Image credit: Ng Chee Khern; www.csc.gov.sg
Decades before the word digitalisation became a buzzword, Singapore had already embarked upon a digital government journey—with the National Computerisation Programme that was rolled out in the 1980s. The early 80s witnessed the birth of the Civil Service Computerisation Programme by Goh Chok Tong, the then Minister for Trade and Industry. This was followed by The National Computer Board (NCB), formed under the leadership of Dr Tony Tan, Singapore’s Minister of Education at the time. The mandate was computerising government ministries for boosting productivity and improving the quality of public services.
The efforts evidently bore fruit, with an audit in the late 80s showing that the need for 5,000 posts (manpower) had been avoided or reduced. Owing to later initiatives launched through the National Information Technology Plan, the exchange of documents electronically between traders and the government departments led to a savings of 1,00,00,00,000 (one billion) USD a year for traders. This was an example of digitisation, which refers to the process of converting information from a physical format to a digital one. Digitalisation goes one step ahead and leverages digitisation in order to enhance and optimise business processes. The government, buoyed by the success in its initial endeavours, put Singapore firmly on a digital trajectory that is still making strides and setting an example in the ASEAN region and worldwide.
In 1999, the NCB merged with the Telecommunications Authority of Singapore to form what was known as Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore. In 2016, a further merger took place to create an agency we now know as The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
Past perfect future not so tense
The government’s long-term plan was straightforward: Singapore was on course to become an intelligent island where Information Technology (IT) is all-pervasive. The goal for this was two-fold: enhance national competitiveness and citizens’ quality of life. The 90s saw these plans materialise in full bloom, as Singapore became one of the first regions to have nationwide broadband connectivity and wireless hotspots. By 2013, there was 4G coverage throughout the island in line with the rise of smartphone usage.
This is around the time when the concept of a Smart Nation started doing the rounds. This term essentially refers to a nation wherein people and businesses are empowered through increased access to data, along with a digital government that incorporates technology in its interactions to better serve citizens’ needs.
To further sustain the trajectory of a Smart Nation, the year 2017 witnessed the launch of strategic national projects, namely GoBusiness, CODEX, E-Payments, LifeSG, National Digital Identity, the Punggol Smart Town, Smart Nation Sensor Platform, and Smart Urban Mobility. GovTech has been instrumental in materialising Singapore’s Smart Nation vision. The agency employs over 3,000 employees and attracts the best tech talent for enhancing Singapore’s digital government services.Fast forward to pandemic 2020, and even regions with a well-oiled, digital-first machinery struggled to keep pace with the rising demands of citizens for whom digital services went from a nice-to-have to a must-have literally overnight. With a solid foundation in place, Singapore seemed ready to tackle the challenges
Bridging the digital divide
Digitalisation, per se, isn’t the issue in Singapore since a robust infrastructure for it is already in place. A push for digital equity in terms of bridging the digital divide and raising digital literacy is what’s on the agenda. The Singapore Digital Office (SDO) was launched during the pandemic (June 2020) to implement the government’s initiatives around digital adoption. One of the highlights of the SDO is the Seniors Go Digital programme—which employs dedicated digital ambassadors to help support seniors in familiarising themselves with today’s changing scenario. Another is the Hawkers Go Digital Programme that helps hawkers to understand and get on to e-payment platforms while also facilitating a better understanding of food delivery platforms and how it can benefit them.
Director of Strategic Planning in the Ministry of Communications and Information, Clarence Chua, in a recent interview with the Centre for Public Impact, said “Digitalisation is pervasive, and it’s here to stay. As with the wider metaverse, more and more of us are spending increased amounts of our lives working, living, and playing in this digital space. The role of government is to better the lives and livelihoods of our people. We think that the most valuable role we can play is in helping everyone participate in this digital world confidently, safely, and responsibly. Our goal is for the benefits of digital to extend to all parts of our population, society, and economy, and ensure that no one is excluded from digital participation due to financial or literacy constraints. Addressing the digital divide is therefore extremely important.”
Getting into the specifics
When it comes to addressing the needs of the silver generation, Singapore has been doing its bit, but there’s more to be done, as we outlined in our article, Seniors and Digitalisation: How to find the ‘silver’ lining. From a broader digitalisation perspective, Blackbox’s annual Public Service Experience Index (PSXI) measures the digital transformation of 30 public sector organisations. Our recent findings suggest that government agencies in Singapore are on the right digital trajectory, and the full report highlights emerging trends and suggestions to keep the momentum going.
By 2023, GovTech plans to achieve the following 5 goals:
- Ensuring that 70-80% citizens and businesses are satisfied with the government’s digital offerings
- Equipping all government services with end-to-end digital options
- Training all public officers in the fundamentals of digital literacy. Moreover, there will be specific officers trained in data literacy.
- Setting the foundation for 30-50 transformative digital projects across the government.
- Transferring at least 70% of eligible government systems to commercial cloud platforms.
The way forward
‘Taking everyone along’ seems to be the catchphrase of the digitalisation journey, and it’s undoubtedly the only way forward to ensure a society that is not just digitally connected but also digitally competent. For it’s one thing to have all the systems in place and quite another to ensure that those systems are reaching every member of society, regardless of age, profession, or education. Singapore has set the example for others to follow, and by learning from one another, we can create a world that is truly linked digitally even if separated physically.
Digital Government—which refers to using data and technology to help deliver efficient public services that meet citizens’ expectations—is a priority for governments everywhere. Our teams advise public sector clients on a range of digital projects from small improvements to large-scale transformations. If you’d like to identify opportunities to make your business ready for the next wave of digitalisation, drop us a note at connect@blackbox.com.sg.
Author: Blackbox Research Team
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