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PS
21
-Singapore Experience
In
his Paper entitled PS21 - Singapore Experience, Mr. Alvin Pang of the Prime
Minister's Department of Singapore offers an overview of the Singapore experience
in public sector reforms.
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| Mr. Alvin Pang, Coordinator, PS21 Office, Public Service Division,
Prime Minister's Office, Singapore |
These reforms came under
the Public Service for the 21st Century (PS21) initiative launched in May 1995.
Its objective
is to develop a Singapore Public Service which is nimble, innovative and forward-looking-capable
of serving Singapore in facing the challenges of the 21st Century.
The objective
of PS21 was to foster and nurture a Public Service with two core attributes:
*an attitude
of service excellence in meeting the needs of the public with high standards
of quality, courtesy and responsiveness; and
*an environment
that induces and welcomes continuous change for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness
by employing modern management tools and techniques while paying attention to
the morale and well-being of civil servants.
The framework
of change as conceived in PS21 rests on 3 pillars: anticipating change, welcoming
change and executing change.
Anticipating
change is about accepting the unpredictability of the future but being prepared
for alternative landscapes and being sensitive to the signals of change.
Welcoming
change is about changing our mindsets to see change as opportunity rather than
threat and to seize opportunities for change beyond traditional boundaries.
Executing
change is about leading people and managing resources in order to create change
and achieve superior results.
In Singapore,
the PS21 effort is the responsibility and commitment of every individual public
sector agency and of every officer at all levels of the organisation.
Change
can be unsettling. People by nature will resist change.
Change
therefore should be brought about in as natural and non-threatening a way as
possible.
But while
the approach may be gradual, the effort may be relentless.
"Our
vision of a Public Service for the 21st Century is one which is able to make
service excellence and continuous change and improvement its way of life.
It is
one in which public officers at all levels can think and work creatively, continuously
improve their knowledge, skills and capabilities, possess a spirit of learning
and innovation, and take an active part in making improvements to their organisation
and its work.
A Public
Service worthy of our nation must set the standard in administration and management,
and in doing so, challenge and enable others to change along with it.
Our public
service must facilitate and nurture rather than merely regulate - it must work
with its partners in all sectors of society to create opportunities and success
for the nation.
PS21
has no bottom line other than the success of our nation, no run-out date other
than readiness for the future, and no force, except through the creativity and
commitment of its officers."
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