Singapore's Head of Civil Service

Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011

Public Governance: 09 Challenges in a Changing Landscape Peter Ong

The New Synthesis: 14 Preparing Public Officers for 66 Preparing Government for the New Modes of Governance Challenges of the 21st Century Aaron Maniam Jocelyne Bourgon

Perceptions of Fairness 54 Frontiers, Sovereignty 72 David Chan and Cyberspace Bertrand de La Chapelle

Editorial Team Alvin Pang – Editor • Sheila Ng – Assistant Editor Liza Lee • Tan Li San • Stephanie Tan

We welcome contributions, suggestions and letters to the Editor. The editorial team reserves the right to select, edit and publish articles according to its editorial policy. All correspondence should be directed to:

The Editor, ETHOS Centre for Governance and Leadership Civil Service College 31 North Buona Vista Road Singapore 275983 Fax: +65 6775 8207 Email: [email protected]

Published by the Civil Service College The Civil Service College (CSC) is a statutory board under the purview of the Public Service Division (Prime Minister’s Office). Established in 1971, the College is an integrated learning institution comprising the Centre for Governance and Leadership, Centre for Public Economics, Centre for Public Communications, the Institute of Policy Development, the Institute of Public Administration, Centre for Organisation Development, Centre for Leadership Development and CSC International. Its vision is to be the Heart of Learning Excellence and Development for the Singapore Public Service.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Editor and the Centre for Governance and Leadership, CSC. The opinions and views expressed in Ethos are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Governance and Leadership, the Civil Service College or the Public Service Division.

ISSN: 1793-3773

Website: http://www.cscollege.gov.sg/ethos CONTENTS Issue 10, October 2011

03 Foreword 43 Developing Our Approach to Public Engagement 05 Preface Lena Leong

07 Editorial 54 Perceptions of Fairness David Chan 09 Public Governance: Challenges in a 61 Adaptive Government Changing Landscape The ETHOS Roundtable with Dr Adeeb Al Afifi, Dr Do Le Chau and Peter Ong Mr Puneet Kumar

14 The New Synthesis: 66 Opinion: Preparing Preparing Government Public Officers for New Modes for the Challenges of the of Governance 21st Century Aaron Maniam Jocelyne Bourgon 72 Opinion: Frontiers, Sovereignty 21 National Resilience: and Cyberspace Developing a Whole-of- Bertrand de La Chapelle Society Response Charles Ng 76 Triumph of the Lion City Review of Edward Glaeser’s 30 Opinion: Singapore’s Triumph of the City Non-Profit Sector: Tan Peng Ting What Should its Role Be? Laurence Lien 81 Opinion: Futures Literacy — Embracing Complexity and 36 Open Government and Public Using the Future Crowdsourcing in Practice Riel Miller Jairus Yip 87 Leadership Across Generations Goh Han Teck 3

FOREWORD

he Singapore Public Service has has developed important new research always strived to be forward- capabilities, helping to codify, renew T looking, effective, efficient and extend the tacit knowledge of and committed to continuous learning the public sector, and catalysing new and growth. These efforts have helped thinking. It has engaged with a growing Singapore to weather the turbulence network of top practitioners, experts of the past decade, and will stand us in and thought leaders from around the good stead through the uncertainties world, connecting Singapore to the ahead. Such capacities do not come global discourse on the business of about by accident: they are the outcome government. Its milestone programmes of deliberate, sustained and substantive and courses, enriched by its unique investment in our people and institutions familiarity with government, continue in the course of our development. In to be relevant, impactful and very much 2001, we made the strategic decision to in demand. Its corridors and classrooms incorporate the Civil Service College as are hives of activity, where our public a statutory board, subjecting our public officers exchange ideas, socialise, and sector’s premier training institute to the develop shared perspectives and values. discipline of market competition and The College has become a powerful node financial self-sufficiency. We wanted of influence in shaping Singapore’s Public an organisation that would be more Service. It is in a prime position to help responsive to economic conditions, address the fundamental challenges emerging trends and promising that now confront the public sector. innovations both within and outside the The value proposition of government public sector, and thus better equipped is changing. This commemorative to prepare our public officers for a issue of the College’s journal ETHOS complex future of accelerated change. examines some of the ways in which The Civil Service College has since significant trends — from global upheavals done commendably. It has learned and geopolitical shifts to changing to operate, compete and thrive in a demographics and a more diverse dynamic market. Its reputation as society — are transforming the nature a learning institute and training of governance, and the relationship provider extends beyond our shores. It between government and society. How

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 4 can a nation become more resilient The mission of the College is to in the face of an uncertain future? develop people for a first-class Public What is the right balance of roles and Service. As we celebrate this milestone responsibilities between the public, in its development, we should capitalise private and people sectors? What will on its many strengths and continue to it mean to be a public officer a decade find new opportunities to do so. from now? What different skills, capabilities and values will we need, and Ms Lim Soo Hoon how can we best develop them? These Permanent Secretary, are questions being asked at the heart of Public Service Division, government today. Prime Minister’s Office The Civil Service College will be and an important partner as we continue Chairman of the Civil Service College to explore these issues. We will probably need to engage much more with a public that has become more informed, discerning and assertive. Most of the time, such interaction will be undertaken by the corps of civil servants who are at the forefront of service delivery. We will need to help them develop the competence and confidence needed to better serve and work more closely with stakeholders outside the public sector. Structural and cultural changes will be inevitable in many public sector agencies; authentic and transformational leadership will be called upon. These are areas in which the Civil Service College today is well-placed to make significant contributions.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 5

PREFACE

his special issue of ETHOS we may deliver superior public value. commemorates the 10th Our training courses and milestone T Anniversary of the Civil Service programmes will continue to employ College’s establishment as a statutory innovative, thoughtful and relevant board. The College has done well in methodologies and technologies. As the past 10 years. Today, we serve over needs and priorities evolve, we will 60,000 local participants, over 4,000 incorporate new competencies into foreign ones, offer some 400 different our curriculum. courses and engage around 300 trainers We are also stepping up efforts to from all around the world every year. seek, understand, document and share We have much to be proud of, thanks the best in contemporary thinking about to the untiring efforts of our staff, public sector practice — so that we can partners and stakeholders. contribute to the dynamic development The past decade has been an of ideas about governance, leadership unsettling one the world over; the and policies that can make a difference challenges ahead of us are likely for Singapore. We want to facilitate to be even more volatile and on-going conversations among public multidimensional. The question is, what officers and with leading thinkers must we do to build up our collective and practitioners outside government, capacity as a nation to anticipate, cope on issues that we care about. This and thrive in the face of such change will support more participatory, and uncertainty? In these pages we will well-rounded thinking about public explore ways of approaching some of issues, and help broaden our shared these pressing concerns. I am grateful understanding about the challenges to all our contributors for their insights that confront us as a nation. and perspectives. In the process, we hope to help The Civil Service College has a key build up the sense of community, trust role to play in shaping a public sector and common ground that the public that can help build a more resilient and service will need to deliver robust, successful Singapore. Public officers holistic solutions. The best measure look to us to equip them with the skills of our success will of course be the needed to do a superior job, so that continuing vitality of an increasingly

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 6 sophisticated Singapore, ably supported by an effective, forward-looking, first- class Public Service. Please join us in celebrating our milestone anniversary, as we look to the future with confidence and resolve.

Lionel Yeo Dean and CEO of the Civil Service College and Deputy Secretary (Development), Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 7

EDITORIAL

hile there is broad It appears that societies in which agreement that governments there is broad active participation and W will need to work in co-creation of public results are likely partnership with other sectors in to be more adaptive and robust in the society in order to adequately address face of changing conditions. This notion the complexities of wicked problems of social resilience has also become confronting nations today, there is not an important element in the field of yet clear agreement on how best to go national security (page 21), where there about doing so. There is recognition that is renewed awareness of the need to exceptional national outcomes arise build up preparedness more generally from exceptional collective effort — with and to set aside a buffer of precautionary, government deeply and productively risk-bearing capacity; accepting some degree of systemic inefficiency in engaged with public perspectives and order to better deal with unexpected contributions, as Singapore’s Head of shocks. Indeed, civic sector leader Civil Service points out (page 9). One Laurence Lien argues that the non-profit initiative at the forefront of efforts sector addresses important nuances not to find a new, synergistic model for readily provided for by public policy, governance is the New Synthesis Project and can therefore play a vital role in spearheaded by Canada’s Jocelyne maintaining the overall health of society Bourgon in collaboration with several (page 30). leading administrations, including Beyond concerns of national Singapore. Among the Project’s key resilience, governments have also taken outcomes is a framework that envisions the cue from the business world in the relationship between the public, employing technology to solicit ideas private and civic spheres as a dynamic directly from the community (page 36). network of interlinking feedback Such crowdsourcing initiatives, loops that generates holistic public supported by new “open government” results (page 14); its chief value is to strategies to release and unlock the guide conversation and help uncover value potential of public data, are very latent opportunities for cross-sectoral much in their infancy. Nevertheless, collaboration and innovation. they already indicate an important

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 8 new growth area for constructive also foresight, creativity, and an instinct engagement in the information age. To for the national interest. clarify thinking on public engagement Other contributions in this special strategies, Lena Leong from the Centre issue of ETHOS explore the shifting for Governance and Leadership outlines frontiers of governance: Senior foreign different approaches available to public servants participating in government and their respective best Singapore’s Leaders in Governance uses (page 43). Professor David Chan Programme discuss the evolving role offers timely insights into the psychology of government, and the values it should of fairness (page 54), which can have retain (page 61). Futurist Riel Miller a significant impact on the quality of suggests that the best way to embrace interactions between stakeholders, and the future is to find and explore the on subsequent outcomes. potential inherent in the complex Public engagement does not mean present (page 81). Bertrand de La Chapelle government responsibility will be charts the development of new forms abdicated or diminished. Instead, of jurisdiction in cyberspace (page 72). there is likely to be renewed attention Goh Han Teck, from the Centre for on areas in which the public sector Leadership Development, describes is clearly the most credible player. A important generational differences that livelier civic discourse calls on the public could redefine the nature and practice of service to be more adept at serving as leadership in the public sector (page 87). savvier referee, convenor, facilitator I wish you a productive read. and co-investor. Making useful sense out of divergent views and emergent Alvin Pang trends will draw on capabilities beyond Editor, ETHOS the traditional mix of administrative skills (page 66). It may be premature to decide on any specific cocktail of competencies at this point. Indeed, the best strategy could be to develop a broad palette of skills and approaches that can be applied in judicious combinations in different contexts. Governance remains an art that will demand sound judgement, expertise and integrity, and

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Public Governance: Challenges in a Changing Landscape | Peter Ong 9

Peter Ong Public Governance: Challenges in a Changing Landscape

Policymaking should involve public perspectives and citizen efforts while staying focused on the long term, argues Singapore's Head of Civil Service.

any will agree with me that way ahead might be for policymaking 2011 has been anything and service delivery. M but business as usual in In his 2011 National Day Rally, the Singapore. After our two elections this Prime Minister (PM) noted that Singapore year, it is clear that we have a public that must remain exceptional as a country. At is more vocal and expect a more engaged the same time, as a small country with and responsive relationship with the an open economy, Singapore continues Government. Many public officers are to face an increasingly challenging wondering how the tone and style of global operating environment, which governance might change, and what the conscribes the number and range of

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 10 Public Governance: Challenges in a Changing Landscape | Peter Ong policy options available to us. What we and the third is to continue to prepare do know is that our Public Service must for the future. These are not totally new constantly evolve and adapt so as to concepts to us, and we have had some rise to meet the key challenges in this successes in these areas. However, they changing landscape. are areas to which we can pay more attention and in which we can do better. BEING EXCEPTIONAL In various ways, our Public Service has POLICYMAKING WITH MORE HEART indeed been exceptional. Our outstanding There is room for us to formulate and track record is built on strong implement policies with more heart, fundamentals in policy formulation or more from the citizen’s perspective, and a continuous investment in rather than from the perspective of the people. We have the ability and space implementing agency. to think long-term, and to do what is The essence of a good Public Service right rather than what is popular. We is that it is trustworthy and there also make sure we bring in and retain is consistency and transparency in good people in the Public Service, and implementation. Rules are implemented we ensure that we invest resources in without fear or favour. However, a “one developing them. size fits all” approach, while impartial If there is one word that people and fair, may unwittingly convey rigidity commonly use to describe the Singapore and a lack of care, if applied inflexibly Public Service, it is “efficient”. We deliver and without regard to the genuine needs public value through high quality and circumstances of individuals. service, and have organised our policies, processes and delivery based on concepts There is room for us to of efficiency and resource optimisation. formulate and implement But this “efficiency” now needs to be policies more from the citizen’s coupled with a softer touch. perspective, rather than from To ensure that the Public Service can the perspective of the continue to meet the aspirations of our implementing agency. people and to deliver public value at a higher level, there are three areas to Instead, we need to start adopting a focus on: more “user-centric” approach, and we The first is policymaking with more can begin by putting ourselves in the heart, the second is public engagement, shoes of the citizen and customer. While

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Public Governance: Challenges in a Changing Landscape | Peter Ong 11 we have some way to go, we have seen enrich the range of perspectives from some interesting successes in terms of which we eventually craft our policies. service experience when our agencies try to see things from citizens and PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT customers’ points of view. In his National Day Rally, PM said that he The Ministry of Community was very encouraged that Singaporeans Development, Youth and Sports are becoming more engaged, going (MCYS) and its partners on the beyond simply providing their views. ground — the Community Development Instead, many are now coming forward Councils (CDCs) and Family Services to work with one another and the Centres (FSCs) — operate in a complex Government on projects that matter to network with many players, in alignment them and serve a greater national good. with Singapore’s “Many Helping As the Public Service, we should think Hands” philosophy of social assistance. about how to engage the public more. In Increasingly, they are encountering the long term, this will prove beneficial more chronic and complicated cases of for Singapore for several reasons. families who face multifaceted issues, in which financial aid alone is insufficient. We need to overcome In response, MCYS and its partners are our own cognitive biases reviewing how social assistance could in policy formulation be delivered in a more holistic and user- and implementation. centric manner. They walked through the customer journey, and conducted First, the Government does not have a ethnographic interviews with their monopoly on good ideas. The challenges customers to gain in-depth insights we face as a nation are becoming more into the experience and emotions of complex and will require different end-users. These insights would be perspectives and approaches. Some of used to prototype ideas for MCYS and these can come from the public. its partners. Second, trade-offs become sharper One learning point from the MCYS and harder to make as we approach project is that we need to overcome the frontiers and boundaries of our own cognitive biases in policy policymaking. Up till today, the formulation and implementation. Government has typically decided how Listening to the stories of our citizens to make these trade-offs on behalf of can help to ameliorate such biases, and citizens. By involving citizens in co-

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 12 Public Governance: Challenges in a Changing Landscape | Peter Ong creating solutions to some problems, the too much engagement, for example, public could come to better understand when there is a crisis. the considerations that the Government Third, engagement requires public has to bear in mind, and appreciate why officers to have an acute sense of certain trade-offs must be made. citizen sentiments. Not all public officers Third, engagement deepens citizens’ will be comfortable with or ready for stake in the country and in their fellow public engagement, and we will need countrymen’s well-being. It gives citizens to invest in building up these skills the opportunity to “own” policies that and capabilities. affect their lives on a daily basis. PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE MAINTAINING BALANCE In this new operating environment More and better public engagement where change is a constant, it is does not mean that all issues should important that we continue to think be put up for grabs, and there are about and anticipate the future. issues about engagement that require Anticipating and preparing for further reflection. First, engagement emerging risks and opportunities that must be done with sincerity. We have a stem from both global forces and local sophisticated public, one that will pick trends is important, even as we tackle up very quickly if we are just paying lip current challenges. service to an engagement exercise. Policy options need to be developed in advance, so that we can move decisively More and better public and effectively when we need to. If we engagement does not mean want to continue to be exceptional, we that all issues should be put up must not neglect this important role or for grabs. we will always be chasing our own tails and be forced into adopting sub-optimal Second, the appropriate mode of policy options. engagement is contextual. Engagement Many civil services around the world can be upstream at the policy design stage, envy us for having the capabilities and or downstream at the implementation the space to plan ahead. This is not stage. In some cases, the public wants to something that we built up overnight, be involved upstream to be co-creators and is not something we should take of the policy. In other areas, we will not for granted. have the luxury of time to undertake

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Public Governance: Challenges in a Changing Landscape | Peter Ong 13

STAYING EXCEPTIONAL: THE JOURNEY FORWARD As the Public Service, we should take pride in the fact that we have done well and have been a key institution behind the success of Singapore. Going forward, the Public Service must continue anticipating and preparing for the future. We also need to formulate and implement policies with greater empathy and heart, as well as engage the public sincerely. An exceptional Singapore is our common goal, and the journey ahead is one that we must embark on together with our people.

Peter Ong is the Head of Singapore’s Civil Service and concurrently Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Permanent Secretary (Special Duties) at the Prime Minister’s Office. This article is an adaptation of a speech delivered at the Public Service Staff Conference 2011.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 14 The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century | Jocelyne Bourgon

Jocelyne Bourgon The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century

The New Synthesis Framework expands the concept and practice of governance beyond traditional boundaries of public administration.

THE NEW SYNTHESIS PROJECT in a meaningful way, past practices of The New Synthesis Project1 was enduring value, lessons learned over initiated in 2009 to support public the last 30 years of public sector reform, sector practitioners who, in our time, and the reality of practice in a post- are called upon to serve the public good industrial era. and the collective interest, in the face Over the course of the project, close of increasing complexity, uncertainty to 200 participants from academia and volatility. It attempts to provide and the world of public sector practice practitioners with an intellectual shared ideas about how to prepare framework that would help to integrate, government for the challenges of the

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century | Jocelyne Bourgon 15

21st century. International roundtables 21st century.4 These differences and exploratory discussions took us to transform the role of government, The Hague, Ottawa, Singapore, Rio de the role of public servants and Janeiro and London.2 The project also the relationship between public brought us to Auckland, Wellington, institutions, public organisations Perth, Melbourne and Canberra, and and citizens. we reached out to colleagues in Finland • Past practices will not be enough. and the United States. We searched Public administration systems and for and found powerful initiatives approaches inherited from the and promising practices from many past will be insufficient to prepare countries. The insights from these government for the challenges of the deliberations pave the way for a New 21st century. Public servants serving Synthesis of Public Administration, or if you today are facing an increasing prefer, a new narrative that can help to number of complex public policy move public administration forward issues,5 and must contend with as a discipline and domain of practice an environment characterised beyond the concepts and practices by uncertainties, volatility and inherited from the Industrial Age.3 cascading global crises.6 There are reasons to believe that the number The New Synthesis Framework and magnitude of disturbances will continue to increase. presents public administration • Virtual communities have real as a dynamic system with the influence. They are the first capacity to adapt to changing generation of public servants to serve circumstances and to co-evolve in a world where virtual communities with society. transform the shape of public policy issues,7 as well as the context within Despite differences in circumstances which these challenges must be met and diversity of background and and where people are all at once perspectives, the project’s participants members of their communities, achieved consensus on several key issues: citizens of their country and citizens of the world. • The nature of governance is • Governments cannot go it alone. changing. There are substantial An increasing number of public differences about serving in the policy issues exceed the capacity of

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 16 The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century | Jocelyne Bourgon

government working alone; they administration as a dynamic system require the active contribution with the capacity to adapt to changing of people, families and multiple circumstances and to co-evolve with actors. Public results are a shared society: government transforms society responsibility requiring a collective and is transformed by it.10 effort.8 A government-centric FIGURE 1. AN ADAPTIVE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT approach focused on efficiency

and productivity must give way Public Policy to a broader focus where the role Results of government is also to lever the PERFORMANCE Emergence collective capacity to achieve results of higher public value and at a lower Government Collective Authority Power overall cost for society. and

New ideas, new capacities and new ways of doing things are needed to compliance RESILIENCE address complex issues and to find peaceful solutions to the intractable Civic Results problems of our times.9 The industrial age promoted multiple separations, © 2010 J. Bourgon fragmentations and divisions to provide The New Synthesis Framework stability, improve efficiency and is an enabling framework; it does not increase productivity. The 21st century provide answers but helps to frame the will require multiple integrations, questions. It facilitates the exploration interactions and relationships to in practice of a broad range of forge emergent solutions to our most possibilities open to government, and it daunting challenges. helps to reveal the consequences that various choices entail. The framework A NEW NARRATIVE helps practitioners to explore a space A new narrative is needed to guide the of possibilities.11 actions and decisions of practitioners: Delineated by four vectors, the one that integrates the role of framework (see Figure 1) argues that government, people and society. The public results are a combination of New Synthesis Framework aims to public policy results and civic results, address this need. It presents public and that the role of public servants is

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century | Jocelyne Bourgon 17 to mediate and move the contribution their environment, and where the of their organisations along both value public, private and civic spheres co- added chains (the vertical vectors). It evolve in a manner that supports argues that the role of government the overall performance of society. It extends beyond what government would require: can do on its own. Instead, public servants need to work to leverage its There are multiple tensions at collective capacity for better results (the the intersection of these vectors horizontal vectors). This gives particular but this is also where the importance to the stewardship role of greatest potential for government to promote and defend the innovation is to be found. collective interest in all circumstances — both predictable and unpredictable — • a strong emergence function to and in particular when the costs of anticipate what might be, with failures would be borne by society as the ability to take proactive action a whole. and tap collective intelligence so as to shape emergent solutions and The framework helps co-create responses to complex practitioners to explore policy issues; a space of possibilities. • an efficient compliance function to set priorities, help forge societal There are multiple tensions at the and political consensus and intersection of these vectors but this conserve energy within a context of is also where the greatest potential constrained actions and behaviours; for innovation is to be found, and • an effective performance function to where a new synergistic sharing of think across systems and work across roles and responsibilities between boundaries, sectors and disciplines; people, government and society may • a powerful resilience function to co- be forged. Such a synthesis would produce public results, encourage represent a shift from a relatively closed the active participation of citizens, concept of government, where public families, communities as value organisations are the primary provider creators, and to build the adaptive of public services, to an open concept of capacity of society to prosper and governance, where public organisations adapt in all circumstances. constantly exchange and are part of

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 18 The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century | Jocelyne Bourgon

The Singapore Prison System Case — The Power of an Inclusive Mental Map

Public Policy Performance Emergence Societal System-wide Agency

Government Collective Authority and Power

Citizen/Family

Community

Society Compliance Resilience Civic Results

The transformation of the Singapore Today, the prisons of Singapore Prison System (SPS) illustrates aspects are some of the most cost-effective of the New Synthesis framework in corrections facilities in the world. action. Confronted with overcrowding, Between 1998 and 2007, recidivism high recidivism, increasing costs, staff decreased from 44.4% to 26.5%. shortages, low morale and poor public By leveraging the capacity of the perception, the SPS transformed itself community, the SPS achieved far more from “custodians” of prisoners to than it could on its own.2 “captains in the lives” of the offenders they served. They did this by working with families, employers and other NOTES 1. Leong, Lena, “The Story of Singapore Prison Service: stakeholders to reintegrate former From Custodians of Prisoners to Captains of Life”, Paper offenders into society successfully.1 In presented at the NS6 International Roundtable, Ottawa, Canada, 4-5 May 2010. essence, they shifted from focusing on 2. Ibid. agency results to societal results.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century | Jocelyne Bourgon 19

PREPARING PUBLIC SECTOR coherence to seemingly disparate LEADERS FOR THE CHALLENGES OF elements and to give meaning THE 21ST CENTURY to ambitious trajectories.15 They The New Synthesis is a work in need to give voice to aspirations 12 progress. To realise the potential and help frame a narrative of hope of its insights in practice, our public deserving of support and conducive sector leaders will need to develop to collective actions. several capacities: • As public servants, they must have A government-centric approach a commitment to serve, be firmly focused on efficiency and grounded in public sector values productivity must give way to a and have a deep philosophical understanding of the importance broader focus where the role of of serving the public good and government is also to lever the collective interests.13 collective capacity to achieve • As public administrators, they must be results of higher public value keepers of a public trust, exercising and at a lower overall cost their duty under the rule of law for society. and fulfilling their mission to the fullest by marshalling all the CONCLUSION resources, resourcefulness and Public administration embodies a the power vested in them and concept about the relationship between their organisations.14 government, people and society. As new • As public sector managers, they should ideas and new ways of doing things possess the same level of skills, emerge, the old ways become unstuck. knowledge and know-how required This provides an opportunity to of their counterparts in other modernise public administration and to sectors. They need this to connect propel our societies forward. with, leverage, work across, co- This transformation starts with create and co-produce public results people and, in particular, with those of increasing value and at a lower who have the very special responsibility overall cost for society. of serving the public good and the • As public sector leaders, they must collective interest. Over the coming envision and anticipate what months, efforts will be made to others have not yet seen, to give deepen the international conversation

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 20 The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century | Jocelyne Bourgon with those who participated in the 5. Klijn, Erik-Hans, “Complexity Theory and Public Administration: What’s New?”, Public Management Review, project so far, and to broaden it to 10 (3) (2008), pp299-317 reach practitioners beyond the initial 6. NS6 Network, Preparing Government to Serve Beyond the Predictable: Singapore Roundtable Report, edited participating countries…and thus the by Jocelyne Bourgon, (Ottawa: Public Governance International, 2010) 16 journey continues. 7. Badger, Mark, Johnston, Paul, Stewart-Weeks, Martin, and Willis, Simon, The Connected Republic: Changing the Way We Govern, (San Jose, CA: Cisco, Internet Business Solutions Group, 2004) As a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Civil 8. Cahn, Edgar S., No More Throw-Away People: The Co- Production Imperative, (Washington: Essential Books, 2004) Service College, Singapore, the Honourable 9. Lam, Chuan Leong, “Managing Complexity and Jocelyne Bourgon spoke on “Governance in Uncertainties,” ETHOS, no. 4 (April 2008), http://www. cscollege.gov.sg/cgl/page.asp?id=112&iurl=2; Kahane, Adam, an Expanding Public Space” in October 2011. Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening and Creating New Realities, (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Madame Bourgon is President of Public Publishers, 2004) Governance International (PGI), President 10. The author previously introduced some of the concepts Emeritus of the Canada School of Public behind the New Synthesis Framework in two articles for ETHOS. They are: Bourgon, Jocelyne, “Reclaiming Public Service, and is leading the New Synthesis Administration,” ETHOS no. 4 (April 2008), http://www. cscollege.gov.sg/cgl/page.asp?id=112&iurl=2; Bourgon, Project which is exploring the challenges of Jocelyne, “Serving Beyond the Predictable,” ETHOS no. 7 public administration in the 21st century. (January 2010), http://www.cscollege.gov.sg/cgl/page. asp?id=112&iurl=2 11. Bourgon, Jocelyne, “Exploring New Frontiers of Public Madame Bourgon has led ambitious public Administration: The New Synthesis Project,” Canadian Government Executive, 17 (3) (March 11), pp16-18 sector reforms as Secretary to Cabinet for 12. Readers interested in the topic may wish to consult Canada and as an international public servant. A New Synthesis of Public Administration: Serving in the 21st Century (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press). She was a key architect of deficit reduction in A lecture at the Civil Service College on 24 October 2011, Canada and is a leading public administration “Governance in an Expanding Public Space”, also expands on these ideas. thinker and writer. She is author of the book 13. Bourgon, Jocelyne, “Understanding the Public Leadership A New Synthesis of Public Administration: Environment: Preparing People to Serve People in the 21st Century”, Keynote speech, Annual Conference of the Serving in the 21st Century. Commonwealth Association of Public Administration and Management, Kemaman, Malaysia, 22 June 2009. 14. Ibid. 15. Ho, Peter, “Thinking About the Future: What the NOTES Public Service Can Do,” ETHOS no. 7 (January 2010), 1. A book describing the project findings has recently http://www.cscollege.gov.sg/cgl/page.asp?id=112&iurl=2 been published: Bourgon, Jocelyne, A New Synthesis of 16. More information on the project can be found at Public Administration: Serving in the 21st Century, (Montreal: www.nsworld.org McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2011) 2. The Civil Service College was the senior partner and country coordinator for Singapore in the New Synthesis of Public Administration Project. 3. Kettl, Donald F., The Global Public Management Revolution: A Report on the Transformation of Governance, (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 2000) 4. Denhardt, Janet Vinzant and Denhardt, Robert B, The New Public Service: Serving, Not Steering, (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2003)

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng 21

Charles Ng National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of- Society Response

A more robust society begins with clarity about shared priorities, risks, constraints and capabilities.

CONTEXT OF COMPLEXITY Underpinning this risk assessment Security is often said to begin with approach to security is the assumption threat assessment. In a professional that we can actually “know the enemy” game of football, the opponent’s best well enough to gauge the extent of offensive players are identified and threat to our way of life. entire defence strategies are then built The problem of course is that we around restricting their movement. cannot truly do so. Good security Likewise, given scarce resources, professionals are masters of government agencies identify, prioritise improvisation. Plans often change at and develop defences against the most the point of execution simply because probable threats to national well-being. threats do not manifest themselves

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 22 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng along expected trajectories. Risk and As the world becomes increasingly threat assessments are useful but at interdependent, the threats we face best arbitrary guides. Furthermore, in adopt the attendant characteristics we an interconnected world where local have come to associate with globalisation conditions can potentially trigger and the information and technological off events/movements with global revolution: particularly two key ramifications, it is difficult to accurately traits known very well to complexity assess the threats we face. Beyond theorists — broad inter-linkages across merely grappling with when and how a domains and rapidity of manifestation. threat or any modern day phenomenon It was impossible, a century ago, for would manifest, modern day societies political revolutions in the Middle East struggle even to identify what to have caused nervousness in China. challenges there are in the horizon. With the Internet and social media, this The Arab Spring of 2011 is a is the “new normal” — an interconnected particularly instructive example. The world with tight linkages, where threats are desperation of Mohammed Bouazizi, difficult to assess and where events in one area a Tunisian food peddler angered by can be rapidly modelled in another. the confiscation of his wares, led to his self immolation (January 2011) and GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE — RESILIENCE launched a wave of revolutions in the Traditional security doctrines advocate region. Spurred on by social media, it resistance and robustness: where rapidly caught on across North Africa there is a potential of security risks, and the Middle East. Its influence governments should invest resources to gained a global resonance quickly and prevent its manifestation; governments sparked copycat riots in the Far East. should develop robust defensive Not only were these events largely measures at the point of prevention unforeseen, it was the speed and reach and response. However, in the event of the riots that demonstrated how that a threat successfully breaches the 21st century economic, technological defences under these circumstances, and social mediums, and tools had consequences tend to be catastrophic. radically transformed the way security Given the complexity we face, such a challenges manifest. resistance strategy is no longer tenable. So why is it so difficult to “know the A new strategy of resilience that enemy” in our time? Our dilemma is encompasses a full gamut of responses — often explained with the term complexity.1 prevention, response and recovery — is

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng 23 needed. Compared to a resistance has a number of advantages. For one, strategy, the doctrine of resilience resilience is an effective deterrent. accepts that some threats will eventually Nations which are able to respond come to fruition, but society must absorb rapidly to a terrorist attack and recover the stress and recover rapidly. Allocating quickly tend to dissuade terrorists from resources for rapid recovery (instead of mounting another attack due to low solely prevention) becomes essential. psychological payoffs. Furthermore, A strategy of resilience is not resilience has also become a “competitive new and has long gained credence differentiator for companies and in academic literature dealing with countries alike, (as) advancing resilience disaster prevention, emergency almost always provides a positive return preparedness, environmental sciences on a relatively smaller investment.”2 and even social psychology. Security professionals only began to consider it The doctrine of resilience seriously after 9/11, when the developed accepts that some threats will world realised the threats to national eventually come to fruition, but security had become multifaceted, society must absorb the stress amorphous and essentially complex. and recover rapidly. Since then, a number of countries have infused resilience into their broader national security strategies. For example, CHALLENGES IN BUILDING RESILIENCE resilience was made a key strategic Beyond this broad acceptance of pillar of Obama’s National Security resilience among policymakers, a Strategy (NSS) in 2010. Subsequently, a number of challenges remain. First, there resilience directorate was established is no common lexicon for resilience3 in the White House. In Singapore, amongst governments. In Israel, the National Security Coordination resilience is understood to be the ability Secretariat (NSCS) coordinates of the populace to deal with day-to- security resilience across the whole-of- day harassment from terrorist groups government. Guided by the Strategic and the existential threat of military Framework for National Security, invasion. In Australia, resilience is used in enacted in 2004, resilience is placed reference to the ability of communities at the heart of Singapore’s strategic to recover after an environmental response to national security threats. disaster. Given the variety of thought in This greater emphasis on resilience understanding resilience, each country

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 24 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng must then be left to develop its own This led to the professionalisation of resilience mantra — based on its own security work within vast national domestic conditions. bureaucracies, diminishing the need Second, resilience is faced with for citizens to take responsibility for the difficulties of measurement and the security of their own communities. assessment. To date, there is almost However, 21st century threats are no way to assess how resilient a of far lower intensity and greater society is. This is compounded by the unpredictability. One of the reasons why reality that resilience is often threat resilience is apt for our time is because specific. A society may be resilient it represents a whole-of-society approach to a terrorist attack but not against a to security: blending government, local pandemic. In addition, the institutional communities, the media, religious capabilities required for inculcating organisations and NGOs. Yet given resilience against any of these threats that government bureaucracies were are dissimilar. Certainly there is woven and built in response to Cold a distinction between “evergreen War related threats, structural and resilience virtues” and “threat specific” conceptual challenges of expanding resilience virtues. For example, its reach to include all of society regardless of threat type, leadership is remains challenging. often cited as a necessary condiment against any threat. However, even these Resilience is often threat virtues are notoriously hard to measure, specific. A society may be what more inculcate. Resilience can resilient to a terrorist attack but only be properly assessed once it is not against a pandemic. actually tested. Finally, resilience requires structural and conceptual shifts that are difficult BUILDING RESILIENCE AS A CONCEPT for governments to execute. There were Given that governments face these historical roots to this. In the Cold challenges in constructing resilience, War era, the threat of nuclear war how should resilience be developed diminished any sense of ownership strategically? I would argue that this one had for one’s own security as the has to be accomplished on two levels: spectre of total annihilation made any first, the conceptual/intellectual level individual effort meaningless. Security and second, the capabilities level. became the purview of the government.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng 25

Conceptually, each country needs established emergency preparedness to build its own indigenous lexicon of clubs within local communities to resilience and expand it into other spheres respond to threats. However, during the beyond the traditional realms of security occurrence of threats, these have proven and emergency preparedness. This is to be less successful than previously premised on the fact that the threats envisaged. Resilience measures in such facing each country and the traits that explicitly organised forms tend to be determine resilience in each society are problematic. Experience has shown rarely similar. Furthermore, resilience is that local communities are likely to grossly incomplete without engaging the band around established organisations complex social and economic realities that of interest, like community clubs, affect the outcomes of a crisis. Resilience business associations, religious as such should not be seen as an outcome organisations and other places towards that is affected by a series of policies, but a which they have a clear affective doctrine of governance that encompasses inclination. Proximity of affection — a wide variety of socio-economic and in organisations where friends and security policies which undergird a family have built strong ties — has been society both in peacetime and in crisis. demonstrated to be more important, Positioning resilience as such provides the since people look first to communities philosophy with a number of advantages. they have found historical resonance with for leadership, aid and resources Resilience represents a whole- in the face of change. Such realities of-society approach to security. require conceptual shifts in government thinking. Instead of building social First, governments will have to move institutions to provide crisis-response, beyond mere operational exigencies governments can harness existing during a crisis to consider the society’s community organisations, whose unique social-political values that may values and resources can support serve to build resilience in the face change management. of unexpected change. This carries Second, a broad conception of resilience further than just crisis resilience imbues government policies management to change management, a with relevant principles of change crucial paradigm for resilience to work. management. For example, if a society For example, countries like the US and were to be resilient, it might need to UK, in a bid to build resilience, have hedge against overspecialisation and

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 26 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng overconcentration of resources. In country’s economic and social well- international trade, efficiency is gained being. However, to build resilience, when a nation produces the products we need to question and identify the in which it has comparative advantage fundamental and often intangible in. Certainly that would maximise traits of society that allow it to falter productivity. However, if resilience were or survive, or even thrive in the face to be incorporated as part of the overall of a crisis. As in the seminal book, Built philosophy, a balance would need to to Last, such intangible values, once be struck between diversification and enunciated and built upon, have the specialisation to protect a country powerful effect of bringing a country from unexpected changes in the to “greatness”, even in the face of broad global economy. A broad conception sweeping change. of resilience acknowledges the trade- BUILDING RESILIENCE IN SINGAPORE offs that need to be made (e.g. from In Singapore, we face the twin loss of efficiency) in order to generate challenges of a rapidly evolving sufficient latency as a buffer against any external threat environment as well uncertainty that might arise from the as an “Age of Social Angst” — where prevailing risk landscape. tensions from globalisation and the IT Resilience, a doctrine of revolution are manifesting themselves as challenges to our social compact. governance that encompasses Given this, resilience for Singapore a wide variety of socio- is about safeguarding society while economic and security policies navigating through the rough waters which undergird a society of our regional and global environment. both in peacetime and To strengthen the unity and retain in crisis. the trust of the populace in the face of growing income divides, immigration, Finally, going through the process of increased pluralism and the rise of devising a broad and national definition social media, the tone of governance as of resilience pushes public servants well as the social levers employed need to identify the intangible values and to be considered carefully. At the heart principles that form the national of Singapore’s resilience is whether psyche of the country. Typically, public the populace’s affective and pragmatic servants have been more accustomed needs, as well as their values/beliefs, are to quantitative measurements of a aligned to the wider vision of Singapore.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng 27

FIGURE 1: RESILIENCE AS PART OF A BROADER STRATEGIC PROCESS

Strategic Anticipation and Risk Management (Prioritising Resilience Building Sense-making (Sensing the Goals and Tradeoffs) (Exploiting Opportunities) Social Compact and Identifying Vulnerabilities) Developing future scenarios Building effective peacetime resilience policies Understanding the future and developing social sense- making tools Assessment of risks and opportunities (determining Long term policies to meet what society should be affective, pragmatic and Coordinated sense-making resilient against) ideological needs centre across agencies and identifying emerging strategic issues A rooted and united society better able to withstand Identifying risks and Realignment of goals and disruptions and exploit opportunities for Singapore prioritising policies opportunities for the future

Source: MHA-MICA-NSCS Whole-of-Government Resilience Review

In that light, the Government needs regarded as the strategic response to to ensure that resilience is firmly change — where government harnesses embedded within the broader process the national strengths of the populace of policymaking and matched with the and existing institutions, both underlying capabilities so as to harness government and non-government, to it (see Figure 1). overcome adversity and thrive in the As part of the broader policy process, face of these challenges. resilience is the natural strategic response that arises from good strategic A broad conception of anticipation and risk management. resilience acknowledges the Also, building resilience in Singapore trade-offs that need to be made requires effective sense-making of our in order to generate sufficient social compact. Both are needed to latency as a buffer against determine what the challenges are or any uncertainty. broad forces that might catalyse change in the horizon, as well as the concerns To support this process, four of Singapore society. That can then be capabilities need to be established in translated into a risk assessment map any government — Policy Coordination, to prioritise the risks that a country Strategic Engagement, Research, and faces. From there, resilience might be Crisis Management. For Singapore, we

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 28 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng have built sophisticated and effective networks between government, crisis management capabilities and the general populace, businesses, as such, our concerns are enhancing non-government organisations and our capabilities in policy coordination religious organisations. and research. Briefly, these are the Research and Sense-making — In functions associated with each of every society, resilience needs to be these capabilities. studied and measured. In particular, Policy Coordination — For resilience research teases out the traits that make to be imbued into the psyche of up a resilient society and informs policy policymaking and the society, policy options. Measurement tools, though has to be coordinated from the centre often arbitrary, provide useful guides to to ensure coherence. More and more, policymakers. Given the complex make- as resilience gains ascendency in up of society, traditional survey tools are governance, a centre to direct and insufficient and a more complex suite synchronise aims as well as the lexicon of tools is needed to understand the of resilience is needed. This does not social compact. negate the ground-up and organic process by which resilience is often Resilience is not about resisting nurtured, but instead ensures that change but instead harnessing it government agencies have clarity and to allow a country to thrive. coherence at the heart of resilience policymaking. Currently in Singapore, Crisis Management — Part of there is yet to be a central node to building resilience is ensuring that coordinate resilience policy on a the government has strong crisis cross sector basis (Security, Economic management systems. Strong crisis and Social). resilience builds strong peacetime Strategic Engagement — Governments resilience and vice versa. have to move beyond strategic communications to strategic CONCLUSION engagement. Communications have Governments today need to build the connotation of speaking to the resilience more systematically in the face populace, whereas engagement is of the tremendous changes taking place about partnering the populace. This in the world. Having gained ascendency is particularly crucial in resilience in the security and emergency building as resilience is about building preparedness circles, resilience should

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 National Resilience: Developing a Whole-of-Society Response | Charles Ng 29 move beyond these realms and inform the broader philosophy of governance. Its applications may reach into social, economic and political spaces, and aid in a nation’s management of change. At its heart, resilience is not resistance. It is not about resisting change but instead harnessing it to allow a country to thrive. In order to accomplish that, governments need to have the right capabilities and appropriate levers to build resilience. Only then are we able to know ourselves, face up to an amorphous enemy and increase the chances of victory.

Charles Ng is Assistant Director at the National Security Coordination Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office. The views expressed in this article are his own.

NOTES 1. Broadly, complexity is often tied to the concept of an ecosystem — where a set of parts or elements that have relationships among them are differentiated from relationships with other elements outside the relational regime. 2. US Department of Homeland Security, Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report (Washington: February 2010), pp15, pp61 3. In a study on the confluence between Risk and Resilience concepts, the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute (HSI) discovered 119 different definitions for resilience. From the resilience of a child’s psychology in educational theory to the resilience of metallic elements in physics, there is rarely any convergence in the use of the term.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 30 Singapore’s Non-Profit Sector: What Should its Role Be? | Laurence Lien

Opinion Laurence Lien Singapore’s Non-Profit Sector: What Should its Role Be?

Civil society needs to step up and do much more to help meet the increasingly complex needs of the Singaporean community.

n the four-and-a-half decades since They have unique opportunities today to Independence, Singapore’s progress — work in partnership with the public and I including its social development private to create new societal value, and as measured by key social indicators — to help create an environment where has been nothing short of dramatic. The Singaporeans feel empowered to start State has been the dominant authority new ground-up endeavours. in bringing this about. While civil I would argue for this, for three society and the non-profit sector1 have reasons. First, civil society is able to do also contributed to this progress, they things that the Government cannot do. have mostly played a supporting role in Second, the non-profit sector is able to state-directed programmes. do some things better. Third, the State should not do everything. THE CHALLENGE Civil society in Singapore can and DOING THINGS THAT should learn to do more in Singapore. THE STATE CANNOT DO In particular, non-profit organisations It may not be self-evident in a State (NPOs) need to play a complementary where the government is so dominant role in society, and be innovative in their that there are indeed areas of social own right. They need to develop a sense and community interventions that of at-stake-ness, that is, the responsibility the government simply cannot take and purpose that will drive them to take on. It cannot provide everything to risks, experiment and innovate to tackle everybody, and these limitations can be the most pressing issues in our society. wide-ranging.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Singapore’s Non-Profit Sector: What Should its Role Be? | Laurence Lien 31

First, civil society can cater to diverse, Third, NPOs are better placed to holistic needs. The Government, instead, provide niche, customised solutions can focus on meeting the material to heterogeneous needs. Government and physical needs of its citizens. It is programmes are like big stones filling indeed in the best position to conduct a container, while NPO programmes, large-scale wealth redistribution, with their closeness to the ground because of its ability to tax. It also has and residents, are like small stones a critical role in regulating services filling the remaining gaps. The gaps and ensuring minimum standards. left by the Government are necessary, But the human person is more than as government subsidy and income a material being. NPOs can provide redistribution schemes can neither be for social, spiritual and emotional too individualised to meet precisely the needs better. An example are halfway unique needs of each recipient, nor too houses (a majority of which are broadly generous in its payout so as to religion-based) which treat recovering cater to the worst cases. Otherwise, drug addicts in Singapore. The use programmes, particularly those involving of religion for rehabilitation in these financial assistance, would be too institutions — which would be prohibited administratively costly, inefficient and in State-run establishments — is widely unsustainable to operate. recognised as an effective resource in Let us say, hypothetically, we have treating addictions. 100 potential recipients of aid, ranked 1 Second, civil society organisations to 100 in priority of need, with 1 being (CSOs) can serve needs that go beyond the least needy and 100, the most needy; national policy and prevailing government priorities. No matter how then let us say we can only design one pragmatic a government is, certain scheme for them. The scheme would not groups of citizens will be under-served be designed to meet the needs of the by current programmes and remain 100th person. Moreover, government genuinely in need of help. For instance, schemes tend to provide subsidies to when the Government promotes the individuals based on criteria related intact family, policies may discriminate to income (e.g. per capital income) or against single and divorced parents, and implied wealth (e.g. type of dwelling); their children. Yet these parents and they are not typically based on actual children often require help to break out needs. Yet we know there are many of their poverty trap. This is again an who are not in the bottom quintile in area where NPOs can and do step in. income, but are needy and fall through

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 32 Singapore’s Non-Profit Sector: What Should its Role Be? | Laurence Lien the cracks: such as those who may have the other hand, the non-profit sector incurred unavoidably high household can attract the contributions of people, expenses, taking care of a sickly including private sector entrepreneurs parent or a disabled child, for example. and philanthropists, who can deploy This is where the NPOs on the ground their entrepreneurial know-how, long can fill in the gaps and cater to the term focus, initiative and instinct for difficult exceptions. risk-taking. Being in touch with the ground, NPOs may also be better able DOING SOME THINGS BETTER to identify opportunities for innovative Even if the non-profit sector is arguably intervention. The public sector should significantly less mature than the public hence welcome and even encourage sector in Singapore, it still has the the proliferation of new ideas from potential to do some things better than the non-profit sector: competition can the State. lead to better approaches and models NPOs can be a rich source of for Singapore. innovation and experimentation, as they can take risks that the Government NPOs can cater to the cannot take. The State is sometimes difficult exceptions. not in the best position to develop new policies and services, or to drive Finally, there is power in CSOs that innovation. In social policy, it is difficult governments do not have. CSOs have for the Government to experiment more moral authority in dealing with because government programmes, one another and with beneficiaries once adopted, tend to have to be than government agencies may have. In deployed nationally. Citizens would government programmes, entitlement not take kindly to beneficiaries being sets in more quickly. For example, a narrow pilot group. Moreover, once philanthropic organisations can have implemented, there can be heavy a higher degree of convening power political costs in withdrawing a in bringing NPOs together to work programme even if it proves ineffective. collaboratively towards a common Hence, governments would typically cause, as they are seen as more neutral be conservative in implementing and having less of a specific agenda than new interventions. There may be a government agencies. If the government tendency in policymaking to value gives a dollar, there is little appreciation stability over radical innovation. On from the recipients, as they would

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Singapore’s Non-Profit Sector: What Should its Role Be? | Laurence Lien 33 consider it their right to receive that the important primary role of helping, benefit, as citizens and taxpayers; if a supporting, developing and empowering neighbour helps out and gives a dollar, civil society efforts to fulfil these needs there is deep gratitude, and even shame, in the community. as it is voluntarily donated out of goodwill This approach recognises the and compassion. Similarly, a volunteer autonomy and dignity of each human might succeed with a difficult patient individual, and that the work of the where a professional nurse might not, State should always be at the service of through diversionary therapy efforts. human individuals, who are by nature Appreciated as a compassionate person social beings. We need to emphasise rather than someone who is only doing the importance of smaller communities their job, the volunteer may be better or institutions, such as the family, able to offer reassurance and comfort, religious organisations and voluntary or convince the patient to comply associations, as mediating structures with their medication or therapeutic which empower individual action regimens. The prescription may be the and link the individual to society as same, but the results achieved can be a whole. Each of these social groups starkly different. has something unique to offer to the community. NPOs can take risks that the It is only when individuals are Government cannot take. able to exercise self-determination and contribute meaningfully to the THE STATE SHOULD NOT DO EVERYTHING communities they live in, that they feel Even if State agencies can be more they are fully human, and fully citizens efficient than CSOs, it should not of this country. This is when a place to provide everything for everyone. stay becomes a home. The Government should refrain from undertaking activities that WHAT IS THE REALITY IN SINGAPORE? the community, the family and the In Singapore, the Government plays individuals can take on. Instead, the a strong role in supporting NPOs State should only step in when the by substantially funding many initiatives clearly exceed the capacity community-based services. But of individuals or private groups acting government policy is not to fund NPOs independently. Other than these critical fully so that they have to raise funds interventions, the government can play from the public. This is known as

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 34 Singapore’s Non-Profit Sector: What Should its Role Be? | Laurence Lien the “many helping hands” approach, civic-minded individuals to express where the Government’s philosophy their values, interests and visions of is that it is only through community the public good, and inject energies participation that community bonds and creativity into how society solves are strengthened. its problems. The reality in Singapore is that NPOs have in most cases become WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO REACH A subcontractors, delivering social MATURE CIVIL SOCIETY? services on behalf of the Government. So what can we do to build up the non- The brains and heart of social profit sector? intervention remain with the State, First, we need to expand the while NPOs often simply follow the organisational capacity of NPOs. In this piper’s tune. NPOs trying to effect area, nurturing leadership and talent change through competing models are key. Effective, committed and of intervention are often viewed as passionate leadership — both at the board threats. Hence, many NPOs lose their and management levels — can transform own sense of aspiration, and contribute the sector and their organisations. insufficiently to support necessary Talented young people need to see the social change. Some NPOs, for example, non-profit sector as a viable career. would typically not take on new NPOs also need to make the conditions programmes — no matter how socially conducive to attract talent. For example, beneficial — if they do not get the green while individuals entering the sector light and funding from a government expect to take a significant discount agency to do so. To illustrate, family against private sector salaries, this service centres (FSCs) are run as part of “passion” discount cannot be so large as a national system running mostly core, to grossly disadvantage the individual homogeneous, funded programmes. and his family. We are severely under-delivering on There is also a need for NPOs to move the promise of civil society. Civil society upstream to tackle root causes rather will only truly thrive when it serves than the symptoms of social problems; a complementary function, not when to pursue justice, not just charity; to be NPOs are vendors and substitutes for impact-driven, and not output-driven; government funding and provisioning. be willing to take risks and adopt new We urgently need to encourage more business models, rather than look to

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Singapore’s Non-Profit Sector: What Should its Role Be? | Laurence Lien 35 the Government for solutions. NPOs CONCLUSION should strengthen their organisations The civil society is certainly a growth by being clear on their strategies, sector in Singapore. As Singapore institutionalising processes, seeking matures, civil society too must mature. strategic relationships, mobilising For this to happen, the Government community resources and improving should, rather than being omnipresent, their productivity through technology. be prepared to cede control in some The Government, on the other areas — particularly where new thinking hand, needs to focus more on is required — while allowing the sector enabling and empowering the sector. to experiment and flourish. Civil society Enabling means building capability, must, naturally, step up to the plate. particularly in developing leadership and soft infrastructure, such as technology development and process Laurence Lien is the Chairman of Lien improvements. Empowering means a Foundation, the CEO of the National real ceding of power, decision-making Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre and the and ownership of projects, with a Acting CEO of the Community Foundation of Singapore. He is also the President of tolerance for a degree of messiness the Centre for Non-Profit Leadership, the and inefficiency. Deputy Chairman of the Caritas Singapore NPOs should be equal partners Community Council, and a board member and co-creators at the table. Hence, for of the Lien Centre for Social Innovation example, information and knowledge at the Singapore Management University. from the government’s vast database of Before his full-time involvement with the administrative and survey data need to non-profit sector, he served in the Singapore be made more readily available to NPOs. Administrative Service for 14 years. Apart from letting NPOs do their own strategic planning and research, and to NOTE interpret their own sense of reality, it is a 1. The terms “civil society” and “non-profit sector” are used interchangeably in this article. Generally, “civil society” refers concrete demonstration of co-ownership. to voluntary civic and social associations, organisations and Additionally, instead of leaving many institutions, and are strictly non-governmental and non- commercial entities. “Non-profit sector” refers to all civic small gaps across the funding spectrum, and social organisations and institutions, some of which are not strictly non-governmental (e.g. our universities). I the Government should plug the gaps in have deliberately used both “civil society” and “civil society organisations”, because in Singapore’s context, the former their retained areas of priority and fund term is uncommonly used and connotes something more those areas more generously. political and adversarial, which need not be the case.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 36 Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice | Jairus Yip

Jairus Yip Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice

Government efforts to engage citizens in collaborative public initiatives are still in their early stages, but there have been some successes.

dvances in technological Internet and other channels, both to capability and widespread enhance public sector transparency A adoption mean that the and accountability, and to empower the Internet has become a cost-effective public to develop useful applications medium, both for disseminating that make innovative use of the data to information and for collecting ideas improve civic life. from an informed public that is no Such crowdsourcing strategies, longer content to be passive recipients pioneered by the private sector to tap of government policy. Some developed the collective intelligence of their societies have explored open government public user base, were first explored by approaches, where government data governments in engaging their business is released to the public through the communities. Open government and

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice | Jairus Yip 37 crowdsourcing have since become part release from the vast store of data held of the evolution of government-citizen by the government; there are legitimate interactions that have been enabled by concerns over data quality, security technological advances. Nevertheless, and privacy. Second, the risk of the these approaches both depend on released data and information being and help to nurture an evolving misconstrued and misused by citizens culture of greater transparency, trust, might result in citizen-developed participation and open collaboration applications that do not accurately between government and citizens, reflect actual conditions. This means unlocking collective resources beyond that the government has to be clear those available to the public sector. on how the data is intended be used, with appropriate caveats. Third, there PRINCIPLES AND CHALLENGES is a need to frame public issues in ways Open government and public that promote broad collaboration, and crowdsourcing approaches have to sieve the signals from the noise so numerous benefits: they engage that crowdsourced initiatives are not citizens, enable social innovation and captured by narrow interests. Last, equal enhance institutional legitimacy. They representation needs to be ensured so can significantly improve the quality that the concerns of groups who do not of public outcomes without necessarily participate in social media channels or incurring higher costs, as citizens Internet platforms (due to the lack of participate in the determination digital access or other social factors) are and delivery of results (both at the not excluded. government-citizen and citizen-citizen The success of open government levels) towards shared priorities. Data and crowdsourcing efforts also depends transparency and rapid feedback can critically on public involvement. make public service systems more robust. Citizens have to see themselves as active Over time, these benefits may accrue participants rather than individual towards a more resilient society, with consumers of public policies and citizens more directly involved in the services. At the same time, they need collective concerns of their community. to appreciate that the business of However, these approaches also government is complex, with inevitable present their own challenges. First, trade-offs and compromises. there is the task of selecting what to

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 38 Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice | Jairus Yip

Open Government and Crowdsourcing Initiatives in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada

United States (us) access to high value, machine The Open Government Directive was readable datasets generated by the initiated by the Obama administration Executive Branch of the Federal in December 2009 to increase civic Government”. A centralised website participation and engagement1 and for government data offers 389,730 create a culture of transparency, raw2 and geospatial3 datasets from participation and collaboration across a myriad of federal agencies. A US Federal agencies. It stipulates four “Developers’ Corner”4 teaches users broad guidelines: to develop applications making use of the available data; as of June 2011, 1. Make government information Data.gov had 236 citizen-developed available online and in open formats. applications. Notable member 2. Ensure that government information applications are featured in their that is published is of a high quality. “Apps Showcase”5 site.6 A “Data.gov 3. Establish an open culture of Communities”7 section attempts to transparency, participation and “bridge policy makers, technologists, collaboration in every government data owners, and citizens”, by agency. inviting them to recommend data 4. Create an enabling policy framework to be shared, create applications to for open government that is up to date make the data more user-friendly, with changing technological trends. share views on the policies to improve government transparency, • Data.gov and exchange ideas with each other. An integral component of the Citizen feedback from citizens is an US Open Government initiative, integral component of Data.gov, with Data.gov aims “to increase public various channels for users to rate and

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice | Jairus Yip 39

comment on the datasets released, as are topic specific and moderators well as to request datasets they want are assigned to respond to off-topic to see in the future. or misplaced contributions. HUD is using this platform to solicit ideas • Reboot.FCC.gov for their 2010–2015 Strategic Plan. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides easy- • cityofboston.gov to-search databases with over A number of open government 150 downloadable datasets, and projects at cityofboston.gov10 tap on connects with citizens over a variety citizen ideas and expertise, and of online and social media channels. offer social networking sites for the Reboot.fcc.gov8 is dedicated to ideas for community to connect and interact.11 transforming the organisation into GIS Data Hub12 maps different types “a model of excellence”. Using the of information about the Boston social media tool IdeaScale, citizens government by location. Solar can submit, comment and vote on Boston13 is a two-year programme to ideas. IdeaScale sieves through the increase the amount of solar energy multitude of ideas received and floats in the city from one-half megawatt the ones which have garnered the to 25 megawatts by 2015, with a most votes and comments to the top dynamic map tracking solar energy of the list, giving decision-makers a use in the city. Data Dashboard14 better sense of the concerns felt on offers municipal datasets and the ground. aims to build a “larger, easier to use and more data-rich” site with • HUD Ideas in Action citizen feedback. Citizens Connect15 HUD Ideas in Action9 is a discussion is an iPhone application with forum powered by a tool called which citizens can take pictures of UserVoice. It is jointly operated by the municipal issues such as potholes Department of Housing and Urban and graffiti and report them to the Development (HUD) in partnership City Council. with non-profit National Academy of Public Administration. HUD United Kingdom (Uk) employees and citizens can share The UK has set up www.data.gov.uk16 to and discuss ideas, and vote the best consolidate government data in a single ones for follow-up action. Forums searchable website. The goal is to “help

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 40 Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice | Jairus Yip people understand how government • Encouraging public crowdsourcing works and how policies are made.” Not content with simply releasing To date, there are over 5,400 datasets data, the UK Government’s project searchable through the website, from “Making A Difference with Data” across government departments and or MADwDATA20 seeks to “spread local authorities. Citizen developers understanding about open data and can download “raw datasets” to create transparency in local public services”. and share applications for public use. The initiative demonstrates how Feedback, comments, recommendations, government information can be used suggestions and requests are also by citizens to “raise issues, campaign actively solicited. and otherwise influence things that affect local communities”. Projects • Citizen-developed applications promoted through the site include CycleStreets17 is a citizen-led non- gathering of feedback from citizens profit initiative that lets cyclists on the data they would like to access, plan their routes throughout the publishing of good data visualisation UK, made possible with the release and application examples, and of Ordnance Survey maps under guidance material for citizens the open government initiative. planning to campaign on various FixMyStreet18 is a one-stop website that local issues. reduces the hassle of reporting local problems such as broken streetlights • Cultivating an open government and graffiti. To notify the council, approach within the civil service citizens only need to enter the postal The UK Civil Service has adopted code or street name and area, locate a range of tools to encourage the problem on the map and describe discussion and crowdsourcing the problem. Citizens can also view among civil servants. The portal updates on reports submitted by www.communities.idea.gov.uk21 is a others. The website was developed safe platform for knowledge sharing by mySociety,19 a registered charity across the public sector where users comprising volunteers who seek “to can set up or join communities build Internet projects which give around specific issues. The intranet- people simple, tangible benefits”. only Civil Wiki22 is a secure knowledge

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice | Jairus Yip 41

sharing and collaboration tool for NOTES 1. http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/documents/open- civil servants. The content generated government-directive is moderated by its users. 2. http://explore.data.gov/catalog/raw/ 3. http://www.data.gov/catalog/geodata 4. http://www.data.gov/developers Canada 5. http://www.data.gov/developers/showcase Unlike the US and UK, Canada lacks a 6. Examples of crowdsourced apps on Data.gov include: FlyOnTime.US (http://flyontime.us/about), a free resource government-led centralised open data for air travellers to track the performance of the commercial air system in the US, and Employment Market explorer website. However, some citizens have (http://pujaplicaciones.javeriana.edu.co/Employment/) that helps users compare and analyse local, regional and state taken the lead in pushing for more open unemployment markets. and accessible government. 7. http://www.data.gov/communities/ 8. http://reboot.fcc.gov/data/ 9. http://hudideasinaction.uservoice.com/forums/95655- • The citizen-developed datadotgc.ca23 public-feedback collates and makes available public 10. http://www.cityofboston.gov/ 11. http://www.newurbanmechanics.org/wp-content/ government data on a single website uploads/2010/08/Boston_OpenGov_Strategy- for easier access. RGoodspeed.pdf 12. http://hubmaps1.cityofboston.gov/datahub/ 13. http://gis.cityofboston.gov/solarboston/ • Open government efforts have also 14. http://www.cityofboston.gov/doit/databoston/app/ data.aspx taken off at the city level. Toronto’s 15. http://www.cityofboston.gov/doit/apps/citizens “Open Data Framework”24 supports connect.asp 16. http://data.gov.uk/ open initiatives by improving “data 17. http://www.cyclestreets.net/ standards, terms of use agreements 18. http://www.fixmystreet.com/ and open data website design.” 19. http://www.mysociety.org/ 20. http://www.madwdata.org.uk/ 21. http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk/welcome.do • Currently under development, 22. wiki.gsi.gov.uk www.datato.org/app25 will let citizens 23. http://www.datadotgc.ca/ 24. http://www.toronto.ca/open/ request for the release of specific 25. http://www.datato.org/app/ datasets. The site lets government agencies review data requests and needs from citizens, and will eventually include details from publishers on “known and existing data sources, so that community members can rate them for prioritisation”.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 42 Open Government and Public Crowdsourcing in Practice | Jairus Yip

Data.gov.sg officers and citizens, as well as new rules of engagement, may need to be Singapore’s data.gov.sg was launched in developed, before the full potential of June 2011 as a “first-stop portal to search these approaches can be unlocked. and access publicly-available data”. It currently offers over 5,000 Jairus Yip was a research intern at the datasets from 50 government ministries Centre for Governance and Leadership, and agencies. Civil Service College from May to July 2011. He is currently a third year Political Science student at the National University Singapore’s technical infrastructure, of Singapore. His research interests include small size and high internet adoption public administration in Singapore. rates suggest promising conditions for considering open government and crowdsourcing approaches. Such initiatives and their working processes should be carefully structured to meaningfully engage citizens and harness their contributions in ways that translate into better decision-making and perceptibly improved outcomes. Initial efforts to generate awareness, gather support and encourage participation from the public will be critical. For governments and citizens to truly create public value by building on each other’s contributions, a climate of mutual respect and a sense of shared ownership are vital. The good news is that these initiatives, when managed well, can help deepen the confidence and trust necessary for future efforts. New ways of framing roles, new skill sets and aptitudes of Singapore public

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Developing Our Approach to Public Engagement | Lena Leong 43

Lena Leong Developing Our Approach to Public Engagement

Clear goals, thoughtful processes and mutual trust are key to constructive engagement with the public.

ingapore’s success to date — tightly-contested General Elections in despite being an open economy May and Presidential Elections in S vulnerable to global shifts and August 2011 are indications that a more a multi-cultural society susceptible to sophisticated and vocal citizenry desires social divisions — has been predicated not merely to be governed, but to be on a governance approach characterised heard, informed and engaged, and to by a strong government presence, with participate in the business of the nation. heavy reliance on good policy design, New technological tools are facilitating legislative tools and tightly managed these aspirations, with or without execution to drive public outcomes. In the Government’s intervention, and the course of the nation’s progress, changing the way society interacts and however, new realities have arisen. The relates. Newly-elected President Tony

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Tan has called this a “new normal”.1 base of support, reduces the political Professor Simon Tay has called for “a risks and increases the legitimacy of new compact” between the Government outcomes”.4 Opportunities for people and people.2 to work together and interact create These developments are transforming social networks which can have positive the work of government. The Public impact on individuals and spin-offs to Service is re-examining how the the community at large.5 This can lead changing aspirations of citizens and to more robust solutions, as well as more the complexities of its operating resilient communities and society. environment will reshape its role and Public engagement efforts are not the way it relates with the public. How new to Singapore. Nonetheless, it is can such engagement lead to better useful to re-examine the broad range of decisions, outcomes and relationships? engagement strategies so that we can be What new capabilities might be needed more intentional about what we want of public leaders and officers, citizens public engagement to achieve, and why. and society? What can we learn that At present, the public is involved in a could go towards building a more spectrum of activities: from providing accountable public service, active input towards decision-making in policy citizenry and resilient society? formulation to actively participating in policy implementation. Agencies WHY ENGAGE? connect with the public through various In his 2011 National Day Really Speech, channels and across different levels Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pointed and groups. out that the nation needs to “harness Modes of public engagement can be diverse views and ideas, put aside categorised as four broad approaches: personal interests, and forge common inform, consult, build consensus and goals”.3 Experiences in Singapore and co-create. The choice of mode, rules of elsewhere have shown that tapping on engagement and process design vary the public for ideas and energies can with context and intent. In the long guard against group-think, optimise run, the aim of engaging the public is resources and improve public policy not only to resolve immediate issues at results and productivity. Such efforts also hand (what are the best solutions), but fulfill citizens’ aspirations and engender also to build capacity for the future greater ownership of outcomes. If done (how to do this in a way that would well, public engagement “broadens the help society achieve better results over

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Developing Our Approach to Public Engagement | Lena Leong 45 time). The focus therefore is not only on evolve, other considerations come into output but process — galvanising people play. First, public issues are becoming through shared values, a compelling more multidimensional and complex. vision and a sense of larger purpose; Second, communication needs to reach reframing positions from “I” to “We”; a more diverse populace. Third, a more from “Me and my interest” to encompass educated and connected public expects “Us and the larger community”. greater openness and transparency Besides performance-based objectives, from government. “Government knows engagement initiatives should also pay best” responses are likely to alienate attention to experiential and learning the public; and in an environment goals. A purposeful approach and where no one agent has all the answers, clarity about longer term outcomes neither can it always hold true. Finally, mobile technologies now allow busy but will enhance the capability of all tech-savvy citizenry to stay connected participants to listen, anticipate and even while on the move, anytime and engage constructively. anywhere. Efforts to inform the public will need to take into account these new The choice of mode, rules of developments and social behaviours engagement and process design in order to maximise their reach vary with context and intent. and impact.

Approaches • Understand the operating environment, MODES OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT as well as the needs and priorities of INFORM different groups of people. Establish Providing objective information in a clear and rapport, and explain complex policies succinct way that helps the public understand in a way that connects with different the context, alternatives and choices. segments of the public. Reach out through a range of media, e.g. The traditional channels for this public enquiries, on-line platforms, include fact sheets, websites, open grassroots community programmes houses and press releases. It calls for and other networks. good communication skills, such as • Develop expertise in info-communication sharing concise, specific and relevant technologies and capabilities to information in a timely manner. As present complex information in new contexts, expectations and technologies ways that can be readily understood.

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• Tap on the work of experts from terms of culture, values and attitudes. the academia, research institutes However, social media, crowdsourcing and think-tanks to inform public tools and other collaborative platforms discourse on the issue. now allow the public to easily propose, • Balance advocacy with inquiry — consolidate, comment on and express explain and help others understand preference for new ideas. In order to the reasoning behind the policy. effectively harness collective wisdom At the same time be open and and build shared perspectives, the design listen well, in order to respond and management of the consultation more appropriately. process will be as important as the substance of the issue at hand. The aim of engaging the public is not only to The Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Means-testing Experience resolve immediate issues at hand, but also to build · MOH was prepared to delay the implementation if they felt the ground capacity for the future. was not ready for it. The focus therefore is not only · MOH officers distilled and used the on output but process. learning from each dialogue to refine the policy, and then tested this out at the next session. CONSULT · Dialogues to seek citizens’ views on the Gathering ideas and feedback from the public pegging of subsidy rates were reported in the media. on analysis or proposals by the government so that the public’s perspectives, concerns and · As more understood the rationale for change, support for it grew. aspirations are taken into consideration. Conversations shifted from “me versus the government” (“I get less, the Over the years, a number of channels government gets more”) to “me and the have been established for public community” (“I get less, the community consultation in Singapore. The Feedback gets more”). Unit organises focus group dialogues. Agencies conduct their own consultation exercises and website surveys to solicit Approaches the public’s inputs on proposed policy • Determine who, when and what to amendments, or seek ideas on service consult, as well as how to include an design. Society is now more diverse in appropriate plurality of voices.

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• Manage expectations and differing constituents of the system on shared views; acknowledge and synthesise interests, and good ties between inputs, as well as close loops. stakeholder institutions. Examples • Empower stakeholders by anticipating include interfaith and tripartite labour their needs and giving them dialogues, where potentially divisive appropriate information, roles and issues are debated and deliberated choices. behind closed doors and an alignment • Make collective contribution visible of positions is sought before a unified to dispel misperception that stand is announced to the public. Public decisions were made prior to agencies have also worked with the consultation. Collaborative platforms public at the municipal level to resolve and other technological tools can be issues through collective agreement. powerful enablers. With greater social diversity, • Build capabilities in dialogue, increased complexity and demands for negotiation, conflict resolution, transparency, more public issues may facilitation and process design, as become contentious in future. More well as a new mindset and culture conversations may need to be selectively of operating in a more open and extended into the public space to deepen dynamic environment. collective understanding, and build society’s capacity to deliberate issues BUILD CONSENSUS rationally in a safe environment. Partnering the public in framing issues, developing alternatives and coming to a The Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) Legalising Road Side Parking by consensus on the preferred solution. Changing Traffic Scheme

· Limited parking spaces and indiscriminate Consensus is achieved through deliberation parking caused friction among residents and dialogue that help to deepen in a private estate. understanding, reframe and define · LTA worked with grassroots leaders to issues, promote clarity and reach facilitate a dialogue so that residents agreement. Decision-making could be could voice their concerns. Together, they jointly made by the government and agreed on a traffic scheme to optimise road side parking spaces in the estate. the public, or devolved to the public. Consensus-building in Singapore · Residents then helped to enforce the scheme by reporting infringements. has been enhanced both by a strong government, able to galvanise different

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Approaches collaboration between the Government • Focus on understanding (not judging) — and people. Other stories of co-creation this establishes a safe, orderly and include rehabilitating and reintegrating objective environment in which to ex-offenders into society, promoting explore options, assess evidence and environmental awareness and protection, weigh trade-offs. and neighbourhood policing. • Use scenarios to set context, Technological advances now allow frame challenges and sequence near-instantaneous interaction between questions. Good conversations, large groups of people. Co-creation especially difficult ones, need extends appropriate data, tools, thoughtful process design in order platforms and competencies to the to move group conversations from public, encouraging them to self- a position of “I and my interest” to regulate, self-organise and generate a more encompassing “We and the their own best solutions. This increases larger community”. the government’s transparency and • Since shared ownership of the final accountability, and also encourages outcome is a critical goal, include all social innovation and the creation of representative voices and uncover new public value. Singapore’s data.gov.sg different perspectives. Resist the project, which opens up over 5,000 temptation to gloss over differences datasets from 50 government ministries or to let the most dominant or vocal and agencies, is a further example of groups capture the agenda in order “open government” efforts (see page 36 to reach a resolution. of this issue) that make useful public data available so that the community CO-CREATE can co-create new solutions on their Facilitating broad collective action to own initiative. engender greater ownership of outcomes and increase overall public value beyond what any Approaches one sector can achieve on its own. • Begin with small prototypes in “safe- to-fail” environments and grow them, In Singapore, the Community in Bloom as positive results attract supporters programme, initiated by the National and volunteers. Parks Board and People’s Association to • Help promising ideas to succeed foster a love for gardening and promote more widely. “Government can take community bonding, is an example of an idea and make it bigger (scale up)

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or it can take an idea and encourage • Cultivate “start-up skills” such lots of those ideas to grow in many as experimentation, prototyping places (spread)”.6 Promote promising and learning on-the-go, as well ideas through the network, and as more long-term, sustainable provide supporting infrastructure capabilities such as risk assessment, such as platforms, training and tools. management, relationship building • Pay attention to people as much as and leadership. to the programme. Public efforts are usually driven by a compelling sense ENGAGEMENT HAS LIMITS, of purpose, vision or values. Success BUT IT MATTERS is often dependent on the ground Public engagement in practice has leadership, strength of networks limitations. Engagement efforts consume and relationships. government resources and in the • Convene participants and resources, short term, can appear less efficient and facilitate the growth by than decision-making by fiat. Public pulling multiple, disparate small- outcomes realised through co-creation scale initiatives together, where can be inconsistent in service standards appropriate. and outcomes, since the government is no longer in direct control of delivery. NorthLight School · The school was established in 2007 to The public sector will have to experiment with approaches to help negotiate the transition from students (mostly from lower income families), who persistently fail the Primary a stable and predictable School Leaving Examination. operating environment to one · A bakery shop delivers free buns every that is more open and dynamic. morning. A neighbourhood doctor gives free medical consultation. A group of taxi-drivers offer free rides home to Additionally, public involvement in students who are unwell. Others provide policy deliberations or execution could internships and varied forms of support. significantly constrain the manoeuvring · The growth and motivation of NorthLight space available to the government, students have surpassed the expectation possibly hindering its ability to plan of the fraternity, and its innovative and act decisively for the long term. strategies have been replicated in many primary schools elsewhere in Singapore. Finally, a more organic, decentralised operating environment, with multiple

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A Framework For Public Engagement More Robust Solutions · More Resilient Society

GUIDING IDEAS

Why engage? Longer term outcomes: • Improve public policy results and A public that is productivity by harnessing community • More informed, better able to resources. appreciate context for change and • Meet citizens’ aspirations, engender anticipate the future. ownership and increase legitimacy • More attuned to challenges of of outcomes. governing, better able to manage • Build social capital and strengthen trade-offs and more difficult Singaporeans’ sense of belonging. conversations in the future. • Better equipped to tackle challenges What matters? as a community, withstand threats, • Galvanise collective contribution respond and recover from crisis. through sense of larger purpose, vision and shared values. • Move conversations from “Me and my interest” to “Us and the larger community”. • Capacity-building for the future, not just solving what is immediate.

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Decision-making and Policy Implementation Policy Formulation

Inform Consult Build Co-create Consensus description Provide objective Gather ideas and Partner the Facilitate broad information to help feedback from the public in framing collective action the public understand public on analysis issues, developing to engender the context, or proposals by alternatives greater ownership alternatives and the government so and coming to a of outcomes and choices. that the public’s consensus on the increase overall perspectives, preferred solution. public value beyond concerns and what any one sector aspirations are taken can achieve on into consideration. its own.

When to Use · The intent is to · The issue is · The issue is · Doing so share information relatively well- complex or encourages and explain defined with little disagreements social innovation, rationale of disagreement on are deep or views bonds community choices. the fundamentals. polarised. and improves outcomes. · The government is · The government able and prepared has difficulty · The levers for to incorporate the framing it in a way change lie with public’s inputs. that the majority the individual, would easily community accept. and society.

Examples · Singapore Budget · Ministry of Health · Closed door · National www.singapore (MOH) Means- interfaith or Environmental budget.gov.sg testing and Human tripartite partners Agency (NEA) Organ Transplant — the Ministry Dengue Prevention · Singapore Act (HOTA) of Manpower, Volunteer Groups, Police Force National Trades and Litter-Free www.spf.gov.sg and · Ministry of Finance Union Congress Ambassador Facebook page (MOF) Economic and Singapore Programme facebook.com/ Strategies National Employers singaporepoliceforce Committee Federation (MOM- · Singapore NTUC-SNEF) Prison Service dialogues (SPS) Yellow Ribbon Project · Municipal issues; e.g. Land Transport · Health Promotion Authority (LTA) Board (HPB) Legalising Road Healthier Hawker Side Parking by Programme at Changing Traffic Yuhua Hawker Scheme Centre

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 52 Developing Our Approach to Public Engagement | Lena Leong simultaneous activities and a variety of particular contexts will be a key to their players, can appear inchoate and difficult success. The other side of the equation to manage, evaluate or account for. is the maturity and commitment of Furthermore, the challenges the public: all stakeholders, within of effective public engagement are and outside government, have a part significant: the competing interests and to play in cultivating a constructive expectations of multiple stakeholders working relationship that can enhance have to be balanced and aligned, while national outcomes. also trying to convey the intricacies Engagement is not a one-off event. of government work, complex policy Its quality ultimately depends on options and trade-offs. There is the the quality of relationship and trust need to make sense of simultaneous stemming from the agency’s record public input from multiple channels at engagement and delivery, as well and players without allowing narrower as day-to-day interactions with public interests or more vocal groups from officers, leaders and fellow citizens. cornering the agenda, while at the same Change involves more than levelling time maintaining focus on strategic up the competencies of those on the long-term objectives. The public sector front lines. It has to be embedded into will have to negotiate the inevitable an organisation’s mission, vision, values transition from a stable and predictable culture, systems and processes. There operating environment to one that has to be a change in the mindset of is more open and dynamic, where governance: a “shift from a production the government no longer enjoys an or delivery state to a relational state, unchallenged legitimacy to act alone in one that does things to or for people the national interest. to one that more often does things with them”.7 Engagement is not a one-off event. Lena Leong is Senior Researcher at the Not every issue needs to be consulted Centre for Governance and Leadership in the on, have consensus sought or be co- Civil Service College. Her work focuses on citizen engagement, change management created; knowing when to use or not use and organisation development. appropriate engagement strategies in

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NOTES 1. “Post-GE Politics is New Norm”, The Straits Times, (16 July 2011) 2. “Governing Singapore after PE”, Today, (29 August 2011) 3. Lee, Hsien Loong, National Day Rally Speech, (14 August 2011) 4. Bourgon, Jocelyne, Why Should Governments Engage Citizens in Service Delivery and Policy Making, October 2007, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/7/51/42240216.pdf 5. Putnam, Robert D., MCYS-CSC Social Strategy Lecture on "E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century", March 2011. 6. NS6 Network, Preparing Government to Serve Beyond the Predictable: Singapore Roundtable Report, edited by Jocelyne Bourgon, (Ottawa: Public Governance International, 2010) 7. Mulgan, Geoff, "The Rise of the Relational State", Paper presented at the NS6 International Roundtable, London, United Kingdom, 16-18 November 2010.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 54 Perceptions of Fairness | David Chan

David Chan Perceptions of Fairness

The perceived fairness of process and treatment is as significant as outcomes when engaging employees, stakeholders or the public.

uman beings are sensitive contexts as diverse as personnel selection to the fairness of decisions and staffing, performance appraisal, H made or treatment given compensation and benefits, resource in virtually every domain of life. allocation, conflict resolution, layoffs, Many situations in organisational and other human resource functions. life provide opportunities to evaluate Fairness perceptions also play important and experience fairness, and these roles in public policy implementation assessments influence the perceptions and public engagement efforts, as well as of and reactions to these situations. employee engagement and organisational Not surprisingly, fairness perception development efforts relating to issues of (also known as justice perception), a central attitudes, climate and behaviour. concept in organisational psychology, has While the vast majority of managers been shown in research to be important in and leaders want to be fair and believe

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Perceptions of Fairness | David Chan 55 that they are, it is nevertheless not female) are involved, the effects of social uncommon that employees or members comparison can be very powerful and of public often think and feel that complex because additional variables they have not been treated fairly. correlated with group membership, Given the importance of the value of which (regardless of whether they fairness and the potential consequences are objectively relevant or irrelevant that perceptions of fairness have on to the situation) will be factored into employee or public reactions, it is the comparison process and thereby important that we develop a better affecting perceptions of fairness. appreciation of fairness perception and its practical implications. The negative effects of unfairness are substantially Social Comparisons stronger than the positive Fairness perception is rooted in social effects of fairness. comparison. Specifically, when we react to a situation, we take into Fairness/Unfairness Asymmetry account not only our own situation Studies show that perceptions of but also the situations of others whom fairness are associated with positive we use as references to compare emotions and attitudes, such as ourselves with. Research shows that higher organisational commitment, the choice of reference is influenced by and with positive behaviours such as similarity with oneself, so we tend to strong organisational citizenship (e.g. compare ourselves with our co-workers helping others). Conversely, perceptions performing comparable jobs rather of unfairness are associated with than our supervisors. In addition to negative emotions and attitudes, similarity, the choice of reference is also such as organisational cynicism, and influenced by proximity, accessibility with negative behaviours such and saliency. Hence, a Singaporean as withdrawal and antisocial acts. will readily compare himself with his However, the negative effects of co-worker or fellow student who is a unfairness are substantially stronger foreigner despite differences such as than the positive effects of fairness. nationality and cultural background. This asymmetry of impact is consistent When social identities (e.g. nationality, with the well-established power of sex) and intergroup relationships (e.g. negativity bias in human perception locals versus foreigners, male versus and judgement, which has been robustly

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 56 Perceptions of Fairness | David Chan demonstrated in many diverse fields action by managers or policymakers to of research. mitigate anticipated outcome unfairness perceived by employees or members Types of Fairness Perception of the public. Fairness perception is multidimensional; However, outcome fairness is the research literature distinguishes also affected by what we think we between two major categories of fairness: deserve. Hence, even if I expect a outcome fairness (or distributive relatively poor pay raise, which I then justice) and process fairness (or receive, I am likely to consider the procedural justice). outcome as distributively unfair if I Outcome fairness refers to the think I deserved a higher pay raise. extent to which we perceive that the Consequently, while it is important to be distributions of outcomes are fair. equitable when distributing outcomes These outcomes may be pay, benefits, among employees, managers also promotions, scholarships, subsidies and need to provide regular, accurate and other tangible outcomes, but they may constructive feedback to employees on also refer to less tangible outcomes their strengths and weaknesses as well such as praise and other forms of as the overall organisational situation, social recognition. In general, outcome so that employees’ expectations of fairness is high when we perceive that outcomes and feelings of what they the outcomes we receive, relative to deserve are realistic and accurate. those received by others whom we Similarly, policymakers need to invest compare with, are equitable in terms significant efforts to establish realistic of the proportion of inputs to outputs. and accurate public expectations It is important to correctly identify the with regard to the distribution of referents to whom comparisons are policy outcomes. being made, since they may vary over Over the past three decades, context and time. research has clearly indicated that Outcome fairness has also been people are concerned not only about shown to be influenced by expectations the fairness of outcomes, but also the of the distribution of outcomes, based fairness of the process that determines on knowledge of and prior experience or leads to these outcomes. Process with the situation, organisation or fairness is somewhat more complex policymakers. Hence, moderating than outcome fairness, with a range expectations is a typical pre-emptive of different aspects contributing to

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Perceptions of Fairness | David Chan 57 the overall perception of fairness of (4) Correctability. Procedures provide process. Early research in the mid-1970s opportunities to modify or reverse on process fairness perception (in the decisions such as allowing appeals context of legal disputes) focused on the and grievances to be considered; extent to which one had control over the (5) Ethicality. Procedures are congruent process or procedures used to determine with the moral and ethical values outcomes. Much of the research on held by the people affected; and process control has shown that having (6) Representativeness. Procedures are a voice in the process — regarded as a representative in reflecting the basic capacity to influence but not necessarily concerns of the people affected. determine the outcome — will increase perceptions of process fairness. It would be a gross mistake to think that only the distributive fairness of People are concerned not only outcomes matters. Research has shown that process fairness predict work about the fairness of outcomes, outcomes such as job satisfaction, but also the fairness of the organisational commitment and process that determines or leads discretionary extra-role behaviours to these outcomes. that benefit the organisation (e.g. suggesting improvements) or other Subsequent research has examined individuals (e.g. helping others), the broader structural characteristics of independent of the effects of outcome a fair procedure or process. Specifically, fairness. There is also evidence that a process is more likely to be considered process fairness is a stronger predictor fair (or unfair) to the extent that the than outcome fairness in people’s procedures satisfy (or violate) the evaluation of the fairness of their leaders. following procedural rules: It is also well-established that process fairness mitigates negative reactions to (1) Accuracy. Procedures are based on outcome unfairness. Finally, research accurate and valid information; has shown that the effects of process (2) Bias suppression. Procedures are not fairness become stronger when outcome affected by personal bias, fairness decreases. In other words, when preconception or self-interest; outcomes are perceived as unfair, we (3) Consistency. Procedures are tend to be even more highly concerned consistently applied across people about the fairness of procedures, and time;

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 58 Perceptions of Fairness | David Chan probably in part because we do not want has also been shown to mitigate the the negative outcomes to be repeated. negative effects of outcome unfairness Recent studies have also highlighted and even process unfairness arising an important form of fairness from violations of some of the rules of known as interactional fairness (or procedural fairness. Hence, given the interactional justice).1 Interactional positive effects of interactional fairness, fairness may be further subdivided into as well as the control that we have informational fairness and interpersonal over the social interaction process — fairness. Informational fairness is compared with the relative lack of about people’s expectation that they control over outcomes and structural should receive adequate information aspects of process — managers and on and explanation of the process and leaders should pay more attention and its outcomes. Interpersonal fairness is effort to increasing the favourability of about people’s expectation that they social interactions so as to contribute to should be treated in a respectful, honest overall perceptions of fairness. and interpersonally sensitive manner. Violations of these informational and It is difficult to feel respected interpersonal expectations lead to if we do not receive adequate feelings of outrage and sometimes information and explanation; retaliatory behaviours against the conversely, it is difficult to perceived source of the violation (e.g. evaluate any information or supervisor, organisation, government). explanation provided if we feel Informational and interpersonal that we are not being treated fairness are conceptually distinct but sincerely or with honesty. empirically highly correlated: both are likely to correlate with each other to affect the quality of social interactions. Contagion and Discretion It is difficult to feel respected if we do Two additional research findings in not receive adequate information and fairness perception are noteworthy. First, explanation; conversely, it is difficult to our perceptions of fairness are influenced by evaluate any information or explanation how we see or believe our fellow employees provided if we feel that we are not or citizens are treated. In practical terms, being treated sincerely or with honesty. fairness perceptions are contagious: an Interactional fairness has a direct individual’s fairness perception is likely impact on fairness perceptions, but it to have multiplier effects on the fairness

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Perceptions of Fairness | David Chan 59 perceptions of other individuals. Given at large, since it affects emotions, that negative effects are stronger, it is attitudes, judgements, decisions and important to bear in mind the potential behaviours. If fairness perception is widespread and lasting negative effects low and not adequately addressed, it is that unfairness perceptions would have difficult to enhance the favourability in the organisation or society. of more complex experiences such as perceived support, met expectations and Fairness perceptions employee/public engagement and other are contagious. established ingredients of a positive experience that will in turn enhance Second, research has shown that well-being and performance, for both fairness effects are stronger when the the employee and the organisation, as decisions are perceived as discretionary well as for government institutions and rather than non-discretionary. In other the public they serve. words, people do take into account the The good news is that there exists context of the fair (or unfair) treatment a robust body of research to help us that they receive. A fair outcome or adopt evidence-based approaches to process that is achieved only after being enhancing fairness perception.2 We made mandatory by a successful appeal know that fairness in distributing or grievance process is likely to reduce outcomes is certainly important but so the positive effects of the individual’s is the fairness of the process leading fairness perceptions, because the to the outcomes, as well as the quality decision to fairly distribute the outcome of social interaction in this process. or implement the process would be We should pay more attention to perceived by the individual as based on our choice of words, manner of legal or regulatory obligation (i.e. non- communication, timing and other discretionary) as opposed to being based elements of engagement as we interact on discretion — which would signal with employees, members of public and sincerity and a genuinely favourable other stakeholders regarding decisions assessment of the individual. and other information relevant to outcomes and processes. Conclusion and The basic principles of good Practical Implications leadership and management, such Fairness perception is fundamental, as accountability, transparency, be it at the workplace or in society objectivity, meritocracy, integrity,

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 60 Perceptions of Fairness | David Chan trustworthiness and compassion, will David Chan is Director of the Behavioural help cultivate a climate of fairness. Sciences Institute and Professor of In addition, we should distribute Psychology at the Singapore Management incentives when people are deserving, University. He has served as Editor and member on the boards of several give people reasonable process journals, as well as on various councils and control, apply procedures consistently international advisory panels. Together with and explain exceptional cases, Nobel Laureate in Economics Professor obtain issue-relevant and accurate Daniel Kahneman and world-renowned information from multiple sources psychologist Professor Ed Diener, Professor before arriving at decisions to prevent Chan served on an international committee perception of biased decisions, take (2005–2010) supported by various people’s values and concerns into international associations of psychology, consideration, disclose and explain which submitted to the United Nations a information accurately as far as report on developing measures of national well-being across countries. A possible, and treat people with frequently cited scholar, he is the respect, honesty and sensitivity. These first non-American to receive the positive management and leadership Distinguished Early Career Contributions behaviours, many of which would Award to I-O psychology. For his be perceived as discretionary, will contributions to psychology, he was reduce cynicism, increase perceived elected Fellow of the Association for organisational/institutional sincerity Psychological Science, the Society for and develop a climate of trust, with Industrial and Organizational Psychology, reciprocal positive effects on respect, the International Association of morale, well-being, performance, Applied Psychology, and the American Psychological Association. productivity and commitment.

NOTES 1. Interactional fairness is sometimes subsumed under process fairness as part of the elements of social interaction associated with processes and procedures. 2. For a review, refer to Gilliand, Stephen, & Chan, David, Justice in Organizations: Theory, Methods, and Applications (2001). In N. Anderson, D. S. Ones, H. K. Sinangil, & C. Viswesvaran (Eds.), Handbook of Industrial, Work, and Organizational Psychology, (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage), pp 143-165

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Adaptive Government | The ETHOS Roundtable 61

The ETHOS Roundtable Adaptive Government

In this session of the ETHOS Roundtable, three eminent participants from Singapore’s 4th Leaders in Governance Programme reflect on the changing roles and responsibilities of public servants in a dynamic world.

Participants: Dr Adeeb Al Afifi, Director, Foreign Trade And Exports, Department of Economic Development, Abu Dhabi, UAE Dr Do Le Chau, Director, Training Institute, Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam Mr Puneet Kumar, Director (Highways), Ministry of Road Highways and Transport, India

ON THE KEY CHALLENGES fruitful outcomes. Take our efforts to CONFRONTING GOVERNMENTS IN THE diversify from the oil sector and grow NEXT DECADE a stronger private sector. We are a very ADEEB: We have never seen such small country of 1.2 million citizens sweeping changes as we have and one of the top five oil producers in experienced in the last year or so in the the world. Yet even though we have the Middle East. On the one hand, we are financial resources, open budgets and seeing the effects of bad government; ability to employ the best talent from on the other hand, many of the anywhere in the world, it does not mean communities involved are not mature it is easy to implement reforms. You enough to understand politics or how cannot set the agenda at the top and governments are run, and what their assume everything will automatically own commitments are. What they fall into place, even with the best written want is the privilege of new services or strategy or policy. Much more needs to subsidies, and if they don’t get them, be done to make things happen. they take to the streets. It is worrying for the future. PUNEET: Gone are the days when For a society to develop, the whole political power used to be concentrated community has to be involved. Everyone in certain blocs, with little accountability has to understand, believe and play a for whether or not they delivered. With part in the national vision for it to have globalisation and a knowledge-based

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 62 Adaptive Government | The ETHOS Roundtable society and economy, this can no longer are getting longer, which means an be the case: what has happened in the ageing population and pressure for more Middle East demonstrates this. Yet services. Vietnam has one of the fastest despite their present difficulties, many ageing populations in the world today countries possess intrinsic strengths even though 65% of our population is that can still be developed. So the biggest still under 35. challenge is still that of leadership. If a The challenge for governments country’s leadership is unable to provide everywhere will be to find fresh or solutions to the needs of its population, alternative resources to continue unrest is only going to increase. economic growth, and even increase So the onus is now on political it for social development and services. leaders and public servants to respond Countries will have to work closely in time to the expectations of their together, for instance, on security issues citizens. This will require initiative as scarce resources are depleted. We have and anticipation of future needs. to work together to find new alternatives India, for example, is investing almost and also to maintain stability while US$1 trillion1 in infrastructure. About trying to make the best, coordinated use half of this is expected to come from the of what we have left. private sector in all the infrastructure sectors, which are right now developing ON future SKILLS PUBLIC SERVANTS rapidly. Investments are also being made WILL NEED in sectors such as education, healthcare, PUNEET: We will have to go beyond safe telecommunications and IT, all at a very and tried measures in order to respond fast pace. to the needs of our people. We will need people who are more willing to take on CHAU: The world faces a serious challenges and innovate; at the same depletion of energy and other material time, it will also be the responsibility of resources, including water, which a stable political leadership to encourage could potentially lead to shortages and empower such civil servants. They serious enough to ignite war. Security — should not be hounded for attempting both internal and cross-border — will the right sort of initiatives even if some continue to be a concern. At the same of them may fail. Unless this kind of time, we have rapid economic growth, enabling environment is provided, with every country trying to develop as public servants will find no room to quickly as it can, and life expectancies innovate, and they will be unable to

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Adaptive Government | The ETHOS Roundtable 63 develop the capability needed to handle ground in order to build mutual the complex and unknown challenges to understanding that certain new come. The element of trust is important: developments or policies are in the both within the public service and interest of their families, and will have between government and the people. a positive impact on future generations. Although it is very time consuming, it CHAU: Public servants will need to serve is also important to engage our private a bridging function: they have to stay sector companies individually and connected with the ground in order to regularly, to understand what they do, understand their needs and making even to the extent of trying to know sure government policies are responsive their management on a personal level. and relevant to the people. Also, the If people and businesses do not perceive important challenges ahead will cut the benefits of public policies, it is a across political and national boundaries. waste of time no matter how much Public servants will therefore need we spend. Whatever our priorities, we to work in close cooperation with are dealing with human beings, not one another and even with their machines that can be overlooked or put counterparts in different countries. aside if they don’t fit into the new ideal. They will have to be globally aware and This has required a new mindset in culturally literate, able to relate across government. The old way of government different regions. thinking was centred on processes and Nevertheless, there will not be authority — a senior public servant straightforward, single solutions to the in this system was aloof, inaccessible challenges of our time. In many areas, and did not need to account for his international cooperation by cross- policies or decisions; he had no key border teams within related sectors performance indicators (KPIs), targets such as healthcare and energy could be or goals, and was there to play a role or the most effective way forward. provide a service as he saw fit. The new thinking looks at society as customers ADEEB: We have found that it is and partners; the government official is important to be able to cascade our there to serve the people. We have had vision of development all the way to convince the community that we are down to the individual citizen in the doing our best to support them. community. We hold open dialogues Tremendous changes have already and discussions with people on the taken place in our countries, but deep

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 64 Adaptive Government | The ETHOS Roundtable transformation will take much longer. CHAU: What’s striking about Singapore We cannot simply cut and paste what is the sense of a common, relentless push other parts of the world are doing, nor for economic development. As a result — can we forecast an exact outcome for perhaps of your vulnerability — there is the future. So we must try out things a strong zeal for survival and success. and assess the impact, adapting ideas In Vietnam, as in other countries, a and policies for ourselves as we go along. programme might be pushed out to We have to have a general strategy, but the provinces but the outcomes would not too detailed long-term plans; instead be mixed because there is no sense of we should be able to try out short-term urgency nor a shared priority in making plans, and be prepared to stop, change the implementation work. direction or push forward as we go along. What happens when people are ADEEB: Your sense of common purpose afraid to apply new policies, or change is an asset. Other countries can afford or drop existing ones? Things are fine not to agree: if an idea reaches an today, everything seems to be developing impasse, they pack up and try again at a slow and steady pace, and there are in six months. In many other systems, no riots or strikes, so why try a new there are often long debates between initiative? Then the status quo rigidifies, officials in different agencies with the facts on the ground change, and the different priorities, and key projects boat starts sinking. This was the lesson often stagnate as a result. In Singapore, in the Middle East and other parts of because of your constraints, you cannot the world. afford not to agree — all parties have to sit down, compromise and come up ON THE VALUES THAT SHOULD ENDURE with a win-win solution. This is not PUNEET: It is common, perhaps even something you should take for granted. inevitable, for complacency to set in Luck has also played some part in when basic needs are met and survival Singapore’s development, in that certain is not at stake. It takes visionary policies you took a gamble on have paid leadership to be able to anticipate a off, but also that you had the right better future and provide motivation people at the right time in the beginning; to forge ahead even when things are that competent people, even those who comfortable now. have studied or worked abroad, chose to stay instead of leaving the country, as has frequently happened elsewhere.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Adaptive Government | The ETHOS Roundtable 65

The loyalty of your people is part of your good fortune. But surely it is also how you handle the package that you are given. This is what differentiates Singapore from the rest of Asia.

The ETHOS Roundtable was conducted by ETHOS Editor Alvin Pang in July 2011. Mr Puneet Kumar, Dr Adeeb Al Afifi and Dr Do Le Chau were participants in the 4th Leaders in Governance Programme (LGP) organised by the Singapore Civil Service College from 4 to 12 July 2011. Drawing from Singapore’s developmental experience, the LGP offers foreign delegates practical insights into the fundamentals of good governance and effective policy implementation for sustainable economic development and social cohesion. Over the eight-day programme, participants interact with senior government officials and thought leaders, and visit key government agencies to understand their operating philosophies and values.

NOTE 1. As reported in The Economist, 22 November 2010, http:// www.economist.com/node/17493351

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 66 Preparing Public Officers for New Modes of Governance | Aaron Maniam

Opinion Aaron Maniam Preparing Public Officers for New Modes of Governance

Public service training and development should evolve in tandem with the dynamic, relational modes of governance that are emerging.

overnment in Singapore V. Moving beyond impersonal has experienced several institutions to curate governance G transformative shifts since that is relational, empathetic and independence in 1965, broadly engaging in dealing with diversity of categorised by the following stages, citizen and stakeholder expectations each building on the previous phases and interests. This diversity predates, of development: but has been uniquely enabled by, the growth of social media. I. Providing basic services to citizens, and dealing with fundamental These stages are not mutually security imperatives. exclusive. Instead, each encompasses II. Becoming cost-efficient in a world and extends on the previous. With each of scarcity. transformation, the demands on and III. Establishing enduring, long-run expectations of government grow in institutions that maintain efficiency magnitude, diversity and complexity. beyond the short term, in response Singapore moved from Stage I to to internal and external volatility. Stage II relatively quickly during the IV. Cultivating and sustaining industrialisation drive of the 1970s. The institutions that are adaptive, transition to Stage III occurred in the innovative and change-ready, late 1980s and early 1990s, in response to in order to navigate the growing the prospect of internal political change complexity and uncertainty that after Lee Kuan Yew stepped down as has arisen from globalisation and Prime Minister, as well as international accelerating change. volatility arising from the collapse

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Preparing Public Officers for New Modes of Governance | Aaron Maniam 67 of the Eastern bloc. In the mid-1990s, some level of austerity, rather than the building of long-run institutions resource abundance. dovetailed with the early stages of the • Being creative and finding new PS21 movement. sources of ideas, innovation and Government in Stages I to III required productivity, rather than relying on efficient, efficacious and effective meeting tried-and-tested policy options. This of public needs, adopting what economists may require shielding small groups would call “optimisation” measures to of officers to conduct such work, carry out the functions of government at akin to “skunk work” groups or the the least possible cost. Particularly from growing number of futures units in Stage II onwards, “lean” government was the government who are given the very much in vogue and outsourcing of freedom to consider out-of-the-box ostensibly secondary services became issues, without being bogged down more prevalent. in daily routines. • Working with and harnessing the NEW FRONTIERS... potential of the private and people Government currently operates sectors to deliver “governance”, a somewhere between Stages IV and V. concept beyond the exclusive remit This involves several key roles: of the public sector. Governance is less of an “elite” endeavour than • Operating at the frontiers of traditional “government”. Instead, it trade-offs and making difficult involves a spectrum of cooperative prioritisations. The double-digit modalities, from consulting outside growth of our early years, and government on a range of policy of recent post-recession times, options generated by policymakers; cannot be sustained indefinitely. coordinating amongst different We are operating on, rather than groups that each have interests within, our production possibility in particular aspects of a policy frontier, and the opportunity area; co-creating policy with costs of our policy choices will non-government entities when be felt more acutely, until and appropriate; or even community- unless we can shift the frontier ownership of policy areas where outward through technological there are no particular public transformation. Increasingly, we will good functions to be met by make policy under assumptions of government provision.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 68 Preparing Public Officers for New Modes of Governance | Aaron Maniam

• Navigating a state of constant efficiency-focused approaches will need adaptation and innovation rather to evolve to allow spare capacity for than having the comfort of any stable officers to deal with complex and often “equilibrium”. Instead of seeking untidy situations. elusive “right” answers from the It is likely that the exact capability inception of a policy, policymakers set required for such governance will will find themselves leaning towards not be static. Instead, it will be dynamic more iterative and experimental and kaleidoscopic, shifting and evolving approaches, which emphasise the as governance acquires new facets and process of governance as much dimensions. Nonetheless, several key as the final product. Incremental ideas can already be discerned: improvements on initial prototypes, rather than pre-packaged policy that • As uncertainty grows in what is “ready upon delivery”, will become Anthony Giddens has called our more common. “runaway world”,1 policy work will • Working beyond “hard” policy increasingly be less direct and less options and embracing the need amenable to clear solutions that can for “softer” aspects like effective be determined ahead of time. Instead, engagement of citizens, resonant policymaking will be characterised communication and making policy more by indirect approaches or that connects emotively, not just “obliquity”, a term popularised by analytically; with the “heart”, not the Financial Times journalist John just the “head”. This will involve Kay in his 2010 book.2 Instead policymakers seeing the public not of attempting to tackle policy just as taxpayers and customers or challenges “head on”, practitioners of service-receivers in transactional governance may find it more useful relationships, but more as citizens to address the systems surrounding a with a stake and role in Singapore’s particular policy experience and the collective future. root causes therein. Implementing obliquity will be challenging; it will ...AND NEW CAPABILITIES call for significant lateral thinking The current stages of governance from policymakers who may be will require capabilities that are more familiar with optimising qualitatively different from those approaches. Time-constrained required earlier. In particular, decision-makers will also have to

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Preparing Public Officers for New Modes of Governance | Aaron Maniam 69

reframe their perceptions of policy, • Perhaps most fundamental to and exercise a measure of suspension governance of the future will be the of disbelief, if oblique approaches are need to constantly remake policy, to be allowed to take their course. reinvent ideas and re-perceive the world. It is likely to involve Efficiency-focused approaches engaging in acts of creation and not will need to evolve to allow just the maintenance or sustaining spare capacity for officers to of existing systems. In many ways, deal with complex and often this will give expression to latent untidy situations. “maker instincts” in all of us — our inclinations to be what Douglas • Policymakers will probably have Thomas and John Seely Brown have to better understand the soft, called “homo farens”, the doer, not emergent, non-linear qualities of just “homo sapiens”, the thinker.4 complex systems, which operate Brown extends this argument to far more like biological ecosystems include the need for some of us to be than mechanical systems (which “homo ludens”, engaging in creative are based on immutable input- play geared towards innovation. output relationships). Such quasi- This ability to participate in biological characteristics, with strategically-directed play will be major consequences sometimes key if our innate maker instincts resulting from minor perturbations, are to operate obliquely and in a bio- are evident in many governance empathetic way. challenges today, from climate change and falling fertility rates CAPABILITY BUILDING AND TRAINING to the impact of social media. An How do we ensure that policymakers appreciation of these traits — what are given the appropriate training and former president of the Institute of experience-building to meet the rigours the Future Bob Johansen terms “bio- of being playful, creative makers who empathy”3 — will help policymakers employ oblique approaches and who accept that they might not be able to appreciate the non-linear rhythms of predict all the changes in a complex complex systems? In keeping with the system, many of which arise from evolving demands of governance, the self-reinforcing feedback loops and very process of training will have to multiple variables. employ more oblique, bio-empathetic

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 70 Preparing Public Officers for New Modes of Governance | Aaron Maniam and play-related approaches, and many illuminate both their commonalities training techniques will be experiments and contrasts. in themselves. • Sessions involving policy gaming and simulations. While the military has The exact capability set had a long tradition of “wargaming”, required for such governance such techniques have been less will be dynamic widely used in the civilian sector. and kaleidoscopic. Current small-scale experiments involve exploring how to craft such At the Civil Service College, some exercises, where participants can be of the ongoing experiments in these immersed in a realistic, if not totally directions include: life-like, set of circumstances that hone their instincts to make decisions • Sessions where training and “sense- under dilemma-ridden conditions of making” functions are combined. complexity, incomplete information Instead of seeing training as a one- and unpredictability. These are not way communication from trainers always comfortable exercises, but the to trainees, some sessions are expansion of participants’ comfort structured much more as “facilitated” zones is in fact a key aim. discussions, where facilitators learn as much as course participants Complementing these experiments about the subject being explored. is a set of fundamentals in our training Such platforms for dialogue are philosophy that we believe will continue critical sources of new ideas: the to be useful, even as the nature of majority of our programmes involve governance evolves. participants from multiple agencies, First, training must continue whose experiences of different to be systematic and regular. As adjacent possibilities can provide the demands on policymakers, our rich new insights to their colleagues. development programmes must grow These sessions require facilitators more intentional and purposeful. with both depth of experience in We currently conduct leadership curating such discussions, as well programmes for new entrants; for those as breadth of policy exposure, who taking on supervisory roles for the first can draw connections between time; for those first taking on Director the work of different ministries to or Head of Department positions; and for

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Preparing Public Officers for New Modes of Governance | Aaron Maniam 71 new entrants into senior Public Sector that did not pan out as anticipated. Both Leadership/agency head positions. cases offer useful ways of nurturing a deep awareness of the Public Service’s Governance of the future shared history, which can inform the will involve engaging in acts thought processes of future generations of creation and not just the of public officers as they navigate maintenance or sustaining of evolving trends in governance. existing systems.

Second, the Whole-of-Government Aaron Maniam is Director of the Institute nature of many training programmes, of Policy Development at the Civil Service particularly those geared towards College. The Institute is responsible for organising leadership training for public future leaders, will be key. The value sector leaders at various stages of their of such interactions across agencies careers. He is concurrently Associate Fellow is both analytical, in inculcating at the Centre for Strategic Futures in the understanding among future leaders of Prime Minister’s Office, where he works how government operates as a system, with a team analysing issues with long-term not just discrete silos; as well as in the implications for Singapore’s future. He began formation of social capital, through his career in public service at the Ministry of networks and bonds of trust developed Foreign Affairs. The views expressed in this over the various leadership programmes, article are his own. which can last from two to nine weeks. Third, we continue to adopt NOTES a “practitioner-based” teaching/ 1. Giddens, Anthony, Runaway World: How Globalization is facilitation model, where more senior Reshaping Our Lives (London: Routledge, 1999) 2. Kay, John, Obliquity: Why Our Goals are Best Achieved officers return to the College to Indirectly (Great Britain: Profile Books, 2011) 3. Johansen, Bob, Leaders Make the Future (San Francisco, share experiences and insights with California: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009). Bio-empathy their junior colleagues. Some invited is on Johansen’s list of ten leadership qualities for a “VUCA” world (one that is volatile, uncertain, complex practitioners come from the private, non- and ambiguous). 4. Thomas, Douglas, and Brown, John Seely, A New Culture profit and academic sectors, who provide of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of useful non-government perspectives on Constant Change (2011) the effects of current public policies. In a changing world, each sharing could legitimately encompass good practices as well as learning points from policies

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 72 Frontiers, Sovereignty and Cyberspace | Bertrand de La Chapelle

Opinion Bertrand de La Chapelle Frontiers, Sovereignty and Cyberspace

Should social media platforms be governed as cross-border digital jurisdictions?

BORDERLESS INTERNET by governments of national boundaries VERSUS NATIONAL FRONTIERS and jurisdictions. Indeed, national The technically borderless nature of the governments have struggled to adapt Internet has enabled “globalisation” and older laws to the new digital environment. exemplifies the vision of a unified world, They also face difficulties enforcing where frontiers would become less their rules and court decisions on actors relevant. Hailed as a tool for cultural, located out of their borders and, at the political and economic convergence, same time, worry about the impact of the Internet is often presented as a other countries’ legislations on their single transnational space, governed by own citizens and corporations. principles of democracy and freedom, While understandable, this trend even able to positively impact the of hardening national boundaries in territories of repressive regimes. More the digital environment brings risks of recently, major platforms for social censorship and surveillance, conflicts of networking, global content hosting or jurisdiction and difficult enforceability micro-blogging have transformed the of national laws in the absence of Internet into a full social and political transnational cooperation, as well as a space, a “global polity” in the eyes possible fragmentation of the Internet of some. with a consequent loss of the benefits of In parallel, however, growing its borderless nature. security concerns and differing national perspectives regarding freedom of A “FRACTALISATION”OF SOVEREIGNTY expression, copyright or privacy Global social media platforms may protection on social media have be accessible in all countries of the triggered a worldwide reaffirmation world, and therefore potentially subject

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Frontiers, Sovereignty and Cyberspace | Bertrand de La Chapelle 73 to all national laws. However, their impose) and their privacy protection headquarters and data centres are stronger than what is allowed under located in specific countries. Any user, American law (yet less than what Europe whatever their physical location, is or Canada require). This reflects a desire therefore directly or indirectly bound by to establish unified community rules, the laws of that country. Furthermore, satisfying the most vocal users, and the Terms of Service (ToS) established deemed acceptable in most territories. by the said platform usually specify the In a way, as long as they remain on applicable jurisdiction in case of dispute. the servers, accessible through, say, If sovereignty is the exercise of www.facebook.com, the more than 600 legal authority over a physical territory, million members of that social platform this amounts to a “fractalisation”1 of are effectively in “the digital territory of sovereignty: the jurisdiction and legal Facebook”. This is likewise the case for framework of one country becomes the user-generated content hosted on de facto applicable on the territory of global platforms such as YouTube. More another one, extending the reach of the generally, through the Domain Name former and reducing the sovereignty of System (DNS),2 cyberspace is organised the latter. into “digital domains”, each subject to specific rules contained in the ToS of SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS the site operator: following a link to AS DIGITAL TERRITORIES? youtube.com from a page on baidu.cn3 Beyond defining the ultimate is equivalent to crossing a digital jurisdiction, social media ToS represent frontier and potentially changing the the de facto “internal law” of the applicable rules of accepted behaviour corresponding social space, allowing the as well as the relevant jurisdiction. management of the company to specify Could this notion of digital frontiers privacy, freedom of expression and point to the emergence of a specific, new copyright rules. Interestingly enough, geography for cyberspace, based on such although the current major platforms “digital territories”? are American companies and their content mostly hosted on US territory, TOWARDS GLOBAL TERMS OF SERVICE their ToS are more restrictive in terms FOR SOCIAL MEDIA? of the content they accept than what Instead of trying to harmonise disparate is allowed under the First Amendment ad hoc national legislations that global (yet less than what certain countries platforms have difficulty respecting,

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 74 Frontiers, Sovereignty and Cyberspace | Bertrand de La Chapelle or fantasise about future Internet society actors) in the elaboration of treaties, could it be possible to start social media ToS. from the existence of these virtual The Internet is technically conceived communities and encourage such social as inherently borderless. Our international media to adopt global ToS that would system, however, is based on physical be acceptable by the countries in which frontiers defining national jurisdictions. they want to operate? An important How can the human family resolve this component of such regimes would be dynamic tension and define governance the availability of internal dispute mechanisms for a common global resolution procedures to address in a Cyberspace and its sub-domains? The first instance the potential conflicts, development of the Internet places before they are brought in front of the relationship between physical national courts. territories and applicable jurisdiction The development of such global under a new light. The concept of digital ToS should not only involve the users territories may be a path to explore. of these services but also the relevant Waiting for traditional multilateral governments and the other business processes to produce a universal entities connected to such platforms via regime for the Internet is a delusion. Application Programming Interfaces,4 in Notwithstanding unavoidable delays, conformity with the multi-stakeholder it is neither the right format nor the governance principle established by right procedure. Likewise, multiplying the World Summit on the Information incompatible national legislations in Society.5 Currently, emerging discussions a context of low enforcement capacity in the OECD regarding a possible regime is a sure recipe for destroying the for cloud computing6 are an illustration benefits of the first truly global of such an approach. communication medium. This paradigm shift (starting In this context, it may be time from the virtual communities rather to ask a key question: can physical than from the national level) is not a frontiers remain the sole criteria limitation of national sovereignty — for the determination of applicable quite the contrary. It would not suppress jurisdiction in Internet-related activities, the ultimate competence of national or does Cyberspace prefigure a new legal systems, but simply recognise an geography, including the concept intermediary level of governance, fully of Digital Territories and a global, involving public authorities (and civil multi-stakeholder cooperation to

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Frontiers, Sovereignty and Cyberspace | Bertrand de La Chapelle 75 define acceptable ToS for social Bertrand de La Chapelle is Director of the media platforms? Governance Program of the International Diplomatic Academy in Paris and a member of the Board of Directors of the Internet Waiting for traditional Corporation for Assigned Names and multilateral processes to Numbers (ICANN). He was the Thematic produce a universal regime Ambassador and Special Envoy for the for the Internet is a delusion. Information Society of the French Foreign and European Affairs Ministry between 2006 and 2010. New challenges require innovative approaches to reframe and successfully address the intractable issues we are NOTES 1. The term “fractalisation” is used as a reference to currently facing. All public servants in complex mathematical objects called fractals (discovered by French scientist Benoît Mandelbrot) that help describe the Digital Age need to develop new self-similar and dendritic structures, such as the surface skills: to manage regular interactions resulting from the interpenetration of two substances. 2. The Domain Name System is the hierarchical set of with businesses and civil society at the identifiers including generic domains (such as .com, .org, .net) and country-codes (like .fr for France) used in the address national level (the multi-stakeholder bar of browsers. approach) but also to understand how 3. Baidu is the dominant Chinese search engine. 4. Application Programming Interfaces are a set of national regulations can impact other protocols that allow third-party applications to plug into the database of major platforms to enable value- countries. The pan-jurisdiction reality added services. of social media creates an intermediary 5. The World Summit on the Information Society was a four-year UN Summit (2002–2005) that established the space between the national level and principle of associating governments, businesses, civil society and international organisations in the development treaty-based international arrangements. and application of regimes related to the evolution and use What will be needed are public servants of the Internet. 6. Cloud computing, describes the use of distributed and who can combine technical competence remote computing, and storage capacity using large data and traditional diplomatic skills, and centres for one or several online platforms. are willing to engage in new global discussions where the size of the country matters less than the capacity of its representatives to contribute to effective solutions.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 76 Book Review: Triumph of the Lion City | Tan Peng Ting

Book Review Tan Peng Ting Triumph of the Lion City Book Title : Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier Author : Edward Glaeser Published by : The Penguin Press, 2011

or those of us living in the land- that nurture creative and innovative scarce, high-density city state people as the way forward for healthy F of Singapore, where human and sustained growth. He argues that capital is often lauded as the only a city’s success depends on its ability to resource, Edward Glaeser’s latest book innovate and reinvent itself to produce may be preaching to a most pious choir. ideas and not things. At the very heart The Harvard Professor of Economics of cities are its people — it is through paints a brightly positive picture of density and concentration of talent that cities as a powerful driver of wealth and cities are able to incubate innovation development: the book champions cities by connecting their inhabitants and as the greatest human invention of all serving as a gateway for ideas. Urban time, no less. In Glaeser’s analysis, cities density confers the advantage of not are incubators and transmitters of ideas; just a large, accessible catchment of natural engines of growth that can population, but also the connectivity generate happiness for a population — which is conducive to the spread and but only if they have applied the right propagation of ideas. The denser the city, formula for success. the higher the productivity tends to be, Presenting itself as a guide to which in turn supports higher wages. creating a successful city, the book Glaeser offers examples of how cities recommends strategies for cities to stay can prevent decline and continuously relevant in the age of globalisation. rejuvenate its economy by creating Analysing the success and failure of a climate favourable to innovation cities throughout history, Glaeser through urban density, industrial advocates high-density urban centres diversity and education.

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Not dissimilar to Richard Florida’s addressing the Detroit Mayor to idea of the Creative Class,1 Glaeser suggest solutions for the “Rust Belt” stresses the importance of small firms, cities in the US. He goes further to skilled citizens and small-scale inter- debunk what he regards as a misguided connected creative communities. In American “environmentalist” ideology support of this view, he attributes the that denounces high-density urban decline of Detroit in the United States development as the epitome of vile living (US) to the loss of its creative class and conditions. Being an environmentalist small firms. The previously innovative does not mean that one must live in city, he argues, had been replaced by nature — on the contrary, Glaeser seems a monoculture of ideas — a juggernaut to suggest that such ideas have ironically company which drew fewer and fewer resulted in the encroachment of educated workers into massive factories suburban developments into wilderness that were disconnected from the city. areas and the loss of natural habitats and agricultural land. Coupled with the American dream of home ownership A city’s success depends on its with a quarter-acre home and garden for ability to innovate and reinvent every family, the preference for a low- itself to produce ideas and density lifestyle has led to urban sprawl not things. across major metropolitan areas in the US. So an urban dweller who lives, say, in a Singapore high-rise apartment and Of particular resonance is Glaeser’s commutes via public transport, may in emphasis on the importance of helping fact be more “environmentally friendly” poor people and not poor places. Rather than a person who lives by the forest, than indulging in more infrastructure away from the urban jungle, but has to projects to boost the economy, the author drive everywhere. suggests that it would be more effective instead to nurture a city’s inhabitants Cities aren’t buildings; cities and stoke its innovative and creative are people. spirit. Investing in people, Glaeser argues, is more valuable than investing in real estate, because fundamentally “cities SINGAPORE — POSTER CHILD aren’t buildings; cities are people”. FOR SUCCESS Glaeser’s book is aimed primarily Unsurprisingly, a few pages of his book at an American audience, often are devoted to Singapore, which appears

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 78 Book Review: Triumph of the Lion City | Tan Peng Ting to be something of a poster child for Glaeser’s formula for a successful city. Beyond immigration and While the author has taken pains to integration, the building uncover the common urban properties of communities will be conducive to the creation of human fundamental to Singapore's wealth and happiness, he also points continued success. out that every successful city “defines its own idiosyncratic space”. In the case of Singapore, he (perhaps predictably) of over-reliance on large corporations at highlights the investment in education the expense of supportive conditions for and cultivation of its human capital individual innovators; overdependence as one of the city state’s key successful on the private sector to drive factors. Singapore’s resource and land development is also to be avoided. It scarcity have served as the impetus for begs the question of whether Singapore’s various policies, which in Glaeser’s view population — which continues to have resulted in positive urban growth: grow largely through non-resident the attraction of international capital, immigration, which in turn is partly a broad and effective education system, cost-driven — risks inheriting a less- and careful industrial planning. He skilled migrant population (as Detroit argues that unlike Japan, where the eventually did) even as more highly- government plays the role of venture educated and mobile Singaporeans flow capitalist in investing in its local to other global cities. If this is the case, companies, Singapore has supported the then signs such as the 2011–2012 World innovation and growth of firms largely Economic Forum Global Competitiveness through market mechanisms, supported Report,2 which cited an “inadequately by excellent infrastructure and the educated workforce” as one of the rule of law. Whereas Tokyo attracts the top concerns for doing business in nation’s talent through a concentration Singapore, may signal cause for concern. of political power and associated wealth, If small firms and creative individuals Singapore attracts global talent and are at the heart of Glaeser’s innovative capital through a high quality of life city, it makes one wonder if our reliance and strong urban governance. on large multinational firms will, like Glaeser also offers insights into Detroit’s experience, eventually become what not to do in the pursuit of urban detrimental to the health of our urban growth. Detroit is held up as an example ecosystem and economy.

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Book Review: Triumph of the Lion City | Tan Peng Ting 79 Was Gandhi an Anti-Urbanist?

While cities look to be the dominant certainly powerful engines of growth, human landscape of the future, it is Glaeser seems to have overlooked certain important not to be overly deterministic basic developmental elements, such as about the role of cities and urban food production. For instance, Glaeser development as engines of growth, at unfairly pegs Gandhi as an anti-urbanist the expense of rural development. As for his support of rural development in the rural-urban divide starts to blur, it villages scattered across India. Could is important to bear in mind that cities the solution to rural poverty and world depend very much on their hinterlands hunger really be to move all the world’s for sustenance and growth. Singapore is populations into cities? It might give city no exception, especially since we import dwellers cause to consider where our up to 90% of our food consumption. future food supplies are going to come Glaeser, as an economist, appears rather from if the entire world’s population one-sided about the overriding merits were to live in cities. of urban development. While cities are

Glaeser emphasises that it is the environment where ideas can spread continued investment in a population’s and thrive, developing networks of capabilities that allows cities to be truly individual innovators and nurturing flexible and resilient in uncertain global home-grown creative communities that economic conditions. Taken together, can anchor and support vital talent. his investigations into the long-term Beyond immigration and integration, health of urban centres suggest that the building of communities will Singapore should build on its success be fundamental to Singapore’s as an urban centre, taking advantage continued success. of its high density, by cultivating an

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Tan Peng Ting is Senior Associate at the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore. She is also currently pursuing a Masters of Social Sciences in Geography at the National University of Singapore. The views expressed in this article are her own.

NOTES 1. Florida, Richard, The Rise of the Creative Class: and How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life (USA: Basic Books, 2002) 2. The same report ranked Singapore as the second most competitive economy in the world. See http:// www.weforum.org/reports/global-competitiveness- report-2011-2012

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Futures Literacy — Embracing Complexity and Using the Future | Riel Miller 81

Opinion Riel Miller Futures Literacy — Embracing Complexity and Using the Future

If policymakers want to address complexity, they must define and then use the future more effectively, argues futurist Riel Miller.

What is the Challenge? adequate based on past perceptions of Getting the Question Right our needs and capacities. Nevertheless, The world is not more complicated or the perceived proliferation of so-called complex today than yesterday; when “wicked problems” in recent times it comes to seeing and acting in any has added to a mounting sense of specific situation it is capacity that uncertainty, and called into question makes the difference, not the absolute both the decision-making value of these number of permutations or even business-as-usual approaches as well unfamiliarity. What seems complicated as their sufficiency in accounting for to a child may seem like child’s play to an complexity in practice. Recent advances in understanding adult. In particular, what matters is the complexity, uncertainty and emergence sophistication of our sense-making: our have opened up new ways of defining ability to discover, invent and construct and using the future. The question is the world around us. therefore not how to cope with a universe To date, considerable effort has that seems to be getting more complex, been made to improve sense-making but how to improve our ability to take capabilities. Policymakers call on advantage of the novel emergence that familiar and intuitive methods of has always surrounded us.1 We need to everyday experience (preparation and bring our capacity to use the future into planning), as well as techniques (such alignment with both our perceptions of as forecasting, horizon scanning, the complex, emergent reality around scenarios, expert opinions) considered us, and our aspirations.

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Anticipatory Systems and the systemic event. One can prepare for Three Dimensions of the Future in or pre-empt a contingency future, 2 the Present but when it happens, it arises from In practical terms, embracing complexity an exogenous force. This potential 3 means, at a minimum, thinking about of the present rests on the threats or the future in terms of anticipatory opportunities posed by external forces. systems, and being able to distinguish Threats can take the form of predators or three types of future. It is failure to disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, do so appropriately that more often pandemics or other wildcard events. than not muddles the sense-making Contingency futures can also be positive processes supporting policy formation such as winning the lottery or having and implementation. resources beneath desert sands suddenly Since we live in an anticipatory become valuable. 4 universe, characterised by time and Contingency futures can be motion, it is not surprising that many imagined and even calculated phenomena and organisations exhibit probabilistically. Although statistics or contain anticipatory systems. Thus and odds are just informed guesses and trees lose their leaves in anticipation “black swans” can pop up at any time, of winter and humans plant crops in human beings have become fairly good anticipation of hunger. Understanding at preparing for contingent futures. the future from an anticipatory We use simulation and rehearsals systems perspective takes into account (emergency drills) to generate adaptive animate and inanimate, conscious capacities (open minds, transparency, and unconscious mechanisms for good communications) that allow us integrating the non-existent future into to react to contingency futures that the present. emerge from outside forces. Once the diversity of these “futures in the present” can be uncovered, the Optimisation next step is to distinguish the three Optimisation futures are things we dimensions of such futures. believe can be “caused” to happen in the future through premeditation and Contingency planning, generally in circumstances Contingency futures are phenomena where the rules and resources are expressed within a system that emerge assumed to be fixed. The idea is to due to the intervention of an extra- impose our will on the future —

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Futures Literacy — Embracing Complexity and Using the Future | Riel Miller 83 imagining, if “all goes well”, that we can the question is how to perceive it and “colonise” tomorrow so that it conforms use it. The first step is to recognise this to our desires and expectations. Here, distinctive category of the future. the potential of the present is like Exploratory futures are those aspects a chess game, with many possible of the present that need to be discovered. permutations and alternative paths, Exploration is about “seeing” the present but the ends, means and rules of play differently; novelty and discontinuity are given. Farmers plant seeds with the are hallmarks. Exploratory futures are expectation of a future crop, knowing about identifying and making sense of full well that many factors can intervene phenomena that emerge like the Big in the meantime: from locusts and war Bang: part inspiration, part legacy, part to good weather and enough “hands” to chance, and part mystery. Exploring this bring in the harvest. dimension of the potential of the present As with contingency futures, humans is a delicate and ephemeral balancing have become pretty good at managing act when compared to optimisation optimisation futures. Even when efforts or contingency, and depends on the to shape the future may only be partially paradoxical, even contradictory task successful, we have generally offered the of building scaffolding that enables rationale that the end (e.g. having food to “rigorous imagining”. eat later in the year) justifies the means The danger is that formal, (imposing a plan). preconceived sources of inspiration, intended to enable discovery, are all Exploration-Discovery too often exactly what snuffs it out. By However, the potential of the insisting and imposing the patterns, present goes beyond contingency and words, and ideas of the past on the optimisation futures. A top-notch plan present, the new and not-yet-meaningful to improve the product line and beat the cannot be invented and brought into our competition may be rendered entirely sense-making processes. Exploration is obsolete as novelty emerges. Toyota may not about the paths not taken — which beat GM because the way it plans its are only the possibilities of the past production of cars is better than that of brought to life by the present. Instead, it GM, but the decline of the automotive is about futures unimagined and hence era can leave both high and dry. Of a present that does not yet make sense. course, emergence-driven systemic Until recently, most deliberate transformation need not be fatal, but systems for anticipating the future

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 84 Futures Literacy — Embracing Complexity and Using the Future | Riel Miller have only addressed the first two Such limitations do not pose dimensions of the future: both of which much of a problem when it comes to can be understood in ways that largely “contingency” and “optimisation” ignore complexity. It takes all three, futures, since in such cases the subject incorporated into our anticipatory is already constrained by specific systems, to see the rich potential of operational or current configurations the present.5 of the system — no changes in the conditions of change need to be taken Making explicit our assumptions into account. about the future Such is not the case when trying to There is nothing unusual about making address complex phenomena rife with explicit the “assumptions” underlying emergent novelty. These problems pose a policy choices: this is just best practice. design challenge — how to live with and In general terms, a “good” policy use the creative novelty of the universe. process will have explicitly considered The challenge is to find practical ways to the nature of the model(s) being used use the future as part of the process of (and hence its assumptions — including discovering and creating the present. ones about the future), although the This is different than meeting details of such an analysis may be in the the implicitly optimisation-oriented background documentation rather than challenge posed by Douglass North in the main text. However, all too often the when he pointed out that most of the assumptions that underlie a model models being used for policy analysis are 6 used to conduct a policy analysis are ergodic, failing to incorporate changes constrained (for a variety of reasons) in the conditions of change. North was to either: highlighting the fact that most policy (i) simple presentations of why analyses, rooted in attempts to estimate the assumptions are considered what will happen in the future, still fail “reasonable” simplifying depictions/ to consider how the policy goal might predictions of “reality” in the present change or be achieved differently under and future, or different conditions or when looked at (ii) descriptions of “givens” that are in the light of other models. considered exogenous to the model — Instead, we should abandon the imposed by an outside force of some effort to try to be so clever that we can sort and usually assumed to apply in choose the right model, find the right the future. data, or make the best guess. There

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Futures Literacy — Embracing Complexity and Using the Future | Riel Miller 85 is no way to outsmart the complexity that are depicted with the help of a of reality; unforeseeable novelty is a vast range of familiar predictive and certainty. Instead, the approach should probabilistic methods. However, what be to try and develop the capacity to use makes FL distinctive is the integration the future in a range of different ways, of anticipatory systems and the different and not be limited by prediction or by categories of the future into each phase narrow conceptions of a desired future. of the action-research processes of sense- It is about being Futures Literate. making and making sense.

FIGURE 1. futures literacy as a Futures Literacy as the Capacity learning process for Improvisation A Futures Literate policymaker is able to identify and distinguish different Narrative Capacity forms of the “potential of the present”; to use the future in the same way that an accomplished reader can distinguish and invent (co-create) many meanings from a given text. As Collective Capacity to Intelligence 7 a specific approach, Futures Literacy (Interactive sense-making) Reframe (FL) focuses on the capacity to discover and invent anticipatory assumptions. FL enhances the sophistication of our As indicated in Figure 1, the foresight anticipatory systems. process must be designed using a Working through structured threefold framework that pays equal conversations that treat the future attention to: as an explicit part of shared sense- making, FL approaches complexity not 1. Narrative — developing sense-making by abandoning assumptions about the frameworks and stories that are future, but by better understanding meaningful to the participants in the different kinds of futures we use the process and “targets” decision when we make decisions and enhancing makers relevant to the process; the richness of each. FL encompasses 2. Collective intelligence — generating traditional techniques for discovering evidence through action research what might happen in the future — that uses imaginary futures to contingency and optimisation futures invent and create collaborative maps,

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enabling all participants to bring Professional Futurists, and a Fellow of their deep and specific knowledge the World Futures Studies Federation. He into the “story”; has worked in the Ontario Civil Service 3. Reframing — using “rigorous and the OECD, and is widely published on topics ranging from the future of the global imagining” to develop and question economy, the financial sector, the Internet, the theories and models that define education systems, to social equity. Riel the variables and relationships, holds a PhD in Economics from the New metrics and definitions being used School for Social Research, New York and to make sense of the present (note: can be reached at www.rielmiller.com pattern recognition/data mining is insufficient). NOTES 1. Reality is not more or less emergent from one moment The point of FL is to become to the next, even if the dominance and stability of systems and hence degrees of openness and adaptation vary over more adept at inventing imaginary time and context. futures: to use these futures to 2. Adapted from: Miller, Riel, “Which Anticipatory System for University Foresight,” Chapter 6 in The For-Uni Blueprint: discern system boundaries, relationships A Blueprint for Organizing Foresight in Universities, Executive Agency for Higher Education and Research Funding, and emergence; to invent and detect (Romania, 2010). changes in the conditions of change; 3. In the author's view, there are three necessary components to being able to effectively “use the future” to rethink the assumptions we use to for decision-making. Understanding all three is what he calls being Futures Literate and entails a practical grasp of understand the present. The emphasis a) anticipatory systems, b) the three ontological aspects of the future, and c) scientific sense-making capabilities. As a is on the imaginary: since the point is capacity, Futures Literacy provides a command of the “design not to test present assumptions against principles” that can be applied constantly in order to use the future to embrace complexity. some predictive future, but to use the 4. For an exploration of this topic, and a discussion of “what is the future”, see Special Issue: Anticipatory Systems and future to question, unpack, invent what the Philosophical Foundations of Futures Studies, Foresight, is going on and what is doable now. Vol. 12, No. 3, Emerald, 2010. 5. This is a way of connecting a multi-ontology reality with By increasing our capacity to a multi-epistemology design for action. See Aaltonen M., The Third Lens: Multi-ontology Sense Making and Strategic improvise and be spontaenous, live with Decision Making, (Ashgate, 2007). permanent ambiguity and novelty, FL 6. “Ergodic” describes a model or system that remains stable over time. To use the terminology of Karl Popper, an frees us up to go beyond the predictable, ergodic system is one in which there is no “change in the and enables us to embrace complexity. conditions of change”. 7. Riel Miller, “Futures Literacy: A Hybrid Strategic Scenario Method”, Futures: The Journal of Policy, Planning and Future Studies, 39 (Elsevier, May 2007), pp341-362, and “From Trends to Futures Literacy: Reclaiming the Future”, Riel Miller is a faculty member in the Master Centre for Strategic Education, Seminar Series Papers, No. 160 (Melbourne, Australia, December 2006). of Public Affairs, Sciences-Po, Paris, France, a board member of the Association of

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Leadership Across Generations | Goh Han Teck 87

Goh Han Teck Leadership Across Generations

Generational differences may transform the way we identify, develop and practise leadership in the Public Service.

INTRODUCTION While social scientists have In recognising workforce diversity, recognised generational differences social scientists have not only as an important aspect of workforce emphasised cultural diversity but also diversity, the literature in the field have generational differences. The current tended to focus on how best to manage workforce comprises several generations so-called Gen-Ys. At the same time, the and at least four cohorts have been multi-generational workplace raises identified, each possessing different questions about the changing nature characteristics from the next. For the first of leadership itself.1 What implications time, the multi-generational workplace is will generational differences have on a reality, and the age range of employees in the practice of leadership, and what many organisations is widening as people will they mean for the development retire later and work for longer. of future leaders? These were some of

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 88 Leadership Across Generations | Goh Han Teck

Singapore’s Multi- Generational Workforce

Figure 1: Generational Distribution in the Figure 2: Generational Distribution in the Singapore Workforce Singapore Civil Service

Traditionals, Traditionals, 3.1% 0.5%

Gen Ys, 20.1% Boomers, Gen Ys, 22.4% Boomers, 33.5% 37.5%

Xers, Xers, 39.3% 43.6%

Generational Distribution in the Generational Distribution in the Singapore Workforce Civil Service

While the precise time-frames may vary, Of the approximately 3 million in the experts generally agree that there are Singapore workforce today, approximately four distinct generations at present: 3% are Traditionals, 38% Boomers, 39% Xers, and 20% Generation Ys. • Traditionals (Matures) — born between Of the 74,000 employees in the 1909 and 1945 Singapore Civil Service, 0.5% are • Boomers — born between 1946 Traditionals, 22% Boomers, 44% Xers, and and 1964 33.5% Generation Ys. • Generation X (Xers) — born between 1965 and 1979 • Generation Y (Gen Y, Millennials or Nexters) — born after 1979

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Leadership Across Generations | Goh Han Teck 89 the questions our recent study sought for themselves. The argument to answer.2 that newer generations have a more individualistic leadership GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES style seems to contradict popular IN LEADERSHIP literature that refers to Gen Y as If different generations might be being more team-oriented. They regarded as cultural sub-groups, may engage in teamwork but are and leadership theory suggests that they good team players? Our focus culture shapes how people view and group data seems to indicate that practise leadership, then it follows that the newer generation of Singapore generational differences in leadership leaders are very accustomed to might reasonably be expected. Our working in teams as a result of their research suggests five shifts in education, but may tend to interpret leadership style that could be related to things through the lens of personal generational differences:3 gain rather than the common good.

1. Individualistic versus Collective. “…my generation has low emphasis Newer generations appear to have on values… maybe 70% to 80% of more of an individualistic focus those who want to be leaders [do so] compared to the more collective because of the rewards… They are orientation of the older generations. more impatient about things and try It seems that newer generation to gain personal recognition more leaders tend to be more competitive than to share rewards with their and assertive, compared to older team mates.” generation leaders who tend to – Gen Y Public Service Employee adopt a more communal form of leadership. In our focus groups, Gen Ys described themselves as 2. Conservative versus Risk Orientated. more self-interested and ambitious. Newer generation leaders, having This is manifest in their relative grown up in a world of rapid change reluctance to take up their share and technological revolutions, of team tasks, their weighing up appear more comfortable with of personal gain before accepting fast changing environments and roles or responsibilities and their are more willing to take risks impatience to see immediate returns and consider novel approaches in

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their leadership. In contrast, older emphasis on interpersonal impact. generation leaders tend to be more Compared to the older generation’s conservative, relying more on world of steady progression and predictability and maintaining the paced achievement, those of the status quo. With a lower concern for newer generation are accustomed to social norms and greater levels of a world of immediate access, instant self-esteem, newer generations may feedback and rapid outcomes. While be more equipped to generate out- it is possible that the younger of-the-box suggestions that they are generation in the workplace is not confident of promoting. any more achievement-oriented than young adults of past generations, “I was really struck by the they seem to be more demanding difference in her worldview and the for the immediacy of outcomes, and willingness to question and challenge this often manifests as impatience assumptions a lot more rather or abruptness in leadership. This than just take things as a given… “leadership impatience” could stem this whole openness to new ideas from generational differences in with less concern that the decisions work values, personality and other taken now are going to impact my factors. There is an indication that organisation or my country…The older the newer generations are more ones amongst us would be weighing competitive, ambitious and results [these] more heavily.” driven, more self-assured and more opportunistic. Status matters – Boomer on Gen Y to them and they are eager to seize opportunities. 3. Increasing Intensity and Pace. Given their openness to risk, the “I suppose that she’s a lot faster, newer generations seem to be more absorbs ideas a lot faster than maybe fast-paced and intense in their the Boomer generation and some in exercise of leadership. They tend to the X generation, she moves a lot be perceived as operating with more faster, [is] able to whip up things very energy, intensity and passion, while quickly, highly energetic…” older generations are seen as more – Gen X on Gen Y likely to maintain a calmer, lower- key, understated stance — with more

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4. Big-Picture Capabilities but Short- of organisational commitment — Term Focus. compared to the older generations, Whilst the younger generations are they have a more short-term view of supposedly more inclined towards their time with an organisation. broader-level thinking, they also seem to operate on shorter timescales. 5. Sources of Authority. This apparent contradiction might Generations appear to vary in their be the function of a difference sources of authority with some real between capability and preference. consequences for how they lead. This is conceivable, given that the Older generations have a higher newer generations grew up in a respect for those in authority as more globalised world of not just compared to new generations who are less concerned with authority interacting systems and diverse and hierarchy. The younger views, but also one that has a high generations have grown up in a rate of change, high product design climate where it is culturally more turnover, and a strong emphasis on acceptable to question authority. speed. The new generations might Their developmental context has be able to see more quickly and been one dominated by post-modern grasp a more complex inter-related and pluralistic worldviews, with world — expressed as an aptitude no one seen to possess absolute for bigger-picture and even longer- “right” answers. Many organisations term thinking. Yet, they have not are becoming flatter and younger seen things last for very long and leaders may perceive influence as are used to instant results. The deriving primarily from competence younger generation’s short-term and knowledge. Given these focus could also reflect their view differing sources of authority, the older generation leaders can be seen “They are very impatient, or have a to exercise leadership along lines very short attention span. So they of hierarchy, viewing leadership might start on one project and be very influence as generally positional. excited about it and then they realise On the other hand, the newer ‘Maybe we can’t do this sort of thing’ generations are more likely to and then they’ll move onto the next respect and also exercise leadership thing and be very excited about that.” based on capability, competency and – Gen Y on Gen Y leaders expertise, rather than rank.

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learn to manage the darker side of “[My experience of] all the Boomer leadership. Leadership programmes, bosses I’ve reported to [is that] emphasising deeper understanding it’s more formal, in terms of the and the moral responsibility of relationship… and it’s a bit more leadership, can combat narcissism directive rather than discursive.” and help develop future leaders. In his seminal book, Leadership, “There is an unspoken expectation Burns6 speaks of responsibility of that you must respect me, because leadership — to elevate others to I’m your boss… and I didn’t get to this a higher sense of performance, position for nothing.” fulfilment, autonomy and purpose. – Gen Y on Boomer boss Leadership development has to expand a leader’s concept of leadership: to include the moral IMPLICATIONS FOR THE dimension, to move leaders DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LEADERS beyond a focus on self, to a focus If leadership styles are shifting along on contributing to others and a generational lines, what can we do to wider purpose. In effect, leadership bring out the best in leaders of different development should help individuals generations? Our research suggests a embrace the social and moral few key priorities: dimensions of “good” leadership.

• Developing the moral dimension of • Increasing self-awareness in leaders. leadership. Studies have associated the newer With the shift towards a more generations with higher self-esteem, individualistic leadership stance, assertiveness and lower need for there is the danger that forms of social approval. These characteristics narcissistic leadership4 could become enable a sense of leadership more evident in newer generations. confidence, but could also affect Over the past decade, there has been their ability or willingness to acquire growing attention on this issue of a realistic picture of themselves. the narcissistic leader. Moccoby5 In contrast, effective leaders must proposes that through development, be able to appreciate their true leaders with narcissistic inclinations capabilities and weaknesses, as well can capitalise on their strengths, and as their impact on the organisation

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and the people they are leading. can help to build this capacity by Thus, leadership development may modelling the process of reflection need to focus on cultivating a greater and action — individuals can learn to understanding of self in the context be more mindful of their leadership of leadership.7 in the moment, rather than falling With hierarchy- or position- back on instinctive behaviours. based authority becoming less accepted by the newer generation of • Communicating respect, value and employees, leaders of all generations inclusion. will have to understand what gives There is a fair degree of empirical legitimacy to their leadership. agreement between the generations They will have to develop a keen when it comes to what they expect appreciation of their strengths (i.e. from their leaders. At the top of the knowledge, abilities, skills, values, list, all generations seek leaders that beliefs) and limitations, and take are able to empathise and care, and them into consideration when who are able to engage them in a influencing others. vision of the future. Communication that inspires and engages usually • Watchfulness and mindfulness in contains two elements, one relating leadership. to boldness of vision and the other If the newer generation prefers to relating to how much the listener is exercise a more intense, quick-paced included and involved in that vision. and immediacy-focused leadership, While boldness and confidence development interventions may can put newer generation leaders need to provide the needed space in good stead to inspire, the more and time for leaders to slow down individualistic and impatient side and reflect on their influence. In of their leadership could lead to its unmanaged state, a quick-paced the exclusion of others. Learning leadership style tends to favour to frame goals and messages in action over reflection, whereas both ways that communicate respect are needed for the exercise of and value for others enables leaders effective leadership. Leaders may to better inspire and engage. For need to cultivate the ability to reflect leaders, leadership development while in the midst of action. As an should help build awareness in intervention, leadership coaching framing interactions, helping them

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communicate and interact in ways leadership concentrates leadership that include the goals, needs and power at the top. Both styles tend to empowerment of others. disempower others. Yet leadership that enables others to lead is needed • Developing leaders as coaches. in a complex world where no one Our research suggests that older can know nor act across the full generation leaders are keen to picture.8 Leadership development develop their staff and younger needs to help leaders embrace a model generation leaders are keen to of leadership that de-emphasises learn. However, we also found that the “heroic” mode of leadership, the preferred learning styles differ where vision is monopolised, and across generations. Older generation focuses instead on harnessing the diverse perspectives, experiences leaders adopt a more didactic and strengths of others. Leaders who style of development that does not can learn to feel comfortable with match the more questioning and not being in the centre, but are open experimenting learning style of to let others take the lead, will be the younger generations — who more successful at creating yet more are used to a more learner-centred generations that are capable and experience, like to experiment, equipped to lead. are impatient to put learning into practice, and have the self- THE GENERATIONAL CHALLENGE confidence to come up with some Both our focus group research and of the answers themselves. Senior current literature on the workplace have and middle management may want given us a better appreciation of how to cultivate coaching skills, which the different generations lead and what can offer their younger counterparts they expect of leadership. From this, we a facilitated way of finding their own have begun to make conjectures about solutions to work-based challenges the developmental needs of leaders and developing capabilities to work from different generations, both now independently and effectively. and in the future. We are mindful of the limitations of our study — more research • Building leaders that enable leadership. is required for us to be confident that While narcissistic leadership these are generalisable findings. is reluctant to share focus and Nevertheless, the generational power with others, hierarchy-based phenomenon is one that leaders and

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leadership development practitioners NOTES 1. In a Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge should take note of. Social scientists article in 2007, Jim Heskett posed the question: “How Will theorise that due to the increasing Millennials Manage?”, http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5736html 2. This article is based on the findings of a research rate of change, generational cycles study undertaken in 2011 by Goh Han Teck of the Centre for Leadership Development, Civil Service College, and Jo are becoming shorter and shorter. In Hennessy of Roffey Park Institute. The full research report the past, distinct generational traits can be accessed at www.cld.gov.sg 3. Scholarship exploring the relationship between would take 20 or so years to emerge generations and leadership is sparse. However, we were able to draw on available studies as well as findings from in the workforce, but the present a focus group study that we had conducted. We also generations have emerged in around extrapolated from research on generational differences in values, work perception and personality. Our findings 10 to 15 years. If this trend is true, then are exploratory and indicative rather than conclusive, but provide a useful way of navigating and interpreting inter- we may possibly see more than four generational work interactions. different generations making up the 4. With regard to organisational leadership, narcissism has been defined as a “nonpathological (i.e. normal) personality workplace of the future. Inevitably, dimension that involves a self-centered perspective, feelings of superiority, and a drive for personal power generational differences will continue and glory” (Galvin et al., 2010). See Galvin, B. Waldman, D and Balthazard, P., “Visionary Communication Qualities to affect how leadership is conceived of, as Mediators of the Relationship between Narcissism and identified, developed and practised, and Attributions of Leader Charisma”, Personnel Psychology, 63 (2010), pp509–537 by extension, the impact it will have on 5. Maccoby (2004) in the Harvard Business Review, states that “many leaders dominating business today have... a organisational and societal outcomes. narcissistic personality. That’s good news for companies that need passion and daring to break new ground... but can be dangerous for organisations”. See Maccoby M., “Narcissistic Leaders: The Incredible Pros, the Inevitable Cons”, Harvard Business Review, 82 (2004), pp92–101 This article is based on a research report 6. Burns, J. M., Leadership (NY: Harper & Row, 1978) co-written with Jo Hennessy of Roffey 7. Recent leadership development programmes already Park Institute. incorporate tools such as 360 degree feedback, personality assessments, and action-feedback modules to provide the platform for leaders to detach from themselves, gain perspective, and develop the humility needed for Goh Han Teck is Senior Consultant continuous learning. (Psychologist) in the Centre for Leadership 8. Follett (1924) has argued that “the most essential work of the leader is to create more leaders.” In her book, Creative Development in the Civil Service College. Experience, she states that “leadership is not defined by the The Centre provides leadership assessment exercise of power but by the capacity to increase the sense of power among those led“. See Follett, M. P., Creative and development services that support the Experience (New York: Peter Smith, 1924). 1951 reprint with Singapore Public Service in developing a permission by Longmans, Green and Co. pipeline of talent that are inspired to lead and Further Reading drive change. For the complete list of references, please refer to the full research report at www.cld.gov.sg Arsenault, P.M., “Validating Generational Differences: A Legitimate Diversity and Leadership Issue”, Leadership & Organization Development Journal (Vol. 25 Issue 2), pp124–141

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Cennamo, L., and Gardner, D., “Generational Differences in Tzuo, P-W., “The ECE Landscape in Singapore: Analysis of Work Values, Outcomes and Person-Organisation Values Current Trends, Issues, and Prospect for a Cosmopolitan Fit”, Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23 (2008), pp891–906 Outlook”, Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Conger, J., How “Gen X” Managers Manage, (2001). In Education, 4(2) (2010), pp77–98 Oseland, J., Kolb, D., and Rubin, I. (Eds.) The Organizational Zemke, R., Raines, C. and Filipczak, B., Generations at Work: Behavior Reader (Seventh Edition), pp9–20. Upper Saddle Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters River, NJ: Prentice Hall in Your Workplace (USA: AMACOM, 2000) Han-Yin Chang, J., “The Values of Singapore’s Youth and their Parents”, Journal of Sociology (Vol. 46 Issue 2, Jun 2010), pp149–168 Jurkiewicz, C. L., and Brown, R. G., “GenXers vs. Boomers vs. Matures”, Review of Public Personnel Administration, 18(4) (1998), pp18–37 Kabacoff, R.I., Stoffey, R.W., “Age Differences in Organisational Leadership”, Paper Presented at the 16th Annual Conference Of The Society For Industrial And Organisational Psychology, San Diego, CA., 2001. Kowske, B. J., Rasch, R., and Wiley, J., “Millennials’ (Lack of) Attitude Problem: An Empirical Examination of Generation Effects on Work Attitudes”, Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(2) (2010), pp265–279 Kuijsters, F., Harnessing the Potential of Singapore’s Multi-Generational Workforce, Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP), Singapore (2010) Lyons, S., “An Exploration of Generational Values in Life and at Work”, Dissertation Abstracts International, 3462A (UMI No. AATNQ94206) (2004) Mason, C. and Brackman, B., Educating Today’s Overindulged Youth: Combat Narcissism by Building Foundations, Not Pedestals (Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2009) MCYS and NFC Singapore, State of the Family Report 2009 (Singapore, 2009) Ministry of Manpower, Report on Labour Force in Singapore (2009) Sessa, V., Kabacoff, R., Deal, J. and Brown, H., “Generational Differences in Leader Values and Leadership Behaviors”, The Pyschologist-Manager Journal, (10)1 (2007), pp47–74 Sirias, D., Karp, H. B., and Brotherton, T., “Comparing the Levels of Individualism/Collectivism between Baby Boomers and Generation X”, Management Research News, 30 (2007), pp749–761 Smola, K. W., and Sutton, C. D., “Generational Differences: Revisiting Generational Work Values for the New Millennium”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23 (2002), pp363–382 Twenge, J. M., Campbell, S. M., Hoffman, B. R., and Lance, C. E., “Generational Differences in Work Values: Leisure and Extrinsic Values Increasing, Social and Intrinsic Values Decreasing”, Journal of Management, 36(5) (2010), pp1117–1142 Twenge, J.M., Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled – And More Miserable than Ever Before (New York: Free Press, 2006)

ETHOS | Issue 10 | OCTOBER 2011 Erratum Under the “Advisory Committee” published in ETHOS Issue 9, June 2011, Mr Bilahari Kausikan’s designation should have read “Bilahari Kausikan – Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.

The publisher apologises for the error.

Published biannually, ETHOS is the Civil Service College's professional journal on governance and public policy.

It aims to provide thought leadership, insight and context on a wide range of public policy issues of interest to Singapore.

ETHOS is circulated to the policy-making community in Singapore as well as to a select international readership.

It is also available online at: www.cscollege.gov.sg/ethos

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