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Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

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can create new value <strong>and</strong> quantum leap improvements in <strong>the</strong> delivery of <strong>the</strong> Public Service.The TEC concept was conceived with <strong>the</strong> belief that every individual has <strong>the</strong> potential tocontribute innovative ideas. TEC provides an open platform to trial test risky <strong>and</strong>unproven innovations that could bring about quantum leap improvements in <strong>the</strong> delivery ofPublic Service, if proven <strong>and</strong> implemented”. 362In its first eight months of operation, TEC received 185 proposals ranging across a diversefield of public services <strong>and</strong> specialisations from health services to education approaches, <strong>and</strong>ideas for reinventing government processes:Our public agencies often prefer to stick to tried <strong>and</strong> tested solutions. They arehesitant to adopt new ideas or innovations which may not work or may fail, <strong>the</strong>rebywasting <strong>the</strong>ir time <strong>and</strong> resources. And, of course, being public officials, <strong>the</strong>y will beconcerned with auditors faulting <strong>the</strong>m for wasting public funds. This is where TECcomes in. We take <strong>the</strong> risk, wholly or partially, for <strong>the</strong>m. 363In <strong>the</strong> five years to 2005, TEC received more than 900 proposals of which 68 were funded fortrial testing at a cost of about $19 million. All projects selected met <strong>the</strong> predetermined criteriaof highly innovative, potential to bring tremendous benefits to <strong>the</strong> delivery of public serviceor resulted in public good. Since establishment of TEC, innovation has become embedded in<strong>the</strong> Singaporean Public Sector culture – concepts <strong>and</strong> ideas coming from all parts of <strong>the</strong>sector:We had [two] young fire fighters who sought to overturn <strong>the</strong> traditional way ofputting out fire. Instead of trying to get larger hoses <strong>and</strong> bigger fire engines to deliverincreasingly bigger volume of water to drown out <strong>the</strong> fire, <strong>the</strong>y proposed to spraywater droplets so <strong>the</strong>y could quickly evaporate to displace air <strong>and</strong> snuff out <strong>the</strong> fire.Imagine <strong>the</strong> resistance from macho fire fighters. But <strong>the</strong>y won <strong>the</strong> day with <strong>the</strong> designof a light, portable water mist gun that has been successful beyond <strong>the</strong>ir ownexpectations. 364Scotl<strong>and</strong> too has identified <strong>the</strong> need for innovation in public sector led reform:As a small, well-connected country, Scotl<strong>and</strong> has <strong>the</strong> conditions to be a public sectorhothouse for innovation – finding new solutions to old problems, <strong>and</strong> tackling emergingissues. 365Scotl<strong>and</strong> recognises <strong>the</strong> importance of <strong>the</strong> central agency to help identify, support <strong>and</strong> spreadknowledge of new ideas. While most good ideas emerge from those in <strong>the</strong> front line <strong>the</strong>Scottish Government have recognised <strong>the</strong> role <strong>the</strong> centre plays in building <strong>and</strong> mainstreamingan innovative culture:Scottish public service leaders want to develop a culture of innovation involving:362 See http://was.nl.sg/wayback/20060523031105/http://www.tec.gov.sg/home1.htm363Siew, T. (2005) Straits Times Digital Life, August 9, 2005.364 National Research Foundation (2008) pp.4-5.365 Scottish Government (2006) p.14.Capability, Capacity <strong>and</strong> Effectiveness: 275

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