Challenge January – February 2009

PEOPLE • PERSPECTIVES • POSSIBILITIES W W W.CHALLENGE.GOV.SG JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2009

YOU’VE GOT MAIL!DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CAN

BE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

THE FIVE TYRANNIESOBSTACLES TO INNOVATION IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

PS21 RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS

BACK TO BASICS

Challenge Cover JANFEB-tp.indd 1Challenge Cover JANFEB-tp.indd 1 12/31/08 9:06:07 AM12/31/08 9:06:07 AM

Contents

COVER & BACK COVER

DAN ONG

JanFeb2009

Foreword

WHAT’S PUMPKIN PIE GOT TO DO WITH CHANGE?Digging within ourselves to release our creativity.

I Say

Your New Year Resolution in pictures.

Short Takes

Public Service news and happenings at a glance.

Cover Story

CAPTURE IT!Snapshots of the PS21 ExCEL Convention.

BACK TO BASICSPS21 – the public sector change movement – comes in for some refi nements of its own.

Opinion

OPENING UP THE INNOVATION PROCESSSingapore will need to keep an eye on the changing rules of the innovation game.

Communications

A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORDIt may be fast, but the use of e-mail as a channel of communication presents its own challenges.

Alumni

THE OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE NETWORKAlumni clubs allow the experience of former offi cers to be passed down to newer generations.

Feature

BUSINESS MADE EASYPublic agencies are recognised for their pro-enterprise performance.

Feature

MYTHS & TYRANNIESThe fi ve myths of the Civil Service and the fi ve tyrannies that stand in the way of innovation.

Feedback

MR MICE GUYMr Stephen Tan, Chief Executive at Singapore Exhibition Services, shares his views on service in the public sector.

Style

BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONEChallenge shows you how to be a bit more adventurous in dressing up for work.

Food

BUFFET BASHCheck out the best buffet deals under $20.

Finance

RIDING THE MARKETReduce debt and put aside something for rainy days before you invest.

Training

START WITH A BLANK SHEET OF PAPERSometimes innovation can start by simply addressing a problem from a clean slate.

Trivia Quiz

THE ABCs OF PUBLIC SERVICEThink you know every acronym behind the Singapore Public Service? We put you to the test.

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PEOPLE • PERSPECTIVES • POSSIBILITIES W W W.CHALLENGE.GOV.SG JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2009

YOU’VE GOT MAIL!DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CAN

BE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

THE FIVE TYRANNIESOBSTACLES TO INNOVATION IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE

PS21 RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS

BACK TO BASICS

Challenge Cover JANFEB-tp.indd 1 12/31/08 9:06:07 AM

IFC-1 Contents-tp.indd IFC2IFC-1 Contents-tp.indd IFC2 1/2/09 9:39:341/2/09 9:39:34

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, but Thanksgiving has always been something I only watched on American TV… until I had my very fi rst Thanksgiving dinner when I fl ew up to Houston for my brother’s wedding last November. I arrived right smack before Thanksgiving weekend, and quickly had my fi rst taste of the American tradition – quite literally, really, as it involved consuming large amounts of turkey and pumpkin pie.

Before I left the States, I was manically doing last-minute shopping for friends in the spice section of a supermarket, throwing bottles of bay leaves and mixed herbs into my trolley, when my eye spied a tiny bottle labelled “Pumpkin Pie Spice”. It did catch my attention, as I remember falling in love with that burnt orange pie, and thought, “What the heck. I’ll get a bottle and try to make one sometime soon.” Now, that was a rather brave split-second decision for me. I have never used my oven; I fi nd mixing fl our scary and I don’t even own a set of measuring cups. But I was prepared for a little challenge. Go out of my comfort zone.

Doing something different can be quite scary, don’t you think? And because we tend to be creatures of habit, it is so much easier to resist change and just do what we are familiar with. Even if things around us are changing at a crazy speed and what we

What’sPumpkinPieGotToDoWithChange?IT IS ABOUT DIGGING WITHIN

OURSELVES TO RELEASE

OUR CREATIVITY, IT IS

ABOUT DREAMING AND

VISIONING AND DARING TO

MAKE IT COME TRUE.

are doing may not be so relevant anymore. Sometimes we need a reminder to try something different and push the boundaries to see if we can achieve something better with a new idea.

And that is really what PS21 is about. It is about people (us, Public Offi cers) being encouraged to change. Not change for change’s sake. But recognising our value and potential to come up with something that could bring about some good. Big or small. It is about digging within ourselves to release our creativity; it is about dreaming and visioning and daring to make it come true.

In this fi rst issue of the year, we bring you the people in the Public Service whose ideas have made a difference. We also bring you viewpoints on innovation and barriers to innovation, showing us some of the traps to avoid and perspectives to consider when trying out something new.

Speaking of change, Challenge is also changing. Our previous editor, Rachel, who did such a great job with the magazine, is now with the Civil Service College. And I have the new role as Challenge’s editor – something more scary than making pumpkin pie to me, but exciting nevertheless to continue the work of Challenge and to see how to push boundaries to bring it to the next level. In 2009, we hope to engage you, our readers, even more. So, do send us your contest entries, your feedback, your viewpoints and watch this space as we bring Challenge even closer to you.

Happy 2009 and here’s to being the change. After all, we are all good ideas waiting to happen. Every day.

Foreword1 Foreword1P

HO

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Tay Li ShingEDITOR

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PUBLISHING AGENT SPH Magazines Pte Ltd

MANAGING DIRECTOR Dennis Pua

GENERAL MANAGER Christopher Tay

ASSOCIATE GROUP EDITOR

Joanna Lee-MillerSENIOR EDITOR

Azreen NoorCONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Tan Ee SzeEXECUTIVE SUB-EDITOR

Esther LewSENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Alex GohART DIRECTOR Ginny Gay

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, CUSTOM PUBLISHING

Sharon ChanEXECUTIVE, CUSTOM PUBLISHING

Diana LiSENIOR EXECUTIVE, PUBLISHING SERVICES

Mustapha Mohamed

CONTRIBUTORS

AJ Leow, Amy Van

PUBLISHER PS21 Offi ce, Prime Minister’s Offi ce

(Public Service Division)

The Treasury, 100 High Street #02-03 Singapore 179434Tel: 6332 7251 Fax: 6333 4010

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.challenge.gov.sg

EDITOR Tay Li Shing

ASSISTANT EDITOR Edmund Soo

EDITORIAL ADVISOR Calvin Phua

PS21 OFFICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Amy Sum and Jagdish Kaur

For enquiries or feedback on Challenge,Please write to the Editor at PS21 Offi ce,

The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434. Tel: 6332 7251 Fax: 6333 4010

E-mail: [email protected]

PEOPLE • PERSPECTIVES • POSSIBILITIES ⁄ WWW.CHALLENGE.GOV.SG⁄ JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2009

Challenge is published bimonthly by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd (Registration No: 196900476M) for PS21 Offi ce, Prime Minister’s Offi ce (Public Service Division). Copyright of the materials contained in this magazine belongs to PS21 Offi ce. Nothing in here shall be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent of PS21 Offi ce. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of PS21 Offi ce nor SPH Magazines Pte Ltd and no liabilities shall be attached thereto. All rights reserved. Editorial enquiries should be directed to the Editor, PS21 Offi ce, The Treasury, 100 High Street, #02-03, Singapore 179434. Tel: +65-6332-7251, Fax: +65-6333-4010, Email: [email protected] Unsolicited material will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and suffi cient return postage. While every reasonable care will be taken by the Editor, no responsibility is assumed for the return of unsolicited material. All information correct at time of printing. Printed in Singapore by Times Printers (Registration No: 196700328H).

YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS IN PICTURES.

A BIG “THANK YOU” TO ALL READERS WHO

SENT IN THEIR PHOTOS FOR THIS ISSUE’S

“I SAY”. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR

CONTINUED SUPPORT AND WE HOPE YOU

WILL FULFILL YOUR RESOLUTIONS FOR 2009!

Anna Yap has been using the Internet

since she was given a copy of the fi rst

browser – Mosaic –in 1993. Since then, she has been writing about IT and Internet-related topics. She’s also held the position of senior associate with a leading PR

agency.

A former journalist with The

Straits Times, Tan Ee Sze has

extensive experience in developing and managing publications.

She is also the author of several commemorative

books and children’s publications.

Previously a journalist with The Straits Times

and The Business Times, Susan Tsang was also news editor for technology news

portal Singapore.CNET.com. She was

also one of the writers behind Singapore: The

Encyclopedia.

A journalist and wordsmith, Melissa Heng has worked

for The Straits Times, The Bus

Times and TODAY. She was also a

senior editor with Marshall Cavendish International Asia, previously known

as Times Publishing Group.

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

TenderLovingCareThis is my poor husband who works so hard to support the

family that even on our annual overseas trip he looks like this. I

resolve to treat him better by not griping to him about our

daughter, my job and the housework when he comes home

looking tired.

Josephine Chan Tuck Ying

Ministry of Education

JOSEPHINE CHAN WINS A SWATCH WATCH WORTH $100. ALL OTHER PUBLISHED

PHOTOS WILL WIN SHOPPING VOUCHERS WORTH $30 EACH.

02-03 glory&ISay-tp.indd 202-03 glory&ISay-tp.indd 2 12/29/08 3:24:41 PM12/29/08 3:24:41 PM

I Say3

DisneyDreamsI must go to Disneyland in 2009.

Ariel Leong Lim Yang Ping

Ministry of Education SafeHavenIf only... I could be somewhere cosy and safe, and view the world in innocent wonderment.

Lim Jia Ying

Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports

Fulfi lmentTo enrich life with a new skill.

Lim Kok Chye

Singapore Police Force

Have your say...What would you like to do differently in 2009, and why? The most creative entries will stand to win attractive prizes!E-mail “I Say “ at [email protected].

Please include a caption for your photo

(maximum 50 words) together with your

name, e-mail address, agency and telephone

number. Entries should reach us by February

6, 2009. You can also discuss this at forum.

challenge.gov.sg.

THE LETTER OF THE MONTH

WILL WIN A PHILIPS LIVINGCOLORS MINI

WORTH $99.ALL OTHER PUBLISHED

ARTICLES WILL WIN

SHOPPING VOUCHERS WORTH

$30 EACH.

PeranakanPursuitsIn 2009, among other things, I resolve to learn from my dearest mum and grandmother how to cook authentic Peranakan dishes such as these from a Peranakan restaurant in Malacca. Why? So that I can preserve my roots and impart them to future generations. And most of all, so that I can taste lip-smackingly delicious Peranakan food whenever I want to, in the comfort of my kitchen!

Delvin Lee

National Arts Council

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Short Takes 4

CAAS

TravelViaSingapore The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has launched an online portal that offers some of the best airfares through Singapore. Called ViaSingapore, this new website at ViaSingapore.com enables users to compare the best deals available for fl ights into and out of Singapore and to book the selected fl ights. It also allows travellers to tap on Singapore Changi Airport’s extensive connectivity to use Singapore as a starting point or as a base to explore Asia Pacifi c.

The introduction of the portal is part of CAAS’s ongoing efforts to enhance Changi Airport’s attractiveness as an air hub. ViaSingapore hosts a search engine that combs more than 100 websites in real time to search for the best airfares on offer. The portal is able to recognise the location that users are logging in from and automatically display the lowest fares from that location into and out of Singapore.

MOM

HallOfFame The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been presented with the Palladium Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Hall of Fame Award for executing strategy and sustaining breakthrough results. MOM is the fi rst Singapore organisation to be recognised since the programme began in 2000. This year, only six organisations in Asia Pacifi c were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“The BSC management system has sharpened our sense of strategy and performance planning,” said Mr Leo Yip, Permanent Secretary of MOM, who received the award from Professor Robert Kaplan in Seoul, Korea in September. “The adoption of the strategy map and scorecard provides a clearer line of sight on how departments and individual offi cers contribute to our strategic outcomes, helping us create a more strategy-focused and performance-driven organisation.”

IDA

e-GovernmentMOUThe Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Kuwait’s Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – the third between the two states – to facilitate cooperation in e-Government.

Under the MOU, IDA will partner CAIT to accelerate the implementation of e-Government in Kuwait and will also serve as an advisor to CAIT on matters pertaining to IT and e-Government. Both parties will share experience, technical and operational insights on selected projects.

ICA

GovernmentTechnologyAwardThe Immigration & Checkpoints Authority has won the “Service Innovation” category of this year’s Government Technology Award for its eVisitor programme. The award, organised by FutureGov, saw more than 450 nominations from government, education and health care organisations.

The eVisitor programme allows foreigners to apply for a wide range of immigration facilities such as extension of stay, application of visa, long-term visit pass or student’s pass from the comfort of their own homes. The programme has resulted in signifi cant cost saving and cost avoidance of up to $1.2 million per year for the government. The total estimated savings for all customers add up to $2.1 million per year and close to one million hours’ reduction in waiting time.

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Cover Story5

CAPTUREIT!

IMPROVISE, DRAW COMICS OR ASK STUPID QUESTIONS – there was certainly no shortage of innovation at the recent PS21 ExCEL Convention as workshops tapped on ingenious ways to capture participants’ creativity.

The 2008 event was organised by the Prime Minister’s Offi ce, and was held from November 27 – 28 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Besides the workshops, the packed two-day programme also featured talks, learning journeys, brainstorming sessions, an exhibition, and a live game show.

One of the highlights was the ExCEL Forum where Head of Civil Service, Mr Peter Ho, re-emphasised the importance of PS21 as the public sector change

movement. The forum concluded with a presentation of awards to various public offi cers for their outstanding achievements in innovation.

The event was “an ingenious way of demonstrating how the Public Service can thrive if everyone reverses their (negative) mindset about PS21”, said Ms Joanna Tan from the Central Provident Fund Board.

Mr Steven Poh from the Ministry of Home Affairs agreed. “The convention is a good platform for the different agencies to showcase their ideas and share how they have creatively improved the work processes or solved a problem they faced in their work. I think more cross-agency sharing should be encouraged so that we can learn more from each other,” he said. For more pictures of the PS21 ExCEL Convention, please visit http://intranet.ideas.gov.sg

Snapshots of the PS21 ExCEL Convention.

JEREMY LIM, MINISTRY OF

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CPT KHAISARAH MANSOR OF SCDF.

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Face 2 Face 6Cover Story 6

KOH PHUAY LENG AND FRIENDS FROM THE

MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

ROSLINDA OF SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL.

SAMSON ZEE, HOST OF THE EVENT.

ONE OF THE INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS BY AGENCIES DURING THE EXCEL FORUM.

PERMANENT SECRETARY (PSD) MS LIM SOO

HOON CHECKS OUT AN INNOVATION BY THE

REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE AIR FORCE.

DHEEBA VIJAYAKUMAR OF THE INLAND REVENUE AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE.

GETTING UP CLOSE WITH THE SINGAPORE

CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE’S LATEST ALL

TERRAIN FIREFIGHTING VEHICLE.

HEAD OF CIVIL SERVICE MR PETER HO AND

PERMANENT SECRETARY (PRIME MINISTER’S

OFFICE) MR CHIANG CHIE FOO, VISITING

THE BRAINSTORMING CORNER.


JENNY WEE OF THE MINISTRY OF

EDUCATION, WITH POSSIBLY THE

YOUNGEST OF THE CONVENTION.

CHARLES SNG OF SINGAPORE

PHARMACY COUNCIL.

AN INNOVATIVE PARTICIPANT WINNING

‘THE IDEA BOOK’ FOR BEST ENTRY AT

THE BRAINSTORMING CORNER.

DRAWING COMICS TO ENHANCE CREATIVITY

- ONE OF THE WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED

AT THE PS21 EXCEL CONVENTION.

Suggestor of the Year: Narayanan Santhosh,Central Provident Fund Board

Outstanding Activist: Chee Yew Cho,Public Service Commission

Suggestor of the Year: Morris Lim,Institute of Technical Education


88Cover Story

PS21 – the public sector change movement – comes in for some refi nements of its own. By Melissa Heng

LESS EMPHASIS ON NUMBERS, GREATER OWNERSHIP AND MORE FLEXIBILITY IN PROMOTING PS21 – these are a few of the changes that are being made to the way the public sector change movement is run in order to make it more meaningful and relevant to every public offi cer.

PS21 is aimed at developing a mindset that is open to new ideas and ready to embrace change. Speaking at the PS21 ExCEL Convention in November, Mr Peter Ho, Head Civil Service, said: “A government that is adept at tackling challenges in a fast-changing and uncertain environment must have people with a mindset that is open – open to new ideas, open to trying out these new ideas, and open and ready to change. In my view, this mindset is the most strategic and most important element in effective government.”

PS21 is thus an important part of Singapore’s strategy to maintain the competitive edge of government and to ensure that it has the capacity to deal with uncertainty and complexity.

However, for the movement itself to be effective, it has to focus on the people in the public sector and the belief that every individual is passionate about his work and can be an agent of change. In an earlier town hall speech, Mr Ho said: “It is about getting our people ready for change, by empowering them to suggest and implement change. We need to create the belief in people that they can be agents of change, that they are empowered to implement change.”

At the PS21 ExCEL Convention, Mr Ho called for PS21 to return to the basics. “Going back to basics means focusing PS21 on our people in the Singapore Public Service – how they relate to the organisation, how the organisation relates to its people, and how the people relate to their customers. We must help our people feel that PS21 is part and parcel of their daily work, in the Public Service,” he said.

In line with this, he announced some changes to the way PS21 is run.

First, ministries and statutory boards will take greater ownership of PS21. They will have more fl exibility to promote PS21 in ways that best suit their context and organisational culture.

“I BELIEVE ALL

EMPLOYEES WANT TO

BE INNOVATIVE AND

MAKE CHANGES. IT IS

IMPORTANT TO ROLL OUT

STRATEGIES AND PLANS

FOR INNOVATION BUT

TO ALLOW EVERY STAFF

TO ACTIVELY OWN

THEM IS BEST THROUGH

TEAMS LIKE QUEST.”

Outstanding Activist Gold Award winner

Margarita Loh, Land Transport Authority

BACKTOBASICSPS21 Offi ce will support the agency’s efforts by developing and sharing best practices in implementing PS21, providing recognition to outstanding individuals, teams and organisations, and deploying suitable training programmes at the Civil Service College.

Second, the public sector will change the way it measures progress in PS21. It will reduce the emphasis on numbers by doing away with the central collection of WITS and SSS statistics. The work review form for Ministries has also been

revised so that WITS and SSS numbers need not be reported. The revised format broadens the defi nition of participation in PS21 beyond WITS and SSS. Statutory boards will be expected to follow suit and make the change for their respective performance appraisal forms.

There will, however, still be mechanisms to monitor the state of PS21 within the public sector. For example, each ministry’s Permanent Secretary or each statutory board’s Chief Executive Offi cer will have to submit a short report every year on how their respective organisations are doing in PS21. The choice of indicators will be left to

the individual agency. Every two years, the PS21

Offi ce will also conduct a survey across the Public Service to gauge attitudes towards PS21. “We want to know if you feel empowered to contribute, and whether we have a culture that is open to change,” said Mr Ho.

The goals of PS21 will take on an added signifi cance in the days and months ahead, as Singapore deals with the fi nancial turmoil and economic malaise that is sweeping the world. As Mr Ho pointed out: “Those governments that are ready to act to deal with the problems at hand are more likely to see opportunity in crisis, and will emerge stronger when the current crisis abates, as it must. Those that hesitate will fall behind.”

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LTA

THE LTA WAYFOR A COMPACT COUNTRY LIKE SINGAPORE, PLANNING LAND TRANSPORT GOES BEYOND CHALLENGING. BUT THE PEOPLE AT THE LAND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY (LTA) HAVE TIME AND AGAIN TURNED THE PRESSURES THEY FACE INTO A GOOD THING. AFTER ALL, AS THE SAYING GOES, NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION. AND INNOVATION IS ITS MOST FAMOUS OFFSPRING.

In October, LTA was presented with the Innovation Excellence Award by SPRING Singapore. The Award citation highlighted LTA’s success in moving from its initial focus on building infrastructure and systems to developing transport systems that are more people-centric, leveraging heavily on technology to create greater value for its three different customer segments – public transport users, road users and the general public.

One such example of the use of technology is the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) which won this year’s National Infocomm Award for the Most Innovative Use of Infocomm Technology in the Public Sector. Starting in the 1980s with the modest Green Link Determining system for computerised traffi c signal control, more ITS were introduced over the years. These include the technologies for the operations of the centrally controlled Central Expressway Tunnels, Traffi cScan, Expressway Monitoring and Advisory System, Electronic Roads Pricing and Junction Electronic Eyes (J-Eyes). The ITS are now integrated under a single platform called i.transport, which

gives improved coordination and management of traffi c on Singapore’s roads.

So what drives these and other innovations at LTA? Chief Innovation Offi cer Rosina Howe-Teo attributes it to “The LTA Way”.“LTA would not be able

to deliver its wide-ranging policies and services

– from rails to roads; from policy-making to counter services; from infrastructure development to public engagement – if only a core team is responsible for idea-creation and test-bedding of new solutions,” she said. Within LTA, a pervasive

“continuous improvement” mindset is entrenched among its staff through the various mechanisms such as Quality and Excellence Search Teams (QuEST), eIDEAs and various award schemes,

A key driver behind these initiatives is Mrs Margarita Loh, Deputy Director, Community Partnership (Central), who received the Outstanding Activist Award at this year’s PS21 ExCEL Convention Awards. “I believe all employees want

to be innovative and make changes. It is important to roll out strategies and plans for innovation but to allow every staff to actively own them is best through teams like QuEST,” she said.


10Cover Story

For SSG Dexter Chitra from the Air Logistics Squadron of Sembawang Airbase, the

“eureka” moment came when he brought his young son to the doctor for an eye check-up. The doctor was using UV light to check for anomalies in the cornea. SSG Chitra fi gured the same technique could be applied to detect oil leaks in aircraft, an issue which had been causing aircraft to be grounded as technicians searched for the cause of the problem. As a result, the humble UV fl ashlight now saves MINDEF an estimated $4 million a year.

In the second example, two People’s Defence Force Command came up with a simple yet effective method of eradicating Aedes mosquito

larvae. Borrowing an idea from the ubiquitous tea bag, it bundled microbial insecticide granules in the sachets and attached them with cords in waterlogged areas. This enabled the effective and gradual dispersal of insecticide and best of all, the sachets prevented the insecticide from being washed away in a heavy downpour.

The two ideas illustrate how the PS21 spirit of change and innovation has taken root in MINDEF, with many of the projects being driven by people on the ground. In fact, MINDEF’s attitude to innovation is clearly refl ected in one of its slogans–

MINDEF

AN “EUREKA” CULTUREIT IS OFTEN SAID THAT THE BEST IDEAS ARE THE SIMPLEST. THE USE OF A HUMBLE UV FLASHLIGHT TO DETECT OIL LEAKS ON AIRCRAFT AND THE DEPLOYMENT OF A SIMPLE SACHET TO COMBAT THE DENGUE MENACE CERTAINLY LEND WEIGHT TO THIS OBSERVATION.

“Innovation is C.O.R.E.” “To achieve our mission

more effectively, whether it is by enhancing operational effectiveness, reducing cost or improving manpower effi ciency, innovation must be a necessary process for everyone in the organisation,” said Chief of Navy and Chairman of MINDEF’s Innovation Council (MIC), Rear-Admiral (RADM) Chew Men Leong.

The MIC also seeks to optimise the benefi ts of innovations by looking into how they can be applied across different services within MINDEF/SAF. A recent example is the “Auto Gun Barrel Cleaning Kit”, a project by the work improvement team Morwits from 6 Army Maintenance Base. The team’s aim was to reduce the number of man hours, manpower and effort spent on cleaning the 155mm Gun Barrel Bore. After a successful trial-test supported by the Innovate@MINDEF Fund

A visit by SSG Dexter Chitra and his son to the eye doctor sparked off an idea that now saves MINDEF $4 million a year.

managed by the MINDEF Innovation and Transformation Offi ce (MITO), the innovation has been successfully adapted for use in the Navy.

To sustain this spirit of innovation, MINDEF carries out an ongoing communication effort to engage its personnel in the innovation movement, recognise efforts of innovation activists and equip its personnel with knowledge on innovation and transformation tools and processes.

Just recently, MITO held its annual Innovation-In-Action Seminar which featured overseas and local speakers sharing their expertise on innovation processes and the sharing of success stories by MINDEF/SAF innovation activists.“Communication platforms

such as this event help to raise awareness on innovation and obtain buy-in from staff at all levels. At the same time, we take the opportunity to equip them with knowledge of innovation tools,” said RADM Chew.


“The strategic framework serves to guide our direction as we plan, implement and review our programmes to meet students’ learning outcome,” explained Madam Lim Soh Lian, the school’s principal.

To date, Admiralty has implemented a host of innovative programmes to encourage a culture of learning among its teachers and students alike. One of these is “Titanium Time” – a teacher learning and well-being platform.“This is an innovative

way to protect time for staff learning and staff well-being programmes. It is scheduled within the teachers’ teaching timetable so that Titanium Time is not

encroaching on teachers’ preparation time or personal time. The programmes include sharing of best practices, sushi making, yoga lessons and hip-hop dancing. Teachers embrace this time as it is learning for them within their working hours, and it helps relieve stress,” said Madam Lim.

An innovative programme directed at students’ learning is “LEGO”. This ageless game of building blocks provides opportunities for students to explore problems and invent solutions through concrete learning which enhances the learning of mathematics and science concepts.

Even arts education has taken a multidisciplinary approach, by injecting the various themes of ethnicity, culture and heritage to instill in the students

the values of celebrating diversity in Singapore. This makes art sessions both a lesson in the arts as well as one in social history.“All these programmes were

initiated by teachers to ensure that teaching becomes more pupil-centric, and that learning is more engaging,” said Madam Lim. In the process of curriculum innovation, quality relationships have been formed among members in the school community to achieve “quality programmes, quality results and quality culture”, she added.

MOE – ADMIRALTY

PRIMARY SCHOOL

TITANIUM TIME THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES ITS NETWORK OF SCHOOLS TO ENGAGE IN INNOVATION. ONE SCHOOL THAT HEEDED THIS CALL WAS ADMIRALTY PRIMARY. THE SCHOOL HAS COME UP WITH A “STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK” WITH WHICH TO EMBRACE CHANGE AND LEARNING.

Curriculum innovation has resulted in quality programmes, quality results and quality culture.


WHEN YOU SIT AT YOUR OFFICE COMPUTER, YOU PROBABLY USE A CORPORATE INTRANET DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE. The IT system would have been developed at some expense by in-house professionals or consultants. But, chances are you also make use of many features freely available on the wider Internet – and you would not be alone if you found these more user friendly than anything created specially by and for your organisation.

What you’re experiencing are the effects of a revolutionary shift in the source of innovation. Instead of coming primarily from small teams within organisations, innovation increasingly emerges from the masses outside: Customers and users, amateur hobbyists, and independent professionals.

This shift towards mass innovation has been analysed in best-selling books such as The Wisdom of the Crowds by James Surowiecki (Random House, 2004) and We-Think by Charles Leadbeater (Profi le Books, 2008). The authors use different terms, but they are

Opinion 12

Cherian George

([email protected])

heads the journalism

programme at the

Wee Kim Wee School

of Communication

and Information

at Nanyang

Technological

University.

OpeningUpThe InnovationProcess

talking about the same phenomenon: When people open up their projects enough, others – including total strangers – will help add value.

The old, industrial-style practice was to guard the innovation process carefully: Ask customers and co-workers for their suggestions, but don’t let them decide what to implement or peek into the organisation’s inner workings. The new “we-think” or “wiki” approach is to share all the information and recognition necessary to enable collaborators to contribute as co-creators rather than as mere feedback-givers.

The most obvious example is Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia that allows anyone to add and edit articles. It’s not perfect, but it is reliable enough to have taken off as a global resource. Even the Web browser you’re using is the result of this new form of innovation. By giving away their

codes, the inventors of the Internet empowered users to build their own ways of using the network. The answers that came back from the community included Web browsers, search engines and thousands of other Internet applications we now take for granted.

While the new approach probably does not apply to many basic activities, it is relevant to various complex challenges requiring research and innovation. It has spread from software development to scientifi c research and policy making. According to its proponents, small groups of experts are no match for what mass collaboration can generate. “We-think” doesn’t just get more heads involved; it also attracts more diverse heads able to analyse complex problems from multiple angles. The old, controlled approach tended to defi ne brainpower in too narrow a way. Closed teams, no matter how smart, are much more likely to fall into the trap of group-think.

Parts of Singapore’s public sector are on their way to being organised for “we-think”. Take education. The system used to depend on top-down instructions from the ministry. Today, schools constitute the main source of pedagogical innovation. This is a direct result of the ministry ceding autonomy to schools to build their own syllabi.

Elsewhere, governments are gradually replacing their secrecy laws with laws guaranteeing citizens more access to offi cial information. The promised benefi ts are not just in the form of greater accountability and transparency but also more and better innovation.

To benefi t fully from the wisdom of the crowds, organisations must be prepared to throw open the laboratory doors to people outside. It will be tempting to stick to old ways, designating a few chosen experts in our organisations to do the thinking for everyone. But public sector innovation has become a key factor in a nation’s competitiveness, so Singapore will need to keep an eye on the changing rules of the innovation game, and keep up or lose out.

If you would like to share your thoughts on the ideas expressed in this column, send us an e-mail at [email protected].

12 Opinion-tp.indd 1212 Opinion-tp.indd 12 1/2/09 9:37:001/2/09 9:37:00

Communications13

INTERACTION BETWEEN PUBLIC SERVICE agencies and the public they serve has taken to the cyber highway, with e-mail becoming a popular channel of communication for feedback and enquiries.

“E-mail correspondence makes up about 89 per cent of the total volume vis a vis other channels of interaction such as letters, faxes or feedback forms,” observes Ms Aileen Kwok, Manager, Service Quality Department, Sentosa Development Corporation.

Mr Ng Hock Keong, Director (Customer Relations) at the Central Provident Fund Board, agrees. “Just this year, our monthly e-mail correspondence with our customers has increased by a steep jump of close to 46 per cent as compared to last year,” he says. “Correspondingly, in the same period, traditional communication channels like counters have experienced a dip in customer count by as much as 20 per cent.”

ADouble-EdgedSwordIt may be fast, but the use of

e-mail as a channel of

communication presents its own

challenges. By Susan Tsang

There are advantages to e-mail communication. “E-mail offers a convenient and easy avenue for replies to be sent to members of the public, saving resources and time compared to hardcopy correspondences,” observes Mrs Rosina Howe-Teo, Quality Service Manager of the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Need for speedHowever, Mrs Howe also points out that the convenience and ease of use of the e-mail channel is “a double-edged sword, especially when members of the public expect an instantaneous response on the feedback or enquiries that they have sent.”

Indeed, members of the public have written letters to the newspaper complaining about less than prompt replies from various public agencies. Mr Ng of CPF Board agrees that “the speed of e-mail results in “greater demand and expectation on government agencies to respond faster, and as a result, higher stress for staff”.

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Face 2 Face 14Communications 14

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Based on the Board’s annual survey, about 80 per cent of its customers expect to receive e-mail replies within two working days, while 60 per cent think it is reasonable for hardcopy replies to be sent within four working days. With e-mail, there are also “higher risks associated with appropriate information circulation, authenticity of enquiry and verifi cation of the enquirer’s identity”, he says.

Another problem, says Mrs Howe of LTA, is one of comprehension. “Members of the public are generally more formal and provide more details when using letters to communicate with us. We have, however, seen e-mails that are crafted in a less formal and conversational tone, making it diffi cult at times to understand the query. This impedes the speed of response as clarifi cations will have to be sought from the member of the public.”

With all this pressure, no doubt some offi cers might feel a sense of nostalgia for the “good old days” of snail-mail, when there was time to craft a careful reply in triplicate.

However, by following a few simple rules, we can enjoy the convenience of e-mail, boost our productivity, and satisfy members of the public without too much angst.

Pitching it rightFirst, there is the question of how to pitch e-mails. “Public offi cers should aim at a level of formality or informality that is acceptable to the person they are communicating with,” says Mr Casimir Rozario, a trainer at the Civil Service College. If we are writing to peers, it would be all right to start with “Hi” and to end with “Cya”, but obviously that would not be advisable if we are responding to our

Permanent Secretary. That level of informality may also not be advisable in responding to a member of the public, he says.

For replies to the public, formality is the order of the day. “Our replies to a member of the public are formal regardless of the channel of interaction used, in order to portray a consistent and offi cial image,” notes Mrs Howe of LTA. “It is also a good practice to keep the member of the public informed of the progress of his/her enquiry.”

Sentosa’s Ms Kwok agrees. “We adopt the same level of formality whether it is an e-mail or letter,” she says. “As an example, for salutations, we will not use “Hi Aileen” in e-mails, but “Dear Ms Kwok”.

TipsCPF Board has in-house tips and considerations when corresponding with customers in writing, regardless of whether it is via e-mail or hard copy. These include pointers on organisation, keeping sentences concise and using the active voice rather than passive, not forgetting, of course, to avoid the use of abbreviations and technical jargon, and ensuring that the content is free from spelling and grammatical errors.

For Sentosa, one practice that is avoided is copying a long list of people in its e-mail replies. “When we send a reply, we will copy (cc) only to the key people who need to be kept informed,” says Ms Kwok. “Relevant parties, internal or external, will be kept informed separately. As far as corresponding with the writer is concerned, there should only be one point of contact representing the Corporation, to avoid any confusion.”

Then, there is the question of whether e-mails should be sent for vetting before they are sent out. Mr Rozario believes that this will depend on the practice where the offi cer works. “Some bosses insist on seeing every response before it goes out. They would rather spend a little time checking a response before it goes out than a lot of time trying to undo the damage done by a poor response that was sent out unchecked.

Dos and don’tsOffi ce e-mail helps us move work fast, but careless use of it can land us in hot water. Here are some e-mail behaviours we must guard against. 1. Don’t send any e-mails that could

offend a particular group What is considered a joke between you and your friends could be read as an example of religious or ethnic bigotry. Vulgar jokes could be taken as a sign of chauvinism or even sexual harassment if they get sent to a colleague of the opposite sex.

2. Don’t send e-mails with profanity in them E-mails are so much faster to send than letters, which must be typed and printed out, or written, then placed into an envelope. However, this speed allows us to fi re off messages in a state of fury or agitation – messages that we might not have sent if we had time to cool down. E-mails studded with foul language have cost workers their jobs, since they give the agency a bad name.

3. Respond decisively to offensive e-mail that you receive We should take a zero-tolerance stance about receiving e-mails that have offensive content. We can try to control what we get in our mailboxes by sending a reply asking the sender not to send us such e-mails again. If they persist, we will have at least shown our objection.

4. Don’t offer legal opinions in an e-mail Not as big a problem in Singapore as in other countries, but unless you work in the legal department, try not to venture legal opinions, especially those admitting liability in e-mails. These can be used as evidence in court. Statements such as “if they sued us, we would lose” or “we would be liable...” are dangerous if projects come to an acrimonious end and legal action is taken, in which case your e-mail would become exhibit A.

FIRST, THERE IS THE QUESTION

OF HOW TO PITCH E-MAILS.

PUBLIC OFFICERS SHOULD

AIM AT A LEVEL OF FORMALITY

OR INFORMALITY THAT IS

ACCEPTABLE TO THE PERSON

THEY ARE COMMUNICATING WITH.

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Alumni 16

Alumni clubs allow the experience of former offi cers to be passed down to newer generations. By Susan Tsang

TheOtherPublicServiceNetwork

MEMBERS OF THE TDB-IE SOCIETY:

SITTING LEFT TO RIGHT:LIN SONG, Partner, Khattar Wong Singapore

ROBIN CHUA, Deputy Director, Health Promotion Board (Assistant Treasurer, TDB-ie Society)

NIGEL PHANG, Director, DDI Asia Pacifi c International Ltd

SEOW HWEE LING, Life Planner, Great Eastern

NORSIAH YUNOS, Personal Assistant to Mr Thian Tai Chew (IE Singapore)

SYLVIA OO, Director, Colorz Corporate & Consultancy Services Pte Ltd

STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT:LUKE LIM, CEO, A.S.Louken (Immediate Past President of TDB-ie Society)

MAGNUS YEO, Sales Representative, Volkswagen

K. MOHAMED FAIZAL, Consultant, Singapore Computer Systems Ltd

CHARLES CHOW, Managing Director, East-West Gateway Pte Ltd (President TDB-ie Society)

CHONG LIT CHEONG, CEO, International Enterprise Singapore

THIAN TAI CHEW, Director, IE Singapore

EDWIN HOOY, CEO & Managing Director, CitiCopp Recycling GmbH (Secretary, TDB-ie Society)

T. VIJAYAKUMAR, Director, Peercomms International (Assistant Secretary, TDB-ie Society)

ANG SIN HOCK, International Business Consultant, Ang Sin Hock Associates

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JUST BECAUSE YOU MOVE ON TO ANOTHER CAREER, or to another stage in life, it doesn’t mean that all the experience and know-how you gained on the job needs to be put into cold storage. Alumni clubs, once associated exclusively with educational bodies, have moved into the realm of work. Call it the old boys’ network from the school of hard knocks, if you will.

In the Public Service, alumni clubs have been formed to allow the experience of former offi cers to be passed down to newer generations in various agencies.

“Some of our people have many years of experience and knowledge gained over the years. It would be a shame if they can’t share with young staff and those SMEs with a desire to go out of Singapore,” says Mr Lee Soon Eng, President of JTC Alumni, which was launched in 2003.

Besides the passing on of knowledge, the “old boys network” aspect of alumni clubs is also relevant. “You still cannot e-mail a handshake,” notes Dr Charles Chow, President of the TDB-ie Society. “An already established and trusted contact is a powerful resource for competent networks that help to foster interaction and dialogue in trade promotion, business development and international cooperation. The society also promotes social and professional interaction among members, IE Singapore and leading thinkers on economic and business development.”

For alumni associations like that of the Home Team, part of their organisation’s approach is to recognise those who have dedicated many years to the service by maintaining contact and exploring opportunities for collaboration. They also engage alumni who may have left in search of new experiences. “We keep the channel open for them to rejoin the Home Team after they have had a stint in another organisation,” says Mr Ivan Yeo, Senior Assistant Director (HR Planning), Ministry of Home Affairs. “Over the past few years, we have welcomed back a number of offi cers to the Home Team after their stint in the private sector. These offi cers come back with enriched experiences, which we value in the Home Team.”

“SOME OF OUR PEOPLE HAVE MANY YEARS OF

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED OVER THE

YEARS. IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF THEY CAN’T

SHARE WITH YOUNG STAFF AND THOSE SMES

WITH A DESIRE TO GO OUT OF SINGAPORE.”

Mr Lee Soon Eng, President of JTC Alumni.

Of course, the question is how to build and maintain these contacts in Singapore, where people have little time to spare.

To start with, it is a good idea to make joining painless. “Membership is free of charge,” says Dr Chow. The TDB-ie Society, which was established about eight years ago, has about 100 members at senior offi cer level.

The Home Team gives offi cers on its alumni initiative a two-year complimentary membership to their HomeTeamNS clubhouses.

Once the members are in, activities can be organised. “It’s a constant challenge to attract people to participate,” says Mr Lee of the JTC Alumni. “And it’s important, because we want them to impart their knowledge to our younger offi cers.”

The key to attracting the clubs’ 244 members is to have something that interests them. He cites charity work as one fairly successful activity. “We have a few members who want to give back to society. This is an interest group.” These JTC alumni members spare a few hours every weekend distributing food as part of a community outreach programme organised by South West CDC and Food Empire Holdings, a food and beverage company.

Mr Lee fi nds that talks attract many members. Speakers include JTC alumnus Mr Roland Ng, who is now President and Group CEO of Tat Hong Holdings and former CEO of JTC David Lim, just to name a few.

“In the past, JTC and now JTC Corp has been an organisation where long-lasting bonds are forged among staff and alumni members,” says Dr Liew Kian Heng, Former President of the JTC Alumni and its Present Advisor. “The founding of JTC Alumni has further strengthened the bonds by enabling formal gatherings of the JTC family.”

With the support of present leaders in JTC Corp, the Alumni has helped to re-ignite friendships by inviting members back. “JTC Alumni can and will be able to serve members’ interests and promote long-lasting bonds among the parent organisation and former staff,” says Dr Liew.

MHA invites alumni back for major events like the annual Home Team Workshop. Senior-level alumni are also invited for sharing sessions and to give talks at Home Team milestone programmes and seminars.

For the IE Singapore alumni group, contacts are developed by various means, including Facebook and regular games of bowling and golf. The TDB-ie Society has found that despite their busy schedules, its members are passionate about sharing their experiences. Discussions are now underway with tertiary institutions for the mentoring of their students on international business and projects.

As for the Home Team, there are plans to broaden the number of events that its alumni are invited to, as offi cers of different levels enjoy different kinds of activities. “We are also exploring other avenues to better engage our alumni as part of the wider Home Team family,” says Mr Yeo.

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Feature 18

Public agencies are recognised for their pro-enterprise performance. By Anna Yap

BusinessMadeEasy

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FOR THE THIRD SUCCESSIVE YEAR, SINGAPORE HAS BEEN RANKED THE WORLD’S EASIEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS BY THE WORLD BANK’S DOING BUSINESS REPORT. The report ranks 181 economies according to 10 indicators of business regulation – from starting a business to paying taxes and closing a business. It underscores the important role government agencies play in encouraging investment, creating jobs and spurring growth through the simplifi cation of procedures.

Within Singapore, government agencies have achieved their bestscores in the latest Pro-Enterprise Ranking (PER) survey, which has been conducted annually since 2004. Commissioned by local private-sector-led movement Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), the survey highlights the pro-enterprise orientation and performance of public agencies here.

Challenge fi nds out how the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) achieved stellar pro-enterprise performance in this year’s PER survey, and how the National Environment Agency (NEA) made the biggest jump to fi nish sixth, up from 21st last year.

MPA: Saving customers time and moneyBeing pro-enterprise comes naturally to MPA. Ranked fi rst in the PER survey, its pro-business, pro-customer orientation is driven by its desire to be a leading maritime agency driving Singapore’s global maritime aspirations. “How do we know what our customers

want? How do we engage the industry? The answer is constant communication and interaction at both operational and policy levels,” says Ms Pia Boon, a Senior Manager at the Port Master’s Offi ce at MPA. Besides regular visits made by the senior management to shipping lines and other maritime-

related companies to better understand their business needs, regular meetings and dialogue sessions are also held with partners such as the Singapore Shipping Association, Singapore Organisation of Seamen and the Singapore Maritime Foundation. MPA also holds forums and conducts surveys to gather input for the formulation of policies and review of rules.

Being pro-business means streamlining regulatory processes while developing infrastructure and enhancing industry capability as well as maritime safety and security, says Ms Pia. It also means thinking out of the box to develop new ways to benefi t customers by saving them time and money.

Such forward-thinking helps the shipping community save as much as $190,000 a day when they call at Singapore’s port.

An example of this can be seen in the initiative to improve operations planning while facilitating semi-submersible vessels calling at the port.

Semi-submersible heavy lift vessels, which are used to transport oil rigs and damaged vessels, are huge watercraft that have much of their bulk underwater. Prior to 2004, Singapore received only two or three such vessels per year for repair works. These days, it receives about 60 such vessels annually. Moving these vessels into the port requires a big sea space, deep water, many tugs and support vessels, and three to four days. These vessels

also cannot be towed at night, which adds to the cost of calling at port.

Thanks to a Work Improvement Team (WITS) project from MPA, a shorter route is identifi ed, resulting in big savings. The new safety procedures, which include using radars to coordinate and monitor the movement of vessels, also resulted in enhanced navigational safety.“Instead of just imposing conditions,

we worked with the owners, agents, shipyards and service providers to come up with a ‘win-win-win’ solution,” says Ms Pia. “We win, the customers win, and so do the other port users.”

NEA: The only way was upThe “most improved award” in the 2008 PER survey goes to NEA.

NEA was 4th when the PER survey was fi rst done; it then slipped to 11th position the following year, then to the 16th, before dropping to 21st in 2007.

“We are proud to have gone from the 21st position to the sixth this survey. In the past years, our scores have actually improved year on year for each of our customer segments but in ranking, it is all relative, you have improved but others have done better. During the dengue outbreak, we also had to introduce certain policies quite quickly and it did not go down well in terms of business costs,” says Ms Michelle Lee, Deputy Director of the Corporate Development Department of the Policy and Planning Division at the NEA. “We said to ourselves that this downward slide simply wouldn’t do! We were determined that we wanted to improve, and that the only way was up.”

And up they did go. They fi rst sat down to go through their past results item by item to identify the performance gaps and to propose changes where necessary.

NEA’s customers include all food and beverage shop licensees.

A semi-submersible heavy lift vessel transporting an oil rig.

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People 20Feature 20

They set KPIs and held more consultation sessions and reached out to more businesses. “We listened carefully to our

customers and responded proactively,” says Ms Lee. “For instance, we discovered that there were grouses within the waste disposal customer group; they felt that our fees were very high. So we showed them that compared to other countries, ours was actually the lowest. Sometimes, all we have to do is communicate better. If we can’t change, we explain. If we can change, we will. And if we can’t change all of it, we amend where possible.”

NEA’s customers include all food and beverage shop licensees, general waste collectors, qualifi ed persons such as architects, and supermarket licensees. Effective communication with such a

wide variety of customers is NEA’s biggest challenge. “We had to fi nd different ways of

facilitating outreach,” says Ms Lee. “So for the implementation of the smoking ban, we made it easy for customers to download anti-smoking posters from our website. We also became a one-stop shop by collating all the anti-smoking requirements from the relevant agencies such as the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Tourism Board into a single package.”

NEA also worked on improving the effectiveness of its communication with customers. Handbooks and posters were translated into various languages and pictures were created to illustrate

the information. Examples of the information communicated include hygiene tips such as the proper handling of raw fruits and vegetables for foodshop operators.

Leveraging on IT to provide better service for customers was another thing the NEA did. For example, the Building Plan application system was enhanced to auto-generate an e-mail providing the name and contact details of NEA’s processing offi cer to the applicant. Online notifi cation of the status of an application helps to alleviate customer anxiety. “We will continue to strive to improve,”

promises Ms Lee. “Ranking is not an end game but rather an impetus to drive change, to be more pro-enterprise. All our combined efforts will be good for business, good for the public service, and good for Singapore.”


IDA: Making new policies, tweaking old onesKey to IDA’s third-place ranking on the PER survey are the pro-consumer and pro-business initiatives implemented by the agency.

One of IDA’s key responsibilities is to ensure sustainable growth and competition in a multi-operator, multi-network environment while formulating, planning and developing infocomm-related policies, standards, codes of practice and guidelines.“We do a thorough review of rules and

regulations every three to fi ve years, but such a review is also done whenever there are new policy or technology changes,” says Mr Ng Boon Sim, Deputy Director of the Licensing and

Operations Department at the IDA. “The reviews ensure that our licensing schemes remain robust yet evolve to meet changes in market conditions.”

Ongoing engagement and consultation with industry players, market analysts and consumers is vital to the formulation of new policies, and the review of existing ones. IDA conducts public consultations through its websites and writes to its licensees to ask for their feedback. Its licensees include facilities-based operators such as SingTel, Starhub and M1, services-based operators such as businesses selling prepaid cards for international calls, and telecommunication equipment providers.

Being sensitive to business needs has led to a whole host of changes that has simplifi ed procedures and saved licensees time and money. “For instance, by implementing lifetime licensing for dealers, services-based operators and telecommunication cable detection workers, we have eliminated a renewal process that added little value to our regulatory function,” says Mr Ng.

Other examples include the lifting of price regulations imposed on resellers of Public Switched Telecommunication Services. These businesses can now price their services according to market forces, but must ensure full disclosure to customers before charging for their services.

Another example of how the approval process has been streamlined to make it easier for suppliers is the new online Equipment Registration scheme. Many suppliers now fi nd it easier to get their

telecommunications and radio communications equipment approved by IDA with minimal delay to market. They can now reap cost savings of between $250 and $800, plus time savings of up to seven days for each model of equipment registered with IDA. IDA says that the number of registered models has grown by an annual 20 per cent since 2005, when this scheme was implemented, resulting in more choices for consumers. About 1,900 models were approved in 2006 and 2007.

Looking out for the consumer is a primary goal as well. “IDA has to fi nd a balance between being pro-enterprise and pro-consumer, so that businesses don’t take advantage of their customers,” says Mr Ng.

A good example of this was the implementation of the Premium Rate Services (PRS) Code in October 2007.

According to Mr Ng, prior to the PRS Code, there were numerous cases of PRS providers adopting bad business practices, for example, charging for unsolicited services such as mobile wallpapers, ringtones and information services. The issuance of the PRS Code was a move to promote more responsible business practices and to give service providers more certainty as to how they should operate. Consumers in turn now have greater peace of mind when purchasing chargeable PRS.“Being pro-enterprise means being

forward looking, dynamic and willing to look at new ideas,” says Mr Ng. “We will continue to review our licensing regulations and propose pro-enterprise changes wherever possible.”

“IDA HAS TO FIND A BALANCE

BETWEEN BEING PRO-ENTERPRISE AND PRO-

CONSUMER, SO THAT BUSINESSES DON’T TAKE

ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS.”

Mr Ng Boon Sim, Deputy Director of the Licensing and Operations Department at the IDA.


Presenting the facts of the Civil Service and facing up to the obstacles that stand in the way of innovation. By Melissa Heng

Myths&Tyrannies

Feature23

■ Shattering the fi ve myths ■ Ending the fi ve tyrannies

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People 22People 22Feature

Shattering the fi ve mythsAt the recent Singapore Management University CEO Talk Series, Head of Civil Service Mr Peter Ho spoke about the “fi ve myths” of the Civil Service. The following are excerpts from his speech.

MYTH 1: The Civil Service is rigid

and bureaucratic.

Any large organisation is at risk of lapsing into blind adherence to rules and process. Rules and process are necessary in any organisation whether in the public or private sector. They are the grease that keeps the machinery of government moving along. But they do not guarantee results, and can create rigidities. If you are not careful, they can lead to unintended and ridiculous consequences.

The reality is that we must guard against rigidity and bureaucracy... I think that the Civil Service is aware of the dangers. It has many channels for feedback and suggestions, both internally and externally, to avoid unnecessary rules and infl exible regulations.

OF COURSE, THERE WILL BE SOME WHO JOIN THE CIVIL SERVICE

BECAUSE IT IS A JOB, AND THE PAY IS NOT BAD. BUT I BELIEVE THAT

MANY JOIN BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.


24

MYTH 2: Civil servants are “yes-men”

(or women).

One strand in this myth is that high salaries make senior civil servants afraid to voice their opinions, since so much is at stake. But I have not seen, personally, a situation in which a civil servant is under threat because of a disagreement. You have to give the system more credit.

In fact, there are often healthy debates and sometimes disagreements between ministers and civil servants. Sometimes, the minister comes round to our point of view; sometimes, we come round to his point of view. Sometimes, we just agree to disagree.

It is the job of the civil servant to work with the elected government of the day to serve the people. It is our job to offer advice, to provide honest, objective opinions… If we fear making mistakes, if we fear failure, then we do nothing, and that is probably the worst sin, the sin of inaction, in my book.

A second strand in this myth is that civil servants, especially the senior ones, only provide the advice that they think their ministers want to hear. (But) agencies in the Public Service often give contrarian views. I think that civil servants understand that if they try to second-guess their ministers, then the risk is that decisions taken may be fl awed.

I think the reality is that the Civil Service does have its share of “yes-men” (and women) as do all organisations. To pretend otherwise is to deny human nature. But I would like to believe that the Civil Service understands that disagreement is not a bad thing, as the process of debate and disagreement helps to fi ne-tune policies and fl ush out bad ideas.

MYTH 3: The Civil Service is an iron

rice-bowl.

This may have been true 20, 30 or 40 years ago… Today, Singaporeans do not necessarily join the Civil Service to get a job for life. Time horizons are shorter. People expect to move around

– two to three jobs in the fi rst decade after graduation are not uncommon. Often they move not because of push factors, but because of the desire for better pay, and to try something different.

This is the situation today. We try to make sure that the remuneration in the Civil Service is competitive with the private sector. But the Civil Service can only follow; we cannot lead. At minimum, pay is an important hygiene factor. It may not always be enough to attract people to join the Civil Service when the economy is doing well and there are many options in the private sector, but at least it should not disadvantage the Civil Service in the competition for talent with the private sector.

MYTH 4: The Civil Service is tone-deaf

In other words, the Civil Service does not engage or take feedback seriously. In fact, strong customer and citizen focus is today central to policy development and the delivery of public services in Singapore. We recognise that effective public consultation and communication is a critical part of good governance and successful policy implementation.

We are already doing a lot today, probably a lot more than most governments, and certainly much more than we ever did in the past. We actively canvass for public feedback on policies, in focus-group discussions, in public forums, and on the Internet. We

have committees like the Pro-Enterprise Panel that includes members from the private sector to look at complaints and suggestions about red-tape and other obstacles to enterprise in Singapore. Our approach of involving the private sector is aimed at keeping our civil servants honest, a counter-check to assuming that we know everything.

Of course, we can do more, and the Civil Service is committed to doing more. It is an ongoing process, and improvements will be continuous, but not necessarily always dramatic.

MYTH 5: The Civil Service is just

another job.

I would like to think it is not. Of course, there will be some who join the Civil Service because it is a job, and the pay is not bad. But I believe that many join because they want to make a difference. When I interview people for the Civil Service, I am not just looking at how smart they are, or how they carry themselves. I am also looking for signs that they believe in the mission of the Civil Service, which is to serve the nation and the people – people who join the Public Service to do a good job and to make a difference to Singapore and to Singaporeans.


People 24Feature

Ending the fi ve tyranniesSingapore’s Civil Service has to constantly innovate to stay ahead but public offi cers here face several barriers to innovation. Challenge speaks to Permanent Secretary Ravi Menon from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to fi nd out more about the “tyrannies” inherent in our system and how we can overcome them.

You graduated as an economist. Why

did you choose the public sector and

what has your journey been like so far?

The Singapore public sector is an exciting place for an economist. More than in most other countries, the public sector in Singapore values a rational and pragmatic approach to policy, based on reason and sound economic principles. There is, of course, also a larger purpose in the public sector – to be able to make a contribution to the nation as a whole, to make people’s lives better.

Of course, there were times in the past two decades when I wondered what it would have been like to be in the corporate sector, in the world of high fi nance. I am sure it would have been fascinating, but I never found the heart to leave – and after a while, the window of opportunity sort of closed!

I have been in public service for 21 years. I started my career with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and I have since worked in the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and now the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).

Let’s talk about innovation. Singapore’s

Civil Service is not thought of as a

tremendously innovative place. What

do you think accounts for this?

There is a fair amount of entrepreneurial spirit in our public policies and in the way we have gone about executing them. I think this was particularly the case in the early years – be it in industrial strategy, public housing, the CPF, and so on. But I think our zest for bold ideas, for radical moves, has waned somewhat over the years. We seem less willing to push the boundaries. We are still a fairly innovative Civil Service. But there are several factors – I would call them

“tyrannies” - that stand in the way of greater innovation.

Can you elaborate on what

these “tyrannies” are and how

we can overcome them?

The fi rst tyranny is that of fundamental principles. We have distilled the tenets of our past success, set them down as


26

principles, and in doing so, we have placed markers around ourselves. If we become too attached to these principles and believe they cannot be changed, then there would be little room for innovation. We must constantly re-examine our assumptions and our principles, and not think that what has worked in the past will necessarily work in the future.

In the old days, when principles were not fully fl eshed out, there was a lot of learning by doing. Now that we have some history behind us, it is good that we distil the lessons and principles that have brought us this far. They are useful guideposts to the future but we must make sure they don’t shackle us. Take for instance, the Workfare Income Supplement. It required us to discard a principle: “No handouts from government”, and introduce a new principle: “Handouts are fi ne if they are conditional on work.”

The second tyranny we labour under is related to the fi rst; it is called precedent. For example, when given a new assignment, many offi cers have a tendency to fi rst look at previous fi les on how it was done before. Nothing wrong with that except that it may be better to generate ideas from a fresh slate and then check what the previous fi les say than to start with the old fi les. The need to be consistent with the past is important – lest we appear to fl ip-fl op; but it should not subconsciously limit our imagination. And when we do check the previous fi les, we should be asking why it was done that way!

Going back to precedent is the safe thing to do, but it will not encourage innovation. It is too easy to say: “That’s how we did it in the past; that’s how other countries do it.” If we allow ourselves to be conditioned by precedent, we will not come up with new solutions.

Does this mean we should discard

what is fundamentally sound

in the name of change?

That’s tyranny number three – incrementalism. If we believe that all our policies and practices are

“fundamentally sound”, then we won’t do more than the occasional fi ne-tuning. But fi ne-tuning may not be suffi cient in all circumstances. There’s a tendency to manage change gradually and avoid large shifts. This incrementalism may indeed be the way to go in executing policy, but when formulating policy, it is best not to be constrained by the need to be incremental.

There is a certain risk in incrementalism – the world around us may not operate the same way. Take for example, the liberalisation of telecommunications and fi nancial services. We preferred a more gradual approach but external changes forced us to move faster than our initial timelines.

Will it be safer, then, for Singapore to just

follow international standards?

That’s the fourth tyranny – international standards. We need to watch and learn from what others are doing, but we should not let this blind us to more creative options. For example, there are international standards on corporate governance, fi nancial accounting and so on. And very often we fi nd ourselves rather afraid to depart from them lest we be seen as not world-class. This constrains our imagination in coming up with rules that are more creative and applicable to our own situation.

Being world-class is not just about being better, it is about being better and different. Too many of our memos to Cabinet make a case for doing something because other leading jurisdictions are doing it. We need more memos that argue for doing something because others are not doing it – so that we have fi rst-mover advantage!

But what if we innovate and

it goes disastrously?

That’s the mentality that governs the fi fth tyranny – the slippery slope. This is the mindset that says: “We should do A because it is the right thing to do; but if we did A, we will be pushed to do B; therefore we should not do A.”

Health insurance is a good example, it is a far more effi cient way than savings to deal with catastrophic illness. But all insurance carries the risk of moral hazard – the slippery slope – and so we used to constrain the use of insurance. This has resulted in a suboptimal position, which we are now correcting through a series of creative measures that seek to minimise the risks and maximise the benefi ts.

So what should we do to rid

ourselves of such tyrannies?

The tyrannies exist in our minds, not in our systems. And it is in our minds that we must seek to overcome these tyrannies. Being aware of them is a useful fi rst step. We are all, at various times and to varying degrees, subject to these tyrannies. Constantly checking ourselves is therefore important – self awareness. Next, is the courage to fi ght the tyrannies. The tried and tested may be safe, but may not be the best.

Curiosity helps – constantly asking “why” and “why not” and having the courage to go where the answers take us. It also helps to have a healthy scepticism – to treat all principles and beliefs as merely testable hypotheses, and to be willing to change our minds. Consciously searching for evidence to challenge our assumptions is a good way to keep us from entrenched views that stand in the way of innovation.

But as I said earlier, we are a fairly innovative Civil Service – we shouldn’t be too harsh on ourselves. There are, in every agency, pockets of innovation, consisting of people who dare to voice different, bold and even seemingly outrageous ideas. We must celebrate and nurture such people, even when their ideas turn out to be wrong. Or especially when their ideas turn out to be wrong!

21-25 feature.indd 2521-25 feature.indd 25 12/31/08 10:40:3312/31/08 10:40:33

Feedback 28

What is your involvement with the

public sector?

At Singapore Exhibition Services (SES), we deal a lot with government agencies on a regular basis as we are the organisers of several major trade shows in Singapore. We feel it’s important for the government to be involved and to be seen to be behind internationally recognised events that are held here, especially when they showcase specialised industries. For example, we work closely with IDA (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore) for CommunicAsia; and MDA (Media Development Authority) for BroadcastAsia.

The shows also involve SPRING and IE Singapore as well as EDB (Economic Development Board), all of whom have an interest in strengthening particular industrial sectors here. IE Singapore also

MMRRMICMICEEGGUUYYMr Stephen Tan is Chief Executive of Singapore Exhibition Services and a veteran in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry. He shares his views on service in the public sector. By AJ Leow

28-29 feedback-tp.indd 2828-29 feedback-tp.indd 28 12/29/08 4:57:35 PM12/29/08 4:57:35 PM

sees the shows as an additional platform to assist Singapore-based companies in their marketing efforts.

CommunicAsia2008 alone for example, attracted some 62,544 attendees including many overseas buyers. The shows also generate tourism receipts. For every dollar an exhibitor pays to SES, it spends another $12.80 on accommodation, food and so on.

What is your overall assessment of

interactions with agencies?

While it’s not homogenous across the different agencies, the overall experience has been a good one. Over the last 24 years, which is how long I have been in this industry, I have seen the agencies change a lot. They have more drive and foresight. They are more receptive to private sector input and are pragmatic in their approach. There is more forward planning and many of them do not give you the impression of being bureaucrats. They do not keep a nine-to-fi ve schedule like they did two decades ago and operate more like the private sector in their working hours.

Many of the agencies are also well equipped especially in the IT department. That means – for us – quicker interaction with the public agencies. You also see government employees sometimes coming to meetings with their laptops and taking minutes on the spot.

Response times have defi nitely improved. I would not say it has been very dramatic from the business point of view, but it’s a lot faster than it was 20 years ago. From the point and experience as a citizen, yes, I do see drastic improvements like when the ICA (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority) processed my application for a biometric passport – that was fantastic! But there could be less “layering” within the statutory boards and possibly more staff empowerment. That would be nice because there are

MRMICEGUY

still a lot of activities carried out at mid-management levels. I feel that middle managers could do with more responsibilities or have a bigger role in the decision-making process without having to refer to standard operating procedures. They may need more encouragement from within to be more fl exible in terms of accepting ideas and opinions.

Are there any experiences that stand out?

One area in which government agencies have stepped up to aid us in our efforts to promote our events has been to invite ministers from other countries such as those in the Asean region to come and grace our trade shows as well as participate in forums and discussions. For the past four years, the IDA has been proactive in helping us to arrange for these offi cials whose presence have enabled greater regional government-private sector interactions, and that has been fantastic in

my view as they enhance the effectiveness of the events.

However, other than the agencies I have mentioned, there are newer agencies that want to do their own shows and own the IP (intellectual property) for the events. They might approach event companies to support them in the marketing efforts and the infrastructure build-up, but as a private sector company that often takes business and fi nancial risks, we prefer to own the IP for such events.

What are some of the areas in which they

could improve?

Well, licensing applications have been made a lot easier because of IT enhancements at public agencies, but the information requested is still rather “jam-packed” from a business point of view. For example, for company data, we still have to fi ll up about a dozen to 15 questions on details such as company

address, paid-up capital, shareholdings and key offi cers each time we submit an application for approval for each tradeshow we organise. Surely, these details must be within the ACRA (Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority) database. The agencies can be linked to ACRA without us needing to fi ll in the details over and over again on a show-by-show basis, as the information doesn’t change that much.

We are also often asked about data from the same trade shows we organise in previous years like the number of exhibitors, space take-up, visitors and their nationalities and so on. Again these data should already be in the database.

There are a few things that I feel can be streamlined. If ICA can do it with the biometric passports, I am confi dent other departments or agencies can do the same to make it easier for businesses.

“I FEEL THAT MIDDLE MANAGERS COULD DO WITH MORE

RESPONSIBILITIES OR HAVE A BIGGER ROLE IN THE DECISION-MAKING

PROCESS WITHOUT HAVING TO REFER TO STANDARD OPERATING

PROCEDURES. THEY MAY NEED MORE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM WITHIN

TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF ACCEPTING IDEAS AND OPINIONS.”

28-29 feedback-tp.indd 2928-29 feedback-tp.indd 29 12/29/08 4:57:47 PM12/29/08 4:57:47 PM

Style 30

BeyondThe C

“I’M INVOLVED IN PROMOTING

ENVIRONMENTAL OWNERSHIP

WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THE JOB DOES NOT REALLY

AFFECT WHAT I WEAR.

I USUALLY PREFER STRIPED,

LONG-SLEEVED SHIRTS

FOR WORK. I USUALLY DRESS

ACCORDING TO THE SOCIAL

SETTING AND ENVIRONMENT.”

CHEN WEILIANGYouth Development

Offi cer, Youth DivisionMinistry of Community

Development, Youth and Sports

30-33 makeover-tp.indd 3030-33 makeover-tp.indd 30 12/29/08 5:14:05 PM12/29/08 5:14:05 PM

It’s time to ditch the plain long-sleeved shirt and black trousers ensemble that is fashion de rigueur in the Public Service. Challenge shows you how to be a bit more adventurous when dressing up for work.

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(9

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39

9)

e ComfortZoneMAIN LOOKWhite long-sleeved shirt (Raoul), chequered jacket (Ben Sherman), black tie (Raoul), black pants (Banana Republic), shoes (Raoul).

FAR LEFTNavy blue printed long-sleeved shirt (Ben Sherman), black pants (Banana Republic), black blazer (Celio). LEFTNavy blue printed long-sleeved shirt (Ben Sherman), black pants (Banana Republic), tie (Raoul).


Style 32

MOHAMED FAZIL B MOHAMED SUYUTIAssistant Desk Offi cer/International OrganisationMinistry of Foreign Affairs

MAIN LOOKBlack polka-dotted long-sleeved shirt (Celio), Grey pants (Ben Sherman), Vest (Ben Sherman), Striped tie (Celio), Shoes (Raoul).

TOPChequered short-sleeved shirt (Ben Sherman), Grey pants (Ben Sherman), Silver tie (Ben Sherman).

BOTTOMBlack polka-dotted long-sleeved shirt (Celio), Grey pants (Ben Sherman).

“I WOULD DESCRIBE MY DRESS SENSE AS

ADVENTUROUS AND VARIED. I AM ALWAYS OPEN TO

TRYING DIFFERENT FASHION STYLES. FOR WORK,

WE HAVE TO WEAR THE STANDARD LONG-SLEEVED

SHIRT AND TROUSERS. TO ADD SOME VARIATION,

I WOULD EITHER PLAY WITH COLOURS LIKE PINK

OR GREEN, PRINTS OR CHEQUERED SHIRTS OR

SIMPLY LAYER MY OFFICE WEAR WITH A CARDIGAN,

SLEEVELESS SWEATER OR VEST.”

30-33 makeover-tp.indd 3230-33 makeover-tp.indd 32 12/31/08 9:58:00 AM12/31/08 9:58:00 AM

“MY JOB REQUIRES ME TO

ATTEND MEETINGS WITH

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL

CUSTOMERS, SOMETIMES WITH

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, SO I

WOULD WEAR FORMAL

LONG-SLEEVED SHIRTS WHEN I

ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.

I’M ALSO REQUIRED TO ATTEND

COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS

AND THIS REQUIRES A MORE

CASUAL LOOK.”

MAIN LOOKGrey long-sleeved shirt (Banana Republic), Black jacket (Banana Republic), Striped tie (Celio), Black pants (Ben Sherman), Shoes (Pedro).

TOPLong-sleeved striped polo top (Celio). BOTTOMGrey long-sleeved shirt (Banana Republic), Navy blue cardigan (Banana Republic), Tie (Celio).

LIEW WEN HWEEPartnership FacilitatorEnvironmental Health Department, Central Regional Offi ceNational Environment Agency


If you’re anything like us and love a good buffet, gather some like-minded colleagues and bond over these sumptuous spreads. These buffet selections will set you back only $20 or less, proof that good food can come at great prices.

BuffetBash

Café Windsor Hotel Windsor, 401, MacPherson Road, Tel: 6343-0088Teochew porridge buffet 5pm – 11pm; Daily Although Hotel Windsor is located in an obscure location, it hasn’t stopped diners from sniffi ng out its Teochew porridge buffet spread. The newly-renovated hotel’s buffet is priced at only $10.80. Whether it is dinner or supper, you can enjoy a delicious and comforting spread that includes sweet potato porridge, Teochew braised duck, steamed pomfret, braised pork belly, beancurd skin with wolfberries, and cereal prawns. Complete your meal with a scoop of ice cream.

Food 34

Restoran Tepak Sireh73 Sultan Gate, Tel: 6396-4373Buffet lunch 11am – 3pm; Daily If you hanker after authentic Malay cuisine, Tepak Sireh is the place to head to. Located at a historic 150-year-old building called Gedung Kuning, this restaurant was opened in 2003. The dedicated master chefs are known for preparing traditional Malay dishes using the freshest ingredients. Zero in on signature dishes such as spicy beef rendang and ayam masak merah as well as other classic noodle dishes such as mee rebus and mee laksa. The spread changes every day. Lunch is priced at $16.50.

Sakura International Buffet Restaurant93A Clementi Road, Clementi Woods Park, Tel: 6474-8197 Orchard Shopping Centre, 321 Orchard Road 2nd Storey, Tel: 6735-8197. Downtown East, 1 Pasir Ris Close #02-02, Tel: 6755-8197Lunch 12pm – 2.30pm; Dinner 6pm – 9.30pm; DailySakura is a halal-certifi ed restaurant serving an extensive selection of international cuisine. You will be guaranteed the freshest fare as the sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki items are rustled up on the spot by the chefs. The buffet is priced at $20 for weekday lunch (Orchard outlet is $22 for lunch). Pay an additional $2 on weekends.

34-36 food-tp.indd 3434-36 food-tp.indd 34 12/31/08 10:03:29 AM12/31/08 10:03:29 AM

The Pasta ShopTiong Bahru Plaza, 302 Tiong Bahru Road, #01-48 Tel: 6273-3720.

Wheelock Place, 501 Orchard Road, #02-13/14 Tel: 6836-5123Tea time buffet 3pm – 6pm, Monday – Friday

For good quality pastas, soups and salads at an affordable price, head to The Pasta Shop by Sakae. At this chill-out spot, you can tuck into a tea time buffet priced at only $19.90. There are about

40 items to choose from (just select from the menu and the piping hot dishes will be served to you). Apart from the

usual Bolognese and cream sauce pastas, try popular creations such as Buta No Kakuni (Japanese-style braised pork

belly with pasta) and Shogayaki (Japanese-style ginger pork with pasta). Drinks and desserts are

not included in the price.

BuffetBash

34-36 food-tp.indd 3534-36 food-tp.indd 35 12/29/08 5:24:12 PM12/29/08 5:24:12 PM

Food 36

Persimmon The Link Hotel, 50 Tiong Bahru

Road #01-07 Tel: 6227-2271Lunch and Dinner buffet 12pm – 3pm and 6.30pm – 10.30pm,

Monday – FridayPersimmon offers an excellent

buffet at only $20 nett for lunch and $25 nett for dinner.

The lip-smacking spread features home-made bread,

salads, soups, a local dish and desserts. Besides that, you will also get to enjoy an a la carte buffet of starters and pastas, plus a serving of a

main course. Try the signature starter – Hainanese Chicken

Salad comprising poached chicken with fresh local herbs,

mesclun greens and rice crisps, drizzled with a special

dressing. Then dig into popular pastas such as the Linguine

Laksa-Leaf Pesto and Spaghetti Aglio-olio Porchetta.

For mains, request for the hearty Laksa Fisherman’s Pie,

a unique composition of prawn, fi sh and “tau-pok” in spicy coconut and crabmeat

gravy, topped with puff pastry.

Food 36

34-36 food-tp.indd 3634-36 food-tp.indd 36 12/31/08 10:06:31 AM12/31/08 10:06:31 AM

IT IS A QUESTION MANY INVESTORS HAVE ASKED THEMSELVES DURING THE CURRENT FINANCIAL TURMOIL: “Why not just put all our investments in cash, 100 per cent, just for a little while, until things calm down?”

It is tempting to wait for the best time to invest, but there is a school of thought that says to do so would be to give up on other investing opportunities that might still pay off in the long run if you had not waited for the market to hit rock bottom.

Many investment gurus, especially those with long-term horizons such as John Templeton, are of the view that it is better to invest at the fi rst possible moment regardless of the level of the market.

RidingtheMarket

Finance37

However, before you decide to jump in and participate in the highs and lows of the markets, there are a couple of things you will need to consider.

Reduce debtFirst, it is generally a good idea to pay off any debt that carries an effective interest rate of six per cent to 10 per cent before you contemplate the idea of investing. The reason for this is that the average annual return for a stock or unit trust would probably be in this range – if you are a moderate to aggressive investor.

For example, if you have accumulated extra cash in your CPF despite having to

service your mortgage for your house, and the general feeling is that the stock market is likely to see a bull run, you may argue that the money invested in stocks could easily outpace the 3.5 per cent you are paying in mortgage interest.

Well. Think again. For one, by paying off the 3.5 per cent off your outstanding principal, you are effectively “earning” 3.5 per cent. And because you have reduced the principal, you now pay less in interest for the outstanding part of your loan.

What’s more, this amount is risk-free and guaranteed compared to the rate of return you will be getting from the stock market, which is not guaranteed.

Reduce debt and put aside something for rainy days before you make any substantial investment in stocks or unit trusts. By AJ Leow

38-39 Finance-tp.indd 3738-39 Finance-tp.indd 37 12/29/08 5:31:57 PM12/29/08 5:31:57 PM

If you do not set aside some reserves, you may fi nd that you have to liquidate your stocks or unit trusts. This may happen at an inappropriate time and may also result in unnecessary liquidation costs.

Timing the marketOnce you have addressed the issues of debt reduction and rainy day contingencies, the next question that many people have would be: “When should I invest?”

But that’s where the rub is. According to almost all studies done over many decades, timing the market is really an exercise in futility.

This premise is best illustrated by the following example from the Centre for Investment Research at the United States broking house, Charles Schwab & Co. It shows how four imaginary investors

The same goes with the debt on your credit card. Do not be fooled by the two per cent rate or minimum amount payments. The amount compounded on a monthly basis over a year comes to more than 24 per cent.

For a debt of $1,000, that works out to $240 you could have saved by paying your bill promptly. There are not many stocks or unit trusts that will pay you that much in return on investment in a year!

Be prepared for “rainy days”The second important consideration is to make sure that you set aside savings to meet emergency needs. Most fi nancial advisers recommend that you should set aside the equivalent of three months’ pay – if you do not have to service a debt such as a study or car loan on a monthly basis.

If you are, you should be setting aside the equivalent of at least six months’ pay should you fi nd yourself out of a job or if a source of income is suddenly curtailed.

Finance 38

38-39 Finance-tp.indd 3838-39 Finance-tp.indd 38 12/29/08 5:32:06 PM12/29/08 5:32:06 PM

would have fared if they were given US$2,000 each year to invest in the S&P 500 Index over 20 years between 1979 and 1999. The assumption is that all of them adopted a buy-and-hold strategy after they committed their investments.

Investor A is the pro who manages to time his market entry with great aplomb, managing to put his money in each time the S&P hits its lowest monthly close for the year.

Investor B chooses a no-brainer strategy. He simply plonks in his investment each time, without a second thought to market timing.

Third investor C, on the other hand, is terrible at market timing and buys each time the index hits its highest for the year; while investor D is a habitual procrastinator who is simply paralysed by fear of timing the market wrongly and ends up putting his money into safer US Treasury bills year after year. Investors A and C also put their money into the same US Treasury bills when they are holding back on their stock investments.

The fi ndingsSo how did they fare with their $40,000 seed capital after 20 years? The results are as follows:

Returns on investing over capital outlay

of $40,000 in the S&P 500 from 1979-1999

Over 20 years No. of times gain

Investor A $387,120 9.67

Investor B $362,185 9.05

Investor C $321,569 8.03

Investor D $76,558 1.91

Not surprisingly, Investor A with his immaculate timing came off best while Investor D could not even double his investment after 20 years because of his failure to participate and ride the highs and lows of the markets.

What’s interesting though is that Investor C, despite his abject market timing, only lagged Investor A’s performance by 17 per cent while B’s effortless strategy of investing instantly the cash he has in hand (which is similar to a regular monthly investment plan) resulted in yields that were only 6.5 per cent lower than A’s, even with A’s constant monitoring of the markets.

The reality of course, as John Bogle of The Vanguard Group pointed out, is that it would be almost impossible to achieve what Investor A has done over 20 years. Most of us would probably fall into the B or C category, in which case we would still be way better than D.

The same test has been applied for every 20-year cycle from 1926. Of the 55 periods, the same order of fi nish – A with the best return, B with the second best followed by C and D – appeared 49 times. Only once did our hypothetical Investor D outperform all the other categories, and that was between 1955-1974, which ended with a deep bear market.

Investor D only beat B and C on one occasion; and outperformed the hapless “poor timing” investor C in four instances.

But if you compare B’s “no-brainer” method of automatic investment, the chances of it faring better than D’s safety-fi rst strategy was 53 to 2, or 96 per cent of the time.

Taking small bitesGiven the current bear market conditions, what you can do is perhaps to “nibble”, or in other words, have smaller “bites” or lesser amounts invested but on a regular basis. One of the biggest mistakes that most investors make is to wait and plunge in with substantially bigger amounts when they see the market starting on a bullish phase. But by then, they would have missed the bottom and would end up earning lower longer-term returns.

As one commentator noted recently on a CNBC market segment, if you are a long-term investor, you might look back 10 years from now and say that this is when you made your best investments.

After all, historically, bear markets don’t last for a decade. More often, the duration is 18 months to three years.

It would appear that any time is a good time to invest. Poor timing is, after all, usually based in hindsight, not foresight. Go fi gure that out the next time you decide to choose between investing in a regular plan and not investing at all. The writer was formerly an editor of a fi nancial planning portal.

38-39 Finance-tp.indd 3938-39 Finance-tp.indd 39 12/31/08 10:11:03 AM12/31/08 10:11:03 AM

By Lionel YeoLionel Yeo is the Dean and

CEO of the Civil Service

College, and concurrently

Deputy Secretary

(Development) in the

Public Service Division.

Training 40

RECENTLY, I CHANCED UPON A FINANCIAL TIMES SUPPLEMENT ON INNOVATIVE LAWYERS. I was intrigued – how do lawyers innovate within the constraints of the law? I learned that sometimes innovation can start by simply addressing a problem from a clean slate.

Need to help a governmental client draft its Insolvency Act? Rather than reach for templates from around the world, why not start with a clean sheet of paper and work your way up, starting with the principles? This is what a law fi rm did for the Czech Republic. Need to create the fi rst coordinated, cross-border electricity market across two jurisdictions?

The lawyers working on this for the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland developed the regulatory framework from a blank piece of paper. This has now set the standard for single markets within the European Union.

This led me to refl ect on the virtues of starting with a blank of sheet of paper when tackling a task. It can be liberating because you are freed from the constraints of precedence. It is powerful because it forces us to start from fi rst principles. What is the fundamental nature and true purpose of this task?

Imagine you are tasked to arrange meal breaks for a six-week programme at CSC. During the fi rst week, you notice that the afternoon tea breaks result in a lot of leftover food. What do you do for the following week? Do you:A) Continue with what you are doing. After all, you’d be following the SOP

StartWithABlankSheetOfPaper

(standard operating procedure) and complying with ISO (International Standards Organisation) procedures. B) Cut down on the quantity of food ordered for subsequent tea breaks. C) Experiment with different caterers and different menus. OR D) Fundamentally think through the essence of the afternoon break.

Option (A) is “safest”, but in my view, the worst one. Options (B) and (C) demonstrate some attempt to make incremental improvements at the margins. But option (D) challenges assumptions and asks if tea breaks are needed in the fi rst place. Perhaps participants just need an opportunity to stretch their legs and to mentally digest the previous session. If so, perhaps the provision of food during afternoon “tea break” is redundant.

There are many other examples where starting with a blank sheet of paper might be useful – the HR offi cer tasked with fi lling a vacant post; the planning offi cer who is organising an annual corporate event; the policy offi cer reviewing appeals from the public, and so on.

It doesn’t mean that every time you do this, you will end up with something innovative. But you’d at least have a deeper appreciation for why you do what you do.

SOPs are important. The ISO process is valuable. Both are critical features for quality assurance and consistency. But SOPs need to be constantly updated. And they should never be cited as an excuse for not thinking critically about our work.

So the next time you wonder about how you can be more innovative at work, think about those lawyers who started with a clean sheet of paper. Free your mind to explore the very nature of the task itself. You might just surprise yourself.

40 Training CSC-tp.indd 4040 Training CSC-tp.indd 40 12/31/08 10:45:1012/31/08 10:45:10

Short Takes25 The Last Page

1. ACRAA) Association of Corporate

Researchers and AnalystsB) Accounting & Corporate

Regulatory AuthorityC) Asian Car Rental AuthorityD) Accounting & Casino

Regulatory Authority

2. SCOREA) Singapore Corporation of

Rehabilitative EnterprisesB) Support of Continuous

Research ExcellenceC) Standing Committee on

Research ExchangeD) Singapore Council On

Religion and Education

3. IPOSA) International Political Offi ce

of SingaporeB) Internet Property of

SingaporeC) Internet Protocol Offi ce,

SingaporeD) Intellectual Property Offi ce of

Singapore

4. SYOGOCA) Singapore Youth Olympics

Ground Operations CentreB) Singapore Youth Olympic

Games Organising Committee

C) Single Young Offi cers in Government Committee

D) Senior Youth Offi cers in General Offi ce of Communications

5. PSCA) Political Science CommissionB) Public Service College C) Public Service CommissionD) Political and Security

Committee

6. WDAA) Singapore Weather Data

AgencyB) Singapore Workforce

Development AgencyC) Wireless Development

AgencyD) Workers Development

Authority

Get all the

answers

correct and

stand to

win movie

vouchers!

TheABCsOfPublicService

Send in your answers today!Online: www.challenge.gov.sg E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 6333-4010 Post: PS21 Offi ce, The Treasury, 100 High Street,#02-03, Singapore 179434

Include your name, e-mail, agency and telephone number. All winners will be informed via e-mail.

Deadline for submission: February 10, 2009

COMPILED BY EDMUND SOO

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE ACRONYMS? WE PUT YOU TO THE TEST.

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INTRANET.IDEAS.GOV.SG

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Documents

Challenge January – February 2009