The Singapore Public Service and National Development

News Release – “Virtuous Cycles: The Singapore Public Service and National Development”
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Mr. Kamal Malhotra, UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and
Brunei said,
“This book both addresses the issues which make Singapore’s Public Service
effective and seeks to explain why. What were and are the policy choices that
Singapore made and continues to make, the institutional arrangements and
incentives it has put in place, and the investment decisions that have allowed
Singapore to become an island of excellence in the area of the management and
delivery of public services? How has it created an enabling environment that
empowers Public Service institutions to cope with and manage change? How
has the capacity of the civil service been developed and enhanced to keep it at
the cutting edge?
Finally, and perhaps most importantly from the perspective of UNDP, what are
the replicable lessons that developing and developed countries alike can learn
from Singapore? This book also seeks to analyse how Singapore’s government
institutions have coped with change in the context of fast accelerating
globalisation. This should enable an understanding of how Singapore’s policies,
institutions and incentives can be adapted to different country contexts. The book
also elaborates on some of the challenges facing the Singapore Public Service
going forward.”
The book consists of six chapters that cover key issues such as a history of the state’s
formative years, key national policies, building institutions for clean and effective
governance, public sector capacity development and reforms, challenges facing the
Public Service and key lessons that other countries can learn from Singapore. It ends
with a chapter on the Singapore Cooperation Programme, which explains how
Singapore actively shares its knowledge and experiences with friends from the
developing countries.
On the need for the Singapore Public Service to constantly reinvent itself, Mr Ong said,
“The problems that face Singapore today are complex and we remain vulnerable
to changes brought about by global events.
Our officers need to collaborate across agencies as well as consider new and
innovative ways of tackling problems. This requires an integrated and adaptable
Public Service. We need officers willing to take some risks in policy design and
implementation.
As Singapore develops and Singaporeans become more global in orientation, the
demands on the public sector will change. The public sector needs to embrace
the ideas and energy that lie beyond the Public Service. By tapping on the
collective wisdom and creativity of individuals, NGOs and companies, we can