept, and yet practising it on a daily basis is far from simple as it requires a strong service culture to make it work.

Staff need to know that making a mistake is not the end of the world, so long as they can share and learn from it.

Recruit the right person for the job Mr Yap: Training has its limitation in grooming a quality front-line staff. It has to start with the individual having the right attributes and a natural willingness to serve. Recruiting the right person is therefore more than half the battle won. At Singapore Airlines, we devote considerable resources and effort in the recruitment process.

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“TO ME, THE RECIPE FOR GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE IS: AN OUNCE OF INSPIRATION AND TONS OF PERSPIRATION. IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, THE CUSTOMER HAS A CHOICE. “ MR YAP KIM WAH, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCT & SERVICES, SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Mr Mainguy: If you have someone who follows orders strictly by the book and who doesn’t feel comfortable speaking with people, then he won’t be the right person in a front-office job. Similarly, a person who is sociable by nature may feel constrained in a back-office environment. At The Ritz-Carlton, we have our potential employees sit through a custom-designed psychometric test to try to identify the fit for the employee within the hotel. It’s not a pass or fail type of test but it’s one of the components we use when hiring for the hotel.

better. Even in the current downturn, the government asks itself “how can I make things better for our staff”.

And the answer is, send staff for training and upgrading courses.

Mr Yap: This motivation is even more impressive given that unlike the private sector, where revenue and market share are key reasons to offer better and more differentiated service, the Public Sector does so because it wants to serve the public well. Staff training has therefore the added role to align staff with this big picture.

Reward good service attitudes

Empower your staff

Mr Mainguy: Rewarding good customer service behaviour is one way to enhance customer service levels in both public and private sectors. Public recognition in the form of awards such as the PS21 Star Service Awards are a great motivating factor for staff.

Mr Yap: Undoubtedly, to drive the right behaviour, we need good role models who can inspire and encourage others to do more. PS21 Star Service Awards is an excellent platform to achieve this. This is great for strengthening the customer service culture of the various organisations within the Public sector.

Provide adequate training Mr Mainguy: The Singapore public service does one thing really well – they’re constantly seeking to do

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Mr Mainguy: After getting your staff trained, the next step is for employers to empower their staff to get the job done well. Each individual has his/her own path to getting his/her job done.

Once your staff has the end objective in mind – serving the customer well - then you should delegate authority to them and trust they’ll do the job well.

Mr Yap: No doubt empowerment in certain situations is an effective tool to encourage better service. However, if you look at the award winners, they are not necessarily more empowered than their fellow colleagues, and yet they have done exceedingly well.

Why? The answer lies in the staff themselves and their understanding of the big picture, which drives their willingness to serve and excel.

6/25/09 10:33:52

Service

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MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS

MR MICHAEL TAN JIN HOO Senior Technical Officer, Water Supply (Network), PUB

MR BEN TEO YIK HON Senior Probation Officer, RPRSD / Probation Services Branch, MCYS HQ

MR RICHARD TAN SIAK THONG Senior Technical Officer, Water Supply (Network), PUB

MS HABIBAH ABDUL HAMID Court Executive Assistant, Community Relations & Engagement Division, Syariah Court, MCYS HQ

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

MDM SARINA BTE SANJAR Executive, Human Resource Strategic Unit, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura MDM JANE FOO SOON KIAK Community Development Executive, Joo Chiat Constituency Office, South East Community Development Division, People’s Association MR STEVEN ONG HOW TIONG Lifeguard, Sports Facilities Group, Sports & Recreation Centres Division, Katong SRC, Singapore Sports Council

MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER RESOURCES

MR CHEE ENG THIAM Third Secretary (Consular), Singapore Mission in Bangkok MISS JULIANA BTE HUSAIN KHAN Human Resource Assistant, Human Resource Directorate MR KENNETH KWA WEI SHIONG Attaché, Singapore Mission in Yangon MR RAJASEGAR S/O RAJAKRISHNAN Third Secretary (Admin & Consular), Singapore Mission in Bandar Seri Bagawan (BSB) MR SIM SIONG CHYE First Secretary (Admin & Consular), Singapore Mission in Yangon

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS MR CHOO SOEY TEE Principal Technical Officer (NE Grade II), Pollution Control Department, National Environment Agency MR JOHAN SALIM 3P Partnerships Executive, 3P Partnerships Section, National Environment Agency MS WONG WAH YING 3P Partnerships Executive, 3P Partnerships Section, National Environment Agency MR MASLI BIN TUNOT Senior Technical Officer, Water Supply (Network), PUB MR SHAMON BIN SABTU Technical Officer, Water Supply (Network), PUB

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MS GOH THENG THENG Investigation Officer, Clementi Police Division HQ, Singapore Police Force MR MUHAMMAD YAZID B UMAR Investigation Officer, Clementi Police Division HQ, Singapore Police Force MR JEFFERY LAI WENG KEONG NPCO, Clementi Police Division, Clementi NPC, Singapore Police Force MS MARLINA BINTE AHMAT NPCO, Clementi Police Division, Clementi NPC, Singapore Police Force MR SUBHI B AHMAD Deputy Officer In Charge of Training Unit, Clementi Police Division HQ, Singapore Police Force

MR AZMAN BIN HASIM Investigation Officer, Clementi Police Division HQ, Singapore Police Force MR ROBERT CHUA CHOON TECK Duty Radio Officer, Radio, Singapore Police Force MR MOHAMED RIDUAN BIN MOHAMED AKBAR Section Commander, 1st CD Div, Singapore Civil Defence Force MR KUMARA VELLU Baggage Screening Officer, Airport Command (T2), Immigration & Checkpoints Authority MDM TAN CHEOW YONG Personnel Officer, Administrative Division, Central Narcotics Bureau

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS MS CAROLINE CHONG TZE FERN Senior Consultant, Industry & Cluster Development Group (Singapore Tourism Board), Infocommm Development Authority of Singapore MS FOONG KAH YAM Senior Consultant, Cluster Group 1 (Attorney General’s Chambers), Infocommm Development Authority of Singapore MS VERONICA VIVIEN LOOI PECK SAN Administrative Assistant, Media Content, Media Development Authority MS RUTH LIM BEE LING Manager/Automation, Records Management Services, National Heritage Board/National Archives of Singapore MDM HAMEEDAH M IBRAHIM Librarian, Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, National Library Board

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE MR ERIC CHAN Maintenance Systems Specialist, Planning & Control Branch, Changi Maintenance Base MISS LOW SOK CHAY Analyst, SAF Operations Research Office, Joint Plans and Transformation Department MR STEVEN NG CHUEN HWA Messing Warrant Officer In Charge, Ground Logistics Liason Office - Sembawang Airbase MS TAN HEE CHOO Senior Executive Assistant, National Service Resource Branch, National Service Resource Management Centre MS ER KWEE LAN Senior Technical Officer, Systems Management - C3I Systems, Defence Science & Technology Agency MS JOON WEE MIN Engineer, PRM E Business Services - Procurement, Defence Science & Technology Agency MR LAW TIONG SENG Senior Technician, Systems Management - Facilities Management, Defence Science & Technology Agency

MINISTRY OF LAW MS ANG LENG SEE Customer Service Officer, Legal Aid Bureau MS JERLINA CHIA PA to Director (Legal Policy/ Industry Development), Legal Policy/Industry Development Division, MinLaw HQ MS JUNAIDA BTE JAMAL Case Administration Officer, Individual Insolvency Division, Insolvency & Public Trustee’s Office

MS KOH HONG HUI Assistant Director (Administration & Procurement), Intellectual Property Office of Singapore MR SIEW HONG LEONG Principal Executive (Land Asset Business), Singapore Land Authority

MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MRS MAHALAKSHMI D/O S THAMBYRAJAH Management Support Officer, Food & Veterinary Administration, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore MS CATHERINE WONG CHI FUN Senior Executive Engineer, Building Engineering Division (Strategic Project Department), Building and Construction Authority MR MUHAMMAD HAFIZUR RAHMAN Associate Lecturer, School of Building & Development, Department of Supervisory Training, Building and Construction Authority MISS AMY TAN TIO WOON Senior Executive Estates Officer, Estate Admin & Property Dept, Housing & Development Board MR JACKSON YE NUNG ONN Higher Technical Officer (I), Housing Administration Department (Toa Payoh Branch Office), Housing & Development Board MS JENNIFER TOH AH BOEY Visitor Services Coordinator, Fort Canning Park/ Parks Division, National Parks Board MISS THIRUSELVE GOVINDARAJOO Information Administrator, Corporate Services Section, Corporate Development Division, Urban Redevelopment Authority

6/25/09 10:38:03

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION MS OOI CHING YA Curriculum Planning Officer, Chinese Language, Curriculum Planning and Development Division MS EILEEN TAN WAN CHENG Head, Budget 3, Finance & Development Division MR ABDUL JALIL BIN KASMAN Design and TechnologyTechnical Workshop Instructor, Coral Secondary School MDM HOH YUN MEY JULIE Corporate Support Officer, Temasek Primary School MR SIM BENG CHONG, Operations Manager, Pupil Well-being & Developmental Discipline, Henderson Secondary School MDM EILEEN SEOW LAY YEN Administration Manager, Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) MR BALAKRISHNAN S/O VENKADASAMY Operations Manager, Peirce Secondary School MR ANG ENG TAY Operations Manager, Princess Elizabeth Primary School MR PHILIP TAN BOO HOCK Senior Lecturer-Mentor, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Design, School of Engineering ITE College Central (Tampines) MRS CHOO JIN YI Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Accountancy, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

MRS RITA BALASURIAN Tax Officer Enforcement Division, Compliance Service Branch, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore MR SUNDARESAN SHANMUGANATH Tax Officer, Contact Centre, Taxpayer Service Division, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore MDM ROSWATI BINTE MUSTADI Assistant Checkpoint Services & Investigation Officer, Checkpoint Services & Investigation Branch, Singapore Customs

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MS SIM LAI KIOW Senior Staff Nurse, Geriatric Centre, Alexandra Hospital MDM QUEK KENG CHENG Senior Nurse Manager, Ward 28 (Medical), Changi General Hospital DR DANIEL FUNG SHUEN SHENG Senior Consultant & Chief, Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health DR ALEXANDER CHUNG YAW FUI Senior Consultant, General Surgery, Singapore General Hospital MS GIGI KUWAN FOON PANG Senior Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy, Tan Tock Seng Hospital DR LIAU KUI HIN Senior Consultant, General Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

MISS LIM SIEW CHOO Senior Associate (Corporate Income Tax), Tax Policy Directorate, MOF

MS LIM MEOW GEK Nurse Clinician, Ward 7D, Tan Tock Seng Hospital

MISS LINDA LEE LAN KIAK Senior Business Officer, Business Facilitation Division, Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority

MINISTRY OF MANPOWER

MR ROSZAIMI ABAS Customer Operations Executive, Customer Responsiveness Department

MR LEONG HO WAI Management Officer (Finance), Finance Dept, Corporate Services Division, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

MS HARYATI BTE ZAINAL ABIDIN Customer Service Officer, Customer Service Department, Central Provident Fund Board

MS TAMIL SELVAM PUVANESWARI Marine Officer, Marine Licensing and Prosecution Department, Port Division, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

MS TAMILISELVEE D/O SUPPERAMANIAM Higher Executive Officer, Recovery Department, Central Provident Fund Board

MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

MISS YONG JIAJIA ANNABELLE Team Leader (Career Consultants), Employment Facilitation Division, Career Centre @ South East Community Development Council, Singapore Workforce Development Agency

MS PHYLLIS POON SOU YEE Management Support Officer, Research and Enterprise Division – Entrepreneurship Team MISS TEH IE LYN Assistant Manager, Customer Services Division, International Enterprise Singapore

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT MS YEE BEE KIM Sr Admin Executive, Customer Service Group, JTC Corporation

MRS JANE MAK-AW YONG YIM KIM Lead Customer Service Officer, Airport Operations Division, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

MR KEVIN JOHN DRAGON Manager, Legislative Framework, Singapore Tourism Board

MR VINCENT WU JUNRONG Manager, Air Navigation Service Section, Air Traffic Services Division, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore MR DHANUSKODI NADAR SAMUDRA PANDIAN SAKTHIVEL Community Partnership Manager (North-East), Community Partnership NorthEast Division, Land Transport Authority

MS ALICE TAY Assistant Manager, CSC Consultants, Civil Service College MDM NOORIN BINTE TUKIMIN Corporate Support Services, Corporate Services, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau MDM AGATHA GOH PUEH SING Manager, Currency Department, Monetary Authority of Singapore MS KATE WONG CHAI YUN Communications Officer, External Department, Monetary Authority of Singapore

SUBORDINATE COURTS MS NOOR AINI BINTE ZUMZURI Court Officer, Courts Section MS AW THENG THENG Registry Officer, Family Registry MS ROZITA BTE MAHMUD Registry Officer, Civil Registry

SUPREME COURT

MS CHENG AI JONG Senior Manager, EnterpriseOne, SPRING Singapore

MS ALAMELU Deputy Head Interpreter, Interpreters Section

PUBLIC SERVICE DIVISION

MS WONG YEN PENG Corporate Support Officer, Legal Directorate/Registry

MS TEO SIEW CHENG Assistant HR Executive, People Management Unit, Corporate Services Division

PS21 STAR CUSTOMER AWARD WINNERS 2009

MS LIM SWEE CHOO LILIAN Supervisor, Road Tax Arrears, Investigations Division, Land Transport Authority

The Star Customer Award was introduced, for the first time in 2009, to recognise individuals who have been particularly helpful and understanding as customers of the Public Service.

Mr Ong Bee Liat A Star Customer of Accountant-General’s Department

MR TEO JIEH PING Principal Engineering Officer, Downtown Line 2 Division, Land Transport Authority

Mr Khoo Swee Kok A Star Customer of Ministry of Manpower Mr Andrew Yeo Meng Kwang A Star Customer of Central Provident Fund Board

MS GOH SEOW CHIN, AMANDA Customer Service Executive, Work Pass Division

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Service

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Customer engagement and staff buy-in underscore approach to service excellence. By Anna Yap

TheHongKongExperience

IN NOVEMBER 2008, 10 PS21 Distinguished Star Service Award winners for 2007 and 2008 went on a study trip to Hong Kong to learn first-hand about service excellence in government agencies and privatesector organisations. What they found was a service landscape that has been transformed over the past 20 years through innovation, strong service leadership and the right service mindset.

“Customer engagement and staff buyin were evident in all the organisations we visited,” said Ms Nur Aisyah Arshad, Senior Executive at the Asatizah Network Strategic Unit of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis). “These two elements allowed the organisations to provide stellar service,” she added.

Ms Nur Aisyah, along with other Distinguished Star Service Award winners, visited three public agencies – the Hong Kong Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department and the Hongkong Post – as well as private corporation Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation as part of their study trip.

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According to the Award winners, customer engagement at the MTR was particularly impressive. Besides customer satisfaction surveys, mystery customer audits, posters and campaigns that focus on different issues each month, MTR holds bi-weekly radio phone-ins for its customers to call in to give feedback on its service. Customers also get to interact directly with the MTR Management team at their monthly Coffee Evenings or on the Liaison Trains twice a year. Through such engagement, MTR educates customers, receives feedback from them, and manages perception of their services.

The group also witnessed the importance of staff buy-in for an organisation to deliver great service.

To achieve staff buy-in, leaders must support staff in difficult situations. For example, the Hong Kong Immigration Department demonstrated fair and objective handling of a case where a staff member was wrongly accused of indecency while at work.

Reward and recognition schemes play a part too. At Hongkong Post, schemes include overseas study trips for outstanding staff, recognition pins and personal visits from senior management to acknowledge service efforts. There is also much thought given to staff welfare. Elderly postmen are redeployed as supervisors so they are spared the strenuous groundwork of delivering mail.

With the many staff welfare measures in place, it is no wonder that the Hong Kong civil service is widely regarded as one of the best employers in the Special Administrative Region. Similarly, MTR is seen as a “branded” company and the strong corporate identity has helped contribute to staff loyalty and engagement.

Said Mr Tay Wei Sern, section head at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE): “I was impressed by (MTR’s) Service Excellence framework and its philosophical underpinnings (where it integrates with theories of human behaviour). And it was pretty clear that MTR had done much for its branding, so much so that being an employee of MTR is an honour and a position of prestige.”

6/25/09 10:47:57

19

Author Neil Humphreys writes regular columns for The Straits Times, Arena, Young Parents and Tiger Airways’ magazine.

His website is www. neilhumphreys.net

THE PUBLIC SERVICE DIVISION website sets its standards at the top of the page.

All calls to agency hotlines, it states, will be answered within 15 seconds.

I never knew that the Public Service Division had a sense of humour.

Calls to government agencies are not answered within 15 seconds. At times, calls to government agencies are not answered within 15 years.

That’s actually true. When I was 17, my mother called the relevant department of Britain’s National Health Service to put me on the waiting list to have my tonsils removed. I’m 34 now. I’m still on the waiting list.

More pertinently, I no longer have any tonsils. They were removed at

Opinion

the only record I had was a Guinness record for the longest time spent on a waiting list for a tonsillectomy.

I contacted the CNCC Office in New Bridge Road and a member of staff did answer within 15 seconds. I said that I needed a second CNCC to cover my final year in Singapore.

The receptionist said that I required a fresh set of fingerprints, presumably because I might have grown some new ones. So I set off to find a non-electronic police station in Australia because the last time police officers used ink fingerprints, they went home on a horse.

Finally, with fingerprints inked, my applications to both the Australian Federal Police and the CNCC Office in

ATaleOfThreePoliceChecks Singapore General Hospital in 1997.

I live in hope that my mother will still get the call from the National Health Service informing her that her son can now have a tonsillectomy and I will go along just to see the surgeon’s reaction when I open my mouth.

But it’s not only British public services that keep customers hanging on. Recently, I called the Australian Federal Police to discuss a police check and was put on hold. I was clean-shaven when I dialled. By the time I got through, I looked like Santa Claus.

My initial request had been simple enough. Thanks to the visa requirements in Australia, I needed a police check to cover me from the moment I poked my head out of my mother’s womb until the present day.

Having lived and worked in three countries – England, Singapore and now Australia – I needed to contact the police forces of all three countries to seek a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction, or CNCC for short.

The British police check was surprisingly efficient. Apparently, they typed my name into the computer and

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Singapore were sent off from Melbourne.

The CNCC from Singapore arrived in my mailbox first. Can you believe that?

I was able to contact Ms Seah May Lee for Head Criminal Records directly who appreciated my predicament and had my CNCC sent to me by e-mail on the day it was processed.

The CNCC Office used e-mail.

I think the Australian Federal Police opted for camel-mail.

Two weeks after the Singapore CNCC came through I called the Australian Federal Police hotline.

When a customer service officer answered 45 minutes later, I had heard more robotic voices than George Lucas’.

“Hello, I’m calling about my police check,” I asked.

“What about it?” she replied.

“I wondered what stage it’s at.”

“It’s being processed.”

“Can you be any more specific?”

“No.” At that moment, I decided that if I’m unfortunate enough to become a crime victim in Australia I’m going to call the police immediately. In Singapore.

6/25/09 10:54:30

PS Week

20 8

This year’s Public Service Week was held from May 6-12, 2009. With the theme Journeying Together, the activity-filled week kicked off with the PS21 Star Service Awards, which was held at the Biopolis auditorium. Other events included a reception at the Istana for public officers, Observance Ceremonies at the various agencies, a Public Service Walk at the Southern Ridges, Learning Journeys and various community involvement programmes.

PSD officers and guests reciting the National Pledge during its Public Service Week Observance Ceremony.

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6/25/09 11:17:06

Studying a mangrove tree during a Learning Journey organised by NParks at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Hamper-Wrapping Contest - Senior management takes the lead in launching the Food Donation CIP Activity during MOE’s Public Service Week 2009 Observance Ceremony.

Public officers enjoying a Learning Activity organised by the Civil Service College.

Public officers enjoying the reception hosted by the President at the Istana.

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6/25/09 11:17:24

PS Week

22 8

Public ofďŹ cers learning at their own pace using the e-Learning programmes by IPAM Open Academy, Civil Service College.

The Sustainable Singapore Gallery at Marina Barrage showcases Singapore’s efforts towards environmental sustainability.

Free fruits distributed during the Learning Activities event at Civil Service College.

Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education (MOE), delivering her speech during the Observance Ceremony for Public Service Week.

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6/29/09 10:22:45 AM

Visit to an old folks home by the Singapore Sports Council under the Public Service Week’s Community Involvement Programme.

Singapore’s Land Transport Masterplan was showcased as part of the Learning Activities in Civil Service College to facilitate understanding and appreciation of the challenges and approaches in land transport planning and development.

Taking a walk down memory lane on the history and origins of our parliamentary system during one of the Learning Journeys tour at the Parliament House.

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6/25/09 6:16:40 PM

PS Week

24 8 Understanding the legal system in Singapore at the Supreme Court Gallery.

Public officers stretching their muscles during a warm-down session after the walk at the Southern Ridges.

Held on a balmy Saturday morning, the Public Service Walk was a great opportunity for public officers to bond with each other while exploring the Southern Ridges.

MINDEF’s Army personnel demonstrating the prowess of the X26 Taser Stun Gun that is able to immobilise suspects with a small voltage of electricity.

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6/25/09 6:17:05 PM

Words from the heart – Reflection Cards submitted by public officers based on the theme “Why I am proud to be in Public Service”.

A regular feature at the Civil Service College every Public Service Week – the Reflection Tree encourages public officers to share their thoughts on their work in the Public Service.

Eager public officers captivated by an architectural model showcasing Singapore’s planning and conservation efforts at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

The Learning Journey to Northlight School showcased the role of a school cooperative that serves both as a training ground for students as well as a social enterprise project where students come together to help those who are in need.

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6/25/09 6:36:27 PM

Feedback

26

What is your involvement with the public sector?

I deal with a wide range of government agencies in my various capacities. As President of the Singapore Heritage Society, I am often in contact with statutory boards such as the National Heritage Board, the Preservation of Monuments Board, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Registrar of Societies, the Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

As a consultant, my clients include many government departments, schools and statutory boards, and as a scholar, I deal with many institutions of higher education – all part of the public sector.

What is your overall assessment of your interactions with public agencies?

By the standards of most countries, I think our public sector agencies are excellent.

The quality is not very even, but it is high nonetheless. Some agencies who are accustomed to dealing with members of

Dr Kevin Tan is President of the Singapore Heritage Society, and an alumnus of the NUS Faculty of Law. He tells James Gerard Foo about his experiences with our public agencies.

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6/25/09 5:05:37 PM

the public on a daily basis have certainly taken steps to improve their customer relationship management skills over the years. I suspect that public agencies that deal with members of the public all the time have made a special effort to be more people-centric and personal. However, with some regulatory bodies, especially the smaller ones, my experience suggests that much more can be done. Perhaps because their duties are rule- and enforcementrelated, they tend to follow the book a little too religiously at times. They need to take into account the human angle and show greater flexibility so that people are not needlessly inconvenienced by their rules.

They are a minority but they exist and seem to have been left behind even as the rest of the public sector moves forward.

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Are there any experiences that stand out?

I list three agencies which I have had great pleasure in dealing with.

The first is the Central Provident Fund Board. I had many dealings with them back in 2006–2007 because I was the chairman of my housing estate that went en bloc.

Many residents were anxious that the proceeds from the sale of their flats could be utilised quickly for the purchase of new apartments shortly after they were deposited in their respective CPF accounts.

The administrative details were fairly complicated but the officers at CPF Board were really understanding and accommodating, and were prepared to go to great lengths to assist those caught up in the bureaucratic complications. Several of the officers clearly went beyond the call of duty to assist the CPF account holders. It was such a pleasure dealing with them.

The second agency I have had great pleasure in dealing with is the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). I had to deal with IRAS on two occasions; the first while helping a client to resolve some company and personal taxation matters; and the second, while negotiating the requirement to register my estate’s MCST for GST. The officers were wellversed with the matters at hand, were very understanding and cooperative, and were prepared to exercise their discretion intelligently. They were professional and everyone left with a satisfied smile.

The third and final positive experience I had was with officers of the Charities Unit of MICA. The Heritage Society had, some years back, lost its IPC status when we

inadvertently allowed it to lapse. In our efforts to regain our IPC status, we found the officers in the Charities Unit to be very sympathetic to our plight and offered good advice on what needed to be done. More importantly, they displayed great understanding in dealing with small charities like the Heritage Society, whose problems of management and renewal are very different from large charities like NKF and Ren Ci. I believe corporate culture has much to do with how various public bodies respond to their constituency. It does not matter whether you are there as a private individual or as a head of an organisation. The sense of positivity or negativity – whichever the case – is instantly discernible.

What are the areas in which public agencies can improve upon?

I think there are two areas where improvements will be much appreciated by the public.

First, there is a need for government departments, ministries and their satellites to communicate better with one another.

When the right hand does not know what the left is doing, mixed signals will be sent and people will be left confused. For example, following the NKF scandal, many new rules and regulations were put in place.

Charities like Singapore Heritage Society were advised to amend their constitutions

by MICA. But without proper coordination between MICA and the Registry of Societies, the latter said they needed to approve MICA’s proposals before our society could enact the changes. These conflicting advice resulted in our constitution being amended only after almost a year of to-ing and fro-ing.

Second, there is a need to examine how technology is being deployed. The job of the public sector is to serve the public and not make life more difficult. A lot of technology is currently being deployed that is designed to do little more than make it easier for some civil servant to churn out data for the Minister or Permanent Secretary.

For example, the recent requirement by ACRA that all accounts be filed through their system has not only made things extremely difficult, but it has also raised the total cost of doing business.

The agencies respond…

ACCOUNTING AND CORPORATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY (ACRA) We thank Dr Tan for his feedback.

XBRL is a global electronic standard for business reporting. We are implementing XBRL to develop a common regulatory business reporting platform for businesses in Singapore.

As with every major new initiative, the implementation of an XBRL-enabled business reporting platform has its challenges. ACRA is mindful of the need to enable a smooth transition for businesses and has taken a phased approach by giving businesses full and partial XBRL-enabled filing options.

We have also developed a free on-line tool known as FS Manager to help companies prepare their financial statements for filing with ACRA. To further enhance the system, we are currently gathering feedback on specific areas of the XBRL from our stakeholders and business community.

MS SITHARANI DORIASAMY, HEAD, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, ACRA

THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS (MICA) AND REGISTRY OF SOCIETIES Singapore Heritage Society is a registered society with charity status.

Any amendments to SHS’ Constitution require approval from both the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and the Registry of Societies (ROS). In the case highlighted, the delay was due to SHS’s late submission of a complete application form and relevant documents to ROS. In late-October 2008, when the completed application form was submitted, it was processed within ROS service standard of two months. To improve and streamline the process for future IPC applications from existing charities, MICA will issue ‘in principle’ approval letters for amendments required to the governing instruments.

MS TANG LAI WAN, HEAD, MICA CHARITY UNIT, MICA

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6/25/09 5:06:03 PM

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Singapore’s H1N1 preparation efforts involved multiple agencies taking on multiple roles. Challenge talks to those who were involved. By Anna Yap

Orange Thursday WHEN NEWS OF AN OUTBREAK of a typical pneumonia case in Mexico reached Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) sprang into action and issued its first press release on April 27.

Preliminary analysis indicated that the virus contained genetic pieces from swine influenza viruses from North America, Europe and Asia, avian influenza viruses from North America, and human influenza viruses. The particular genetic combination of swine influenza virus segments – subsequently identified as the Influenza A (H1N12009) virus – had not been recognised previously.

As Dr Arthur Chern, Group Director (Health Regulation) at the Ministry of Health wryly noted: “We have been preparing for the birds but the pigs came.”

He added: “We knew we had to be prepared for a long-haul battle with a potential pandemic caused by this novel influenza virus. While we were still learning more about the virus, including how it could spread and how it could affect humans, we took no chances as the number of deaths in Mexico was alarming and it was able to spread from human to human.”

Many other government agencies worked with MOH to ensure that

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updates were communicated clearly to both the general public and all public agencies, and that proper precautions and screening measures were put in place.

On Thursday, April 30, the alert level was raised from Yellow to Orange. The Ministry of National Development (MND) issued a request to use the Aloha Government chalets in Loyang as quarantine facilities. Over the next 24 hours, the chalets, which were fully occupied by holidaymakers for the long Labour Day weekend, would have to be cleared and transformed into secure quarantine centres.

Public reaction was mixed. As Ms Bernadette Sim, Director of Personnel Policy at Public Service Division, which was tasked with coordinating the handover of the chalets, pointed out: “Some of the guests understood the request and were ready to cooperate.

Some even wrote to us and said we didn’t have to apologise as this was a national emergency and they were willing to do their part. Others were not so supportive, some even asking us why we had not offered them alternative accommodation for that weekend.”

Over the weekend there were long meetings on standard operating procedures – how the MOH would prefer the guest to be quarantined; how the handover would take place; what meals to provide; dietary restrictions; language concerns and many more.

Every possible scenario was discussed to ensure that everyone involved knew exactly how to respond.

By 7pm on May 1, the Loyang chalets were ready to be handed over to MND.

Dr Arthur Chern Group Director (Health Regulation) Ministry of Health

“Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, we have learnt many precious lessons in managing disease outbreaks, which require a coordinated effort from all sectors of society. There was

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6/25/09 11:28:03 AM

little panic as we have established a well-practised pandemic flu response plan. Our health care institutions were ready and we were able to gear up within a very short time. Other relevant agencies were also able to respond quickly and put in place all the necessary measures to prevent the import of this virus. However, we knew, despite all the efforts we put in, that it was a matter of time before the virus would land here in view of the heavy human traffic coming in and going out of Singapore.

On May 27, one month after the initial news reached us, we had our first confirmed case. We responded immediately and the case was isolated and treated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital promptly. We now have 14 confirmed cases (at the time of writing) and our system has been proven to be resilient as all the cases have been identified early, isolated, and treated, and their close contacts traced and quarantined.

All these measures were critical in keeping the virus at bay. We understand that there would be a lot of inconveniences caused to many people and that their daily lives would be affected. However, we have to continue with our vigorous “containment strategy” as long as possible to prevent and delay community transmission within Singapore. To achieve this end, the entire MOH staff has been working hard on a 24/7 basis, together with our colleagues in the hospitals, clinics and other public and private agencies, as we respond to our calling (not just a job) to protect the health of Singaporeans.

However, we cannot achieve this without the help and cooperation of our fellow Singaporeans. Right from the start, we ensure that members of the public receive the critical information as soon as it is available and that they know how to help prevent the spread of the infection. Only in this way can we overcome the outbreak together as a nation – like how we did it during SARS.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police Lim Kok Thai Commander, Bedok Police Division Singapore Police Force (SPF)

“Dealing with the H1N1 crisis required a whole-ofgovernment approach, so the SPF was roped in as overall-in-charge, working with several other government agencies to help set up and manage the quarantine housing at Aloha Loyang. We worked well together, with a clear sense of mission, discipline, commitment and willingness to learn.”

RADM (NS) Sim Gim Guan Deputy Secretary (Information & Corporate Management) Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA)

“As the lead agency for whole-ofgovernment public communications, MICA’s key concern was to ensure that there was no gap in our communications to the public.

Empowering people with the information they need to protect themselves and their families is crucial in any crisis, and we worked closely with key agencies to ensure the public was kept well-informed on the threat posed by H1N1, and that they understood the rationale for government actions such as the imposition of border controls and the Home Quarantine Order.”

Mr Tan Heng Huay Deputy Director (Community Relations), Housing Administration Department Housing & Development Board (HDB)

“HDB looked after guests who were serving their quarantine orders at Aloha Loyang. Working closely with other agencies, we completed check-in procedures for guests before they arrived so that they could be ushered to their rooms immediately upon arrival.

Newspapers, snack packs and even

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contact lens solution were handed out to meet the needs of the guests. One of the guests said that he’d like to return to Aloha for a holiday with his family after the quarantine period was over!”

Ms Bernadette Sim Director of Personnel Policy Public Service Division (PSD)

“A team was formed in response to a request from the MND to use the Aloha Government chalets in Loyang as quarantine facilities.

The long weekend had just started, which meant that occupancy at the Aloha chalets stood at 100 per cent. In less than 24 hours, 77 families would have to be informed that they had to check out of the chalets on Friday, which was Labour Day. Another 82 families who had made plans for Saturday and Sunday also had to be contacted.

There were also several celebrations that were scheduled to be held at Aloha over the weekend.

Through discussions between the PSD, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and MND, several events – including one wedding – were moved to the Changi chalets.

Even as these movements were taking place, changes had to be made to transform the free and easy Aloha chalets into secure quarantine centres.

Overnight the team had to become experts in a variety of issues: From being ‘construction experts’ – where we had to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of water-filled non-porous barricades compared to higher barricades which were porous; to being wedding consultants – where we had to work with couples who had bookings in May to offer them alternatives; to being professional enforcement officers – where we had to manage the ‘eviction’ of our guests.”

6/29/09 10:25:28 AM

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As Singapore marks 25 years of Total Defence, Challenge talks to the people who worked behind the scenes in this year’s campaign. By Anna Yap

WhatWillYouD REVOLVING AROUND THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF “What will you defend?”, the Total Defence ’09 campaign was designed to inspire Singaporeans to reach deep within their hearts to think about what they hold dear and would strive to protect should crisis befall the nation. The campaign includes a myriad of initiatives ranging from creating awareness through outdoor and ZoCard advertising, to getting Singaporeans to participate in a “What will you defend?” online video contest and the third season of the Total Defence (TD) animation contest, N.E.mation!. All these culminated in TD25 – a commemorative event that featured a musical revue, five short films and an award ceremony for N.E.mation!.

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Colonel Lim Kok Siong

Director of Nexus, Ministry of Defence, and Organising Chairman of the Total Defence ’09 campaign

“We were determined to bring about a participative campaign, one which would encourage Singaporeans to express and share their thoughts instead of having organisers provide the content. But we were anxious – would Singaporeans actually come forward to share their thoughts? The overwhelming response to the ZoCards as well as to the online video contest put paid to our concerns.

Another big challenge was to use both

traditional media and new media to enhance the interactive experience and increase engagement. This was the first time we did an online video competition which adopted the YouTube model of public voting. It was also the first time we did a musical with more than twothirds of its cast played by volunteers from the public.

Collaboration across public agencies was vital. For example, the Ministry of Education helped promote various projects to the schools, generating many self-initiated TD activities. The CHIJ choir which took part in the TD musical was another result of crossagency collaboration. Many other agencies also helped by reaching out to Singaporeans through their own programmes.”

6/25/09 1:35:22 PM

uDefend?

Agnes Lim

Senior Manager, Nexus, Ministry of Defence

“I was involved in overseeing the creative work, developing marketing collateral and coming up with a comprehensive media plan to generate news coverage across all local dailies, broadcast and online media.

The key challenge was to make TD refreshing, engaging and relevant. After 25 years, most Singaporeans are aware of TD but the real challenge lies in encouraging the active involvement of all sectors of society. Through the simple but powerful campaign theme ‘What Will You Defend?’, I think we were

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successful in showcasing TD in a more emotive and personal light.

We learnt that for a public education campaign to relate to a wide spectrum of audience, it is important to engage and leverage upon multiple platforms and channels. For instance, to reach out to the growing number of netizens, we used new media platforms. Traditional mediums such as bus shelter advertisements also played their part.”

Puvan Ariaratnam Deputy Director, National Education & Planning, Planning Division, Ministry of Education

“As Deputy Director of National Education & Planning, I oversee the Ministry’s commemoration of events such as TD. I also served on the TD Steering Committee helmed by NEXUS and was one of the judges for the N.E.mation! competition.

The judges had a difficult time coming to a decision as all the entries were very well done, but based on the rubrics we had, we finally made our decision. The public was also given the opportunity to vote and I was pleased with the outcome as the teams which won well deserved their victory.

The simple yet effective question ‘What Will You Defend?’ brought about an outpouring of emotion from Singaporeans. It is good to keep things simple and reach out to as many as possible.”

6/25/09 1:35:29 PM

Backstage

32

Left to right: SCDF’s Emergency Preparedness event, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean at the TD25 celebrations, CHIJ students take the hands-on approach.

Madam Lee Ching Teacher, CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh), Ministry of Education

“I was the teacherin-charge of the 12 CHIJ pupils cast as actors and singers in the Five Pillars, One Roof musical.

While the pupils were very excited about their involvement in the musical, they were nevertheless anxious and nervous when they discovered that they had to not only sing, but also to act and perform in front of a “live” audience, which was something quite alien to most of them.

But I am very proud of them – they were able to maintain their composure and professionalism on stage, even during the humorous scenes!”

The experience brought the message of Total Defence closer to the children and helped them see the relevance of their role in the defence of Singapore. The pupils learnt that doing their best to live in harmony is in itself a defence – a social defence which requires ongoing participation.”

Colonel N Subhas Director, Public Affairs, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Ministry of Home Affairs

“SCDF works closely with Nexus on various TD projects.

In particular, we provided resources in the creation of an emotive visual depicting the Civil Defence component in the CD pillar, a visual

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seen islandwide on ZoCards and at busstop shelters. We also sounded the “Important Message” Public Warning System (PWS) Signal islandwide on Total Defence Day, and we are the coorganisers of Emergency Preparedness (EP) Days. The EP Days are outreach events held in the heartlands with grassroots support that educate residents on the importance of being vigilant and well-equipped to react to crises.

As part of our continual efforts to engage the school community in TD, we also collaborated with the Singapore Discovery Centre to organise a SCDFSDC TD Exhibition at the Singapore Discovery Centre to equip the youths with valuable skills and knowledge on emergency preparedness. This exhibition had attracted more than 12,000 visitors from organised schools and uniformed groups.

We are pleased to know that our initiatives have been well-received and the efforts we put into the TD campaign are worthwhile.”

Due to the size of the event, we required the assistance of a great number of parents, and initially we were short of manpower. That created quite a

Mrs Tan Ming Hui

Director of OnePeople.sg, a non-profi t group that champions racial harmony in Singapore

Subject Head, Citizenship Education, Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary), Ministry of Education “Our school carried out a variety of TD activities for pupils and staff, such as

ZoCard writing and being part of the mascot parade, but my own personal contribution was as the teacher-incharge of liaising with our parents support group to provide support in the sales of food and beverages on the day of the Total Defence Run.

bit of stress but luckily our parent teams managed to rally other parents to help. The fact that the parents came out in strong support of the TD campaign impacted positively on the students. It was a good example of role modelling.

Several parents shared with me how much they themselves had learnt about TD. Many of the students benefited from participation in the TD campaign too. For example, Brar Govind Singh, and Joanna Chan Lai Cheng both overcame shyness to solicit public responses for the ZoCards at TD25 Day. And Cheryl Alexys Yeo, 16, said that her team mascot was a globe because “if we don’t protect our environment, we cannot enjoy school or have fun with our classmates.” And Russell Ng, 17, who printed photos of the classmates he was willing to defend.”

Mr Ramesh Ganeson

“Singaporeans are not apathetic to civic engagement. The TD campaign showed that Singaporeans do care, that we are not a passive society and that we will stand up for our cause.

The sense of patriotism that was felt during the entire campaign was indeed moving... Singapore is our home, each of us has a stake in our homeland and we will defend our home, whatever it takes.”

6/25/09 1:35:45 PM

33

By Kharina Zainal

OPERATING IN AN INCREASINGLY complex external environment and faced with rising expectations from stakeholders, governments all around the world not only have to stay relevant, they also have to look beyond the horizon to anticipate what is to come and take appropriate action.

Professor Neo Boon Siong’s most recent book Dynamic Governance: Embedding Culture, Capabilities and Change outlines the framework for “Thinking Ahead, Thinking Again and Thinking Across” – the three important

ThinkingAhead.Thinking Again.ThinkingAcross capabilities which government agencies ought to develop and embed in each of their officers.

The ability to look ahead and plan (think ahead), continuously question assumptions and review existing policies (think again) and work collaboratively across organisational boundaries to deliver national policies as one government (think across), are however, not to be developed in isolation. Every agency will only be able to unleash the value of this theory when it is well understood by its people – those who would live out these capabilities on a day-to-day basis.

Agencies’ planning processes should not stop at the creation or annual updating of their balanced scorecards. The real value of any planning undertaken can only be fully maximised when the use of any planning tool is seamlessly incorporated

Training

into its policy deliverables and organisational-wide processes.

To adopt a whole-of-government (WOG) mindset and behaviour is more than a superficial coordination among government agencies. It is a complete system of environment which requires every player or institution in the Government to work collegially to deliver better outcomes to Singaporeans and Singapore. The challenge is not awareness or lack of want for WOG collaboration. The greatest challenge has, in fact, been the seemingly conflicted demands on agencies and individual officers’ resources and the lack on clear measures for WOG project outcomes.

Among the three capabilities – think ahead, think again and think across, thinking again is perhaps the most entrenched in the Public Service. And this is helped by the constant moving of Public Service officers across portfolios within the Government. Most of the improvements and innovations we see today has been the result of constant rethinking. Public officers themselves have been broad-minded enough to accept that a rethink is not due to the lack of thinking previously, but rather, it’s a reflection of how assumptions and conditions have changed over time to render a less optimal solution or nonsolution back then, more ideal that what it is today.

Given the diverse nature and uncertainty presented by the challenges we face ahead, there is no doubt that the Public Service has to keep adapting and reinventing itself to stay ahead. On the whole, Singapore has done well, good enough for foreign public services to want to uphold us as role models. But like all great phenomena, it will be foolhardy for us to be contented with our achievements. There are opportunities to do better and it will be a pity if we let them slip us by.

Professor Neo Boon Siong is a Fellow at the Civil Service College (CSC) and Director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. He is also former Dean of the Nanyang Business School at Nanyang Technological University.

Prof Neo conducts a CSC programme on “Developing Dynamic Governance Capabilities”, which is targeted at Directors and Deputy Directors involved in policy work, strategic planning or organisational development and review. The next run of the workshop is scheduled for Aug 4-6, 2009. For more information, please contact Ms Lim Chiew Ling at lim_chiew_ling@cscollege.gov.sg.

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6/25/09 11:10:16 AM

Food

34

Red Ruby with Coconut Milk All Lerk Thai outlets Price $3.90 - $4.50

This Thai dessert catches the eye with its glittering ‘red rubies’ dunked in a blend of grated ice and coconut milk. These crunchy cubes are actually pieces of chestnut coated with natural red colouring from other fruits. Vibrant in texture and heavenly in scent and taste, this bowl of sweet wonder is best enjoyed in nibbles and small slurps.

With National Day just round the corner, Challenge presents choice treats that literally bring out the colours of this special occasion. By Foo Yong Han

PatrioticPleasures Coconut Panna Cotta Restaurant Ember, Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road Price: $13++

PHOTO: ELLEN LIM PHOTO: ELLEN LIM, DARREN CHANG

A concoction of gelatin, milk, sugar and coconut milk, this dessert has the springy texture of a jelly and the creamy taste of an ice cream while water chestnut toppings enhance what is already a sweet encounter.

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6/29/09 10:27:11 AM

Strawberry Short Cake All Rive Gauche Patisserie outlets Price: $30 (690g)

With two layers of fluffy sponges surrounded by a thick veneer of rich, whipped cream and topped with fresh, juicy strawberries, this cake is in a league of its own. Each bite leaves you with an insatiable desire for more.

National Day Flag Agar Agar

PHOTO: ELLEN LIM, DARREN CHANG

Ejelly Agar Agar & Jelly Cake House www.ejelly.com.sg Price: $50 and up (ready-made); $100 and up (customised)

Handcrafted by Eileen Pang and her team of jolly jelly makers, this king-sized agar agar pays tribute to the national flag in the most inventive of ways, replete with edible ‘crescent’, ‘stars’ and even ‘flowers’! Made with Kanten powder derived from seaweed, coconut milk, sugar and water and flavoured with pandan, it is firm to the bite and subtly satisfying.

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6/25/09 10:50:54 AM

Food

36

DIYDesserts

Mixed Berries with Coconut milk Ingredients: 4 red currants, 4 raspberries, 4 strawberries, gelatin, two tablespoons sugar and 600 ml coconut milk.

Step 1: Immerse gelatin in a

Strawberries with White Chocolate Ingredients: 4 strawberries and 3 pieces white chocolate.

Step 1: Place a few pieces of

white chocolate in a pan.

Gently heat them over a small fire until they melt. Pour the melted white chocolate evenly into several small cups.

Step 2: Top off each cup with a strawberry and you are ready to serve up a simple, yet toothsome dessert.

bowl of cold water until it becomes soft. In the meantime, prepare a pan with coconut milk. Add two tablespoons of sugar into the coconut milk and start simmering. Slowly move the pan away after three minutes of simmering.

Step 2: Remove the previously soaked gelatin from its bowl and place into the pan with the coconut milk. Stir the gelatin together with the

coconut milk until the gelatin dissolves. Pour the mixture into serving glasses/bowls.

Place them in the refrigerator once they cool down. Allow the mixtures to set.

Step 3: Cut the assorted berries into small chunks before preparing a mixture of two tablespoons of water and four tablespoons of sugar in a pan. Boil the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add the chunks of berries into the mixture and poach gently until the berries soften. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool.

Step 4: Take out the coconut mixtures from the refrigerator and embellish them with the poached berries. You are good to go!

25 The Short Takes Last Page

1. The first National Day Parade was held in ________.

Send in your answers today!

Online: www.challenge.gov.sg E-mail: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Fax: 6333-4010 Post: PS21 Office, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434 Include your name, e-mail, agency and telephone number. All winners will be informed via e-mail.

Deadline for submission: Aug 17, 2009

A) B) C) D)

4. The five stars on the Singapore flag stand for Singapore’s ideals which are _______, _______, ______, _______ and _______.

1819 1959 1966 1980

2. What is the theme of this year’s National Day Parade?

A) Come Together – Reaching Out, Reaching Up B) Celebrating the Singapore Spirit C) City of Possibilities D) Our Global City, Our Home

3. In which year was the National Day Parade first held at the Marina Bay Floating Platform?

COMPILED BY NG SHU ZHENG CHECK OUT NDP 09 HIGHLIGHTS AND THE LATEST UPDATES ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE: WWW.NDP.ORG.SG In addition, readers can also check out www.ndpeeps.com where you can post your reflections, photos, videos or sign up to be a fan on Facebook and stand to win NDP prizes!”

A) B) C) D)

A) democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality B) prosperity, harmony, progress, justice and equality C) vitality, progress, peace, prosperity and justice D) democracy, peace, justice, equality and excellence

5. The national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, is a/an _______.

A) B) C) D)

lily hibiscus rose orchid

1985 2000 2007 2008

NationalDay Nuggets

ll thse a t e G swer d an ct an cortraend toie s ov ! winum hers vo c

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6/25/09 10:15:09 AM

thomas (capital U).pdf

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6/17/2009

10:58:58 AM

Stepping Up

Opening Up Our Horizon to Make a Change I often have to organise events at work, which includes handling a series of logistics and administrative procedures. To improve the way things are done, I compiled an events management checklist. I also proposed an electronic method to collate attendance. These suggestions have since been adopted by my Unit and have helped us to work more effectively.

Taking the initiative to make changes may be a step into the unknown. But if we can overcome our fears and believe that our ideas can make a difference, the ever expanding horizon is ours to explore.

BE THE CHANGE

Mr Thomas Sim Human Resource Officer (Training & Worklife) Personnel Policy Department Public Service Division / Prime Minister's Office