Challenge Nov/Dec 2013 - Bump, Not Punch

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Soft power is in – and why Singapore needs it

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December 2013

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Cover Story

THE FORCE OF FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS Why soft power is needed to deal with challenges today

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SINGAPORE INC

SERVICE IS AN ACTION THAT STARTS A POSITIVE CHAIN REACTION

The Challenge quiz on Singapore’s brand ambassadors

Serve someone well and the next person he meets will benefit too, says bestselling author Ron Kaufman

“I LEARNT NOT TO TAKE THINGS AT FACE VALUE” Mrs Ow Foong Pheng, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, shares her insights on work and life

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A RIVER THAT BINDS

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Public officers and the community come together to care for the Kallang River @ BishanAng Mo Kio Park

GIFTS THAT SHOW YOU CARE Support worthy causes when you purchase them

PUL

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WORLDLY WANDERLUST Public officers on their adventures in unconventional holiday destinations

02 Inbox Your views on the Sep/Oct issue of Challenge 03 Your Say What is one change that the Public Service needs the most today? Readers share their views 04 All Things Digital The latest happenings online 05 #hearmeout Thoughts of a young public officer 05 Get Wired Tips to be more tech-savvy at work 06 The Briefing News from the Public Service 07 Game Changers (*srsly?) A gaming maestro tells us how “serious fun” games can improve the Public Service 19 The Challenge Pullout: The Travel Issue Become a travel pro with these 8 pages of tips 27 Letters to a Young Officer: Take Risks, or Risk Getting Left Behind It pays to think ahead and innovate, shares Mr James Kang, Assistant Chief Executive, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore 32 Smoothing Out the Bumps in the Road The Smart Regulation Committee relooks and refines rules to better serve the public 34 Unsung Heroes: Logistics Wizards Kudos to these support staff who ensure the smooth operations of their workplaces 35 Opening the Data Floodgates Britain’s first Director of Digital Engagement Andrew Stott opens up about UK’s first open data portal 44 The Irreverent Last Page: How to Spot a Singaporean Overseas Traits you can’t miss, no matter where you are

publisher PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office 100 High Street, #07-01 The Treasury Singapore 179434 Email: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Web: www.challenge.gov.sg For enquiries or feedback on Challenge, please write to the Challenge Editorial Team at psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg.

Editorial Advisors Keith Tan & Charlene Han Editor Tan Hui Min Assistant Editors Kaira Peh & Christopher Teo Editorial Assistant Daphne Liew

The Power of Persuasion

Tuber Productions Pte Ltd 298 River Valley Road Level 2 Singapore 238339 Tel: 6836-4030 Fax: 6836-4029 Email: info@tuberproductions.com Web: www.tuberproductions.com

I have a friend with two daughters, aged eight and five. After dinner one evening, the elder child’s request for ice cream was greeted by a prompt “no”. My friend felt her kids had had enough sweets for the day.

management Director Lee Han Shih Project Director Liew Wei Ping

A while later, her younger daughter climbed into her lap and with a cherubic smile, asked: “Mummy, you said last time that if I finish everything on my plate, I can have a treat, right?” “Yes, dear,” my friend replied. “Mummy, I’ve finished all my food.

Can I have some ice cream now?” Reminded of her own promise, my friend obliged!

This little girl had used “soft power” to persuade her mother to give her what she wanted.

editorial

On the international stage, soft power refers to how countries influence each other through persuasion rather than military might or economic levers. In our cover story The Force of Friendly Solutions, we delve into how nations are practising soft power by strengthening their cultural currency, and what this means for Singapore.

Oftentimes, however, it is through “smart power”, or a mix of soft and hard power, that desired outcomes are achieved. In Opening the Data Floodgates, Britain’s former Director of Digital Engagement shares how it took both legislation and showing the benefits of data sharing to get the country’s open data portal off the ground.

Contributors Satish Cheney, Ryandall Lim, Tay Qiao Wei, Sheralyn Tay, Lisa Twang, Denyse Yeo & Yong Shu Chiang

Game Changers (*srsly?) explores persuasion in the form of using fun to get people to take action. In a workshop this July, some officers learnt how applying gamedesign thinking to non-game situations could improve public services by spreading messages faster and inspiring change of behaviour.

We also celebrate with IE Singapore as it turns 30 with a focus on the international scene. Take the Singapore Inc quiz to check how savvy you really are about Singapore’s international trade. Then get ready for the year-end holidays with our Travel Pullout, tracking other officers’ adventures in Worldly Wanderlust and making sure you know How to Spot a (fellow) Singaporean Overseas.

Happy Reading!

Editor Tan Hui Min

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Editor-in-chief Bridgette See Contributing Editor Chen Jingting Sub-editor Bernice Tang Staff Writer Siti Maziah Masramli

creative Art Director Yip Siew Fei Graphic Designers Ng Shi Wei & Ryan Ong Intern Maggie Lee Contributing Photographers John Heng (www.daphotographer.com) Norman Ng (www.normanng.com) Challenge is published bimonthly by Tuber Productions Pte Ltd (Registration No: 200703697K) for PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office. 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 Office or Tuber Productions Pte Ltd and no liabilities shall be attached there to. All rights reserved.

All information correct at time of printing.

Printed by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd (Registration No: 197801823M) 57 Loyang Drive Singapore 508968

INBOX Sep tem

ber/ Oct

3 obe r 201

You have done a great job in turning what used to be a stuffy magazine, which seemed to be a mouthpiece for

Dif fere ntly lic Ser vice g the Pub App roa chin

the government, into a

snazzy, entertaining

read while showcasing the work of different ministries in the Public Service successfully. The questions posed in Your Say are not run-of-the-mill, the lead article

Riding the Big Data Wave [Jul/Aug 2013 issue] is relevant and informative, and the writing style of your authors is engaging. You are also doing a great job with the

What will it take to build a

CITY FOR ALL AGES? Now available on iPad

fresh look and feel of the magazine layouts.

Great job, folks!

– Varalackshmi Durai, MOE

I pretty much enjoy reading Challenge. Good thing it’s in hard copy. I am from the “old school” generation and like the feel of leafing through the pages of a magazine.

Challenge has a cheery and trendy feel to it. Its covers are colourful and inviting, prompting me to pick it up readily.

The layout’s refreshing and what keeps me glued is the spread of topics which engages public officers across all ages – from young entry level officers to folks like me who have devoted half our lives to the Public Service!

Is there any plan to publish [the Challenge app] on the Android platform?

– Alfred Wong, ELD Ed’s note: Thanks for your interest.

We are exploring more ways to make Challenge more accessible to readers.

Stay tuned!

– Chan Yin Yin, CPF

......

Jargon Watch Public Service Jargon SQC/SQA = Singapore Quality Class/Award QSC = Quality Service Committee

Tech Jargon ICYMI = “in case you missed it” If you follow the news on social media, you may have seen this term used when material posted earlier is posted again.

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

Fomo = “fear of missing out” Unlike the Singlish term kiasu, Fomo (or FOMO) is the anxiety one feels about missing an exciting or interesting event that may currently be happening elsewhere, often triggered by posts seen on social media.

If you would like a jargon or acronym explained, email us at psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

Your Say

What is one change you think the Public Service needs the most today?

The Public Service needs to review its relationship with the public. Sometimes it can be a little schizophrenic.

On the one hand, we want to encourage more active citizenry in Singapore. On the other hand, many are cautious of the public. For example, a friend of mine at a university wanted to organise a talk with speakers from the government, NGOs, etc. However, he was not at all successful in inviting speakers from the government.

G NIN WINNTRY E

CHANGE

– Lau Ying Shan, MND Congratulations Ying Shan! We’re giving you a NOX – Dine in the Dark Gift Card worth $100!

We sense your desire for greater empathy and hope that the experience of enjoying a meal in pitch-black darkness will help you do just that.

Contribute your ideas on how the Public Service can help create a better tomorrow for Singapore!

Log on to www.cube.gov.sg to find out more.

One of our biggest problems has always been red tape. We need to get rid of the adherence to unnecessary regulations and procedures. Procedures should be simplified to enable greater efficiency between agencies. If Department A needs information from Department B urgently, they should not be made to fill up forms or forward memos and wait a week for the information. Within an agency, approval from several layers of hierarchies could also be streamlined so that things get done faster.

– Nuraishah Hamza, ICA

The Public Service needs to work as a whole to help the needy. As a volunteer distributing food and visiting homes, I often get complaints that different agencies withhold information from each other, making it very difficult for the poor to seek help. I met an old lady living in a rented one-room flat who asked for help from a welfare department. The agency told her to get information on her son, with whom she has lost contact for many years, when such data can be obtained from other agencies.

– Chua Han Quan, IRAS

Stop benchmarking productivity with the number of hours spent in the office! Productivity should be measured in terms of output. With technology today, there are very few reasons for public officers to be office-bound unless their work requires face-to-face communication. This change in mindset will allow greater flexibility and empower us to do our work better by juggling both personal and the work spaces on our terms. As the Public Service matures (marks of maturity include trust, responsibility and commitment), let’s enable staff to define their work space beyond the traditional office starting from today.

– Umar Ngalim, SCDF

We need a grounded view of the long term.

Our focus on annual KPI evaluations and leadership rotations belies Singapore’s pride in its political stability and longevity by incentivising short term outcomes.

Societal values and mores are guided over decades rather than years, and the Public Service’s reward and management philosophy has to recognise this.

– Ho Zhi Wei, NYC

We often need inspiration for innovation. So share with us – who or what gives you the best ideas at work?

Tell us at psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg.

The best entry will win an attractive prize worth up to $100! All other published entries will win book vouchers worth $30 each. Please include your name, agency email address, agency and contact number.

All entries should reach us by December 4, 2013.

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All Things Digital

GODIGITAL

thumbs Up

Exclusively on Challenge Online at www.challenge.gov.sg

Duck and Cover: Basic tips for public service dating Jonson designs a “Public Service Dating Guide” for all lovelorn public officers.

Creativity is a hike away Boost your creativity by shutting down your gadgets and exposing yourself to nature.

bit.ly/PSDating

bit.ly/CreativityHikes

Quick naps for an energy boost A short snooze during lunch may have surprising effects on your productivity. bit.ly/QuickNaps

Duck and Cover: Jonson at reservist Jonson is back in camp for reservist, but does anyone really know what he does there? bit.ly/JonsonReservist

To scan QR codes, please download any free QR code reader app available on iTunes Store and Google Play.

LIM TUAN LIANG Head, Technology Crime Forensic Branch, SPF PrintWhatYouLike: “This website lets you print the good parts of any web page while skipping ads and other junk.

Fantastic and ecofriendly since you don’t end up with pages of stuff you don’t want.” bit.ly/_pwyl

Google Currents: “It’s similar to [magazine app] Flipboard, but allows greater selection.

I can download all my content with a single ‘sync’.”

SPOTTED ON CUBE Educator Dr Ong Chun Ghee has an idea to help less well-off students: “What I’d like to suggest is getting volunteers to pool resources to help our under-privileged primary school children who cannot [find] enough academic support outside schools... One possible way... is to use media, i.e., video teaching resources which volunteers can easily create, upload and share with our under-privileged children and even parents who need... the know-how to teach their own children.” bit.ly/helpstudents Want to read more? Join us at www.cube.gov.sg!

digital chatter What people are saying about Singapore online.

“Singapore’s sterility and fussy outlook might not be what you’d choose for a weekend break, any more than you’d bother with Canberra on a trip to Australia.

But order and efficiency are pluses when it comes to helping the world go round.”

– Edward Carr, journalist, votes for Singapore to be the world’s capital city in Intelligent Life magazine (September 2011): bit.ly/sgcapital

“Singapore[‘s] electronic road-pricing system, recognised as one of the world’s most innovative, sets a variable congestion charge according to prevailing traffic conditions. As well as reducing congestion and emissions by encouraging drivers to take less-congested roads… the scheme generated revenue of (US)$125 million for the city in 2010.”

– McKinsey Cities Special Initiatives report “How to make cities great”: bit.ly/McKcity

“#SGedu civil service didn’t provide typewriters or computers in the past in my days. I had to save a month’s pay for a typewriter. (Heng)” – Zelig Dhi Lee (@zeligdhilee), Central Singapore Community Development Council manager, tweeting about Education Minister Heng Swee Keat’s speech at a Singapore Management University ministerial forum (January 31, 2012): bit.ly/smuforumtweets

NABILAH SAID Manager, Marketing & Corp Comms, SAM Nerdist Podcast: “This features interviews with talented people such as astronaut Buzz Aldrin and writer-actor Tina Fey. The witty banter motivates me when I run and keeps my inner geek happy.” bit.ly/nerdpod

Singapore Biennale Tumblr: “We are super proud of our Singapore Biennale Tumblr, listed by Art Radar Asia as one of Asia’s best contemporary art Tumblrs. Look out for artist interviews and sneak peeks of their artworks for the upcoming Biennale, which runs till February 16, 2014.” bit.ly/sgbiennale13

www.challenge.gov.sg September/October 2013

#hearmeout

Get Wired

Thoughts of a young officer in 140 words.

Working together on the web Free alternatives to the Microsoft Office and Google suite of tools: 1. Ever tried to find a common date for a large meeting via email? Avoid scheduling headaches and a clogged up inbox by using web calendar service Doodle (www.doodle.com). You can easily see your participants’ availability on a table showing everyone’s timeslots.

2. Editorially (www.editorially.com) is a web-based text editor for collaborative writing. The service has commenting, annotating and revision control features, as well as responsive design, which means you can use it comfortably even on your phone or tablet.

3. Pixlr Editor (www.pixlr.com/ editor) is a Flash-based image editor offering many features similar to that of professional-level software Adobe Photoshop. There are also simpler Pixlr photo editing services for mobile devices.

“I think the Public Service is – a hopelessly structured and principled employer with a lot of inspiring figures hoping to play a part in the nation building of Singapore. While I am glad that I have enjoyed flexibility in my work arrangements during my 3.5 years in the Ministry of Health, I fully recognise that any flexibility accorded is a function of the personalities of my bosses and the colleagues whom I interact with.”

– Lee Huanyan, Senior Health Policy Analyst, Ministry of Health

Say it like this: A photo, video or behaviour that goes viral is known as a meme (pronounced “meem”, not “me-me”).

Tips for Instagram video 1. There are functions such as filters and editing, but you can only delete the most recent clip in the sequence.

2. Record a clip by pressing and holding the Camcorder button. For best results, keep your phone still for each clip.

3. Try putting several very short, still clips together to make a stop-motion animation. Want inspiration? Visit vinstavids.com for a collection of Instagram videos.

The BRIEFING

Coming Up

Getting ready for change Learn how you can be an agent of change at the PS21 ExCEL Convention 2013. Explore a variety of entertaining programmes and exhibitions of innovative projects from ministries and agencies. Participate in learning journeys and be inspired by sharing sessions on spurring creativity and making change possible. At ITE College Central @ Ang Mo Kio, on November 14-15. bit.ly/ExCEL2013

CELEBRATING CULTURE IN THE WORKPLACE! We may work alongside colleagues of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, but how well do we know each other’s traditions? The Community Engagement Programme Team from the Ministry of Manpower and its partners have come up with the booklet Celebrating Our Unique Culture to foster understanding and respect between different groups in the workplace. The booklet explores the folklores, food, traditional costumes and festivals of Singapore’s four main ethnic communities. It also suggests team-bonding activities to facilitate cross-cultural exchanges in the office! www.mom.gov.sg/cep

The trail of firsts Did you know that the first HDB flat, the first polyclinic, the first branch library and the first sports complex were all built in Queenstown? Join us on a walking tour of Singapore’s first satellite town every last Sunday of the month, 9am – 11am, starting at Queenstown MRT station. To register, email myqueenstown@gmail.com with your preferred date. bit.ly/qtowntrail

BUILDING A STRONG CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) CULTURE The Building and Construction Authority (BCA)’s staff-initiated CSR Activity Scheme helps staff in organising volunteering activities for causes they feel strongly about. These activities usually involve staff, their family members, BCA Academy students and firms from the built environment industry. Under the scheme, the agency recently collaborated with firms to retrofit part of the premises of the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped with new walls, carpets and lighting.

BCA also partnered the firms to raise over $500,000 for the President’s Challenge 2012. For its efforts, the agency clinched the prestigious HRM Award (given to human resources professionals) for Best CSR Practices.

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

A play on mental wellness As part of plans to celebrate the Institute of Mental Health (IMH)’s 85th anniversary, IMH staff, volunteers and patients have produced an inaugural play about everyday folks trying their best to cope with mental health issues. On December 14, 3pm and 8pm. Tickets are priced at $10 each. Email si_jia_ng@imh.com.sg or call 6389 2827 to get yours today. www.imh.com.sg/eshop

Feature

Text by SITI MAZIAH MASRAMLI

Game Changers (*srsly?) *Seriously

How far can fun go to improve public services? Officers experimenting with game-design principles find out more.

If returning trays after eating was fun instead of a chore, more people might clear their tables at food courts. So a team of public officers explored making the act of cleaning up enjoyable by turning it into a game.

They came up with The Speedy Sorter, a series of game stations that weighs your food waste; instantly crushes drink cans; has cut-out holes for plates, utensils and trays; and rewards you with a small item like a can of drink for taking part in the game (and for your act of courtesy).

This prototype game was cooked up during XEOPlayshop, a workshop that offers creativity training and techniques to enhance user engagement and experiences through game-design thinking.

Organised by the Civil Service College (CSC) and taught by renowned game researcher and designer Nicole Lazzaro, the two-day workshop in July drew 25 participants from various agencies. They learnt about game principles and then created “serious fun� games related to the Public Service using those principles.

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1. Officers play the game Apples to Apples, which has elements of Easy Fun and People Fun. 2. A Playshop participant decorates a game prototype.

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Games can inspire people to learn new things without being intimidated by the prospect of failure.

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

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Post-it note colours represent different land uses in a puzzle game devised to teach policy trade-offs.

A prototype of The Speedy Sorter has cut-outs shaped like the items to be returned.

To teach procurement principles, a game is adapted from Monopoly, complete with challenge cards.

A participant holds up a prototype mock airport for a game about managing budgets.

Games are the new medium for the 21st century, says Ms Lazzaro. Modern citizens face issues such as global warming, economic crises, viral diseases and recently in Singapore, the haze from Indonesia. These problems all have multiple cause-and-effect relationships, she says. “We have to teach them systems thinking somehow, so why not teach through games?”

Instead of informing, say, about mosquito breeding through static PDFs or

brochures, she says “you could get your message across much more quickly if you had a good interactive experience to communicate what’s going on.”

Educational games can also teach empathy and real-world problem-solving skills, particularly through role-playing and simulation. For instance, a city-building game similar to SimCity could show what it takes to develop and maintain an urban town. “The purpose of play is to invent our future selves,” says Ms Laz-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICOLE LAZZARO

Why play?

Different from the typical games played primarily for entertainment, these games have a clear educational and engagement purpose.

Such games-inspired thinking provide opportunities for improving public services by spreading messages faster and inspiring changes in behaviour, says Ms Lazzaro, president of consultancy XEODesign.

Ms Lazzaro has advised the White House and the US State Department on the use of serious games in public service.

She identified five areas where gaming principles are particularly useful: education, health, public transport, government procurement, and civic participation and engagement.

For instance, such games can get people moving to improve their health. The Zombies, Run! app makes running an immersive adventure with a soundtrack of zombies chasing you as you run. In First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to end childhood obesity, apps like Food Buster and Work It Off teach children about healthy eating and exercise habits.

Here at home, the Incentives for Singapore’s Commuters (INSINC) web app encourages commuters to use the trains during non-peak hours, an example of gamification potentially changing behaviour. Gamification is the application of game-design thinking to non-game applications to make them more fun and engaging (read “Fun is the future of work” in our November/December 2012 issue).

Feature

zaro. Through games, you could practise multi-tasking, interacting and teamwork, and, “if you become the mayor of SimCity, then you have mastered the content of what it takes to be a city manager.”

Games can inspire people to learn new things without being intimidated by the prospect of failure. To encourage entrepreneurship, Ms Lazzaro suggests a game where users can role-play being an entrepreneur. In the game, you can simplify the role of an entrepreneur, suspend consequences, and provide constant feedback on how well the user is faring.

Making play work During the XEOPlayshop, participants identified public services or policy problems where game-design principles could be applied. In teams, they designed games based on a chosen issue using a G.A.M.E framework – identifying goals, actions, motivations and emotions – and then built prototypes to rapidly test their games.

Their games included potential projects for citizens. The team behind The Speedy Sorter aimed to solve the real issue of getting citizens more involved in cleaning up after eating. There were also games for training public officers about procurement principles (in a game similar to Monopoly), budget constraints (players have to manage a virtual airport in dire straits) and policy trade-offs (a mosaic puzzle game on land use allocation).

The officers used Ms Lazzaro’s Four Keys to Fun framework, a tool to design interactive systems. From 20 years of research and observing gamers’ emotions during play, Ms Lazzaro found that games offer four types of fun: Hard Fun, Easy Fun, People Fun and Serious Fun (see sidebox).

Over time, games have to increase in difficulty, or players will get bored and quit. “Contrary to popular belief, making a game is really, really hard,” Ms Lazzaro says wryly. Increasing game difficulty is more than “adding monsters and reducing time”, or requiring players to collect more points. “It’s very challenging to make a game more difficult by changing the strategy… In that hotbed of innovation, game designers have invented all kinds of ways to engage the human psyche.”

Ms Daisy Koh, a senior executive at CSC’s Institute of Leadership and Organisational Development who attended XEO-

Four Keys to Fun According to Ms Lazzaro, games offer four types of fun that create emotions and engagement. Bestselling games comprise at least three of the four play styles: EASY FUN Novelty that creates curiosity and wonder – people first get hooked onto games because of Easy Fun. HARD FUN Challenge that creates frustration and fiero – a feeling of personal triumph, or the “epic win”.

PEOPLE FUN Social interaction that creates feelings of friendship, amusement and rivalry.

SERIOUS FUN Rewards that create excitement and meaning – this is also where games can make the biggest impact in public service. “We really enjoy games that [enable people to] change themselves or change the world,” says Ms Lazzaro. She developed an iPhone game, Tilt World, which plants real-life trees in Madagascar when players collect enough points.

Playshop, says the workshop helps her think of unconventional ways to engage public officers. “Maybe we can do game booths so we can pass down information more quickly and it becomes more interesting to [officers],” she muses.

A frequent gamer herself, Ms Koh appreciates learning about the G.A.M.E and Four Keys to Fun frameworks. “Before this, I thought that games were just games,” she says. “Now I can clearly see how each game is designed to fulfil the four elements.”

Another participant, Ms Caryn Lim, who is deputy director of corporate planning at the Ministry of Manpower, believes that agencies need to try new ways of engagement. But whether to embark on game principles in public service “depends a lot on time and cost”, she points out.

Ms Lazzaro acknowledges that training in game-design thinking and applying that in policies is an investment (and risk). But the cost of not exploring gamethinking is losing out on an opportunity to make your public services more engaging than simply downloading a PDF from your website, she says.

Are you game?

Nicole Lazzaro is president of XEODesign, a consultancy offering 20 years of player experience design for games, educational software and business applications. She is among Fast Company’s 100 most influential women in technology, and Gamasutra’s top 20 women working in video games. She blogs at www.nicolelazzaro.com and has written about gaming in public service at bit.ly/gaminginPS

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www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

Cover Story

In today’s world, where aggressive and hard strategies may do more harm than good, a country needs to rely on its attractiveness to increase its global clout.

Satish Cheney reports.

1945. The Second World War was over. But the battle for supremacy continued. With Europe’s economy in tatters, the US feared Soviet communism would creep in and cement a deep ideological hold over the continent.

In response, they came up with the European Recovery Programme – a US-sponsored aid initiative often referred to as The Marshall Plan, after the then US Secretary of State George C. Marshall. Under the programme, Europe received humanitarian aid, various grants and consultation on rebuilding devastated infrastructure.

The then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to it as “the most unselfish act by any great power in history”. Others, though, decried the plan, claiming the Americans’ actions were forms of economic imperialism and political control, not altruism.

Good intentions or not, the Marshall Plan is a classic example of “soft power”, a concept coined in 1990 by former US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and Harvard professor Joseph Nye.

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The need for soft solutions Soft power, according to Prof Nye, refers to a nation’s ability to persuade other nations to agree with it or to desire the outcomes it wants. Rather than resort to hard power (military attacks or economic sanctions, for instance), countries rely on the attractiveness of their cultural influences and diplomatic moves to gain support and favour on the international stage.

“Think of the end of the Cold War. Not a single shot was fired,” Prof Nye told German magazine Das Spiegel. “For decades, the American military was necessary to deter Soviet aggression and expansion. But it was mainly the soft power elements which penetrated the Iron Curtain and made the people on the other side lose faith.”

Today, governments other than the US are looking to soft power to reduce tensions and increase their global clout, political or otherwise.

South Korea is a good example. The country has successfully used “Hallyu” diplomacy, or South Korean pop culture, to win fans abroad. Indeed its president Park Geun-hye affirmed the importance of soft power earlier this year, when she declared in her inauguration speech: “In the 21st century, culture is power… We will harness the innate value of culture in order to heal social conflicts and [bridge] cultural divides separating different regions, generations and social strata.”

Soft power is crucial for Singapore too.

Associate Professor Alan Chong at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies explained: “Soft power suits Singapore in a fluid post-Cold War, post-September 11 environment where information travels freely everywhere and instances of physical aggression become widely amplified for public opinion to react to.”

Also, when tension arises between Singapore and other countries, the effectiveness of hard power in resolving conflicts may be limited. “Economic capacity and the mutual exchange of interest in terms of economic cooperation do not really buffer Singapore when something like the Flor Contemplacion incident occurs, or if foreign politicians try to whip up unpopular sentiment against Singapore,” said Dr Chong Ja Ian from the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

In 1995, the Singapore courts sentenced Filipina domestic worker Con-

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

In the 21st century, culture is power... We will harness the innate value of culture in order to heal social conflicts and [bridge] cultural divides separating different regions, generations and social strata. templacion to death for the murder of another domestic worker and the young son of the latter’s employer. Despite a personal plea from the then Philippine president to stop the execution, the sentence was carried out. Singapore was heavily criticised by the Philippines for meting out the harsh punishment.

The race to power up While Singapore has always been known for being uncompromising in enforcing its laws, it has also shown the world its softer

side through humanitarian efforts, such as its peacekeeping missions overseas.

Dr Chong from NUS believes such missions are helpful in three ways. They create a positive image of Singapore among the local population where the peacekeepers serve, demonstrate that Singapore shoulders its international responsibilities, and reinforce existing military-to-military cooperation with friendly countries. “The same can be said of disaster relief missions, such as what our armed forces did in Aceh,” he said.

Cover Story

lagged behind that of major global powers, largely because of its small size and priorities, which have focused more on education and the economy, rather than sports.

However, he pointed to other areas Singapore can work on: “The country has sought to be a player in the international sporting arena by hosting major sports events such as the Formula 1 race, [which is] still the only full night race on the F1 calendar.

“The new Sports Hub being built will also be a major landmark for the country, and will enable other significant sporting events to be held in Singapore.”

These, he believes, will help in the branding of Singapore abroad and boost the country’s soft power.

But Singapore needs to sharpen its soft power tools, if its rankings on the annual Monocle (a UK-based magazine) survey in recent years are anything to go by. The survey rates countries according to their influence in global politics, diplomacy, business, culture, sports and education.

From a 13th place showing in 2010 (thanks to the city-state’s investment in creative industries, Channel News Asia and Singapore Airlines), it slipped to the 22nd spot in 2011. The reason – there’s still “confusion over what and where Singapore is”. Singapore then continued its decline to number 26 in 2012.

In the same survey, the UK came out tops. According to Monocle, winning major international sports competitions, such as the Tour de France and Wimbledon, was an important reason behind the UK’s victory on the soft power chart.

Sports has always played a critical role in society by building a sense of cohesion and unifying people across different demographics, said Nominated Member of Parliament and Executive Director of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs Nicholas Fang. In other words, sports has the ability to capture and bind hearts, even beyond country boundaries. Think of the football teams in the English Premier League and their scores of loyal fans worldwide.

Monocle also attributed the UK’s top spot to its hosting of the London Olympic Games. The ability to take charge of mammoth events like the Olympics shows the world that the country is a major power, explained Mr Fang.

By comparison, Singapore still has some way to go in using sporting success and events to wield soft power. Mr Fang said that Singapore’s sporting development has

Let’s get friendlier If Singapore wants a more positive international image, it needs to let its hair down, suggested Monocle. It criticised Singapore for being a nanny state, highlighting the recent censorship woes faced by Singaporean film maker Ken Kwek for his satirical comedy film Sex.Violence.FamilyValues.

But not all is bleak and gloomy – the magazine praised Singapore for promoting the arts by investing in new museums, exhibition venues like Gillman Barracks and art schools.

Dr Chong believes greater efforts towards winning the hearts of ordinary people from countries nearby can also help to boost the nation’s global influence.

Such efforts do not have to be expensive or large-scale. “It can be sending students and young people to various places to learn alongside students from neighbouring countries, to teach, to provide basic hygiene and preventative healthcare, to help build local facilities like houses and drains.

“This puts a human face to Singapore [for] our neighbours. It shows that Singapore is not just about infrastructure projects or big money,” he explained.

The youth corps initiative announced

by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally, for instance, is a step in the right direction, said Assoc Prof Chong. The National Youth Council aims to reach out to 6,000 youth volunteers every year to participate in overseas and local community projects.

On the business front, helping local companies to gain a stronger presence in emerging markets such as Yangon, Johannesburg and Istanbul would also enhance

13

Singapore’s international appeal, said Mr Teo Eng Cheong, Chief Executive Officer of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore.

“It is important that as our companies invest overseas, they operate as good coporate citizens and contribute to the wellbeing and development of the emerging markets. In this way, we will be able to sustain and strengthen our reputation in these markets.”

Smart power Soft power may have many advantages, but this doesn’t mean hard power – military and economic might – has become obsolete.

Sending youths to neighbouring countries requires economic resources. Peacekeeping missions are only possible because there’s a military force in the first place.

Speaking at a Council on Foreign Affairs event on the eve of her last day as

If a state can set the agenda for others or shape their preferences, it can save a lot on carrots and sticks. But rarely can it totally replace either.

Thus the need for smart strategies that combine the tools of both hard and soft power.

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton remarked how the US needs to respond to a new world. “We need a new architecture for a new world… Where once a few strong columns could hold up the weight of the world, today we need a dynamic mix of materials and structures.”

That dynamic mix is encapsulated by the term “smart power”, which was coined by Prof Nye in 2003. It means utilising both soft power and hard power.

In a Foreign Affairs magazine article,

Prof Nye wrote: “If a state can set the agenda for others or shape their preferences, it can save a lot on carrots and sticks. But rarely can it totally replace either. Thus the need for smart strategies that combine the tools of both hard and soft power.”

The challenge for governments now is to get the right mix of smart power to pack enough punch in their foreign policies – and win hearts at the same time.

Cover Story

ents ps for foreign stud hi rs la ho sc d an es nal.

Training programm ore’s soft power arse ap ng Si in ns po ea w are important

Every year, some 4,000 foreigners pass through the doors of Civil Service College (CSC) International, a learning centre for those impressed by Singapore’s success and who are keen to study the country’s public sector policies, reforms and management practices.

The college attracts participants who are potential leaders or even the leaders themselves. The idea is that by making Singapore and its policies familiar and likeable to these participants, they in turn may become more favourable to Singapore and its policies.

“But it’s not just for that purpose. If we prosper and our neighbours are in dire straits, we are not going to attract investments to Singapore as well. So it’s really a prosper-thy-neighbour kind of philosophy,” said CSC International Director Tina Ng. Also, when ties between Singapore and other countries are strong, cooperation can still continue “even if at the po-

litical level there is a short-term fallout,” said Ms Ng. Indeed, Singapore has had issues with its neighbours – most recently with Indonesia on the smog. Yet, none of these have strained bilateral ties to irreversible levels.

The Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), a subsidiary of IE Singapore, also shares this country’s public sector expertise with foreign government officials through training, consultancy and working on actual projects.

If we prosper and our neighbours are in dire straits, we are not going to attract investments to Singapore as well.

So it’s really a prosperthy-neighbour kind of philosophy.

According to Mr Teo, IE Singapore’s Chief Executive Officer, those who worked with SCE “have generally become even more impressed by, and fond of, Singapore. This has further enhanced Singapore’s global image.”

The building of strong relationships through training programmes will also benefit Singapore businesses. “When Singapore companies go to China, they will have a better reputation with the government there. There could be enhanced economic collaboration or spin-offs,” said CSC International Deputy Director Wong Wai Cheng.

As crucial as it is to reach out to foreign diplomats, Dr Chong said exchanges with foreign students are just as, if not more, important. “Scholars, artists and students interact more broadly with their home populations and also write and produce work for public consumption.”

Talented foreign students can go for the Singapore Scholarship that is fully sponsored by the Singapore Cooperation Programme, established in 1992 to offer assistance to other countries. Students from Association of South East Asian Nations states who manage to get the Singapore Scholarship do not have to serve a bond. They are expected to return to their country and contribute to development there instead.

Many critics would rather see more resources spent on Singaporean students instead. However, such scholarships could benefit bilateral relations between Singapore and the scholars’ countries.

Students may end up in official positions or in important businesses, and they may look favourably towards Singapore as a place that provided opportunities for them – opportunities which they probably would not have received in their own countries.

“China is very aggressive in this area [of using education for soft power gains].

It provides scholarships and training to many African students with a long-term view,” said Ms Ng. Africa has recently become one of the most important investment markets for China.

As the competition for global influence heats up, Singapore needs to keep itself on its toes or risk losing its edge.

15

Text by CHEN JINGTING Illustration by NG SHI WEI

The international success of Singaporean brands and personalities can help to boost the nation’s soft power – they indirectly create a positive image of the country through their popularity abroad. To celebrate International Enterprise (IE) Singapore’s 30th birthday, we take a look at how some well loved ambassadors are faring on the global scene. Take this Challenge quiz to find out more.

Qn

MADISON AV

2.

Gwyneth Paltrow calls the the “topical cure-all balm for muscle aches and pains”. Lady Gaga says it’s a “backstage must-have”. No prizes for guessing correctly which ointment brand, made in a small medicine shop in Rangoon (today's Yangon) during the late 1870s before the owners took it to Singapore, is the soothing solution to these celebrities’ sore spots.

Qn Qn

3.

1.

Creations from fashion house are stocked at US luxury retailers Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, and according to fashion news website Fashionista, it now plans to have a store of its own on Madison Avenue, the street of lux chic in New York. Her Highness Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Hollywood “It” girl Jennifer Lawrence have donned its dresses.

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

Qn

The X-mini portable speakers from Sinbring gapore-based company music to former Spice Girl and current celebrity fashion designer Victoria Beckham’s ears. She gushes about them in a Tweet: “How cool are these X-mini speakers???? and [sic] they sound great, perfect for when travelling!”

4.

Named the official women’s wear designer at the 2004 BAFTA Awards (commonly known as the British Oscars), style maestro has dressed stars like Kylie Minogue and Mariah Carey.

Feature

Qn Qn

5.

At the tender age of 15, started her singing career as a member of of J-pop group Mirai. Four years later, she released a solo bossa nova album, which was a hit in Japan. Now the Singaporean songbird, who sang the theme song of local hit drama serial Little Nonya, is hoping to conquer Mandarin-speaking markets with her lilting vocals and classy image.

Qn

6.

Talented singer-songwriter collaborated with legendary songwriters Carole King and Carole Bayer Sager and released albums that won her fans in the US, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore. The Raffles Junior College and NUS alumnus also composed and sang “A Song for Singapore”, the National Day theme song in 2010.

Qn

9.

is Asia’s biggest massage chair maker, and has boldly branded a recent series as the “heavenly king” of all chairs. The spokesman? Hong Kong’s evergreen idol Andy Lau, obviously.

7.

, a Singapore-based brand that had its roots in Gopeng and is now more than a century old, may already be one of Asia’s biggest sellers of traditional Chinese medicine, but it’s not resting on its (herbal) laurels. Hoping to expand its influence in the Western world, it bought Australian company Healthzone Ltd and will combine Western health products and Chinese herbs to create a formidable remedy against colds and fevers.

Qn

8.

Instant coffee brand MacCofenjoys sweet fee by success in Russia, where it was voted the No. 1 coffee in 2011. It’s also a favourite among Ukrainians.

20 Best FAST FOOD CHAINS IN THE WORLD

Qn

10.

is the only Singaporean brand which made it onto USbased Travel + Leisure Magazine’s “20 best fast food chains in the world” list last year. Established in 1956, it is known for its hearty traditional snacks like curry puffs and fried fishballs.

Qn

Singapore may not be a natural producer of oil, but it is the largest bunkering port in the world. We supplied fuel to over 42 million tonnes of bunkers from all over the world last year. That’s enough black gold to , one of Singapore’s largest fill 17,000 Olympic-sized pools. oil-trading and tanker companies, is planning to expand its empire in emerging Asian markets. It’s already one of Myanmar’s top fuel suppliers, according to Reuters.

7) Eu Yan Sang 8) Food Empire Holdings Ltd 9) OSIM 10) Old Chang Kee 11) Trek 2000 International Ltd 12) Hin Leong Trading (pte.) Ltd

12.

Thumbs up for this Singapore-based firm , who worked with tech giant IBM to create the world’s first USB flash drive, more popularly known as the ThumbDrive.

Answer key: 1) Raoul 2) Tiger Balm 3) XMI Pte Ltd 4) Ashley Isham 5) Olivia Ong 6) Corrinne May

Qn

11.

17

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Insider’s Take

SERVICE

is an action that starts a positive

chain reaction Bestselling author RON KAUFMAN offers a fresh perspective on service.

Illustration by MUSHROOMHEAD

When we service providers go to work each day, we think about the customers and colleagues we serve. We listen, ask questions and try our best to understand.

We then take action to solve problems, answer questions and satisfy their needs.

When we succeed, the result is a satisfied customer. A customer’s smile can make you feel better and your extra-mile effort might earn a compliment.

But sometimes a customer or a colleague is in a bad mood. They can even be hurling accusations. When that happens, you have to work harder to answer their questions and shift their mood, solve their problem and put a smile back on their face.

This is more challenging, but also more satisfying to achieve. Because you know the next person they meet won’t bear the brunt of their bad mood, and may even benefit from the good feelings you created.

What started out as a service transaction is now an uplifting chain reaction.

For example, an angry citizen calls you and lets you know how frustrated he is with a problem. Before you tackle the problem, you take time to acknowledge his feelings, listen to all he has to share and show genuine empathy for his situation.

Your being patient and empathetic solves his mood problem, and you go on to address the actual problem he came with.

Our citizen now has two issues resolved, and the next person he meets benefits from his improved disposition.

In another example, a customer comes to your counter in a huff and in a hurry.

Instead of telling him to calm down, you take the opportunity to speed up. You say:

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

What if our measure of service success was not just getting things done, but doing our work in a way that touches more lives than the one we are serving directly?

“I can see this really matters to you. Let me do everything I can to get this done for you quickly.” When the customer sees you working at top speed, his anxiety reduces and the next person he sees or serves benefits.

What if every service provider in Singapore embraced this perspective?

What if our measure of service success was not just getting things done, but doing our work in a way that touches more lives than the one we are serving directly?

Surely this is a bigger task than is written in your job description. And it’s not likely to be captured in your KPIs or your bonus plan. Then, if it’s not mandatory or measured, why should you care about the next person your customer or colleague sees or serves? The answer is simple. In

a small country like Singapore, the next person down the line at some point is you.

So the next time you see a customer or colleague in a good mood, give them a compliment and send back the smile – keep the good energy flowing. When someone shows up disturbed or even downright angry, step in with an extra bit of care and time, a more flexible response, and a deeper enthusiasm and willingness to help. Be the person who takes an action that re-starts an uplifting chain reaction.

Ron Kaufman is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “UPLIFTING SERVICE: The Proven Path to Delighting Your Customers, Colleagues, and Everyone Else You Meet”. He became a citizen of Singapore this year.

Letters to a Young Officer

A letter from JAMES KANG Assistant Chief Executive, Government Chief Information Office, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)

TAKE RISKS,

or risk getting left behind

DEAR YOUNG OFFICER, In my experience, it pays to think ahead and innovate.

When I joined the National Computer Board (NCB) – now known as the IDA – fresh from university, the personal computer (PC) had just been launched. I was sure that it would have a massive impact on the corporate computing landscape in the long run. However, this was in the era of the mainframe computer (a large, central computer that manages the processing of data for up to hundreds of users).

IT professionals saw the mainframe as the “main curriculum” while the PC was just a “co-curricular activity”.

So how was a junior staff supposed to change the perception of the senior management?

I “sold” the idea of having a roadshow on employee workplace productivity and sought the help of the Information Technology Institute, a research subsidiary of NCB, to provide PCs, software and laser printers. Hence the inaugural PC Roadshow by the government was launched! It was so successful that the NCB management extended the idea to other ministries.

We are experiencing more and more innovations in increasing frequency. It is highly risky to avoid risks by staying put and missing out on the opportunities for innovation and improvement.

For example, with the advent of smartphone technology, rights to develop applications were given to the masses, resulting in a plethora of ideas, opportunities and products. The wave of acceptance and demand for smartphones grew and the volume of applications swelled exponentially.

One of our most recent game-changing efforts has been in developing citizen-facing applications faster, better and cheaper.

Though there were risks going against the traditional policy of outsourcing application development, we went ahead with the Agile Development journey. A small experimental team of IDA staff has been working closely with partner agencies to create new user-centric and better quality digital services through rapid prototyping and enhancing the user experience.

We tried the Agile method with a few high-profile projects from agencies to create early buy-in. With these success-

Knowing where and how to get help is more important than building the ability to solve everything yourself.

ful projects and excellent feedback from users, we had a discussion with the Ministry of Finance on the strategic value of Agile and they helped to incorporate it as a programme under the eGov2015 Masterplan. There’s been no looking back since.

Since the inception of the Agile team this year, more than 10 applications for various agencies have been developed.

Content knowledge and technical competencies alone aren’t enough. People skills, or EQ, are imperative to understanding what customers, businesses and companies need. You must consider, “Why are you doing this? Who is it for?” before embarking on the development of any service.

Change is always constant, so bear this in mind as you embark on a career in the Public Service. As the former CEO of General Electric Jack Welch used to say, “If the rate of change on the outside (of your organisation) exceeds the rate of change on the inside, then the end is near.”

So have the courage to initiate change because opportunities come and go. If you don’t make use of these windows, they will be gone. Also, you won’t have all the answers or solutions on your own. Knowing where and how to get help is more important than building the ability to solve everything yourself.

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Text by DENYSE YEO Photos by JOHN HENG

“I learnt not to take things at face value” As the cliché goes, sometimes all it takes is a good teacher to give you a lesson for life.

Mrs Ow Foong Pheng, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), knows this too well. For a lesson from her Hwa Chong Junior College years still sticks in her mind: how her geography teacher turned round one day and challenged her class to explain why a particular theory, which he had spent the whole day before teaching as absolutely correct, could be flawed.

“It taught me to question and be more discerning. [I learnt] not to take things at face value,” she recalls. It is an attitude Mrs Ow has retained throughout her life, as she rose through the ranks after joining the Administrative Service in 1986, in positions at the Ministries of Education, National Development, Finance and Defence.

That would explain why she was unfazed by the recent news that Singapore had slipped one place to rank fifth in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook this year.

More important to analyse “Do companies really look at that ranking to make an investment decision?” she asks, in what turns out to be a candid discussion at Masons, a bistro at Gillman Barracks.

“I would say not,” she continues. “I’m not so obsessed with [being in] first or second position. It’s more important to analyse the reasons behind why we have slipped.” (And she might be on the money: two months after this interview, the Republic kept its spot as the world’s second most competitive economy in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report.)

Mrs Ow Foong Pheng, the forthcoming Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, shares how she handles challenges and priorities at work and in life.

A Cuppa With...

I tell my young officers to ask questions now, not when they are older and more senior [in position], because we do cut youngsters some slack.

Still, her current biggest source of stress is that rising business costs would erode Singapore’s economic competitiveness. She explains that the biggest challenge facing MTI is Singapore’s current economic restructuring. As the country moves towards productivity-driven growth, there is a need to ensure that in the transition, “we don’t end up with huge sectors suddenly hollowing out of Singapore.”

In the same upfront manner, Mrs Ow admits she too has had moments of selfdoubt when she became JTC Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer in 2006, after being Deputy Secretary at the Ministries of Manpower and Home Affairs. She may hold an honours degree in politics, philosophy and economics from the University of Oxford, and a masters in management from Stanford University, but she has no training in engineering. “[But] I told myself, just ask common sense questions and recognise that I’m a generalist... I don’t need to do engineering drawings – and I should not! Let the specialists do their jobs.”

The straight talker A self-confessed introvert, Mrs Ow reveals that her time at JTC also taught her the importance of public relations. At the time, JTC had had to build up its cachet as an attractive employer to draw talent, so she had to engage with the media more actively than she was used to.

Though she had to go out of her comfort zone, “as the leader of an organisation, there was a need to be the face of it.

So I just had to smile and do it.”

Still, Mrs Ow is no shrinking violet – she asks hard questions and is blunt

with her feedback in order to get work done. Her forthrightness comes through too when she recalls female staff asking her questions about work-life balance, something which “invariably comes up for women bosses”, she notes, adding, “I don’t know why they don’t ask the male bosses!”

She does have this to say though: “Work and life are balanced not every day, but across your life. At different life stages, you need to decide on your priority.”

Mrs Ow, who is in her 40s, spends most of her free time with her son, 15, and daughter, 19. She tries to have dinner with them every night, something she has not managed to achieve “100 per cent of the time”. But keeping this aim in mind, she is selective in her evening engagements and tries to get home in time for dinner.

She also makes sure she gets enough time on her own to recharge, including exercising six times a week, whether on her cross trainer machine at home, at Pilates sessions or climbing Bukit Timah Hill on weekends with her husband. In May, she scaled Mount Kinabalu with 19 of her staff, who were surprised by her participation because they had always thought she was “quite soft”.

Meanwhile we tell her we’ve heard that she has exacting standards at work.

She replies: “No less than what my bosses have required of me! I’ve been held to those standards, so I think that everyone should.”

Challenging times When asked about her career highs and lows, Mrs Ow pauses, then recalls 2003’s Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, when she was Secretary to both the Executive Group and the Ministerial Committee on SARS. “For three months, we were working non-stop, yet the crisis seemed to be deepening. More people were dying,” she says. “I felt a bit depressed and wondered if we were doing the right thing; yet we needed to go on. That was a very low point.

“The high point was when we were declared SARS-free and we knew that all our efforts had paid off.”

From her extensive experience in leading various agencies, Mrs Ow advises younger public officers “to ask questions now, not when they are older and more senior [in position], because we do cut youngsters some slack.

“If you don’t articulate your views, I would not know what’s going on up there [in the mind]. And it will make it very hard to teach and mentor.”

What’s usually in your cuppa?

Coffee, with milk, and no sugar.

How often do you take it?

I have a cup of Nespresso in the office every morning when I get to work, and another after lunch.

I avoid caffeine after 4pm.

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Text by SHERALYN TAY Photo courtesy of PUB, THE NATIONAL WATER AGENCY

A river that

binds It’s heart-warming when a community comes together to enjoy a public space – and even more so when they care for it to make it better. Such is the story of the Kallang River @ Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Project, a nominee for the Most Innovative Project/ Policy category at the PS21 ExCEL Awards 2013.

If you’re ever in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park at the weekend, don’t be surprised if someone comes up to you to talk about the importance of keeping the river clean and tells you to watch out for warnings on rising water levels.

He or she is likely to be an enthusiastic volunteer from Friends of Bishan Park (FOBP), a group started by citizens that carries out weekly foot or bicycle patrols to educate and encourage the public on the safe and enjoyable use of the river and its lush surrounds.

FOBP founder Mr Francis Ooi, a 50-year-old business consultant, was roped into the Kallang River @ Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Project two years ago when he met National Water Agency PUB’s Chief Executive Chew Men Leong at a function.

Asked by Mr Chew if he would consider doing his bit to promote the park, Mr Ooi made a trip there and was enthralled by its beauty. The rest, as they say, is history.

Over 300 residents and individuals have signed up with FOBP to find out more about their weekend patrols. The group now consists of some 18 members, who come from

both the neighbouring areas as well as farther away, such as Woodlands and Bedok.

Mr Ooi himself lives in Kembangan.

“This river is, after all, a Singapore river, [not] just one that ‘belongs’ to the residents of Ang Mo Kio and Bishan. It’s a national treasure, it’s ours,” he said.

FOBP members have been trained in various areas of safety and park education

by PUB, the National Environment Agency and the Neighbourhood Police Centre.

The group shares public feedback on the park with PUB who supports their efforts by providing foldable bicycles and storage space for their equipment.

An “ecosystem” of engagement FOBP is part of an extensive “ecosystem” made up of public officers from different agencies, consultants, contractors and members of the community (residents, schools and park users). For two years, they have worked together to transform the once concrete utilitarian canal of the well-loved Bishan Park into a gently sloping lush river bank that doubles up as a place of recreation.

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This “ecosystem” was born out of a deliberate effort. Under the Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters programme, the canal was to undergo drainage improvement. At the same time, the National Parks Board (NParks) planned to upgrade the park to better meet the needs of users. Thus the park and canal were jointly refurbished in the hope that the community would be attracted to use and care for the space, said Engineer Yau Wing Ken from the Catchment & Waterways Department at PUB. Making sure that the team of officers was “on the right page” with a consistent message to the public was a crucial first step in this process, said Ms Aw Lay Kheng, Senior Assistant Director of the 3P Network Department at PUB. Officers often encounter resistance when a plan is taken to the public only towards the end of the project. The likelihood of that happening could be reduced had citizens been engaged in the early stages of planning, said Ms Aw. Persistent sincerity Hence the team began their engagement efforts before construction started. Officers

The team’s “persistent sincerity” played a big part in building the community’s sense of ownership of the project. rolled out a sustainable programme that included pre-construction briefings, consulting citizens on the design of the park and post-construction feedback sessions.

The team’s “persistent sincerity” played a big part in building the community’s sense of ownership of the project. For instance, PUB received online feedback from the public that the extensive maintenance of plants along the river to drain storm water towards Marina Reservoir would affect biodiversity. To find a compromise, PUB worked closely with NParks to identify important habitats and minimise trimming in those areas.

To reach out to schools, PUB shared with primary schools the importance of using the park safely and promoted the park as a classroom space to secondary school students. The agency also took teachers

on a familiarisation tour.

As a result, schools such as Raffles Institution have created a learning trail in the park for their students and the community.

Private stakeholders like Standard Chartered Bank are also stepping in to conduct regular weeding activities and removal of invasive fauna species.

For the public officers behind the transformation of the river, the enthusiasm of the public in owning and enjoying the park holds more charm than the scenic beauty of the space, which has garnered design accolades such as the prestigious President’s Design Award last year.

Thus for Mr Michael Lee, a Community Relations Executive from the 3P Network Department at PUB, his recompense was simple: seeing children decked out in yellow “Phua Chu Kang” boots and armed with little fishing nets, wading into the river and giggling with excitement. Anyone else too would agree.

Designed based on a floodplain concept, a section of the Kallang River at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park has been transformed into a recreation space, inviting park users to enjoy activities near the water.

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Text by YONG SHU CHIANG Illustration by NG SHI WEI

A government committee is working with agencies to reduce paperwork, easing the “pain points” in citizens’ lives.

At various stages of our adult life – say, parenthood or during our senior years – we may face many issues, some of which can form bumps in the road.

Getting over these bumps can be challenging. And when one seeks help from the government to do so, he sometimes finds himself faced with administrative hoops that can prove overwhelming, even daunting.

Case in point: parents applying for financial aid for their children enrolling in child care centres were often stumped by the amount of form-filling they had to do.

Some had trouble obtaining payslips to verify their income level for means-testing

Photocopy identity cards from family members

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

(a system that determines the level of subsidy one receives), and thus faced a long wait for the approval of their application.

Some older citizens went through a similarly trying time. Those who applied for subsidies to buy mobility devices had to undergo household means-testing, even for just a simple walking stick. Collating and submitting the signatures and photocopies of identity cards from every member of the household as part of means-testing was, for some, not easy.

Relieving pain Such difficulties have not gone unnoticed by the authorities.

Submit their signatures

Wait for approval of submission

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The mobility device is $500 and below

Thus the Smart Regulation Committee (SRC) was formed in 2005 in response to the public’s desire for simpler processes.

Currently chaired by Mr Chan Heng Kee, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), the Committee works alongside public agencies to identify and alleviate “pain points” – any frustrating difficulties or inconveniences that inadvertently arise from well-intentioned rules and processes.

“Rules and processes exist for good reason – they help ensure that schemes are implemented according to their intent,” said Mr Kelvin Chia, an MSF officer and a member of the Committee’s Secretariat.

However, they can also make it onerous for citizens who are supposed to benefit from the schemes.

“There are no perfect rules,” he said.

Revisiting rules without compromising on the purpose of the schemes, and putting oneself in a regular citizen’s shoes, are SRC’s guiding principles. In examining current rules and regulations, the committee, which convenes quarterly, keeps in mind the life cycle of Singaporeans — from birth to school-going years, to adulthood and marriage, midlife, and subsequently, one’s golden years.

Simplifying processes For a start, SRC members draw on agencies’ experiences in identifying pain points that affect different stakeholders. The committee, comprising deputy secretaries of ministries and chief executives of statutory boards, then conveys its assessment to the relevant agencies, and encourages and facilitates the necessary changes.

For instance, parents applying for means-tested childcare subsidies need no

I live in a 3-room HDB flat or smaller

longer submit payslips with their application. The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has tied up with the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board to simplify the application process. Now parents can just fill a one-page subsidy application form and the ECDA will derive income information through CPF contributions.

The Ministry of Health has also introduced an enhanced Seniors Mobility and Enabling Fund scheme in July this year, offering monetary support for a wider range of assistive devices, including mobility aids; transport subsidies; and subsidies for medical consumables for a small group of needy seniors.

I’ll receive a

engaged collaboration – not to mention patience with what can be more back-andforth discussions.

According to Mr Chia, government agencies have generally worked well together, hand in hand with the SRC. As the committee “brings pain points encountered by citizens into sharper focus at the working level”, agencies feel a stronger impetus to review current rules and processes.

One agency, for instance, could cast a fresh eye on the rules of a sister agency; by and large, agencies recognise the value in this type of partnership, he said.

In the coming months, the SRC will take a look at the needs of other citizen

Revisiting rules without compromising on the purpose of the schemes, and putting oneself in a regular citizen’s shoes, are SRC’s guiding principles.

The means-testing process for assistive devices was also simplified. For instance, if the senior is staying in a 1-, 2- or 3-room Housing & Development Board (HDB) flat, means-testing is no longer required for medical devices that are $500 or less.

These seniors will qualify for a 90% subsidy, making a basic wheelchair or walking stick easier to acquire.

Working across government The committee approached the agencies that support and know these citizens well to find workable solutions to everyday issues. This multi-agency approach relies on the support of officers across the government, “back-end” coordination, and

groups such as bereaved families, HDB dwellers, as well as those who use public sports and recreational facilities. In these cases, issues cut across various life stages, impacting young and old, and some rules could be made less burdensome.

Mr Chia acknowledged that there will be disagreements among agencies on why and what changes are needed. But what is more important is that officers gain more insights into the experiences of citizens, and have a “mindset shift” in designing rules, he said.

Which means it is still worth the effort to find ways to smooth out bumps in the road for citizens, even if the process to do so is no smooth ride.

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Unsung Heroes

Logistics Wizards

These officers work their magic to keep offices running smoothly.

Text by LISA TWANG Photo by JOHN HENG

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

It’s 8.30am. The projector is warmed up, pencils are sharpened and the inviting aroma of coffee fills the meeting room. These are the work of support staff who organise the ins and outs of the office so it runs like a well-oiled machine.

Ms Goh Lai Lin, Management Support Officer for the Ministry of Education’s Educational Technology Division, performs daily checks of the office building, manages claims and coordinates overseas travel for her colleagues. Ms Goh, who has been at the ministry for 29 years, says: “When renovations, payments and travel plans are completed on time, I feel satisfied that I’ve done my job well.”

Mr Mohamed Ali, Administrative Assistant for the Public Service Division (PSD), feels the same way. He provides logistics support for 400 staff and maintains the operations of 20 meeting rooms. As PSD often hosts foreign delegates and ministers, Mr Ali has to accommodate many different working styles and requests. Fortunately, he enjoys the challenge, which is why he has been doing this for 18 years.

He and Ms Goh agree that working under tight timelines is the toughest part. “It’s common for people to come to us with their laptops [or printers] not working just before an important meeting,” says Mr Ali. Soothing frazzled nerves is also an integral part of their job. Sometimes Ms Goh has to process travel requests quickly while managing anxious colleagues. “I always remind myself to put myself in others’ shoes and stay calm.”

“At the end of the day,” says Mr Ali, “it’s just nice to be recognised for the work I do.”

Feature

Text by BRIDGETTE SEE

Opening the

data f loodgates Retired British civil servant Andrew Stott shares his experience of creating Britain’s first open data portal, data.gov.uk.

Why open data?

Advocates say it increases transparency in governance by making data like public expenditure and salaries available.

A more informed public would be encouraged to participate in governance and decision-making. Businesses and services can also tap public data in creative ways to deliver social and commercial value. In London, public data of every reported bicycle accident was used to map out the most dangerous areas for cycling in the city.

It was May 13, 2009, the first day at work for Britain’s first Director of Digital Engagement, Andrew Stott.

Dubbed the “Twitter Tsar” by the local press, he was to help the country’s civil servants use social media to engage with citizens more effectively.

“It was my first day on the job – I thought I would be on Twitter all day,” the now retired civil servant told Challenge during a recent trip to Singapore.

Instead, he received a letter from then Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s office, informing him that Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the computer scientist credited with inventing the Internet, had been urging the government to create an “open data” platform so that data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed. (See “Why open data?”)

Was this feasible? Could it be done in the next six months? The Prime Minister’s office wanted to know.

“In a way, they said: ‘There’s no particular hurry about it, but could we have a full project business plan by close of today?’” recounted Mr Stott with a burst of laughter.

So instead of firing away tweets, he spent the day drawing up a plan. This would form the foundation of data.gov.uk, the British government’s central online repository of non-personal public datasets.

A month later, Sir Berners-Lee was appointed to oversee the creation of data. gov.uk while Mr Stott was tasked to make the open data portal a reality. The Guardian newspaper called him the “perfect choice” as he had worked on IT projects and in communications for many years in the government.

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Changing mindsets

By January 2010, the public beta site of data.gov.uk was launched with 3,000 datasets. This was three times the number of datasets first released by the United States’ data.gov, the world’s first national open data site.

But it had been tough convincing public agencies – the data owners – to unlock their data. “The problems are not technical. It’s policies; it’s the mindsets of officials,” said Mr Stott.

Hence, one of the first things he did was to appoint “open data champions” in ministries to change mindsets. Such a person must be of sufficient seniority to talk “as an equal to the person who could authorise release of data”, he said.

The data.gov.uk team also aimed for the low-hanging fruit – “data that was already published but wasn’t available as reusable data” – to score quick wins.

To qualify as open data, datasets have to be in machine-readable formats, such as spreadsheets, and not in PDFs. Converting data to reusable formats was the first step in unlocking public data.

Show, don’t just tell Another strategy was to show data owners how their data could be used to their advantage.

“The policymakers were absolutely delighted to see how their data could be used to further the department’s objectives,”

It’s not your data, it’s the public’s data in the first place; they paid for it to be collected.

Illustration of the hyperlocal British police portal www.police.uk, based on the features of the website. When users key in their location, they get information such as the details of the local policing team and crime statistics for the area.

Enter your postcode, town or street name to get street-level maps and data about policing, and details of your local policing team and beat meetings.

City of Westminster, London W1U 4EG, UK

said Mr Stott of the closed-door hackathons organised with the British Home Office, which looks after policing, terrorism and immigration issues. During these sessions, software developers, who signed non-disclosure agreements, coded programmes using the agencies’ data.

A successful outcome was the hyperlocal police.uk portal. Enter your postcode, town or street name and you will see details of the local police team, the crimes reported and their outcomes. Users can also track crime levels over time.

The portal is also “designed to get citizens to engage more with the police and to take part in setting local neighbourhood policing priorities” – an outcome that dovetailed with Mr Stott’s digital engagement mandate.

Create bespoke solutions When faced with resistance, the data.gov.

Marylebone High Street Neighbourhood Policing Team Mobile: 07920 233899 Email: MaryleboneHighStreet.snt@met.police.uk Telephone: 020 8721 2460

Search Inspector

Police community support officer

Police constable

Police sergeant

Team profiles, contact details and police stations >

Crime and outcomes in this area

879 incidents of crime were reported within half a mile of this location in July 2013

1105 outcomes were recorded in July 2013 for crimes that took place within half a mile of this location

Street level updates, trends and crime rates >

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

Feature

uk team dug deeper and found two primary concerns.

First: the nail-biting uncertainty of what the data would be used for and the deeper fear that people would use the data to criticise the government. In response, Mr Stott would tell the data owners: “That’s not your concern. It’s not your data, it’s the public’s data in the first place; they paid for it to be collected.”

Second: the fear that the published data is inaccurate. “They are afraid that people will send them corrections and they wouldn’t know what to do,” he explained.

To address these concerns, a unique Open Government Licence was introduced to give users the right to freely re-use published data, even for commercial purposes, but it also protects data owners from any errors or omissions in their data.

“One thing is apparent,” said Mr Stott.

“Releasing data has generated more pressure and support internally to improve data quality much more than before.”

Now more public agencies are willing to put their data to the test through crowdsourcing. For instance, when the national database of bus stops was shared on Open Street Map (a Wikipedia of maps), the site’s volunteers validated the 300,000 bus stop locations and found 18,000 that

were inaccurate. The national database was promptly corrected and updated.

Encourage the re-use of data While it is critical to unlock datasets, it is just as important that governments actively encourage the use of the data, said Mr Stott.

This can be done by releasing data on matters people care about, such as healthcare costs, or by allowing users to fill in simple online forms to request and suggest new datasets. Open data must be genuinely open so users can use it freely, for any purpose, as long as it is lawful. Onerous terms and conditions will stifle the re-use and potential, he stressed.

These days, Mr Stott advises on open data and transparency issues as a member of Britain’s Public Sector Transparency Board, and travels widely to speak on open data.

He may no longer be the Twitter Tsar, but he hasn’t stopped tweeting from his @DirDigEng account, created when he took on the digital engagement job. On August 28, 2013, he tweeted to the world: “data/gov/UK has passed 10,000 datasets this morning – well done everyone! #opendata”.

Saving millions thanks to open data Using publicly available National Health Service (NHS) prescriptions data, data research company Mastodon C studied the prescribing patterns of doctors for a class of drugs called statins.

Generic and branded statins are equally safe and effective so doctors are advised to prescribe the cheapest. However, Mastodon C’s research showed that doctors were prescribing the more expensive variety, which cost the NHS an extra £200 million (about S$398 million) a year. Open data helped the NHS to see clearly where it was overspending.

Singapore’s open data initiative Singapore’s open data initiative is driven by the Ministry of Finance, together with the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, Singapore Land Authority and the Department of Statistics. More than 8,700 publicly accessible datasets from 67 agencies are available on the open data platform www.data.gov. sg, and over 65 thematic map layers on www.onemap.sg. The Gov Data Steering Committee – comprising 22 key data source and user agencies – is pushing for greater data sharing to improve policy-making and to make public services more citizen-centric. It arbitrates on cross-agency data disputes and has developed a set of data-sharing principles to guide agencies’ open data efforts.

So far, more than 110 apps and services have been created using public datasets. Following the success of ideas4Apps Challenge in 2012, a Public Service edition – ideas4SG challenge – was launched in June 2013. The result was more than 900 crowdsourced ideas on the use of government data. Winning entries include combining

Singapore Customs’ immigration checkpoint data with the Land Transport Authority’s real-time traffic data to provide time estimates for users to decide which checkpoint to use or whether to proceed based on traffic conditions.

Shortlisted ideas at: bit.ly/ideas4SG

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Text by TAY QIAO WEI

GIFTS THAT SHOW YOU CARE Daughters of Tomorrow

Items range from baby dresses ($49.90) and wool-felt coin pouches ($18.90) handmade by women struggling with poverty and gender discrimination in India, to organic soaps (from $4.90) made by Indonesian rose farmers. Profits go towards providing livelihood training for women, which can in turn help create better education and opportunities for their children. www.daughtersoftomorrow-shop.com

PHOTO FROM GREENIE GENIE

PHOTOS FROM DAUGHTERS OF TOMORROW

Now that the season of giving is near, impress your loved ones with these meaningful presents while supporting worthy causes.

Greenie Genie

Artisans from developing countries make these quirky accessories from recycled rubbish. Think dangly earrings made from bottle caps ($12-18); and earrings ($16) and pins ($12) made from copper, bottle caps and steel wire. Greenie Genie works to improve the livelihoods of the artisans and spread the word about environmental consciousness.

bit.ly/greeniegenie

Daughters empowered: Under-privileged women are trained in crafts such as sewing so that they can create marketable products for sale.

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

PHOTO FROM LOTUS CULTURE

Blooming business: Unique “One Edition� products are sold mainly through pop-up sales events.

Feature Uniquely Singaporean: These signature products are the brainchild of fashion designer Anna Tsang, who founded the social enterprise in 2005.

Saught

PHOTOS FROM MOTHER AND CHILD PROJECT

Saught’s stylish gold-plated jewellery pieces are fashioned out of scrap metal from deactivated landmines in Cambodia by local artisans, based on designs by Temasek Polytechnic’s design students. Sale proceeds support sustainable development efforts in postconflict countires, such as helping to fund mine-clearing work in Cambodia.

Prices range from $79.90 for a pair of earrings to $149.90 for a necklace. www.saught.com.sg

Mother and Child Project

www.motherandchildproject.com

Lotus Culture

See-No-Clay

This non-profit organisation was established in 2010 to help survivors of human trafficking and sex slavery in Cambodia rise above their plight. Besides receiving education and psychological support, the beneficiaries are also employed as seamstresses, creating items such as wine bags, coasters and tote bags for sale. From $15 to $85. www.lotusculture.com

PHOTOS FROM SEE-NO-CLAY

PHOTOS FROM SAUGHT

Heart of gold: Every Saught product – such as the Bricks of Hope Statement Necklace (above) and the Integrity ring (left) – carries the message of peace and hope.

Handmade by disadvantaged Singaporean women, many of whom are single mothers and ladies recovering from psychiatric illnesses, these signature cloth products feature local icons of the past, such as the Samsui woman. Choose from keychains ($8), half-moon pouches ($18) and doorstops ($35). The beneficiaries are taught how to sew, so they can gain economic independence and hope for the future.

Started in 2011, See-No-Clay helps Visually Impaired Potters (VIPs) to develop their pottery skills and achieve financial independence through sales of their artwork. Volunteers guide the VIPs to create tableware sets, decorative vases, sculptures and more. Prices range from $25 for a footprint-shaped bowl to over $100 for customised artwork.

Team effort: Being blind is no obstacle to creating art for VIP Ben Wong, who expresses his creativity with the help of volunteers.

bit.ly/seenoclay

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Text by RYANDALL LIM

y Worldl Wanderlust ten track, and their tales of holidays off the bea a lifetime.

Three public service officers share comes packed with adventures of ally usu led vel tra less d roa the t reaffirm tha

Trucks are splashed with vibrant colours at a truck-repair place. Colourful trucks are a norm on Pakistan’s roads.

Life.Style

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After an internship in Karachi, Ms Low decided to backpack around Pakistan. So while her mother back home worried about her sometimes solo journeys, the plucky lass with a thirst for adventure was having a ball of a time rolling in the dunes of the Thar Desert, celebrating ceremonial pomp at the Wagah border, before falling deeply in awe at the vast mountain range where the spectacular Gilgit-Baltistan and Hunza Valley sit – all while on a shoestring budget.

She recalls travelling 20 hours by bus along the Karakoram Highway (the world’s highest paved road), alighting in the middle of nowhere, and trekking three hours up to the Fairy Meadows to stay in a log cabin, with 360-degree unobstructed views of Nanga Parbat – the world’s ninth tallest mountain – as one of the more surreal moments of her trip. Ms Low was especially charmed by how friendly the locals were, as they invited her into their modest homes and readily traded life stories over a cup of chai.

Getting there and around: Emirates, Qatar Airways, SriLankan Airlines or Thai Airways fly to Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad, with at least one transit stop before respective destinations. Minibuses and trains connect most cities in Pakistan.

TIPS

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41

Outside the Vank Cathedral in Esfahan, adults and child alike listen in rapt attention as a man (far right) plays a traditional string instrument.

IRAN Christopher Teo Content Editor (Cube), PS21 Office Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office Mr Teo recalls a heart-stopping moment as soon as he arrived in Iran when custom officials disappeared with his passport for a full 15 minutes. But when they returned and awarded him that prized entry chop, his Persian adventure of a liftetime began. Iran is an amazing gateway to mesmerising scenery, breathtaking architecture and lively bazaars that pulsate with trendy people, he says. Like the hijabs that partially conceal the made-up faces and dyed hair of its fashionable womenfolk, Iran’s multi-tiered beauty can be uncovered by gently peeling off its delicate layers.

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He singles out Persepolis (the one-time ceremonial capital of the Persian empire, with its ruins of biblical proportions), its nearby cliff-side tombs of Naqsh-e-Rustam and their millennia-old rock carvings, and the ancient cities of Yazd, Shiraz and Esfahan, as must-sees. But what impressed him most were the friendly locals – “there will always be someone who wants to talk to or help you.”

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Getting there and around: Emirates and Qatar Airways fly to Tehran, with a transit in other cities like Dubai or Doha. Qatar Airways and budget airline Air Arabia fly to Shiraz from Doha or Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, respectively. Low-cost buses and trains connect most cities in Iran.

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Life.Style

Ms Woo has just had lunch at a Tibetan Buddhist’s home. She wears a hada around her neck, a gift from the Tibetan woman symbolising the latter’s respect and affection.

YUSHU TIBETAN AUTONOMOUS PREFACTURE, CHINA Janelle Woo

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Prayer flags (above), planted outside Tibetan Buddhists’ homes and places of spiritual practice, are said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity to the flag planter and those in the vicinity.

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A nun at the Ge Jia Monastery, intrigued by the camera, smiles shyly.

Centre Director (Qingdao) International Operations Group (Northern China), International Enterprise Singapore Having recently made her way almost five kilometres up to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, Ms Woo can testify that the Roof of the World is as close to heaven as you can get, blessed with a natural splendour that is pristine and majestic.

Thanks to an acquaintance’s introduction, she had the exclusive opportunity to visit these secluded highlands and enjoy the warm hospitality of 400 nuns in Gebchak Gonpa, Tibet’s largest nunnery. Travelling almost a day from Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai province to her final destination, acclimatisation was the major hardship – being out of breath was very common. During her stay, she shared simple meals of tsampa (roasted flour), boiled vegetables and barbecued yak me at with the nuns, and witnessed their unwavering religious devotion as they chanted in their prayer rooms. So blissful and stress-free was Ms Woo’s escape to higher ground that she described her experience as being nothing short of spiritual.

Getting there and around: China Eastern Airlines flies to Yushu, with a transit in Xi’an. From there, it’s a half day’s drive to Nanqian county, en route to the highlands where the nunnery is located. Alternatively, several airlines fly to various nearby Chinese cities where you can make land connections to Yushu.

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44

The Irreverent Last Page

How to spot a Singaporean overseas

You won’t go wrong if you look out for these traits, says the Challenge Department of National Identity Building.

Illustration by MAGGIE LEE

1

A la m a k, w hy no sign al ?

Eh, ho w co m e no du stb in ?

Wherever he goes he checks for free Wifi.

2

And of course, the moment he speaks. Cannot miss that Singlish accent lah.

3

The true-blue Singaporean always looks for a dustbin to bin his rubbish. It’s a fine habit!

4

In his luggage you are likely to find: Chili sauce, belacan, instant 3-in-1 coffee packets, instant noodles, S-hooks, sour plums, an assortment of charging cables for his many IT gadgets, and plastic bags.

Need We Say More?

Here’s where we let the humour loose, and learn to laugh at ourselves a little more. Have ideas or jokes about the Public Service?

Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

www.challenge.gov.sg November/December 2013

1.

The _________ was formed to improve the knowledge, awareness and practice of regulation across the Public Service. a. b. c. d.

2.

data.gov.uk was launched in closed beta in _________ 2009 and publicly launched in January 2010. a. b. c. d.

3.

Touch Community Services Presbyterian Community Services Singapore Anglican Community Services Viriya Community Services

The G.A.M.E framework identifies Goals, Actions, Motivations and _________. a. b. c. d.

5.

May November January September

Mother and Child Project is a social enterprise run by _________. a. b. c. d.

4.

Singapore Regulation Committee Smart Regulation Committee Smart Regulatory Committee Public Regulation Committee

Empathy Encouragement Emotions Entertainment

The theme for PS21 ExCEL Convention 2013 is _________. a. b. c. d.

Tomorrow, We Excel Together Project Tomorrow Getting Ready for Tomorrow Our Journey Together

Pairs of Movie Vouchers to be won Submit your answers

by December 4, 2013

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