Redefining Engagement: Enabling Organisational Lessons for the Transformation: from Our Conversation Possibilities and Practice ISSUE Melissa Khoo and Yee Lai Fong Aurora de Souza Watters and Lena Leong 13 Transformative Alliance The Value of Values in the M Interview with Adam Kahane Singapore Public Service AY 2014 Keith Tan and Ghalpanah Thangaraju 2 / E thos is a biannual publication of the College, Singapore. It aims to provide thought leadership, insight and context on a wide range of issues of interest to Singapore.

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Editorial Team Alvin Pang – Editor-in-Chief | Sheila Ng, Liza Lee – Editors Keith Tan – Editorial Advisor

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ISSN: 1793-3773

ETHOS / 1 Contents Issue 13, June 2014

4 Editorial 35 Managing Complexity with Courage, Conflict 7 Redefining Engagement: and Engagement Lessons for the Douglas O’Loughlin Public Service from Our Singapore Conversation 40 Transformative Innovation Melissa Khoo and Yee Lai Fong and the Policymaker of the Future 18 After Our Singapore Graham Leicester Conversation: The Futures 48 Public Sector of Governance Adrian W. J. Kuah and Lim Seok Hui Transformation — Six Small Ways to 24 Transformative Alliance Make a Big Impact Interview with Adam Kahane Andrew Tan

30 From Futures “Thinking” to 53 Enabling Organisational Futures “Doing” Transformation: Book review: Transformative Possibilities and Practice Scenario Planning by Adam Kahane Aurora de Souza Watters and Lena Leong Reviewed by Aaron Maniam 63 Nudging Towards The Good: 88 The First New Synthesis In Conversation Laboratory for Interview with Gus O’Donnell Master Practitioners Jocelyne Bourgon 69 The Value of Values in the Singapore Public Service 96 Making Public-Private Keith Tan and Ghalpanah Thangaraju Partnerships Work: Implications for Singapore 78 Ethics in Public and the Region Administration: Thia Jang Ping and Alan M. Trager Are We Teaching What Can’t be Taught? Celia Lee

85 Inclusive and Iterative Governance The ETHOS Roundtable with Mr Bui The Giang and Mr Abdul Mutalib Pehin Dato Yusof editorial

n an address to the Public Service in society, but actively harness them I Staff Conference in early April this towards the public good. year, Head Civil Service Peter Ong In this spirit, Our Singapore put forward a vision of a transformed, Conversation — the wide-ranging trusted Public Service that is citizen- national conversation initiated by centric, collaborative and cohesive. This Prime Minister Lee in 2012 — has is not in itself ground-breaking — the yielded many useful insights (p. 7). An Public Service for the 21st Century unprecedented effort to connect with (PS21) movement called for a forward- Singaporeans from all walks of life looking, adaptive, service-oriented Public regarding their ideas and aspirations Service two decades ago. But times for the nation’s future, it has not been have changed. In recent years, a much without its challenges, nor its sceptics. more diverse and dynamic citizenry, Some observers are concerned that the accustomed to the quick-fire discourse process itself, instead of bringing people of social media and keen to have a more together, may have lent further credence direct say in national affairs, has begun to the many divergent narratives and to challenge the public sector’s own competing priorities already at work long-standing, assured stewardship in society ( p . 1 8 ) . But the acceptance over many public issues, in increasingly of ambiguity and difference is also a vociferous ways. necessary step towards socio-political What was remarkable about Mr maturity. What seems clear is that the Ong’s proposition is how it recasts sincerity, passion and energy that the this potentially fractious context as many participants, facilitators and an opportunity to develop new, more volunteers brought to the process relational modes of governance. At this have generated a real momentum and critical inflection point in Singapore’s camaraderie of their own. This sense development, the Public Service need not of trust and purpose, grounded by be on the defensive, but can instead use hands-on experience, could well be a its considerable resources and influence more enduring legacy of the Singapore in ways which not only accommodate Conversation than its immediate policy the varied, restless energies emerging outcomes. They could serve as a powerful

4 / Editorial foundation for collective reflection and A recurrent theme in discussions of action in future. public sector transformation is confidence In order to effect such broad change that the necessary competencies and in constructive and credible ways, attitudes are already inherent in the Public Service, which remains the agencies themselves: but these the leading convener, aggregator and have to be recognised, shared, and facilitator of national efforts, will need strengthened. Exploring different models to strengthen competencies that may for organisation change, researchers fall outside the conventional scope of its Aurora de Souza Watters and Lena Leong technical expertise, or indeed, outside highlight the importance of clarifying the purview of any one agency. It may desired futures, so that institutions can have to become much more comfortable galvanise and motivate their people with ambiguity in roles and outcomes, (p. 53). It is a matter, it seems, of orienting and learn to regard discomfort and human energies and systemic resources uncertainty as a spur towards deeper toward compelling ends. change. Adam Kahane, former head of For the Public Service, these Scenarios at Shell, believes that only a ends are defined not by profit but by committed team of stakeholders from national interests and non-negotiable across the whole system, drawn together values that need to be reaffirmed and not by any consensus except a shared upheld — not just in terms of what is belief in the urgency and importance pursued, but also how it goes about its of pressing issues at hand, can effect work ( p. 6 9) . Values and culture that transformative change — he has are perceived to be in practice, rather developed processes to facilitate these than those merely espoused, come to creative, often difficult conversations define public institutions and engender (p. 24). Douglas O’Loughlin, principal (or erode) trust. consultant at the Institute of Leadership The challenge of holding fast to and Organisation Development, argues honourable goals, while maintaining that it takes courageous leadership to credibility and effectiveness in the embrace the diversity and potential face of rapid change, complexity and conflict that is likely to arise from competing agendas, is one shared such broad engagement (p. 35); Graham not just by Singapore but many Leicester, Director of the International countries around the world. Canada’s Futures Forum, believes institutional Jocelyne Bourgon has pioneered an changes in culture are needed (p. 40). international laboratory, based on her They suggest ways in which such qualities New Synthesis framework, for veteran could be nurtured in the public sector. practitioners to explore and share ideas

ETHOS / 5 on how public administration should evolve in this new milieu ( p. 8 8) . The answers have yet to be fully determined, but some of the radical questions are now being considered in earnest. Other contributions to this issue include a critical survey of ways to nurture ethical behaviour in organisations (p. 78) and a discussion on the effective design of public-private partnerships (p. 96).

I wish you an insightful read.

Alvin Pang Editor-in-Chief ETHOS

6 / Editorial Redefining Engagement: Lessons for the Public Service from Our Singapore Conversation

Through collective learning-by-doing and investment in strong relationships, Our Singapore Conversation has pioneered new possibilities for public engagement and governance.

by Melissa Khoo is Director at the Institute of Public Sector Leadership, Civil Service College. She was Director of the Our Singapore Conversation Programme Office from September 2012 to 2013, co-ordinating the Melissa khoo national conversation effort. She has served in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education, and was previously seconded to Shell. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in and International Policy Studies from Stanford University. Yee lai fong Yee Lai Fong is Senior Researcher at the Institute of Governance and Policy, Civil Service College. She was attached to the Our Singapore Conversation Secretariat as a learning historian to document the public sector’s insights and reflections from this collective journey. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Education and Human Development from George Washington University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Human and Organisational Learning at the same university.

ETHOS / 7 A Shared, Learning Experience experience may be summarised through Outside Our Comfort Zones four broad themes: Context, Connection, As an approach to national-level Capacity, and Capability. engagement, Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) was designed1 Context to be more inclusive, authentic and to Context is about recognising the growing strengthen trust — markedly different from diversity in society in terms of profile and past national consultative engagements needs, and a dynamic external environment such as Singapore 212 and Remaking marked by greater uncertainty and complexity. Singapore.3 OSC, in engaging with the complexities of choice and aspirations Collective Wisdom of a more diverse and mature society, As Singapore society becomes more was a learning journey for both the diverse and citizens’ needs more multi- Government and Singaporeans. By dimensional, the challenges faced by engaging groups from the public the public sector will also grow in service, political leadership and wider magnitude and complexity. As a Public community in dialogue on Singapore’s Service, we must acknowledge that we future,4 OSC served as a shared do not necessarily have all the answers, experience that took participants out nor will we be able to predict every of their comfort zones in a way that — future challenge. The Government from an organisational development must expand its mindshare for problem perspective — is conducive to bringing solving, and tap the collective wisdom about transformative learning. of a broader range of stakeholders in For the Public Service, the key order to tackle national challenges learning insights from the OSC more comprehensively.

Collective Action

Collective Wisdom Clarity of Intent The public sector is not always best Collective Action Inclusiveness placed to solve every problem. Instead, it Shared Ownership Authenticity can create capacity for collective action by involving society. Governance will CONTEXT CONNECTION become increasingly relational, shifting CAPACITY CAPABILITY from a mode in which policies and services are delivered for the public, to Citizens Individual Level one in which they are delivered with Community Partners Collective Level the public. Public Service Leadership Level

8 / Redefining Engagement: Lessons for the Public Service from Our Singapore Conversation Shared Ownership Inclusiveness Increasingly, citizens expect a greater A national conversation has to be inclusive. voice in policymaking and a partnership Language was an important element role with public agencies. OSC benefitted to consider in reaching out to certain from citizen volunteers, especially stakeholders, such as the elderly who private sector facilitators and community were more comfortable in the mother- Key Engagement partners, who were involved in the tongue languages or Chinese dialects. Questions in Phase 1 • What sort of design and delivery of the facilitation That the OSC central dialogues were Singapore do we process, and who often provided conducted primarily in English was most want to have candid feedback and suggestions. Their a limitation: hence, the Secretariat in 2030? constructive involvement illustrates the actively supported community partners • What kind of principle that people develop shared who organised ground-up dialogues society and what kind of people do ownership over a process or product in different languages and in different we want to be? that they help to create. formats. In Phase 2, media partners › What are our such as the Chinese daily newspaper ideals and values? Connection Lianhe Zaobao and the Malay daily › What are the As a conversation among Singaporeans, OSC newspaper Berita Harian reached out to attributes that will get us there? was about peer-to-peer connections, and readers in their respective languages. › What are the expanding common space, through dialogues Newspaper “info-advertorials” in Lianhe choices that we that focused on important priorities. This Zaobao, Berita Minggu and Tamil Murasu want to make as called for clarity of intent, inclusiveness summarising the OSC Reflections a society? and authenticity in the engagement design. report5 also helped to broaden outreach • What can “I” do, and who can across Singapore’s multiracial and “I” work with, to Clarity of Intent multilingual communities. achieve this future? Being clear about the intent of engagement at the outset shapes Authenticity the design of the entire engagement Citizen volunteers were invaluable experience. In Phase 1 of OSC, partners in co-creating national conversations were deliberately kept engagement. As neutral facilitators, they open-ended in order to generate a exemplified the authentic and sincere diversity of views and ideas. spirit that they hoped for among other In Phase 2, dialogue topics were participants. The format of small group- tightly linked to the top priorities facilitated dialogue allowed everyone that emerged from the OSC survey, to speak and be heard, while the large as well as policy areas the Ministries group plenary at the open and close were reviewing or planning to review of each dialogue gave participants a at that time. sense of the whole. A key intent was

ETHOS / 9 Background on Our Singapore Conversation

What was OSC? OSC in Action Our Singapore Conversation, or OSC,1 was OSC was organised into two phases: initiated in September 2012 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong2 as a national conversation • Phase 1 (October 2012 to February 2013): among Singaporeans. Its aim was to engage Open-ended group conversations to Singaporeans on their desired future for the generate a diversity of views and ideas on nation and to establish a broad consensus on the kind of Singapore that Singaporeans the key issues that should be addressed. want to see in the future. A 26-member committee led by Education • Phase 2 (March 2013 to June 2013): Minister was appointed as A mix of public dialogues and thematic convenors and moderators, tapping on a wide dialogues on topics related to housing, range of perspectives and networks to seed education, healthcare and jobs, led by the and build conversations. pertinent Ministries. The committee comprised Singaporeans from different backgrounds, including The design of the OSC dialogues was grassroots, the private sector, unions, voluntary inclusive and multi-sectoral. In addition to organisations, academia, the sports and arts dialogues organised by the OSC Committee communities, and political office-holders. and its Secretariat, the broader community, In addition, an open call drew about 100 including the labour movement, grassroots volunteers from both the private and public and volunteer welfare organisations as well sectors who came forward to serve as facilitators as other interest groups, took the initiative and note-takers at OSC dialogues. to organise their own ground-up dialogues Concurrently, the Our Singapore in a variety of formats, such as “Kopi-Talks”, Conversation Programme Office, formed under sessions held at food centres, dialect-speaking the Public Service Division, staffed a whole- sessions and an exhibition where school of-government OSC Secretariat. The Ministry children used art to express their hopes of Communications and Information (MCI) for Singapore. These helped to broaden the and the Ministry of Finance were institutional reach of the OSC effort across Singapore’s partners of the OSC Secretariat, overseeing multiracial and multilingual communities. media engagement and a parallel policy review To involve Singaporeans residing overseas, process respectively. the Overseas Singaporean Unit3 facilitated a series of overseas dialogues in cities such as

10 / Redefining Engagement: Lessons for the Public Service from Our Singapore Conversation London, Warwick, San Francisco, Beijing The approach to media engagement, and Shanghai. led by MCI, was a significant feature of the In parallel, online engagement took place OSC effort. This aimed to sustain interest on social media platforms including Facebook, throughout the year, and to demonstrate the the OSC website and YouTube. A dedicated sincerity of the OSC process. Reporters were OSC Web Team in MCI hosted these platforms, included at OSC dialogues as participants, posting line-ups, photographs, video clips and experienced the conversations first and summary points of OSC dialogues. The hand. OSC Committee members, volunteer Web Team posted updates and questions to facilitators and community partners also encourage the public to share their views spoke about OSC in media interviews, radio online. OSC Committee members also wrote and TV platforms. The media was also a personal reflections on the dialogues. The community partner, with Lianhe Zaobao and Ministry of Health partnered REACH, the Berita Harian organising dialogues for their Singapore Government’s e-engagement readers and forum contributors. platform, to organise two live webchats in conjunction with the dialogues on healthcare. Inclusive Conversations, The Ministry of National Development set up National Aspirations a microsite where members of the public who The OSC exercise saw over 47,000 Singaporeans did not have the opportunity to participate participate in over 660 dialogue sessions. in the public dialogues could join in the Out of this yearlong effort, five core national conversation online. aspirations have emerged6: Opportunities, A concurrent face-to-face OSC survey4 Purpose, Assurance, Spirit and Trust. The was conducted nationally in all four official perspectives articulated by Singaporeans languages over December 2012 and January have since come to inform the shaping of 2013. The survey data,5 gathered from a important policy directions. Prime Minister demographically representative sample of Lee, in his 2013 National Day Message and 4,000 citizens, supplemented the views and National Day Rally speech,7 highlighted the ideas gathered from Singaporeans through Government’s response to Singaporeans’ dialogues and online channels. The survey concerns and aspirations through key changes identified housing, healthcare and job security in housing, healthcare and education. He among the priorities Singaporeans hoped would also acknowledged the significance of OSC be addressed. These informed the thematic in helping to “crystallise the aspirations of dialogues in Phase 2 of OSC. Singaporeans” and as a “shared basis to plan our future”.

ETHOS / 11 NOTES

1. See: http://www.reach.gov.sg/Microsite/osc/index.html and https://www.facebook.com/OurSGConversation

2. “National Day Message 2012”, http://www.pmo.gov.sg/content/pmosite/mediacentre/speechesninterviews/ primeminister/2012/August/national_day_message2012english.html

3. The Overseas Singaporean Unit (http://www.overseassingaporean.sg/) is a directorate under the National Population and Talent Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, and is part of the Singapore Government’s overall efforts to engage its citizens overseas.

4. The survey was administered with the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in conjunction with the OSC Secretariat. See: “Report on OSC Survey”, http://www.reach.gov.sg/Portals/0/Microsite/osc/OSC-Survey.pdf

5. The OSC Survey asked Singaporeans about the values they considered important for the Singapore they would like to see in 2030 as well as their opinions on key issues.

6. OSC Reflections is a newsletter report that captured the five core aspirations and diverse views of Singaporeans who participated in the OSC dialogues. “OSC Reflections”, http://www.reach.gov.sg/Portals/0/Microsite/osc/OSC_Reflection.pdf

7. “National Day Rally 2013 (Speech in English)”, http://www.pmo.gov.sg/content/pmosite/mediacentre/ speechesninterviews/primeminister/2013/August/prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong-s-national-day-rally-2013--speech. html#.Utz9RXv2P4g

“I found it instructive that people should leave the dialogue takers, including citizens and public listening to different feeling that they had been heard, and officers, over the year long exercise. opinions expressed and found myself had benefitted from hearing the views of Significantly, the pool of facilitators adjusting my own fellow Singaporeans. Even if a particular has since evolved into an informal expectations.” conversation did not generate substantive community, bonded by a desire to sustain OSC Participant ideas, the very process of engagement such engagement through conversation. and exchanging of perspectives built From the perspective of citizen mutual understanding and trust. participants, the OSC process expanded the common space for Singaporeans from Capacity across all walks of life to come together Capacity in the OSC context reflects the and talk about issues that matter to their potential that people have to contribute shared future. Small group dialogues towards a larger purpose and shared future. were organised to ensure a diverse mix of participants in terms of gender, Citizens age and occupation. This meant that OSC was a process of envisioning core issues (e.g. definitions of success, Singapore’s shared future. This sense affordability, identity) were viewed of common purpose helped attract more from the perspectives of young and than 100 volunteer facilitators and note- old; singles and the married; employers

12 / Redefining Engagement: Lessons for the Public Service from Our Singapore Conversation M inistry-led OSC Sessions

Housing Manpower The Ministry of National Development’s The Ministry of Manpower dialogues addressed sessions revisited the fundamentals of ideas regarding fair consideration for locals, Singapore’s public housing programme. a hot button topic among Singaporeans. Dialogues were structured around four topics They also sought to build consensus on the of concern to Singaporeans: home ownership, importance of lifelong learning, in the context public housing types, housing affordability and of the longer-term Continuing Education and monetisation options for the elderly. Training Masterplan.

Education Healthcare The dialogues led by the Ministry of Education The Ministry of Health’s dialogues centred broadly discussed the traits of an education on two topics: enhancing affordability and system that would bring about a desired future accessibility to quality healthcare, and building for Singapore, before narrowing down to a healthy nation — themes aligned with the key topics such as stress, excessive focus on Healthcare 2020 Masterplan. examinations and grades, and social mobility. They then moved on to specific policy areas under review, such as the Primary School Leaving Examinations and Secondary School Streaming and Posting. and employees; new citizens and those Community Partners born and bred in Singapore. Face- Community partners6 played an integral to-face platforms had the advantage role in the national conversation as of forging a sense of community and they gave voice to their stakeholders, interpersonal connection as participants including the less articulate, through a listened to one another. The dialogues variety of means7 over time. Different made participants more aware of the approaches were needed to reach diversity of perspectives and concerns out to different segments of society; across different segments of our society. partnership with the community helped At the same time, they helped reveal to multiply outreach. A key question for and clarify the values and aspirations Government going forward is to find that Singaporeans hold in common. ways to continue to engage in a way

ETHOS / 13 that builds trust and engenders a sense Bourgon9 and Ryan et al.10 have of shared ownership over Singapore’s pointed out that public sector governance future. How do we identify more worldwide is trending towards more opportunities to partner citizens? How horizontal forms of collaboration do we equip our community partners that draw upon networks both within and citizen volunteers with tools for and outside government. Mutual meaningful engagement? engagement and learning become crucial to success. Such collective learning Even if a particular conversation entails “experimentation” and “continual reframing” of the way complex issues did not generate substantive ideas, are perceived and approached. the very process of engagement and The OSC experience highlighted the importance of how we learn, not exchanging of perspectives built mutual just what we learn. While training understanding and trust. courses are conventionally regarded as essential for developing individual Public Service competencies, the OSC experience The OSC Secretariat, with broad underscored another dimension of representation from across the Public developing capability: collective Service,8 formed the nucleus of the learning in a collaborative setting. OSC movement. Initially, there was Few officers in the OSC Secretariat apprehension over how Singaporeans had attended formal training on would respond to a seemingly messy facilitation or public engagement; and open process. By partnering with fewer still had had experience applying volunteers to prototype and refine the theory to actual engagement. The OSC process, and in learning-by-doing, the process became a crucible of experiential team developed greater confidence learning in a social setting, where officers along the way. They also experienced learned by doing, by observing others, for themselves the spirit of openness through feedback and mutual coaching. and authenticity that OSC embodied. A diverse mix of personalities and experience was also an asset: the OSC Capability Secretariat included a former journalist, Capability, in the OSC context, refers to the officers with operational experience institutional capacity in Public Service to from the Ministry of Home Affairs achieve joined outcomes. This encompasses and policy officers with background people’s competencies and experiences, in social work. organisational structures, systems and The OSC effort facilitated the information resources. development of new learning, mind-

14 / Redefining Engagement: Lessons for the Public Service from Our Singapore Conversation sets and competencies along three Collective level capabilities such as “I must say that broad levels. sensemaking, experimentation and red- my experience of 11 the conversation teaming require officers to rise above opened my eyes to Individual their individual roles to see how their other Singaporeans.” OSC was an emergent movement; the work is connected to the other work OSC Participant OSC Secretariat and participating streams in delivering desired outcomes. agencies had to prototype new processes In the OSC context, sensemaking and learn on the fly. Officers had to involved interpreting ground sentiments deal with uncertainty (e.g. how the and feedback to make necessary course public might respond to the facilitation corrections and anticipate next steps format) and try out new ideas. Having as a team. Experimentation included to engage multiple parties, including rapid prototyping and testing of ideas community partners, the media, (e.g. facilitation methods) across teams, vendors and citizen volunteers, required and with volunteers and partners both investment in relationship building. within and outside the core team. The horizontal forms of collaboration that characterised OSC pointed to the Leadership importance of interpersonal competencies, What stood out in the leadership of the in particular the ability to influence OSC process was the value of “sense- others without formal authority. giving”: when leaders look at issues from a higher vantage point and provide others Collective with a sense of meaning or a different The nature of OSC called for a wide way of seeing. During the OSC process, range of officers with different talents guidance from senior civil servants and and expertise to perform different the political leadership was crucial for roles — from event and participant moving forward through junctures of management, engagement design and uncertainty. For example, timing the facilitation to community partnerships release of OSC Reflections to coincide and media engagement. There were with the National Day Rally 2013 was a no standard operating manuals or key decision that helped close the loop precedence to fall back on; collective on key concerns raised such as housing, learning took place through prototyping, healthcare and education. action and adaptation, with insights Enabling leadership, which creates frequently exchanged through bi-weekly the conditions for others to contribute, coordination meetings. It was important was also vital to OSC. There was a for protected time and space to be created conscious effort to maintain a strong so that team members could reflect on culture of trust within the OSC and share their learnings with others. Secretariat. Officers, regardless of rank,

ETHOS / 15 could feel comfortable speaking up if The Public Service should therefore they had ideas to share or concerns to continue to deepen its expertise in raise. It was an acknowledgement that pertinent areas such as facilitation and leaders do not necessarily have all the engagement design, and to recognise answers, and that officers working that authentic engagement has proven directly with stakeholders ought to its value in nurturing mutual trust and be able to exercise their judgment and understanding with the public. surface alternative options. In playing a central role in the OSC movement, the Public Service Conclusion has gained insights into the value of The OSC marked a pivotal point Context, Connection, Capacity and in redefining public engagement in Capability. What will take us forward Singapore. It is also the start of a much in making public engagement a game longer journey, in which the Government changer for Singapore may be a fifth must continue to engage citizens in C: Conviction. a manner that builds genuine trust.

NOTES

1. By design, OSC featured a multimodal, multi- 5. http://www.reach.gov.sg/Portals/0/Microsite/ sectoral approach to encourage outreach, osc/OSC_Reflection.pdf with conversations self-organised by various community groups. The process also saw the 6. Examples of community partners include Lions prototyping of small-group facilitated dialogue Befrienders, Movement for the Intellectually which encouraged peer-to-peer interactions Disabled of Singapore, RSVP Singapore, between Singaporeans. Citizen volunteers Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, The were the key partners who co-created the Salvation Army, Singapore Federation of engagement process with the organising team. Chinese Clan Associations, Green Community, Agency for Animal Welfare, KPMG and Philips. 2. “Singapore 21”, 1999, http://eresources.nlb. gov.sg/webarchives/details/www.singapore21. 7. Apart from the NTUC’s labour movement series org.sg.html and the People’s Association’s grassroots series, most other ground-up dialogues 3. “Remaking Singapore”, 2002, http://was.nl.sg/ took months to gain momentum, being a details/www.remakingsingapore.gov.sg.html; new form of engagement to most citizens. https://vivianbalakrishnan.files.wordpress. Awareness built up slowly, fanning out through com/2012/03/remaking_singapore_2003.pdf connections with OSC Committee members. A range of self-organised dialogues gradually 4. Antonie van Nistelrooij, and Harry Sminia, developed: the National Taxi Associations’ “Organisation Development: What’s Actually “Kopi-Talks”; sessions held at food centres Happening?”, Journal of Change Management such as NTUC Foodfare; dialect-speaking 10 (2010): 409. Dialogue is defined as sessions convened and facilitated by volunteer “an interpersonal process to exchange welfare organisations, and so on. individual frames,” serving as a powerful “vehicle for change”.

16 / Redefining Engagement: Lessons for the Public Service from Our Singapore Conversation 8. The OSC Secretariat comprised officers from 10. Bill Ryan, et al., “Managing for Joint the Public Service Division, Civil Service Outcomes: Connecting up the Horizontal and College, and the Ministries of Home Affairs, the Vertical” Policy Quarterly, 4 (2008) 14–21. Finance, and Communications and Information partnering the Ministries of Education, Health, 11. Red-teaming is a form of ritualised dissent, National Development and Manpower. or playing the “devil’s advocate” (e.g. in the process of reviewing products, processes and 9. Jocelyne Bourgon, “The Future of Public message testing), to ensure robustness. Service: A Search for a New Balance”, The Australian Journal of Public Administration 67 (2008): 390–404.

ETHOS / 17 Opinion

After Our Singapore Conversation: The Futures of Governance

Two analysts from the Public Service Division reflect on Our Singapore Conversation’s radical implications for the nation and its public policy enterprise.

by Dr Adrian W. J. Kuah is Lead Strategist at the Centre of Strategic Futures, Strategic Policy Office, in the Public Service Division. He is also an Adjunct Research Fellow of the S. Rajaratnam School A drian of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. W. J. Kuah

and Lim Seok Hui is Analyst in the Strategic Planning and Research Cluster in the Public Service Division. She was previously in the “Our Singapore Programme” Office, also in the Public L im Seok Hui Service Division.

This article was Our Singapore Conversation (OSC)1 is government responses to Singaporeans’ adapted from a fuller 2 paper presented at the formally over, with the publication and contributions to OSC.” International Foresight release of Reflections of Our Singapore That Reflections should highlight this Academy Seminar at Conversation in August 2013. Reflections in order to manage the expectations, not ZHAW Technopark, is markedly different from the proposal- only of the Singaporean public but also in Winterthur, Zurich, 16–19 September laden technocratic reports produced of the policy establishment, speaks to the 2013. by previous national engagements uncharted territory that Singapore finds such as The Next Lap, Singapore 21 itself in with OSC. This unfamiliarity, and Remaking Singapore. Minister even discomfiture, stems from three Heng Swee Keat, in his Chairman’s factors. One, that the OSC concept is Foreword, takes pains to emphasise driven by the still-developing idea of that Reflections “does not look quite like “co-creation”: a partnership between the usual official report”. Elsewhere, those who govern and those who are the publication reiterates that OSC is governed. Public policy conducted “not a policy document that outlines through the participatory foresight

18 / After Our Singapore Conversation: The Futures of Governance praxis becomes very much a collective can go with language; beyond them enterprise, and less so the elite-driven there is only helpless passivity or a phenomenon it typically is. Two, insofar resort to violence.6 as it is a dialogue, an often messy and dynamic process of articulations, OSC, at a deeper level, was therefore negotiations, compromises, persuasions an effort to rediscover and redefine a and concessions, it suggests that OSC “final vocabulary” for the nation. may be valued more as a process, rather than the outcomes that it generates. OSC has seen a discernible shift in focus Indeed, recall that OSC was designed “with no specific preset topics or areas from threats to aspirations, resulting in for discussion ... to provide as much open a new vocabulary built on terms such as space as possible for Singaporeans to voice their opinions.”3 “narrative”, “myth”, “values”, “identity” Finally, and most importantly, the and so forth. very term “conversation” suggests the power of speech acts, of “talking” the For policymakers, both the process future into existence.4 In the context and outcome of OSC are potentially of Singaporean public discourse, OSC disconcerting, particularly if it is to be has seen a discernible shift in focus taken as a model for the public policy from threats to aspirations, resulting enterprise in future. Public officials in a new vocabulary built on terms function in accordance with causality such as “narrative”, “myth”, “values”, understood in linear, mechanistic terms; “identity” and so forth.5 To borrow from typically, they search for points at which Joseph Campbell, the late authority on leverage can be applied in order to cause mythology, myths speak to us in terms change throughout a system. Such a we cannot deny; they are the stories, definition of causality — in terms of even lies, that we tell in order to justify uni-directional, linear determinism — ourselves to ourselves. The language has tended to resonate very well with of these myths constitutes a person’s policymakers in general, and those “final vocabulary” as defined by the in Singapore particularly, for whom philosopher Richard Rorty: “policy lever” is a key term in the working vocabulary. The problematising, It is “ final” in the sense that if doubt is complex and emergent nature of cast on the worth of these words, their participatory futures calls this stability user has no noncircular argumentative into question. It does so by moving away recourse. Those words are as far as he from the assumption of linear cause-

ETHOS / 19 and-effect — and the quest for neat, There is an irony in realising that deterministic solutions to problems — charting the way(s) ahead for Singapore towards an emphasis (and celebration) rests on revisiting its charter myths. of the subjectivity and messiness that In one sense, OSC has turned out to characterise social reality. Participatory be an attempt to address “where we foresight exercises such as OSC create are going” by way of “who we are and space for alternative futures that are the where we come from”. This is clearly outcome not of objective determinism, demonstrated in how participants but of subjective multi-causality. reminisced about the “kampong spirit” (literally, “village spirit”, referring to the spirit of community), whether real or The OSC process may simply have imagined, of yesteryear. OSC participants exposed our notions of identity, history, have expressed sentiments that hint at and values as the contested narratives a wistful longing for the past: that they are, prone to unravelling. I pray that our country will be more caring towards the old and have the In a sense, Singapore has come kampong spirit to help each other. full circle, albeit having done things back-to-front. Singapore’s strategic Nobody appears to really care for one foresight enterprise had its roots in the another’s wellbeing as well. There is military-security milieu, in which the a loss of kampong spirit, that sense question of the day was: “How do we of neighbourliness.9 secure ‘us’?”7 It is only belatedly that Singapore, both the Government and Thus, the road to the future appears the governed, has begun to address the to run through the past. more fundamental question of “Who is Past, present and future are ‘us’?” through the praxis of participatory inextricably intertwined. The past futures. Bell points out that members of continues to cast its shadow on an groups — societies, organisations, and ephemeral present. Furthermore, far nations — find meaning and purpose from being immutable, the ever-present in their charter or founding myths, past is subject to constant revisions and which form the basis for their societal reinterpretations; the past — or rather, identity and values. He further argues its significance — can be changed. that the “charter myths of a particular Similarly, our present assumptions group or society [are] a standard by and images of the future shape our which to evaluate the desirability of current actions, which in turn produce alternative images of the future”.8 the future “present”. The growing

20 / After Our Singapore Conversation: The Futures of Governance importance of aspirations and the new recording the aspirations that will modality of both state and society co- feature in the final report. creating desirable futures suggests that Singapore’s foresight policies, far from In a similar fashion, the OSC Secretariat being the straightforward application held the view that Singaporeans are of tools and techniques, will have to developing “conversational muscles” be guided by the Aristotelian trinity and that they are not afraid to use them. of logos (the “how” of things), ethos Has OSC, in providing the valve by (the questions of values and ethics), and which Singaporeans’ existential angst pathos (how well we identify with each and anxiety about the future might be other). After all, participatory foresight released, led to an irreversible refraction is at heart an attempt to articulate and of Singaporean society into a spectrum attain “the good life” — a fundamental of distinct colours, competing values philosophical question. and diverging aspirations?

Reflections, Refractions and Participatory foresight is at heart Diffractions Mr Heng’s foreword to Reflections an attempt to articulate and attain concludes on an optimistic note: “the good life” — a fundamental

Our Singapore Conversation does not philosophical question. end here. The spirit of speaking up constructively and hearing each other The OSC process may simply out sincerely and respectfully continues, have exposed our notions of identity, just as making Singapore our best home history, and values as the contested is a continuing work in progress. narratives that they are, prone to unravelling. It remains unclear if these It is hoped that the myriad growing instabilities and emerging conversations will continue. Indeed, challenges, borne simultaneously of in his critique of OSC within Reflections, contestation between and co-creation Kenneth Paul Tan, a local academic and by state and society, will result in a an OSC committee member, writes: diffraction of established and familiar policy paradigms. The postmodern Instituting the habit of public thinker Foucault defines “heterotopia” participation and nurturing the skills as “capable of juxtaposing in a single to do this well are, in my view, a more real space several spaces, several sites important contribution of OSC than that are themselves incompatible.”10

ETHOS / 21 O SC, Singapore and the Postmodern Condition

The rationale, design, conduct and experience Decide who you are, and the city will again assume of OSC recalls Max Weber’s vision of an age a fixed form around you. Decide what it is, and marked by a contestation of ideas, in which no your own identity will be revealed, like a map one single idea attains the monopoly status of fixed by triangulation. Cities, unlike villages, a “grand narrative”.1 It is no coincidence that and small towns, are plastic by nature. We mould emergence, contestation and messiness — them in our images: they, in their turn, shape us trends evident in both the experience of by the resistance they offer when we try to impose OSC and the social climate in which it took our personal form on them. In this sense, it seems place — have manifested at particularly this to me that living in the city is an art, and we advanced stage in Singapore’s economic and need the vocabulary of art, of style, to describe urban development. Postmodernism — the peculiar relation between man and material informed by plurality and difference, with that exists in the continual creative play of urban a suspicion or even hostility towards the living. The city as we imagine it, the soft city of notion that there are universal and eternal illusion, myth, aspiration, nightmare, is as real, truths — has been argued to be an advanced maybe more real, than the hard city one can locate phenomenon of the “city”: in maps and statistics, in monographs on urban sociology and demography and architecture.2

NOTES

1. “ … general views of life and the universe can never be the products of increasing empirical knowledge, and that the highest ideals, which move us most forcefully, are always formed only in the struggle with other ideals which are just as sacred to others as ours are to us.” From Max Weber, The Methodology of the Social Sciences, translated by Edward A. Shils and Henry A. Finch (Illinois: The Free Press, 1949).

2. Jonathan Raban, Soft City (London: The Harvill Press, 1974): 9–10.

H as post-OSC Singapore become a have these tensions always been part of proto-heterotopia, an ambiguous place Singapore’s existential challenge? Now in which Singaporeans are forced to that would be worthy of a conversation continually ask “What world is this of its own. and what do I do in it?” Or, indeed,

22 / After Our Singapore Conversation: The Futures of Governance NOTES

1. Initiated in August 2012, Our Singapore 6. Richard Rorty, Contingency, Irony, and Conversation was a year-long national Solidarity (Melbourne: Cambridge University conversation effort, characterised by broad- Press, 1989): 89. based, free-ranging dialogue, between the Government and citizens, and among citizens 7. Adrian W. J. Kuah, “Foresight (and) Policy: from all walks of life, on every aspect of the Thinking about Singapore’s Future(s)”, in Singaporean condition. An OSC Committee, Social Space 2013/14 (Singapore: Lien Centre chaired by Education Minister Heng Swee for Social Innovation, Singapore Management Keat, led it. See: http://www.reach.gov.sg/ University, 2013): 106. Microsite/osc/index.html 8. Wendell Bell, Foundations of Futures Studies: 2. Reflections of Our Singapore Conversation, Values, Objectivity, and the Good Society. p. 2. http://www.reach.gov.sg/Portals/0/ Human Science for a New Era, Volume 2 Microsite/osc/OSC_Reflection.pdf (New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2003b): 141–2. 3. Our SG Conversation website http://www. oursgconversation.sg, accessed September 5, 9. Quotes from OSC Participants, taken from OSC 2013 newsletter Perspectives Arising From Our SG Conversation, p. 17. http:www.reach.gov.sg/ 4. For a fuller discussion, see http://www.zhaw. portals/0/microsite/osc/osc_newsletter.pdf ch/fileadmin/user_upload/engineering/_ Institute_und_Zentren/INE/veranstaltungen/ 10. Michel Foucault, (translated by Jay Miskoweic) Papers_IFA/Kuah_Adrian.pdf “Of Other Spaces”, Diacritics 16 (1986): 26.

5. Adrian W. J. Kuah, “Facing up to Identity, Myths and Politics in S’pore,” Today, 6 March 2013, accessed September 5, 2013, http:// www.todayonline.com/print/78261

ETHOS / 23 INTERVIEW WITH ADAM KAHANE

Transformative Alliance

To resolve complex problems, we must cooperate across conventional boundaries to co-create the future, not just adapt to it, argues the foresight veteran.

ADAM KAHANE Adam Kahane is the Chairman of Reos North America, a social enterprise that helps businesses, governments, and civil society organisations address complex social challenges. A leading organiser, designer and facilitator of processes through which business, government, and civil society leaders can work together to address their toughest challenges, Adam facilitated the Mont Fleur Scenario Exercise in 1991 and 1992, in which a diverse group of South Africans worked together to effect the transition to democracy. Since then, he has led many such seminal cross-sectoral dialogue-and-action processes throughout the world. He is the author of Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities (Berrett-Koehler, 2004), Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change (Berrett-Koehler, 2010) and Transformative Scenario Planning: Working Together to Change the Future (Berrett-Koehler, 2012).

What is the difference between Futures work in general, and scenario transformative scenario planning and work in particular, such as in Singapore, conventional scenario planning as have mostly been based on this adaptive commonly practised? approach. However, the work I have The conventional way in which scenarios been doing for the last 20 years takes are used (which is a subject of 99% of adaptive scenario planning and turns the literature) has a basic assumption it on its head. I start with the entirely that we cannot predict or control what different assumption that we cannot will happen, and therefore what we have or are not willing to simply adapt to to do is try to understand and adapt to whatever happens: it is unacceptable what might happen. This is the basic and unsustainable. Therefore, we have premise for scenario planning as practised to find a way not simply to adapt to at Shell. I always understood that whatever happens, but to influence what Singapore takes the Shell methodology happens. The objective is not to adapt very seriously because of this. More to the future, but also to transform than any other country in the world, it. This is something we often cannot Singapore sees itself as subject to forces do alone, only in alliance with others. that it cannot control or predict. Conversations move into a realm where

24 / Transformative Alliance there are very subtle or ambiguous change in Canada, judiciary reform in grey areas, situations that we cannot Argentina, sustainable finance in the control but that we can influence. UK and child malnutrition in India This is the domain of transformative to mining safety in South Africa), but scenario planning — a different species with one very specific approach — we of futures work, with its own paradoxes work with teams of leaders from across and challenges. a given social system (whether a city The paradox, or the grey zone in or a region or country or hemisphere) this work, is that there are two simple who are all concerned about what is cases and a confusing middle ground. happening and want to deal with it. One simple case is when I have no influence on what is happening, and all We have to find a way not simply to I can do is think, look, try to see what is coming down and adapt; I cannot adapt to whatever happens, but to predict nor control what is going on. influence what happens. The objective The other is the opposite: not only can I predict what’s going on, I can make it is not to adapt to the future, but to happen as I want it to happen. So these transform the future. are the two extreme cases. Fortunately or unfortunately, the When I say they are concerned about reality of life — and particularly with what is happening, that doesn’t mean democratic governance in most parts of they agree on what needs to be done, the world — is that we are in the grey nor do they even necessarily agree on zone where the government is an actor what the problem is. Typically, they but it cannot control everything. It may agree neither on the solution nor the not want to or be able to, or citizens problem, but they share a strongly held won’t accept it. It is a phenomenon belief that a situation is problematic — very much like what is discussed in perhaps for different reasons. Singapore. It is a middle ground full These are actors from across the of ambiguity and paradox. system, from all the three sectors: the public sector, the private sector and the How can transformative scenario planning social sector. These teams are made help to address these challenges? up of people who see a problematic I and Reos Partners,1 the organisation situation that they want to address and of which I am a member, work in have already figured out that they can many contexts all over the world with neither do so directly nor do so alone, all kinds of subjects (ranging from whether it is by themselves, with their aboriginal health in Australia, climate organisations or even within their

ETHOS / 25 sector. That is the key assumption. for this is that people won’t put up with They are obliged — generally with it. I am reminded of a project in India great unhappiness — to work not just with the national planning commission, with friends and colleagues but with and V. S. Naipaul’s book on political strangers and opponents. activism, India: A Million Mutinies When there is agreement on neither Now. As a friend there remarked, the the solution nor on the problem, we situation now is a million bottlenecks — have to take an indirect approach: to everybody has an opinion, a voice, an start with figuring out what is really interest, so the notion that they will going on, how we can understand the just do whatever the Government or problematic situation, how it might the planning commission tells them unfold and what we can do about it. ought to be done is no longer feasible. That is the specific work that we do. What my colleagues and I do is to approach these situations with a These are actors from across the system particular process that involves three essential elements that are rarely used who see a problematic situation that they together. want to address and have already figured The first is to work with actors from across the whole system — the out that they cannot do so directly, nor people whose understanding, agency do so alone. They are obliged to work not and commitment is needed to effect change in the area that you are working just with friends and colleagues but with in, and who conversely, if they don’t strangers and opponents. agree, can stop change happening and create a million bottlenecks. To work Does this suggest a more inclusive with a whole system team is already approach that is radically different from pretty unusual. traditional structures of governance, Secondly, we are very deliberate which tend to be fairly centralised about the container within which that and top-down, with a clearer hierarchy team works. The term container refers of agency? to the physical, political and psychosocial If you have authority, whether it is space in which the work is done. It is centralised or decentralised, and a not obvious to most people that the capacity to deal with an issue, then you container matters; it matters enormously should just do it. The problem is the and these days, a good bit of our work is number of cases where this is possible actually in building the container. The is diminishing. One of the main reasons word container has two aspects that

26 / Transformative Alliance are both important. On the one hand, Does your lab process face pressure to it means a space that is protected and generate a solid, useable outcome at safe, but its other contrary meaning is the end? equally important — it needs to also Yes. Practically, this is only interesting be sufficiently confined to create the to do if there is a situation that many pressure that allows the work to happen. people view as problematic and they So you have the whole system team, are willing to enter the lab space a strong container and lastly a rigorous because they think it is possible to process, which means that there is a find a workable way forward. There sequence of things to be done, with absolutely is pressure to succeed, but more or less effective ways of carrying one of the many paradoxes is that we them out. There is pressure to produce don’t know at the beginning what will results, and it is not just a matter of come out at the end. everyone getting together to just chat This is obvious in a creative process, and figure it out. but it is very challenging for most We call this combination of the three organisations, especially control-oriented key elements a social lab — the social institutions, who want to know in equivalent of a scientific laboratory.2 A advance what the result is going to be, laboratory is a space with the equipment how they are going to measure it, what you need and staff you need to be able the deliverables are, what the budget to try things out and try to create is and so on. We say: well, we want something new; what is crucial is these to work on this, we are all committed are not only spaces to chat and to talk, to it and we will take this amount of although that is important, but spaces time, but it is a creative process and to experiment together, to act together therefore, by definition, I cannot tell to address the problematic situation and you at the beginning what the end is. to learn, through doing, what works Half of our work is in putting and what doesn’t work. together — convening, building and organising — these labs; not that it is the If you have authority and hardest part, but it is the first step and a capacity to deal with an therefore the one that by definition is not yet formed. The ones who initiate this issue, then you should just process with us can be different people: do it. The problem is the government, businesses or civil society actors. In most cases it is an alliance. number of cases where this But it is always somebody or, more is possible is diminishing. usefully, some coalition that is concerned

ETHOS / 27 about a problematic situation and has this sort for the last 12 years and the not succeeded through established conditions have not been right. The methods, who leads us to think that the political actors have been absolutely lab or transformative scenario planning unwilling to come together; they have approach can be useful. a rigidly polarised system and nothing can be achieved. If you have been successful, it is very easy But it is not necessary to start with an agreement on the solution, nor even to fall on your face, because you cannot on the problem, and it is not necessary see that what you are doing won’t work to start with trusting each other. All of those things are built through the anymore. It may take a crisis to realise work. All that is necessary is that we all that it is not going to work. agree, even though perhaps from very different perspectives, that a situation Are there conditions that suggest that a is not good enough the way it is and particular group or society is in a good we cannot fix it separately, so let’s hold position to benefit from such a process? our noses and work together. I used to think that there was no way Working with strangers and to assess a priori what is possible, and opponents is nobody’s preferred way of that the fact that the conditions don’t working. So why do it? Because I have yet exist doesn’t mean they cannot be no choice, because I cannot get where created. I now think that there are I am trying to go just with friends objective conditions in which it is much and colleagues. This requires me, in a more difficult, if not impossible, to certain sense, to have given up — and proceed. The main flashing red light very specifically to have given up on is where one or several key actors are the belief that I can do this on my own, unwilling to participate. that I can control the situation. For So then you have the choice to people who are used to being in control, go ahead without those actors, since either individuals or institutions, this it is possible they may come in later. is very painful. Somebody said to me However, if they are key actors, then once: nothing fails like success. If you by definition you cannot get very have been successful, it is very easy to far without them, or it could even be fall on your face, because you cannot dangerous to proceed in opposition, and see that what you are doing won’t work you have to wait until they are ready. anymore. It may take a crisis to realise It can mean waiting for a long time. that it is not going to work. We have been working with a group I think it is a hard transition to in Venezuela to undertake an effort of make, and it is easy to try to go partway

28 / Transformative Alliance and say, “Well, I am still going to be in It is not necessary to start with an control but I am going to ask them for their opinion, and I take their opinion agreement on the solution, nor into account but I will still make the even on the problem, and it is not decisions.” There is a big difference between “I am in control, I will ask your necessary to start with trusting each opinion” and “Actually we have to do other. All of those things are built this together”. through the work. It is important to be pretty clear about whether you are consulting or co-creating. These are two entirely different modes. different conditions. Transformative It is not that one is right and one is scenario planning, employing social wrong, but that they require entirely labs, is co-creative work.

NOTES

1. See reospartners.com

2. Zaid Hassan, The Social Labs Revolution: A New Approach to Solving Our Most Complex Challenges (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2014)

ETHOS / 29 BOOK REVIEW

From Futures “Thinking” to Futures “Doing”

BOO K DETailS Transformative Scenario Planning By Adam Kahane Berrett–Koehler Publishing, Inc. (paperback published in October 2012); 168 pp.

RWEEVIE D BY Aaron Maniam is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. He was the first Head of the Centre for Strategic Futures at the Public A aron Maniam Service Division. He started his career with the Foreign Service and served most recently as Institute Director of the Institute of Public Sector Leadership at the Civil Service College where, among other things, he worked on the College’s curriculum to incorporate complexity thinking into public policy. The views expressed in this review are his own.

Reading Adam Kahane is like listening Power and Love: A Theory and Practice to the movements of a symphony. All of Social Change,2 argues for a dynamic his books explore common themes: and oscillating balance between power how to tackle tough, thorny, complex (“the drive towards self-realisation”) and challenges — what some might call love (“the drive to unite the separated”) “wicked problems” — in ever-increasing in tackling intractable issues. The analytic spirals, each echoing its focus is still on how to solve tough predecessors, but also incorporating problems, but Kahane now proposes new ground and new insight. a wider methodological toolkit. To understand Transformative The toolkit expands again with Scenario Planning, therefore, we also Transformative Scenario Planning, have to understand Kahane’s previous where Kahane identifies five steps work. His first book, Solving Tough that allow participants in a scenarios Problems: An Open Way of Talking, exercise not just to understand the Listening and Creating New Realities,1 future, but to influence it: explores how to navigate the nuances of multifaceted, adaptive problems with no 1. Convene a Team From Across the simple optimising solutions. The sequel, Whole System

30 / Book Review: From Futures “Thinking” to Futures “Doing” 2. Observe What Is Happening and assumptions. Stories and narratives, 3. Construct Stories About as opposed to more dispassionate What Could Happen analysis, are also more memorable 4. Discover What Can and for decision-makers and help foster a Must Be Done common language for planning. Many civil servants and, indeed, Singaporeans 5. Act to Transform the System more broadly, will recall the catchy The first three steps will be familiar names of the first National Scenarios to anyone who has undertaken a scenarios from 1997: “Hotel Singapore” and exercise, like the growing community “A Home Divided”. Kahane quotes a of futures thinking practitioners in similar sentiment from Trevor Manuel, the Singapore public sector, which has a participant in the famous Mont Fleur used scenarios as a tool for strategic scenarios3 that envisioned post-apartheid planning since the late 1980s. Convening futures for South Africa. Manuel, a system-wide team is analogous to who was head of the African National the concept of whole-of-government Congress’ Department of Economic thinking in Singapore, where system-level Policy at the time, and is currently Head insights are sought to tackle challenges of South Africa’s National Planning that transcend the jurisdiction of any Commission, said of the Mont Fleur single agency. “Observ[ing] what is scenarios: “I’ve internalized them, and if happening” is similar to the horizon you have internalized something, then scanning and emerging issue analysis you probably carry it for life”. currently undertaken by the National Kahane gets into really interesting Security Coordination Secretariat ground with step four: Discover what (NSCS) and the Strategic Policy Office can and must be done. Practitioners of in the Public Service Division (PSD). traditional scenario planning approaches, This involves discerning and detecting most famously at Royal Dutch Shell, today’s weak signals of tomorrow’s will detect many echoes of what they game-changers. might call moving from “Scenarios “Construct[ing] stories” is the step to Strategies”. This is a notoriously from which the art of scenarios originally difficult part of any scenarios process; took its name. The plural “stories” is it involves not only exploring conceptual critical here, since crafting several possibilities, but actual commitment of narratives with both complementary time, finances, energy and other scarce and competing elements allows decision- resources to whatever needs to be done. makers to question the possible truths The returns are often uncertain, long- in each of them, and thereby examine term, abstract and diffuse over the their own deeply-held mental models entire system; the costs are definite,

ETHOS / 31 short-term, concrete and concentrated of control”. People with internal loci in a specific agency. tend to see their destinies as primarily More than any other step, this the result of choices they make; they requires “small-p” political imagination, exercise agency and are often described will, discipline and stamina. At times, by others as acting in “empowered” ways. without participants even realising it, In contrast, people with external loci discussions at this stage can degenerate tend to ascribe responsibility for their into blame ping-pong and other fates to factors outside themselves — commitment avoidance techniques. “the system”, “my environment”, “my This doesn’t make participants in the boss”. Activist approaches, because they process nefarious or even ignorant; it is require risky normative judgements simply easier to hide behind excuses than about what future might be desirable, squarely face the prospect of having to call for a strong internal locus, whereas change established ways of working in adaptive approaches tend to coincide a team or in an entire institution. That with an external locus of control. Kahane does not offer simple steps to The reality is that we need both solve this problem is not a failing on his adaptive and activist approaches. Activist, part; the challenges of political buy-in internal-locus approaches alone can at this stage are probably not amenable lead to recklessness and arrogance. In to simple solutions, and instead need Singapore’s case, awareness of our status leadership willing to invest in patient, as a small, price-taking economy on the deliberate efforts with an eye on the global arena has — mostly rightly — long-run dividends. meant a primarily humble and adaptive In step five — Act to Transform approach in our futures thinking. the System — Kahane breaks into new On their own, however, adaptive territory for many scenario planners. approaches can be disempowering He draws a distinction between two and lack galvanising force. One might approaches to the future: an adaptive argue, for instance, that the powerful one, which takes the future as an vision of Singapore’s founding fathers exogenously determined “given” to came out of a deeply activist approach which we can only react, and an activist to the future: we had to create our fate, approach that starts from the belief not just be satisfied with the future we that we have some level of agency in seemed to have been dealt with as we determining the future we want (or separated from Malaysia. not), and can work towards (or away Singapore has seen more recent from) it. There are parallels here to examples of activist futuring too. At the the psychological concept of the “locus 2013 National Day Rally, Prime Minister

32 / Book Review: From Futures “Thinking” to Futures “Doing” quoted almost directly some level of decision to be taken, even from a scenario planner’s handbook if current information is imperfect and when he observed: “Very few countries incomplete. The book would probably or cities can think or plan over such have been more complete with an even a long-term. But Singapore has been more detailed exploration of how these able to do it. In a deeper sense, these difficulties can be overcome. The change are not merely plans; these are acts of management literature, for instance, faith in Singapore and in ourselves”.4 could have been a useful source of ideas Tellingly, one of the most frequent pieces on how to address the inevitable fears of feedback that other facilitators and and other emotions in transformative I received at citizen dialogues during scenario processes. One such idea may the recent Our Singapore Conversation5 have included building up the personal was how much people appreciated being resilience of scenario teams’ leaders. asked about the kind of future they wanted to see in Singapore. Activist Activist futuring involves not just approaches to the future are clearly more than just a planning technique; intellectual persuasion but also the they speak to a deep and latent human generation of emotive resonance. need to feel some measure of control over our destinies, and not just be This is a minor cavil in the context victims of a whimsical fate. of a book that successfully elaborates, Needless to say, activist futuring extends and enhances a familiar idea. In is not easy. Kahane acknowledges this a world where citizens are increasingly in the many examples he cites of how empowered and keen to have active difficult, protracted and non-linear such roles in governance, Kahane’s ideas work can be. Progress happens in fits could provide interesting fodder on how and starts, often without much pattern activist energy can be harnessed for a or predictability. Such work involves more inclusive and participatory public not just intellectual persuasion, but also policy process. Anyone who cares about the generation of emotive resonance. It governance, social change and how we asks both the creators and consumers of run organisations of any size should scenarios to acknowledge that creating look forward to the next movement in the future is deeply terrifying. Questions Kahane’s emerging symphony. like “What if we get it wrong?” are legitimate sources of anxiety, and there are no solutions to them, only risk management approaches that allow for

ETHOS / 33 NOTES

1. Adam Kahane, Solving Tough Problems: An 4. Lee Hsien Loong, “National Day Rally 2013 Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating Speech” (speech, Singapore, August 21, New Realities (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2013), Prime Minister’s Office, http://www. 2007). pmo.gov.sg/content/pmosite/mediacentre/ speechesninterviews/primeminister/2013/ 2. Adam Kahane, Power and Love: A Theory and August/prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong-s- Practice of Social Change (San Francisco: national-day-rally-2013--speech.html Berrett-Koehler, 2010). 5. “Our Singapore Conversation,” http://www. 3. Pieter le Roux et al., “The Mont Fleur oursgconversation.sg Scenarios,” The Weekly Mail & The Guardian Weekly, July 1992, http://reospartners.com/ publication-view/46

34 / Book Review: From Futures “Thinking” to Futures “Doing” Opinion

Managing Complexity with Courage, Conflict and Engagement

ILOD Principal Consultant Douglas O’Loughlin outlines four key leadership competencies to cultivate in a world of greater complexity and uncertainty.

by Douglas O’Loughlin, PhD, is a Principal Consultant at the Institute of Leadership and Organisation Development (ILOD), Civil Service College. He consults with senior leaders and organisation development D ouglas practitioners across the Public Service in areas such as organisation development, leadership development, O’Loughlin change management, large group engagement, facilitation and team effectiveness.

Introduction we face in society today. Decision-making In the early 1990s, Management Professor on policy and organisation changes by Peter Vaill introduced leaders to the small groups of people has lost much of term “permanent white water change”, its utility. Even the best thought-through indicating that we had transitioned policies and change initiatives will fail from a world of managing changes to live up to expectations without wider one at a time, to one where changes levels of engagement. were flowing through organisations There are practices that can support all the time.1 success in such a world and enhance Now there is a new term to describe transformational capacity for leaders: the environment we live in, coined by be courageous, embrace diversity, the US military: VUCA — Volatility, engage in healthy conflict and bring Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. more voices into the room. Here are If the external environment is in some ways to bring these practices to such a state, how then do we transform life in organisations. ourselves to be agile enough to respond in these times? We need to assess the Be Courageous way we think, make decisions and act, to Social science experiments, such as ensure all are aligned with the realities ones conducted by Solomon Asch on

ETHOS / 35 conformity,2 and Stanley Milgram on in the organisation’s hierarchy, to name obedience to authority,3 have revealed the just a few. underlying lateral and hierarchical social How often are you reaching out to pressures that exist in organisations. have a conversation with people who In social systems, it can be challenging might have a different perspective from to speak up with differing opinions in you? Engagement can start small, front of peers and those of a higher through short conversations before a level. If we are going to nurture a meeting, in the hall, perhaps even in a Public Service and society at large that lift. Or you can follow the example of actively engages on the challenges we Mr Liak Teng Lit, CEO of Singapore’s face, we need people who are courageous Alexandra Health Systems, who has for enough to speak up for what they believe many years made it a habit to invite his in, perhaps on behalf of some of the most irate customers for tea. voices that are not in the room. One of the definitions of integrity is being Even the best thought- the same person you are both on the inside and outside. If you are a leader through policies and change or in a position to be heard, express initiatives will fail to live your inner voice with compassion when it may serve a higher purpose. up to expectations without As a leader, be sure to also wider levels of engagement. acknowledge courage when you see it. Whether you agree or disagree with Perhaps a difference of opinion can the point being made, you can recognise arise from personality differences. For those willing to share their opinions. example, you may like structure and closure, whereas one of your colleagues R eflection: may appreciate flexibility and openness. How willing are you to share your feedback In these VUCA times, holding off on and opinions with peers and those higher up making a decision is often a more effective in the hierarchy, when they are different than the rest and perhaps challenge the status approach, because new information may quo? How much do you celebrate those who arise to help inform the way forward. exhibit courage in meetings and town halls? Another example of how to use diversity as leverage and do things Embrace Diversity differently: It is a commonly held There are many types of diversity, stereotype that a mentor is an older such as nationality, ethnicity, age, person providing wisdom and guidance gender, personality type and position to a younger person. However, these

36 / Managing Complexity with Courage, Conflict and Engagement days, there is a growing trend of senior policies, because they do not want to leaders with young mentors. These deal with differences, or are concerned young mentors can offer insight into the that the meeting is likely to take longer younger generation, and senior leaders if there are disagreements. In the short can get tips on the latest technologies term, this may save some time, but in and cultures that are shaping the world. the long term, it leads to lower levels

of trust and less-than-robust decisions. R eflection: R eflection: How would you feel if you find out a How much healthy How often are you in dialogue with those who policy from your agency, one that impacts disagreement see the world differently from you? your division, was announced and you exists in the meetings you chair had no chance to give input? Remember and participate in? Engage in Healthy Conflict the IKEA effect, which is that people Can you trust A good indicator of the health of any support and feel more ownership with yourself to bring diversity into a team or organisation is the amount of things they have helped to create. So conversation healthy conflict that occurs during a spend the extra time and hear all the and achieve meeting, whether it is a weekly staff opinions. With a little effort, you can optimal results? meeting or an annual strategic planning tap into what Tom Crum calls “The retreat. Management author Patrick Magic of Conflict”.6 Lencioni4 suggests that healthy conflict in a team can create higher levels of Bring More Voices into the Room commitment and accountability, and These days having a few people who are that this leads to better results. good at “systems thinking” may not be The research is clear on what conflict enough to create powerful engagement means for any human system. Whether and smart policies. John Scherer and it is a marriage or a management team, Roland Sullivan7 have argued “there is the manner in which people disagree great power in thinking whole system, is a telling sign of the quality of the and in being a whole system as you relationship(s). Healthy conflict is think”. When people with diverse views not personal; it is disagreeing on but a shared stake in the health of the approaches and strategies. A tip from whole system get to talk about issues John Gottman,5 a scientist who studies in a well-designed process, common marriages, is to show some level of ground, not conflict, can emerge. agreement and appreciation, even when Years ago, the Singapore Police in conflict. After all, it is possible to Force brought 800 officers together for disagree without being disagreeable. two days of Strategic Planning. Rather Sometimes people do not invite than the senior team creating a plan and certain people to meetings on setting selling it down through the organisation,

ETHOS / 37 the idea was to co-create the plan. More artist; you know most of the moves, recently, the Ministry of Communications now you are working on moving more and Information brought together smoothly, quickly and in more complex about 230 Communications Officers situations. Here are some tips on getting from around the Public Service to your black belt: talk about transforming Government Communications. The Land Transport Be Courageous: If you haven’t pushed Authority took the opportunity to your own boundaries of late, choose an refresh its mission and values with issue that you are passionate about, and approximately 180 people thinking reach out to a trusted colleague on how together, rather than through small focus to best bring it up in a larger setting. If groups. In both of these interventions, you are already rather outspoken, get the community was engaged, members feedback on how you can make sure got to hear diverse perspectives and the your messages have maximum impact. mission of the initiative was accelerated. More is also being done to engage Engage Diversity: Start with small the public, as we reach out and get informal chats, be curious and ask individuals and organisations involved questions to which you don’t know earlier in the policymaking process. Our the answers. Singapore Conversation was a good start to this type of engagement, and Engage in Healthy Conflict: Dialogue provided evidence that our citizens are skills are crucial when differences arise. willing to engage with us, and that we Stay focused on the issue at hand, balance can all handle differences of opinion advocacy and inquiry, and continue to for the sake of co-creating more robust look at how the issue is being framed. policies and better shared outcomes. During or after a healthy conflict, be sure to acknowledge and celebrate that

R eflection: How willing are you to engage a wider range of stakeholders in your sense making, Becoming a courageous policymaking, and decision making? leader, who embraces diversity and conflict Continue to Build your Capacity Becoming a courageous leader who while creating whole embraces diversity and conflict while system engagement, is not creating whole system engagement is not usually an overnight shift for most usually an overnight shift people. Think of yourself as a martial for most people.

38 / Managing Complexity with Courage, Conflict and Engagement you all have cared enough to disagree Conclusion openly and skilfully enough to disagree These principles are not wholesale in such an agreeable manner. substitutes for traditional leadership qualities. Instead, they build upon and Bring More Voices into the Room: You can expand these proven competencies start small, by adding more people to in ways that, over time, help nurture the meetings you chair, and run your personal and institutional capacity meetings in an engaging, effective style. to cope with complex situations that If you want to run a large meeting call for shared ownership and effort. with hundreds of people, but are not The desired outcome is the growth of sure how to do this effectively, find a stronger organisational cultures in and facilitator who has this expertise and across our agencies, and an even more plan something together. resilient and engaged society.

NOTES

1. Peter Vaill, Learning as a Way of Being: 4. Patrick Lencioni, The Advantage: Why Strategies for Survival in a World of Organisational Health Trumps Everything Else Permanent White Water (San Francisco: in Business (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Jossey-Bass 1996). 2012).

2. Solomon E. Asch, “Effects of group pressure 5. John Gottman, Making Relationships Work upon the modification and distortion of (Harvard Business Review, December 2007). judgment,” in H. Guetzkow, ed., Groups, Leadership and Men (Pittsburgh, PA: 6. Thomas F. Crum, The Magic of Conflict: Carnegie Press, 1951). Turning a Life of Work into a Work of Art, 2nd ed. (New York: Touchstone, 1998). 3. Stanley Milgram, Obedience to Authority (New York: Harper, 2009). 7. William Rothwell and Roland Sullivan, Practicing OD: A Guide for Consultants (San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2005).

ETHOS / 39 Opinion

Transformative Innovation and the Policymaker of the Future

The competencies needed to transform governance are already innate in the policymaking community — but a deliberate cultural shift may be necessary to bring them to the fore.

by Graham Leicester is Director of the International Futures Forum. A former diplomat, he previously headed Scotland’s leading think tank, the Scottish Council Foundation. He is a senior adviser to the British G raham Leicester Council, and has also worked with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank Institute and other agencies on the themes of governance in a knowledge society and the governance of the long term.

A Sense of Cultural Unease social systems.1 As Brand says, while A world of boundless complexity, radical “fast grabs all the attention, slow has interconnectedness and rapid change: all the power.” it has become commonplace to talk of Brand identifies distinct “pace these as the operating conditions of the layers” of change. Fashion and commerce early 21st century. They describe an change quickly. They are “always on”, environment — for which the American innovating, looking for the next new military has coined the acronym thing. Infrastructure is under pressure VUCA — characterised by volatility, to keep up, with governments criticised uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. for not upgrading fast enough. The Less appreciated are the cultural culture and values of a society change implications of living in such a world. It more slowly. Nature moves slowest of is the volatility we notice, the day-to-day all — but is now starting to get itself whirl of superficial change. But, as the noticed with the looming crisis of environmentalist Stewart Brand reminds climate change. us, change is also occurring at a slower Our systems of governance sit pace deeper in our environmental and in the tension between these layers:

40 / Transformative Innovation and the Policymaker of the Future mediating between the fast-moving seen as indicators of a more demanding demands of technology, commerce and and discerning citizenry, other signals the market, and the bedrock culture (such as statistics reflecting growing that lends a society its coherence and anti-foreigner sentiment) suggest sense of identity. symptoms of a deeper cultural unease.4 Cultural psychologist Richard Such unease also shows up in Shweder argues that every society needs a questions raised in the recent “Our set of core storylines to account for what Singapore Conversation” process and he calls the “existential facts of life”.2 elsewhere about the continued relevance They tell us how the world works, what of Singapore’s founding narrative as to expect in life, what success looks like well as its core storyline, of “Security, and so on. In stable societies and quieter Survival and Success”. The security times, these storylines are transmitted narrative is tested by the proliferation tacitly and deliberately through each of global threats in a profoundly and every cultural act. They provide the interconnected world. Survival seems often taken-for-granted symbols and to have been purchased at a high price metaphors, conceptual understandings in terms of quality of life. The link and cultural habits that allow people to between success and merit, and even go about their lives with a secure sense what it really means to live a “successful” of the wider patterns that hold them. life in today’s world, is no longer as In a VUCA world, those cultural clear-cut as it used to be. patterns are everywhere in flux. The Harvard psychologist Robert Kegan The Technical Response pointed out back in the early 1990s that These stirrings have not gone unnoticed the world has become too complex and in policy circles. The question is how fast-moving for us to comprehend. All to respond. understanding is provisional. The old The most obvious response is to storylines no longer ring true. We are, look for newer and more sophisticated Kegan concluded, “in over our heads”.3 tools of analysis. Singapore’s Centre for Strategic Futures, for example, recently The Singapore Context used the Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) It should come as no surprise that foresight method to try to probe these disturbance at this deeper level of deeper layers of change.5 CLA explicitly culture is now showing up in the data investigates four levels of sense-making: in Singapore, as it is elsewhere in the litany (“lived experience”), social systems world. While a rise in the number of and structures, worldview and myth/ complaints about public services and a metaphor. The exercise provided a space fall in “user trust”, for example, might be for participants to give expression to

ETHOS / 41 the sense of incoherence and unease I The opposite scenario is stasis and have described above. predictability, with all change ground The process also reinforced the to a halt. As the humanist physician need for diverse voices in the policy and former President of the Royal process in order for there to be true College of General Practitioners Iona richness and depth of context that Heath puts it: “Only because we do not allows our hopes as well as our fears understand everything, and because we to be explored. The final report6 of the do not control the future, is it possible exercise stressed the need to cover all to live and be human.”7 four levels: “the social activist locates her agency at the level of worldview, the The Human Response poet at the level of myth, the business The good news is that the competencies owner at the level of litany, even as the required to live well and thrive in the policymaker defines her power at the VUCA world are innate to us all — level of social causation”. they are evoked in response to our environment. The same goes for the capacities needed to devise effective Our systems of governance sit in the policy responses for a world where the tension between these layers: mediating challenges are not just technical but between the fast-moving demands of cultural and existential. First, we must recognise that technology, commerce and the market, competence is culturally determined. and the bedrock culture that lends a The range of what we are able or willing to express of our innate competencies society its coherence and sense of identity. is conditioned by the culture of the professional setting we find ourselves While for the purposes of analysis in. We carry in our heads and hearts or data gathering we can break society an implicit view of the competent into causal layers and any number of policymaker — for example, someone different expert domains and categories, who makes few mistakes, is seen as a our “lived experience” as humans is one ”safe pair of hands”, does not ruffle too of wholeness. We live simultaneously many feathers — which thereby limits in all of these layers, all of these the expression of the human capacities dimensions, and we would notice that we need to respond effectively to the something was wrong if we didn’t. VUCA world. VUCA is not a threat but a condition My experience seeking to develop a of life that is primarily a process of ”policymaker of the future” programme growth, change and uncertainty. with the Scottish Government in 2008/9

42 / Transformative Innovation and the Policymaker of the Future T transforma ive Innovation in Action

n a workshop I ran in Singapore,1 the In the latter case, we see the problem I example was raised of the annual wave of not as a technical flaw but as an indicator dissatisfaction with the Primary 1 school of a culture under strain. We must therefore registration process. Getting into the “right” design innovations that will lead the culture primary school is seen to be an important back to health; how, for example, might we step on the path to a successful life, so many move towards a world in which this pressure schools are oversubscribed and many parents on registration no longer exists, because are disappointed. We brainstormed policy ideas Primary 1 placement no longer determines that might address the problem, in order to a person’s fate, or because society has come appreciate the distinction between technocratic to realise that (as one participant put it) fixes (change the algorithm, experiment with “success has many faces”? And how might different admissions criteria, allocate places we successfully pursue such an innovation by lot, etc.) and transformative innovation as part of a longer-term transition strategy, rooted in culture and values. even as existing systems need to continue delivering goods and services?

NOTE

1. Workshop on “Dancing at the Edge: Policymaker of the Future”, June 11, 2013, organised by the Civil Service College Singapore.

provides a useful example. We started management and so on. Then there with a series of high level workshops was a set of policy-specific skills like with senior officials to discover what political acumen and knowledge of the competencies of the policymaker policy instruments. Finally there was of the future might be. a third category which read more like The competencies identified in the skills needed for the emerging this inquiry broadly fell into three VUCA world: handling complexity, categories. There was a range of skills being comfortable with ambiguity, and competencies that did not seem acknowledging ignorance, orchestrating to be about either policymaking or without power and so on. about the future — basic professional The immediate impulse was to take attributes like integrity, good project this third list and organise a training

ETHOS / 43 T transforma ive Innovation: 10 Critical Characteristics

hese can be taken as both design criteria 5. Grounded; facing up to reality; generated T for interventions and a practical guide from a clear-sighted view of the evidence for the kind of action needed to develop 21st but not hidebound by it; taking knowledge century competencies. gained from lived experience as seriously as abstract data. The initiative will be based Transformative innovation is: on a long-term aspiration, but must take 1. Balanced: paying skilful attention to the twin its place in the messy reality of the now. requirements to be hospice workers for the dying We ignore that at our peril. culture and midwives for the new, consciously 6. Based on personal commitment “beyond operating in both worlds at the same time. reason”, with the individuals involved stepping This is the critical skillset, mastering the out of their formal roles and into themselves. skills of tact, timing and titration that Stepping into ourselves gives us access allow us to keep the old culture on board to capacities, resources and stories we even as we introduce radical innovation. usually keep in the background in our 2. Inspiring and hopeful for the participants professional lives — our own passions and for others who come to know or hear and aspirations, for example. We will need about it. It has this quality because it all of this to carry out transformative effectively acknowledges the broader innovation successfully. cultural unease, and is not just another 7. Responsible; honouring the principle of “ first “patch” on the system. do no harm”; sensitive to the pressures involved 3. Informed by a longer term perspective, on people pushing the boundaries and not taking the future into account. We cannot pushing too far too fast. While this kind be midwives to better future outcomes of work is invigorating and fulfilling, without this perspective. it will also demand a lot from us. It can start to ask too much. We must look after 4. Pioneering; trying something new and counter- ourselves and each other. The catalyst has cultural; starting small; rooted in discovery and failed if it burns up in the experiment. learning rather than the application of tried and tested procedures. If we are going to shift 8. Revealing hidden resources — by freeing up the culture then we must do something resources locked into the existing system and that will be seen as “counter-cultural” in by configuring new sources of abundance. today’s terms. And if so we should start It is scarcity that is undermining the small: anything bigger would be seen as effectiveness of our present systems. The too threatening or resource-intensive and trajectory needs to be towards sources of may be suppressed. support that are abundant and away from

44 / Transformative Innovation and the Policymaker of the Future reliance on those that are scarce. But this 10. Maintaining a pioneering spirit even in the kind of work is attractive — people will face of success, preferring to be followed by want to get involved. Hidden resources rather than swallowed by the mainstream will emerge. system. It can be very difficult to resist siren 9. Maintaining integrity, coherence, wholeness calls to “mainstream” any innovation that at all scales and from all perspectives, with does well. The overwhelming instinct of a words and deeds, being and doing in alignment. system in decline is to search around for Every action carries an implicit culture innovations that will save it. But propping with it that can and will be inferred both up the old system will not hasten the from what is done and how it is pursued. arrival of the new — and may make its Authenticity is vital, and attractive. It is eventual appearance all the more costly not that the means determine the ends. and painful. The ultimate aim here is to The means are the ends. transform the culture to free up resources sunk into maintaining today’s system so that they can be rechannelled towards a system fit for tomorrow.

module for each, thus “future proofing” Transformative Innovation the skills of our government officials. These new competencies cannot be I suggested this might be a waste of trained in the abstract, but they can be time, effort and money. encouraged, supported and nurtured What if these skills and competencies through action. To express them we are innate and present already in need to take on challenging policy abundance in our government officials, but issues that will require us to express go unexpressed? Because in our present a wider range of competence than is culture and our present policy process, usual at present, probing the edge of our demanding as it is of firm leadership, knowledge and capacity. Hence my own rapid response, authoritative expertise organisation in Scotland, International and rigorous and conclusive analytical Futures Forum, has established not a evidence, these attributes are more likely training programme but a supported to be regarded as incompetence. These community of practice — and the core 21st century competencies are rarely practice is transformative innovation. rewarded in a 20th century culture. The term requires some explanation. I have written extensively elsewhere

ETHOS / 45 about the concept of “cultural leadership” provide valuable clues about how to and the skills and capacities required proceed — learning by doing, addressing to engage at the level of a culture in challenges as they arise. transition to guide it towards something Extensive experience suggests more life affirming and sustainable.8 it is also possible to foresee many California Senator John Vasconcellos has of those challenges — particularly expressed this double task strikingly: “we the resistance that is likely from the must be hospice workers for the dying dominant culture — and to prepare culture and midwives for the new”. people to encounter them and policy to avoid them. We now know enough These 21st century competencies are rarely to introduce and support a dedicated rewarded in a 20th century culture. programme of transformative innovation in government, running alongside and That is at the grand scale. At the complementing other programmes.9 level of individual initiative, it will be Building on this, International expressed in the practice of innovation Futures Forum is now establishing that is not simply about fixing or a more general platform to support repairing the systems that are failing, such work and the people pursuing but that is deliberately designed to make it — a “National Infrastructure for the space for something very different Transformative Innovation” (NIFTI). and more in tune with our long-term This brings together tools, processes, aspirations for the future. artefacts, theory, insight, information, supervision, skilled practitioners, Getting Into Practice ongoing inquiry, networking events, How might we put these insights into formal action learning sets, strategic practice? The trigger is usually an relationships and so on. These provide individual who recognises the need to a dedicated structure of support, online try a new approach and is willing to take and in person, for those engaged in that on. The next move would typically transformative innovation. be to find a supportive colleague or team: I believe some such system will transformative innovation is difficult to increasingly come to be seen as an pursue alone. Next, it is useful, at the essential component for any government right time, to seek support from those in the 21st century that wishes to in authority — not for permission, but take its dual task seriously, acting at a simply for acknowledgement that what cultural level as both hospice worker is being undertaken is developmental, and midwife and with the operational with a long term transition in mind. competencies required to “redesign the The 10 characteristics listed then plane whilst flying it”.

46 / Transformative Innovation and the Policymaker of the Future NOTES

1. Stewart Brand, The Clock of the Long Now: 8. See for example “Rising to the Occasion: Time and Responsibility (New York: Basic Cultural Leadership in Powerful Times” written Books, 2000). for the UK’s Mission Models Money in 2007 and “Real Cultural Leadership: Leading the 2. Richard A. Shweder, Thinking through Cultures: Culture in a Time of Cultural Crisis” in A Expeditions in Cultural Psychology (Cambridge, Cultural Leadership Reader, eds. Sue Kay MA: Harvard University Press, 1991). and Katie Venner, for the Cultural Leadership Programme, UK. Both available for download 3. Robert Kegan, In Over Our Heads: The Mental from http://www.internationalfuturesforum. Demands of Modern Life (Cambridge, MA: com/projects.php?pid=44, accessed Harvard University Press, 1994). December 21, 2013

4. This data is assembled from interviews 9. My experience helping to establish a conducted during my visit and from a number programme to support transformative of sources included in briefings provided in innovation in school education in Scotland advance of my visit. has been encouraging. Using a simple set of resources as prompts and challenges, schools 5. Causal Layered Analysis Project: An inter- are first encouraged to express small-scale agency project to explore the socio-economic innovations that might help shift the system aspirations of Singaporeans, led by the Centre towards their aspirations and then supported for Strategic Futures, Public Service Division, to put them into practice. This approach is July 2013. described in detail in Graham Leicester et al., Transformative Innovation in Education: 6. http://www.psd.gov.sg/content/dam/psd_web/ A Playbook for Pragmatic Visionaries (UK: csf_web/resources/Causal%20Layered%20 Triarchy Press, 2013) and at www.iffpraxis. Analysis%20Project%20Report%20(final).pdf com/transformative-innovation-in-education

7. Iona Heath, “Love’s Labours Lost: Why Society is Straitjacketing its Professionals and How We Might Release Them”, The Michael Shea Memorial Lecture, organised by International Futures Forum and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, September 10, 2012, http://www. internationalfuturesforum.com/u/cms/Iona_ Heath_Lecture2012.pdf

ETHOS / 47 Opinion

Public Sector Transformation — Six Small Ways to Make a Big Impact

The Singapore Public Service can ready itself for a more challenging environment with more thoughtful communication, collaboration and creative use of resources.

by Andrew Tan is Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority, Singapore. He has served previously as Chief Executive of the National Environment Agency, as well as Deputy Secretary in the Ministries A nndrew Ta of Transport and Foreign Affairs. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government and a First Class Honours degree in History from King’s College, University of London. This article was written during his Fellowship at the Civil Service College, Singapore and the views expressed herein are his own.

So we have heard the Prime Minister but this is not to say they will meet urge the public sector to be more the needs of future generations. As responsive to the needs of the citizenry.1 we plan ahead for the next 20 or 30 The Government has to operate as one, years, it is clear Singaporeans want be fully committed to improving the a bigger say in the policies that will lives of the people, and its policies must affect their lives, from roads, housing keep pace with the changing aspirations and healthcare to education, and they and needs of Singaporeans. At the same are not afraid to voice their views. time, it must build trust and uphold the The public sector will have to adapt highest standards of integrity. This is to these changing circumstances. quite a tall but necessary order indeed. Of course, adaptation doesn’t mean The big question is: where do we compromising on the basics. The begin? Self-realisation would be a Government still has a duty to good place to start. It is a different safeguard the interests of the state, world we live in today: this includes uphold the interests of the community, Singapore. The far-sighted policies and balance the competing demands of our founding generation of leaders on our scarce resources. But we have have served us well by most measures, more interest groups to manage and

48 / Public Sector Transformation — Six Small Ways to Make a Big Impact issues are now more easily amplified from the top. Any line manager or through the new social media. supervisor is in a powerful position It is in this context that public sector to bring about change in his or transformation has been in the news her department or unit. Revisit lately. Many public servants must be assumptions from time to time. daunted by the prospect of having to Policies should not be cast in stone embrace the impending changes, much but reflect changing realities. Create less initiate them. Anticipating this, the a positive and enabling environment Public Service Division and the Civil where ideas and suggestions are Service College have been repositioning welcomed. Encourage ground-up themselves to help the public sector cope feedback as those closest to the with these changes by facilitating civil issues are usually the most well- service-wide dialogue, fostering inter- informed yet paradoxically, feel agency collaboration and investing in powerless to change things. capacity building. Senior public sector leaders have also stepped in to guide 2. Create platforms for officers to the change effort by identifying areas share their challenges — and forge within their organisations, as well as a common vision and narrative for across agencies, that can be improved change. Officers should meet and in order to deliver better citizen-centric interact regularly with one another services. This is a good start. and arrive at a consensual world view, particularly in times of uncertainty Six Ways to Spark Change and complexity. This is especially What can the rest of the civil service do? important in large organisations We should certainly not wait for where many officers may not even change to come. Each and every public have met their fellow colleagues. officer can and should be a powerful A shared sense of purpose is absolutely agent of change. From the Permanent critical for any major change effort. Secretary and Chief Executive down to Develop a compelling narrative that the counter staff and ground officers, is relevant to your agency: one that there is much we can do to facilitate the galvanises everyone’s efforts and overall effort. And there is no need to fires up the imagination. pay an arm and a leg to a consultant to help you do this. Here are six ways 3. Allow for “ideas test-bedding” — to kick it off: by encouraging officers to create problem solving teams to tackle the 1. Leaders must set the right tone, challenges they face, and to identify starting from the top — but not only problem areas or pain points that

ETHOS / 49 A Library By the People, For the People: Building a Long-Term Relationship Based on Engagement and Trust

ustomer-centric experience and community culture, including educators, academics, media C engagement are not new to the National professionals as well as representatives from Library Board (NLB), which has been reinventing the Ministry of Education, local universities, the concept of public libraries in Singapore an arts school and a Chinese business council. for over a decade. One of the ways in which it The operation and organisation of activities has done so is by rethinking the relationship to promote Chinese art and culture have been between the library as an institution and the sponsored by a non-profit organisation, Kwan people it serves. In recent years, NLB has Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, for five years. increasingly empowered customers, partners The day-to-day operations of library@ and volunteers to lead, initiate, develop and chinatown are managed by a pool of volunteers manage libraries on their own. library@ drawn from the community. They conduct chinatown is its latest experiment. shelf-reading, assist in the shelving of books, Located in Chinatown Point in Chinatown, provide programme logistics, and clear the library@chinatown is a public library managed Bookdrop. Clad in volunteer t-shirts, they are by the community, for the community. The also the library’s custodians and ambassadors, mall owner, CP1 Pte Ltd, proposed that NLB reminding users to pick up after themselves. set up a public library on its premises and NLB hopes that this initiative may inspire sponsored the rental and fit-out costs. The others to volunteer in libraries and to make concept was co-developed by NLB and an libraries their own. advisory team of twelve experts on Chinese

NOTE

1. This excerpt was adapted by the editorial team in consultation with the first author. From June Gwee and Neo Boon Siong, “A Library for the People: A Case Study of the National Library Board”, March 2013, http://www.cscollege.gov. sg/knowledge/pages/a-library-for-the-people-a-case-study-of-the-national-library-board.aspx

50 / Public Sector Transformation — Six Small Ways to Make a Big Impact should be addressed. Sometimes Engage both in good times and the solution may be simple, such bad — not only when there is a need as simplifying forms by removing to. Engage regularly as a way to unnecessary fields, cutting down communicate policy intent, shifts and on the red tape for approvals or trade-offs and to build a long-term redesigning processes around relationship based on mutual trust, people as human beings, rather than respect and authenticity. Engagement as digits. At other times, a more can take various forms, from simple fundamental policy review may be dialogue sessions to organising called for, which will require further activities that provide a more deliberations with the Ministry HQ. relaxed and conducive environment Start with the quick wins, recognise for dialogue. If we are prepared every small effort, and you’ll be to look, we might be surprised surprised how quickly others in the how many capable, well-meaning organisation will catch on. Singaporeans — from individuals to businesses and organisations — 4. Promote a greater sense of empathy, are prepared to work with us on both within and without the national endeavours. organisation — and put yourself in the shoes of your employee or member 6. Make the most of the data within of public. This can be done in a great your organisation. Public agencies number of ways. Start with having collect data, lots of it. Unfortunately, empathy within the organisation. much of this data is not used to its What this means is that leaders and full potential. Much has been said supervisors should pay attention of data analytics: there are helpful to their staff’s needs if they expect tools to collate, analyse and make their officers to project similar care sense of data. But we need not always for the public. At the same time, rely on such elaborate tools to be those working in front line agencies effective. Customer feedback, which should walk the ground regularly, is basic data that many public service and meet up with the grassroots agencies already have, combined leaders and the local community to with the intuition of your front-line garner feedback and suggestions. employees, is a good place to start mining for information. What works 5. Be more deliberate about public or does not work usually provides engagement, not as an afterthought useful clues to improving service but as an integral part of the policy quality more broadly. Asking the formulation and review process. right questions, drilling deeper into

ETHOS / 51 the data, and assigning good people effort. It is often not possible to change to the front desks, where interaction large organisations overnight — unless with the public actually occurs, of course, they face an existential threat, can inspire vast improvements in by which time its fate may already be service delivery. sealed. Change can be just as effective in smaller doses when done in a way Doing More With Less — Creating that is sustained and scalable. Some Bandwidth for Success departments, especially those in the Finding sufficient bandwidth for forefront of change efforts, can lead the management and line managers way by test-piloting new concepts or is a common challenge faced by approaches and replicating the successes organisations contemplating change. across the rest of the organisation. Indeed, this poses a far greater Singapore stands at an important challenge than the lack of resources. crossroads in its development. Will Resources can always be provided, but we be a run-of-the-mill country, or an organisation that is inadequately continue to be exceptional? This is not prepared or poorly structured to mere rhetoric. Our success has hinged implement change efforts can do as much on exceptional leadership as more harm with additional resources on an exceptional civil service that has allocated to it. Precious time, energy stayed true to the nation’s interests and resources can be wasted, and and secured the public’s trust. The widespread scepticism could undermine public sector transformation effort is the larger civil service-wide change too important to be left to chance. It effort. For this effort to succeed, some is also too important to be left to the slack and spare capacity should be few who oversee the civil service. It has given to agencies to strengthen their to be everyone’s job. It is up to us — organisational capabilities. people like you and me — to believe Sustaining these efforts will require that we can make a difference, and to a culture of continuous improvement. make change happen today. This is the hardest part of the change

NOTE

1. Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Public Service Leadership Advance on 30 September 2013, http://www.pmo. gov.sg/content/pmosite/mediacentre/ speechesninterviews/primeminister/2013/ September/speech-by-prime-minister-lee- hsien-loong-at-the-public-service-l.html

52 / Public Sector Transformation — Six Small Ways to Make a Big Impact Enabling Organisational Transformation: Possibilities and Practice

Two public agencies illustrate transformational strategies that could help organisations rethink and reinvent themselves for the future.

by Aurora de Souza Watters is Researcher at the Institute of Leadership and Organisation Development, Civil Service College. Her research interests are leadership development, leader personality traits A urora de Souza and the effects of power on leadership. She holds a Doctorate from the University of Nottingham in Watters Applied Psychology. Lena Leong is Principal Researcher at the Institute of Leadership and Organisation Development, Civil and Service College. Her research interests are in public administration and management, organisation change, and leadership. She holds a Master in Public Administration from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Lena leong Public Policy.

ETHOS / 53 What is Transformation and What of the desired future the organisation is Not? wants to create. The process is complex, The context within which the public sector because transformation is an emergent operates has changed. Public agencies phenomenon, comprising many moving today seek the capacity to transform parts and interdependent agents, and their organisations and navigate the requiring individuals to change mind- dynamic environments in which they sets and behaviours. must serve. More and more of the issues they face have become trans-boundary, Fixing the System or Creating multidimensional, interconnected and a New One? prone to surprises. Public agencies Organisational change begins with the increasingly have to juggle traditional organisation’s mission and vision of the roles as public service provider, regulator future, and the nature of the change that and law enforcer as well as new, relational is called for. It may be that deeper and ones as arbiter, facilitator and convener — more sustainable change comes not from all within the constraints of allocated trying to fix the existing system, but by budgets and manpower. creating a new one. This may call for a fundamental re-think of the organisation’s The exercise of leadership, in providing purpose and desired outcomes. Becoming more aware of the different coherence, connection and commitment levels of perspective on which we to the whole, confers meaning and operate — and the inter-relationships sustains excellence. of change variables involved — helps us better determine the most effective Yet organisational transformations levers for change. It will also be easier are challenging. Research suggests that to connect the pieces if we perceive only one third of organisations that the bigger picture of the system. It try to transform do so successfully.1 allows organisations to attend to the Organisational transformation is not immediate while working in concert, about tweaking parts of the system. at multiple levels in multiple action Instead, it involves a whole-system shift in modes, towards larger shared goals. the way an organisation thinks, operates If the nature of most organisational and relates with others. It is not just change is complex and our goal is also to about raising standards, working faster grow the capacity to anticipate and adapt or tightening controls, but redefining to change over time, then there is merit an organisation’s desired outcomes. in broadening conversations. This means It requires a shift from the problem- widening the circle of involvement by solving mode to a focus on a vision engaging more people: across levels and

54 / Enabling Organisational Transformation: Possibilities and Practice roles, and even outside the organisation. Singapore’s Ministry of Finance, It means taking time to help people see navigated significant changes in their the larger scheme of things and their mission, vision and organisation. They collective contribution, by reframing mental were able to do so successfully while models, building a clearer and shared view sustaining performance and retaining of the future through new experiences committed public officers.2 of coming together. If transformation To tighten border control following is emergent, then there is a need to September 11, border enforcement roles structure processes for experimenting, under the former Customs & Excise learning and course-correcting — Department, a government department through conversations at different under the Ministry of Finance, were levels that enable all stakeholders transferred to the new Immigration & to seek meaningful patterns and Checkpoints Authority in 2003. The understand collectively. remaining trade documentation and Leadership sponsorship and revenue enforcement roles of the Customs modelling at all levels are crucial & Excise Department and the trade for change. Leaders are in a unique facilitation function of International position to shape the context in which Enterprise Singapore, a statutory people and systems come together board under the Ministry of Trade and to achieve outcomes. They identify Industry, were merged to form Singapore the issues and larger purpose, and Customs, which would become the single engage people in new conversations. agency to look after all the functions They build the collective capacity of along the trade chain. In the decade that groups and their whole organisation followed, SC’s role rapidly expanded to create new realities by managing and its staff strength almost doubled to relationships across, and by empowering take on a diversity of trade facilitation through, the design of organisational and security functions in a period of systems. The exercise of leadership, tremendous volatility in global trade. in providing coherence, connection When IRAS became a statutory and commitment to the whole, confers board in 1992, 50% of tax returns were meaning and sustains excellence. not assessed, employee morale was low and the attrition rate at 11% was four Organisational Transformation times the Civil Service’s average. Over in Action: Two Public Agencies two decades, IRAS went through three in Singapore major transformations, shifting from a Singapore Customs (SC) and the Inland focus on tax administration efficiency Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), to partnership with taxpayers in nation both agencies under the purview of building and economic development.

ETHOS / 55 O strgani a ional Transformation: Different Models, Different Approaches

There are many models for understanding organisational transformation. The Burke-Litwin model of organisational change and performance (Figure 1)1 suggests that an organisation’s mission and strategy, organisational culture and leadership are transformational factors that can create organisation-wide impact. The organisation’s structure, systems and management practices are regarded as transactional factors that may not impact the whole organisation when changed. Changes in transformational and transactional factors impact individuals’ values, needs, motivation, job roles, skills and therefore performance that in turn affect organisation performance.

» Insight: To transform an organisation, we need to work at its mission and strategy, organisational culture, and leadership. To sustain results, transformational and transactional factors need to be aligned.

External Environment

Leadership Mission and Strategy Organisational Culture

Management Practices Systems (Policies and Structure Procedures) Work Unit Climate

Task and Individual Individual Needs and Skills Motivation Values

Individual and Organisational Performance

Figure 1. Burke-Litwin model (1992). Reproduced with permission.

56 / Enabling Organisational Transformation: Possibilities and Practice Daniel H. Kim’s Levels of Perspective Framework, applying ideas from the field of Systems Thinking, distinguishes five levels that can be used to perceive the world — events, patterns of behaviour over time, systemic structures, mental models and vision (Figure 2)2.

Time L evels of Understanding Action Mode Typical Questions Orientation

Vision Generative Future What are the stated or unstated visions that generate the mental model?

Mental Models Reflective What are the theories and beliefs that generate the structures?

Systemic Structures Creative What are the mental models or organisational structures that create the patterns?

Patterns of Behaviour Over Time Adaptive What trends or patterns of events seem to be recurring?

Events Reactive Present What is the fastest way to react to this event NOW?

Figure 2. Daniel H. Kim’s Levels of Perspective Framework. Reproduced with permission.

While high-leverage actions can happen at any level depending on the context, actions at the higher levels have greater impact on future outcomes. Analysing an issue from multiple levels can give us a fuller understanding of the system at work. It also prevents us from reacting with quick-fixes only at the events level.

» Insight: To bring about more effective change, we need to consider intervening at multiple levels, rather than working at only one or two. If transformation is creating a new future rather than tweaking parts of the old, then we need to move beyond tackling events to engaging vision.

ETHOS / 57 There is also a body of work that views all transformation as linguistic. For instance, author Peter Block argues that transformation “hinges on changing the structure of how we engage each other”.3 Our conversations and the way we relate reflect our mental models that in turn determine our actions. One way to facilitate change is therefore to reframe mental models by changing the nature of conversations within an organisation. We start with a small group, which is the unit of transformation. Large-scale transformation happens when enough small groups shift in unison towards a common goal. Every gathering is an opportunity to reinforce and deepen individuals’ accountability and commitment towards the desired collective outcome.

» Insight: To transform organisations, we need to look at the nature of conversations in our organisations. If necessary, reframe contexts by changing the conversations and the ways people interact, such that the prevailing organisational mental models support the collective outcomes we want to create.

Ralph Stacey, one of the early thinkers Chaos to bridge complexity science with

organisation theory, mapped organisational fromFar Agreement Chaos challenges into a continuum: simple, Complex complicated, complex and chaos, based on their proximity from agreement and certainty. Plexus Institute, a US-based Complicated non-profit organisation that applies Complex complexity science concepts to problems Simple in organisations and communities, has been using Stacey’s continuum to Simple Complicated

address a range of issues in health care. Close to Agreement Close to Far from It added to the model by defining change Certainty Certainty strategies for different parts of Stacey’s Convene and Direct Seek Patterns continuum (Figure 3). Its work suggests Intervene that, in practice, all four zones are present Change Work Process Convene

all the time in most change situations. Modify Structure Examine, Describe Patterns For example, checklists can be useful reminders, but they are insufficient to Figure 3. Amalgamation of Ralph Stacey’s Agreement- address the complexity of challenges Uncertainty Diagram and Plexus’ Change Strategies for Different individuals face as new scenarios emerge. parts of the continuum Diagram.4 Reproduced with permission.

58 / Enabling Organisational Transformation: Possibilities and Practice » Insight: Recognising organisational change and not just organisational transformation as complex, the better strategy may be to engage all stakeholders in conversations and harness collective perspectives to sense-make and find new solutions.

NOTES

1. W. Warner Burke and George H. Litwin, “A Causal Model of Organisational Performance and Change,” Journal of Management 8 (1992): 523–546.

2. Daniel H. Kim, Organizing for Learning: Strategies for Knowledge Creation and Enduring Change (Massachusetts: Pegasus Communications, 2001).

3. Peter Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2008): 25.

4. Adapted from diagram of “Change Strategies for Different parts of the Continuum” from the Plexus Institute (http://www.plexusinstitute.org) and “Stacey’s Agreement–Uncertainty” in Brenda Zimmerman, Curt Lindberg, and Paul Plsek, Edgeware: Lessons from Complexity Science for Health Care Leaders (Irving, TX: VHA, Inc., 2008), as cited in Lisa Kimball, “A Powerful Distinction: How the Simple- Complicated-Complex Continuum Contributes to OD Practice,” OD Practitioner 45 (2013): 43–48.

What can we learn from their in the process, leading to new solutions “I first tried to establish organisational transformation and partnerships, and generating new that the Singapore Customs enterprise is journeys? The transformations in SC patterns of behaviours and capabilities. a worthwhile one to and IRAS began with a fundamental First, SC and IRAS management set the context and rethink of their respective missions. used their corporate mission and big picture …. I do Both transformations were emergent vision to align systems and galvanise not have a five-year plan, at most it is and spanned years. Both comprised people. They helped their employees two years. It is like concurrent interventions at multiple understand the larger purpose of their climbing a mountain. levels of perspective. They attended organisations, and how their individual If you look up from the bottom, everything to immediate concerns at the event efforts collectively contributed to the is formidable. But level such as streamlining operations, whole. They emphasised “whole-of- once you ascend reducing backlogs, improving service organisation” priorities over divisional 100 metres, your quality and raising productivity, while interests, and promoted “think trade” vantage point is better, and you see more simultaneously envisioning their and “think IRAS” mind-sets. To possibilities … the key organisations’ future, which subsequently facilitate shifts in behaviours, they thing is you need to gave shape and direction to their contextualised high-level aspirations start, make progress, strategies. New mental models of their with specific examples and achievable leverage and build on your achievements.” roles — as custodians of trade, and as goals that their employees could act Fong Yong Kian, partners of taxpayers in nation building on. Practice was supported by process Director-General and economic development — emerged design. Both agencies: (2008-2013), SC

ETHOS / 59 “A good officer is • framed deliberations and decisions in team interactions, helped to surface and an IRAS asset to the context of organisation-wide goals, correct misalignments in thinking and be shared, not the department’s for example, in developing corporate practice, such as reframing positions asset .... Once you strategy, designing organisational from “my and my division’s interests” are an Assistant structures and processes, and to “our and Singapore’s interests”. This Commissioner, refocused energies on the need to steward you have to make deliberating HR issues such as decisions for IRAS succession planning and posting. the collective enterprise, and to work as a whole.” as a team. Conversation was also used Chin Li Fen, • designed work to accentuate to strengthen the agencies’ capacity to Assistant Commissioner, IRAS inter-dependence and encourage anticipate and adapt to change — to take collaboration through cross-divisional the pulse on the ground, connect diverse project teams, interbranch enforcement perspectives, sense-make and correct exercises, interdivisional manpower course. It also improved employees’ “A f lot o the work we do is inter-departmental. sharing during tax-filing peaks, awareness of agency-wide challenges, There is always a and by celebrating organisational primed employees for priority shifts, and need for constant (rather than divisional) success. promoted ownership of organisational interface. If you do not issues. SC and IRAS institutionalised have a strong culture of sharing, it will • instituted mandatory job postings conversations as an organisational be difficult.” to broaden and deepen employees’ practice and both agencies: Teh Thiam Siong, understanding of organisational Branch Head/Trade Division, SC challenges, and to enable them to forge • designed conversation into their change networks across the organisation. and work plan processes. Leaders catalysed rather than dictated • created multiple channels to share change. They led conversations information and knowledge — across to give direction, model change the organisation, with other public and enlist participation. Middle agency partners and with stakeholders, management refined and translated such as the trading community, ideas to action with their teams, and tax professionals, companies and ground feedback was used to inform overseas counterparts — to expand planning and decision-making. staff’s perspective of their operating environment and mission. • invited employees to volunteer on taskforces that worked on inputs Second, both SC and IRAS used from dialogues. Staff could influence conversation as a capacity enabler. changes that affected them, and Conversation was used to shape corporate those who volunteered were more culture. Conversations at every level, committed to act. from boardrooms and town halls to

60 / Enabling Organisational Transformation: Possibilities and Practice • equipped their employees with Regular job rotations deepened “If officers are necessary skills. All SC supervisors the core team’s understanding of prepared to give input … they also went on coaching programmes. organisational issues, broadened have a stake in it. Senior and middle management their social networks and helped The chances of in IRAS were trained in Learning them build shared perspectives. This success are higher.” Organisation (LO) tools and concepts. enabled them to better anticipate Teo Siew Lan, Assistant Director- These tools expanded their capacity the impact of their actions on the General, SC to hold difficult conversations and rest of the organisation, and to be more open as a group. engage fruitfully with other partners and stakeholders. • recognised that relationship and trust create safe environments for Both agencies addressed immediate conversations. A variety of staff well-being and team-building needs, while at the same time promoting opportunities helped officers alignment of goals, and building up the across each organisation to bond, and reassured employees that the capacity of their people and systems to organisation cares for them. achieve better results over time.

Third, leaders contributed through • E xtensive involvement of leaders in “Values are passed on connecting and capacity building. organisational life. SC and IRAS through conversations, especially when SC and IRAS leaders encouraged dialogue leaders invested time in engaging these are on difficult and participation, connected people to employees. The Director-General of issues, conflicts their shared purpose and to each other, SC had tea with different Customs and ambiguities. and nurtured community. A positive officers at least once a week, and Conversations help us reflect on our values; experience of leadership engendered the IRAS Quality Service Chairman who we are and trust and drew followers. The following met with officers who received where we are going. stood out in both organisations: outstanding compliments monthly. Slowly but surely it Senior management leaders led impacts the way we think and behave, • C ohesiveness of the leadership team. Top cross-functional committees, and it becomes leaders, who were Administrative shared at induction programmes, practice — culture.” Service officers posted from other mentored young officers, evaluated Chin Li Fen agencies in the Public Service, staff suggestions and participated introduced new perspectives and in employee wellbeing activities. networks. They were supported by This gave them many opportunities a strong core management team, to gather feedback, understand the most of whom rose from within ground and influence thinking. the ranks, who provided stability.

ETHOS / 61 “By looking at your • Both organisations designed at the same time promoting alignment supervisors, seeing structures and systems to enable the of goals, and building up the capacity them practise what they preached …. practice of leadership at all levels. of their people and systems to achieve The IRAS senior Frequent and open communication better results over time. management is very reduced the power–distance gap At their respective levels, leaders approachable. In fact, and empowered employees to reframed organisational challenges I can talk to them like colleagues. I don’t act. Ground and frontline staff as opportunities for growth, used have the sense that were entrusted with leadership conversation as a tool to influence they are big bosses roles and responsibilities. For thinking and facilitate team learning, whom you have to example, non-graduate officers made and empowered people by anticipating watch what you say.” presentations to senior management, needs, giving them information, Wendy Tan, IRAS Manager led teams and oversaw operations. roles and choices, and by investing A checkpoints team lead shared with in relationships, building trust and pride how his presentation on his learning. Consequently, employees job responsibilities resulted in the were engaged, better able to anticipate “Lasting change only comes when people creation of a promotional grade for change as priorities shifted, better able to in the organisation his scheme. Change agents were at understand the context for change, and want to change. Public work at all levels. more ready to adapt as shifts emerged. service transformation cannot be conceived SC and IRAS demonstrate the from the top down …. Transformation is About Our Choice powerful possibilities of organisational We (public agencies) of Future transformation over time. If our objective need to internalise SC and IRAS were relentless in for public sector transformation is to the challenges and work out our own pursuing their agency visions, but their build institutions that can anticipate, transformation management also invested heavily in adapt and prosper over the years, how do strategies. the health of their organisations and the ways in which we frame transformation We need to engage cultivated a sense of shared identity. and design our organisations serve the our staff. Many people They addressed immediate needs, while future we want to create? join the public service to do good. Their sense of purpose will emerge when we NOTES engage them, and this whole momentum for 1. McKinsey Company, “What Successful sg/knowledge/pages/iras-from-regulator-to- transformation will Transformations Share: McKinsey Global service-provider-to-partner-of-taxpayers-in- Survey Results,” McKinsey Quarterly 2010. nation-building--economic-development.aspx, be stronger.” and Lena Leong, “Singapore Customs: The Fong Yong Kian 2. For more information, please see: Lena Leong, Journey from Good to Great”, Civil Service “IRAS: From Regulator to Service Provider College (2014), https://www.cscollege.gov. to Partner of Taxpayers in Nation Building sg/knowledge/pages/singapore-customs-the- and Economic Development”, Civil Service journey-from-good-to-great.aspx College (2013), https://www.cscollege.gov.

62 / Enabling Organisational Transformation: Possibilities and Practice INTERVIE W WIth GUS O’DONNELL

Nudging Towards The Good: In Conversation

The former Head of the Home Civil Service in the UK discusses behavioural approaches to public engagement, policymaking and sound values for the civil service.

Lord Augustine O’Donnell has been non-Executive Chairman of Frontier (Europe) since October 2013. GUS O’DONNELL After joining the Treasury in 1979, Lord Gus held various positions at the British Embassy in Washington, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. From 2002 to 2005, he was Permanent Secretary at the Treasury and in 2005 became Cabinet Secretary. He held this position until 2011, serving three Prime Ministers. Lord Gus studied economics at the University of Warwick and an MPhil in Economics from Nuffield College, Oxford. He lectured in economics at the University of Glasgow.

In his second visit as On Social Media, Sense-making and something out there, everyone starts CSC Senior Visiting Getting a Feel for Ground Sentiment looking at it, which distorts things Fellow in November 2013, Lord Gus There are various people now starting and can be manipulated, so you have shared these views to monitor public sentiment. The private to be quite careful. So far this has been in conversation with sector was the first to do a semantic pretty limited for government use. Some ETHOS Editor-in-Chief Alvin Pang, CSC Senior analysis of social media, for example, political parties, for instance, may use Researcher Vernie linking certain trends in Twitter social data analysis, taking a cue from Oliveiro, futurist sentiment to movements in the stock the Obama elections and what we can and Deputy Director exchange. The Bank of England tried learn based on behavioural sciences, in the Futures & Strategy Division Lee to analyse all of their reports running in order to target communications to Chor Pharn from up to the financial crisis to see if they certain groups. the Ministry of Trade could pick up any clues from the tone: I think it could be useful as another and Industry, and interestingly there was an increase in way to pick up indications about some Jonathan Ng, Senior Assistant Director worry but nothing was translated into of the concerns that citizens have. from the Strategic action. Unless someone is watching You may have to wonder about how Policy Office, Public these trends and doing something representative social media is, but Service Division. about them, it makes no difference. it seems like it could be much more Nowadays of course, once you put representative in Singapore than in

ETHOS / 63 the UK. The question is how to get feedback to people working for them, the views of those who are not as are terrible at giving honest feedback well represented. to their boss. They feel that if they The hardest thing, I found, was criticised their boss, this would be held for the government to get money against them and you can understand to carry out proper evaluations for why. So you have to find alternative implemented policies — you’re doing channels and incentives. You could ask well if you get to pilot something. So whether certain things should continue how do you found out whether your or not — something most people policy is working? Quite often there is would give feedback on. You explore going to be an enormous lag between different ways to find out what people a policy implementation, say a change are generally prepared to give you an to the benefits system, and before you answer about, and then you work with get any useable data. So how do you that information. get a more immediate sense? In the UK, there is a Citizens Advice If you are trying to get Bureau: basically a free walk-in agency where someone can come in for advice people’s honest feedback, on legal, financial and other issues. It is you should make sure an independent organisation, but they that the one asking for work with government. The Bureau sees more people who have difficulties the feedback is perceived or are upset, and is able to compile real as completely neutral. data on policies and people’s reactions to them across the country, and identify The number one behavioural principle things that are not working well. So in all of this is to keep it simple. If you you get a kind of live measure of what build feedback mechanisms into a service the issues are, for those people affected system by default, as a prompted choice, by these policies. you are more likely to get accurate, If you are trying to get people’s honest immediate and comprehensive results feedback, you should make sure that the rather than ones that are mainly from one asking for the feedback is perceived those who have strong views one way as completely neutral. Behaviourally, or another. we find that people don’t tend to give honest feedback to someone who is On Using Big Data and Behavioural in a position of authority relative to Methods as Policy Levers themselves. We find that individuals, The idea behind behavioural levers who are quite good at giving honest is that you nudge people in the right

64 / Nudging Towards The Good: In Conversation direction without having to put in place can keep track of your shopping and regulations to do so. give you reminders or advice based on For example, giving people your needs — whether you really want immediate contextual information — the non-vegetarian or high cholesterol a little help at the point at which they item and so on. make decisions — turns out to be Then looking at the public sector, more useful than offering abstract you can imagine data sets from different information, such as from a course areas being put together to tell you how on financial planning. A new book, your financial planning is going, and Behavioural Public Policy,1 examines what recommendations can be made this sort of phenomena, such as how based on your needs. For example, the people can become psychologically one thing that seems to work is when numb to large numbers. you can help people make comparisons We can crunch big data sets to look at between similar products and services, the needs of individuals across different such as insurance or energy companies, government services and offer it to them when they are making purchase decisions. at the relevant time. If the data is in the aggregate, it is to everyone’s advantage The number one behavioural principle and there is no privacy problem. But for personalised information, privacy is to keep it simple. The idea behind remains an issue. The UK has many behavioural levers is that you nudge of the same privacy laws that prevent the sharing of data. However, there is people in the right direction without an idea in the UK about making any having to put in place regulations to do so. machine data on individuals, but held by companies, available to the former We could also use this data to on request. Now, that’s not much use nudge citizens towards behaviours that to them individually, but what we are represent better outcomes. For instance, hoping is that this will enable a market. we could encourage car owners to So for instance you go to a switch to a more fuel-efficient, lower supermarket and your trolley has emissions car than what they’ve got, and an app that allows you to put in your save money in the process. This sort own private information, such as your of cross-selling is very underdeveloped preferences, your budget, your diet, your in the public sector. health data, your allergies, whether you The flip in paradigm is that instead want to reduce your calories or avoid of being told what to do, you decide certain products and so on. And then as on your long-term goals and how you zip around, the app on the trolley your own data is going to be used to

ETHOS / 65 help you achieve your own goals — for most of the policies we make, we lose weight or save money and so on. need to have the distributional numbers. You give citizens their own data back Economists are very bad at this because in ways that they can use to make they do cost-benefit analysis with the informed decisions. This also gets tendency to assume that the benefits around the privacy issues surrounding can all be added up irrespective of personal data, which people can be very who they go to, and that cost can all suspicious about. Once people see the be added up irrespective of who bears advantage in doing this, hopefully it it. But diminishing marginal utility can become a norm. The public sector means things do not add up that way. can help overcome the obstacles that prevent these tools and services from You have to be incredibly being developed, or to lower switching costs between providers. careful not to starve Private sector financial services in innovation that can leave particular are starting to use behavioural people better off. insights on customers. In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority is looking What good public servants should into whether they are exploiting these to do is to work out who the winners and the detriment of customers, particularly the losers are. We can expect some those who are less financially literate. groups to be more vocal than others So if they are making very clever and so on. Can we do something in behavioural nudges to get customers advance? What can we say to those to buy what they don’t need or cannot who will be worse off after the policy? afford, we need to nudge them back. I think it goes back to your However, you have to be incredibly communication style. People mostly careful not to starve innovation that get upset when their expectations have can leave people better off. Instead, the been confounded. So if you warn people government should look out for areas in advance that they may be adversely where there is potential for abuse and affected, together with the reasons why address those. you need to do this and what you are trying to do, you give people a better On the Need for Civil Services to be chance to think. You probably need More Politically Savvy and Sensitive to to explain in terms of stories what is the Public going to happen to them and why, or Civil servants have to be very good at have the families themselves — rather explaining and giving their political than the government — tell the stories, masters the raw material they need. So which would be much more powerful.

66 / Nudging Towards The Good: In Conversation There are times when politics trumps when it is coming up to the elections. good economics. In the UK, there was For the UK, a change in government is a policy on winter fuel payments where a real option with every election, and everyone above a certain age got money we need to think about how we might from the government for winter fuel. cope with changes in administration, It wasn’t related to the amount of fuel particularly for those who have not seen they used or to their income. The policy a transition for a long time. was expensive and indiscriminate but politically the government thought it was doing the right thing in helping The civil service mindset is often not the aged. Although it would have only proactive enough on policy. taken a fraction of the cost to help the poorest who needed it, the politicians We also sort for values at recruitment. were committed to keeping the policy One aspect of the UK Civil Service come election time. I call this history Fast Stream is what is called an e-Tray as policy: once you introduce a poor exercise: a timed set of scenario-based policy, it’s hard to get rid of it later. questions. It might be a flu epidemic So what could the civil servants and you have a limited supply of flu have done? I think we should have medicine and so on. A question is posed come up with a better package which on how you might approach the problem, would have targeted the needy old. with four possible answers. One of the Instead of just saying that it’s a terrible answers might be that the optimal way policy and we shouldn’t do it, we should to do this is to sell off the flu vaccine, have persuaded the politicians that we because the people who want them the understand they want to help the aged most will pay the most. Another might but there are better solutions. In this be that you distribute it according to case, we didn’t have enough time to those groups who benefit most from the come up with a good alternative. Part vaccine. Another answer might be that of the problem is that the civil service you can’t make any of these judgements mindset is often not proactive enough because the underlying data is not good on policy: this wasn’t a public issue we enough so you have to give it out first had thought about. come, first served. Values are implicit in each of these options, and you have On Nurturing Healthy Values Within the to pick the best and worst options out of Civil Service the four. For the top level of the civil service, say The answers get marked based among the top 200 employees, there is a on our assessment of the options and lot of reflection on values, particularly how we think we would want our civil

ETHOS / 67 servants to answer such questions. What would I say to bright young Interestingly, the e-Tray exercise is civil servants coming in today? I would probably the biggest differentiator for want them to challenge. There are so recruitment: it’s not grades, because many aspects of what we do that have they all have good grades. So values just developed historically. The way we are at the centre of identifying the do things today evolved in a different civil service leadership of the future. age, geared to an older model based on We are saying: here’s what you do, you theoretical economics, not human beings. lead. Here’s how you do it: by using I want them to understand the power our values. of behavioural insights and understand that it is possible to change things. The world is changing so let’s use all this The way we do things today evolved in a new data and new tools, and try new different age, and are geared to an older ideas. We need to be more innovative and take some risks, and try to build a model based on theoretical economics, system that will allow for more failure. not human beings. If I were a young civil servant coming in, I would want to think that even if I try something new and fail, it is not going to be the end of me.

NOTE

1. Behavioural Public Policy, edited by Adam Oliver (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013), http://www.cambridge.org/it/academic/ subjects/economics/public-economics- andpublic-policy/behavioural-public-policy

68 / Nudging Towards The Good: In Conversation The Value of Values in the Singapore Public Service

The transformation of the Public Service must also involve thoughtful reinvigoration of the values it stands for.

by Keith Tan is Senior Director, PS21 Office, Public Service Division. He is concurrently Institute Director, Institute of Governance and Policy, Civil Service College. He previously served with the Ministry of Trade K eith TAN and Industry (MTI), where he was Director of MTI’s Economics and Strategy Division; he was later Director of its Foreign Economic Policy Division and concurrently Singapore’s chief negotiator for the European and Union–Singapore Free Trade Agreement. He holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Peter Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University.

G halpanah Ghalpanah Thangaraju is currently Manager in the PS21 Office, Public Service Division. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, THANGARAJU Nanyang Technological University.

ETHOS / 69 Why Values Matter in Public Service these values is also a source of pride As individuals, we all have our own and belonging for our public officers. personal values that guide our decisions Our commitment to these values has and shape the way we live our lives. also undoubtedly contributed to the Organisations have values as well: Singapore Public Service’s international core beliefs and principles that serve reputation for good governance.2 to guide standards of behaviour, and We serve a public that is more reflect their identity and culture. diverse than before. They are more The core purpose of the Singapore educated, with more complex needs and Public Service is defined by service higher expectations of government, in to the nation and its people. It follows an operating environment that is also that the practice of good governance becoming more dynamic. To meet these calls for the right set of values to be and other new challenges, the Public cultivated and upheld across the Service. Service must enhance its effectiveness, Our core values of Integrity, Service public value, citizen-centric service and Excellence were distilled and delivery, policy design and public espoused in 2003, after an extensive engagement. But just as critically, public service-wide process.1 They provide a officers need to be steeped in the right compass for our standards of behaviour set of values that will underpin the as public servants, and inform the way responsibilities we have to the citizens we think about our day-to-day work, we serve, and provide a basis for us to such as policy analysis and design, make the difficult and complex decisions service delivery, or public engagement. we sometimes have to make in order Our values prompt us to do our duty to serve the common good. Our core honestly without fear or favour, to go values help us manage trade-offs across the extra mile to help fellow citizens, different interest groups, interpret and to be the best that we can be. To policies and make judgement calls on be part of an organisation that prizes grey areas — decisions that frontline

Values are not just words; values are what we live by. They are about the causes that we champion and the people we fight for.

US Secretary of State John Kerry

70 / The Value of Values in the Singapore Public Service officers are increasingly expected to Over the past year, the Public Service make. Without clear values to guide Division (PSD) has studied how best to these decisions, our jobs risk becoming guide our agencies in their efforts to mechanical and rule-bound, and we may communicate and inculcate their values, seize up when faced with ambiguous and to help leaders at every level build situations that call for tough choices based a stronger work culture oriented to not only on rational calculations but on these values. Research by PSD3 reveals what we stand for as a Public Service. several insights into the state of values in the Singapore Public Service: Where the Singapore Public Service Stands 1. T he latest survey of the values Like many other countries, the and attitudes of public officers Singapore Public Service has thus far shows strong endorsement and sought to enforce its values through a acknowledgement of the Public compliance-based approach: prescribing Service’s core values. This indicates rules and guidelines that outline that our three core values continue acceptable behaviour, along with the to remain relevant in today’s consequences for flouting these rules. governance context. Hence, our Public Service values are embedded in Government Instruction 2. T here is no dissonance between Manuals (IMs) as well as the recently the core Public Service values of updated Civil Service Code of Conduct Integrity, Service and Excellence, which lays down the behaviour expected and agencies’ more specific sets of of officers. values, which take into consideration But inculcating and strengthening each agency’s unique challenges. values goes far beyond rules and guidelines. In fact, our agencies have very Values cannot become entrenched in effectively integrated the overarching our public officers and agencies by core values into their own agency- fiat alone — they must be brought to specific sets of values. life to function as more than rules, a statement, mission or words on a wall. 3. S ome agencies are clearly ahead of It is not enough for officers to be able to others in their efforts to instill values regurgitate what our core values are or in their officers. These agencies, mean. Instead, we need to ensure that including the Singapore Prison operating mind-sets, practices and daily Service, the Ministry of Education work habits throughout the organisation and the Singapore Armed Forces, are consistent with these values. This have much to teach other agencies. takes systematic, deliberate effort. As a central agency, PSD is well

ETHOS / 71 placed to consolidate, facilitate and an organisation when they are clearly disseminate the best practices of articulated and well accepted. New these agencies to build a strong values are nurtured, or existing ones values-based culture across the refreshed, by involving staff in processes public sector. that help build shared understanding, consensus and ownership of these Upholding Values: Some Approaches values. Staff are much more likely to What are some of the best practices in live out values that they can grasp and building a values-based Public Service embrace, and that are meaningful to culture? PSD’s research so far suggests them, on a day-to-day basis. four organisational building blocks to Conversations between staff strengthening values. about the things that really matter to them lie at the heart of defining and Step 1: Define and Articulate Values articulating values. There is no one right Values are more effectively instilled in way to structure such conversations:

FOUReps St to build values-driven organisations

Build ownership and agreement for the values that are D efine and important to staff, organisation and the work that we do, Articulate Values through dialogue and conversations.

Create awareness of expected behaviours and actions through Translate Values into behavioural statements, case studies, stories and Expected Behaviours other communications platforms to ensure staff are and Actions equipped to behave in line with the values.

Reinforce expected behaviours and actions by Weave Values into integrating them into organisational processes like

e Organisational Processes L adership at all levels recruitment, induction and performance management.

Build structures and mechanisms to assess and Sustain Values recognise values alignment and identify areas Implementation for improvement or intervention when necessary. Leaders at all levels must be role models.

*From “Implementing a Values-based Culture,” Cultural Leadership Council

72 / The Value of Values in the Singapore Public Service a variety of platforms ranging from helping them to understand how townhall sessions, road-shows, random their attitudes and behaviours may conversations, surveys, tea sessions and contribute to a values-driven culture even online platforms can be used to in their workplace. engage staff.4 Successful organisations often use a combination of these approaches. Step 2: Translate Values into Expected However, it is important that the Behaviours and Actions communication platforms used are Simply spelling out our values is not the most appropriate and effective for enough. They have to be expressed the organisation. Communication on and embodied in practical, visible values cannot be one-off or one-way. ways, in behaviours and actions. It is Any communication on values should important to help staff translate each be consistent, regular and constantly value into expected or unacceptable refreshed, so that espoused values behaviours, and to create awareness continue to resonate with staff. of these behaviours through different means. This helps to ensure that officers Inculcating and strengthening values at every level not only understand the organisation’s values, but are equipped goes far beyond rules and guidelines. to behave consistently with those values Values cannot become entrenched in our in every aspect of work. There are many ways to bring public officers and agencies by fiat alone— values to life: from simple behavioural they must be brought to life. statements, videos and case studies to more interactive platforms like games Step 3: Weave Values into Organisational and role-playing. Stories or vignettes Processes that reflect real, agency-specific values Values should be well integrated into are especially effective: they can create organisational processes, particularly HR a sense of connection to values by processes such as recruitment, induction reflecting real dilemmas rather than and performance management. These abstract concepts. Stories are also useful milestones are critical opportunities as a means of demonstrating “negative” to strengthen and sustain values examples, such as when officers are not by recognising and reinforcing “living out” the organisation’s values, expected behaviours. by highlighting wrong behaviours in a The Singapore Public Service manner that is not overly patronising or already includes values as part of moralistic. Storytelling also encourages its performance appraisal system: staff to reflect on their own experiences, public officers’ career prospects depend

ETHOS / 73 What Can managers do to cultivate a values-based work culture?

ere are some practical ways to live out the • Get staff to agree on what behaviours H organisation’s values: are and are not supporting your agency’s values; 1. Set the tone from the top and model • Identify practices and processes that values by: support values; • Having a clear understanding of what • Identify barriers to values and brainstorm your agency’s values mean, so that ways to remove these obstacles. you are conscious of your behaviour; • Regularly reviewing how you are 4. Recognise and praise good behaviour and acting to understand the signals you actions. Challenge and correct bad ones. are sending to staff. • Managers and supervisors have a special duty to “champion” agency values. 2. Create a safe space and engage staff in • Openly congratulate individuals two-way conversations to: who exhibit the values, pointing out • Help staff understand the value of the specific behaviours or actions values and raise awareness of values; in question so that others can learn • Understand staff’s concerns and from them. doubts, and relay them upwards to • Celebrate and reward staff who treat management; others in accordance with values. • Discuss ethically ambiguous situations. • Challenge and correct staff who do not exhibit values, in an open and 3. Contextualise values to staff’s job roles transparent manner. with practical examples of acceptable and unacceptable behaviours to:

in part on their ability to demonstrate emphasise the importance of values- personal integrity, commitment to the fit, beyond the specific skills required values of Public Service and a sense of for the position. Scenario-based national interest. Scholarship applicants interview questions could also help are also screened for clear evidence assess a potential hire’s value system. that candidates identify with and are For example, candidates could be asked motivated by Public Service core values. to discuss a time when their integrity More can still be done. For was challenged. There are other less recruitment, job advertisements could conventional approaches: US retail

74 / The Value of Values in the Singapore Public Service firm Zappos is known to offer new aligned to espoused values. Computer hires an additional US$2,000, on top firm Dell, for instance, holds employees of their salary, if the employee quits in accountable for acting according to the the first week of work. Only 2 to 3 per values codified in the “Soul of Dell” — cent of new hires have ever taken up with half of their performance based this offer — which is the CEO’s way of on 360-degree feedback. sieving out new employees who may be motivated by the wrong set of values. Stories create a sense of connection to Induction is an important way to engage new hires, although many values by reflecting real dilemmas rather agencies may not be making the most than abstract concepts. of the opportunity to engage new staff on values. In fact, induction courses Step 4: Sustain Values Implementation typically focus much more on cognitive To ensure that organisations abide content (“What are the facts and figures, by their values in the long term, it is and who are the people you need to also important to build structures and know, in order to get your job done mechanisms to periodically assess and well?”) than on “softer” issues such as recognise values alignment and identify the organisation’s values. In the absence areas for improvement or intervention of stronger interventions, new hires where necessary. Organisations like may gravitate quickly towards other Danish pharmaceutical Novo Nordisk norms of behaviour — which may not even designate facilitators to conduct necessarily reflect the organisation’s “values audits” of various business units, desired values. reporting semi-annually to the CEO on Organisations that place a high the state of values across the company. emphasis on values take their induction Some best practices relating to values (or “onboarding”) efforts seriously. Such alignment include recognising and activities may include tea sessions for new celebrating values-aligned behaviours hires to discuss what their organisations at the individual, work-unit or corporate stand for, or video presentations on levels. Values-in-action awards can appropriate ways to deal with issues help to reinforce desired behaviours, in line with stated values. Still others while regular feedback, organisational provide formal induction curriculum surveys (such as the bi-annual Values packages which include information and Attitudes survey administered by on organisational values and how they PSD), exit surveys and compliance relate to the individual employee. indicators (e.g. disciplinary cases) Critically, appraisal and performance- could all be used to assess the level of management processes should be alignment to values on a regular basis.

ETHOS / 75 How do our Public Service Agencies Cultivate Values?

he PSD study suggests that Singapore’s • The leaders of some agencies actively T public sector agencies use a wide variety talk about values on their respective of approaches to instill organisational values: intranet websites. • Few agencies employ a structured formalised • Most agencies do not have structured process to assess potential hires on values, training programmes centred around as they feel these are difficult to ascertain. values, although some include values- Nonetheless, a small number of agencies related modules in their induction courses. use scenario-based interview questions • Many agencies use a range of channels to do so. such as townhall sessions to engage • Many agencies give awards to recognise staff on values; some are even using staff who exemplify the organisation’s such conversations to re-examine their values. A few have attempted to measure current values. values-alignment through employee • A wide variety of engagement strategies engagement surveys. are used: from videos, games, role-playing, case studies and seminars, to anonymised sharing of actual cases of misconduct.

Leadership is Fundamental staff to follow suit, to the detriment Leadership is fundamental to developing of the organisation. a strong culture of values in any While the commitment by top organisation. Leaders who embody management to articulate values and organisational values have a huge endorse policies and programmes positive impact on whether the rest of throughout the organisation is vital, the organisation lives out those values. leaders and managers at all levels of the As organisational role models, the organisation must “walk the talk” to actions of leaders send a more powerful model exemplary conduct and practices message about acceptable behaviours aligned to values, and to encourage than any published policies or statements. these in their staff. While this often Conversely, leaders who demonstrate means recognising or rewarding behaviours that run counter to espoused activity that is consistent with values, values breed cynicism, resentment, it also means that they must be ready to alienation and may even encourage challenge behaviours and actions that

76 / The Value of Values in the Singapore Public Service are not aligned to values, with clear and expanding Singaporean society, processes in place to do this firmly, the need to inculcate a shared set of fairly and transparently. meaningful core values becomes all the The Public Service is set to become more vital. Without strong, consistently more diverse with time, as officers from values-oriented workplaces across different generations, backgrounds, government, we risk eroding the Public worldviews and norms join the service. Service’s focus on its core purpose, in While this diversity can be a strength, the process alienating both our officers since it should better reflect a dynamic and the public we serve.

NOTES

1. The culmination of an effort to develop the Public were used to explore what our Public Service Service identity and a sense of shared ethos, the values of Integrity, Service and Excellence tagline “The Singapore Public Service: Integrity, meant to members of the Public Service Service, Excellence” and its associated values and how these values were manifested. were identified in 2003 after a series of service- A second round of six focus group discussions wide surveys, focus group discussions with public was conducted with human resources and officers, interviews with senior and retired officers, organisational development representatives and a study of agency-specific values. The core from 37 agencies, to find out about the values values are reflected on all Public Service cards and practices of the various agencies. government websites as well as the Public Service Pledge, recited at the annual Public Service Week 4. In 2003, IBM successfully initiated values since 2008. conversations with its staff through a global ValuesJam as part of its efforts to 2. Singapore ranks highly for governance effectiveness review and refresh its corporate values. and regulatory quality in the World Bank’s Conducted over 3 days, IBM’s ValuesJam Worldwide Governance Indicators. Singapore is saw 50,000 IBMers from all over the world also ranked among the five least corrupt nations in participate, with 10,000 comments posted Transparency International Report. online. Although the online conversation was dominated by overwhelmingly negative 3. Two separate rounds of focus group discussions comments in the initial phase, it eventually have been conducted thus far. The first round of led to constructive comments that ultimately 16 focus group discussions conducted between resulted in a new set of values for IBM. November 2011 and January 2012 involved Through it all, committed and visible 118 participants from 48 agencies. These were leadership by CEO Sam Palmisano was critical conducted as part of milestone programmes and in ensuring the success of the ValuesJam.

ETHOS / 77 Opinion

Ethics in Public Administration: Are We Teaching What Can’t be Taught?

CSC researcher Celia Lee makes a case for the systematic cultivation of ethical thinking and moral development in public administration.

by Celia Lee is Researcher with the Institute of Public Administration and Management, Civil Service College. Her research interests are in public sector finance, strategic procurement, finance leadership, C elia Lee integrity management and forensic data analytics. She has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Huddersfield and is currently a Doctorate of Business Administration candidate at the University of Manchester.

Introduction compliance, or the outcome of a more The elimination of corruption has been fundamental cultural change? Some at the top of the government agenda, have even theorised that the advent and a strategic tenet of governance of New Public Management since the in Singapore1 since its independence. 1980s, which led to a paradigm shift Singapore’s stringent and comprehensive from the traditional bureaucratic form anti-corruption framework, highly of government towards entrepreneurial regarded worldwide, has paid off: it has government,4 may have created new been ranked as the least corrupt of the tensions between private sector values 13 Asian Countries on Transparency and the traditional roles, responsibilities International’s corruption perception and standards in the public sector.5 index, and is consistently among the Could these new conditions have top five least corrupt countries.2 prompted ethical challenges in public Unfortunately, recent cases involving administration?6 Are there ways in senior civil service officers and the which the ethical foundation of public misuse of public funds3 have led to administration can be reinforced to fresh concerns over the long-cherished help preserve the integrity of public integrity of the Public Service. Were these service, and address mounting calls failures of procedure and administrative for greater public accountability?

78 / Ethics in Public Administration: Are We Teaching What Can’t be Taught? Eht ics Management in the Singapore Public Service

ike many developed countries, the Singapore on the application of prescribed guidelines L Civil Service has largely adopted a compliance- and procedures. based approach to ethics management: it Ethics is covered in key milestone lays down a set of principles — through its programmes1 designed for managers and those service-wide Instruction Manual (IM) — being groomed for leadership positions — these that guides the conduct of civil servants and segments encompass lectures, story-telling and establishes internal control procedures on vignette discussions on a variety of contexts, financial control, procurement, staff matters, but do not do not necessarily address issues asset management and other matters. The IM of moral character and ethical judgement also empowers central agencies to perform in specific dilemmas, e.g. in procurement. compliance checks and audits. There may be room to consider including New and in-service officers are given many ethics education in specific domain areas opportunities, through extensive induction such as procurement, HR management and programmes and other training to be familiar public engagement, all of which can present with the appropriate procedures pertaining to quite different ethical challenges. their work, although such courses tend to focus

NOTE

1. These are run by Singapore’s Civil Service College and include the Manager LEAD and Strategic LEAD programmes for new first line managers and middle managers respectively.

Ethics Management: The Low and rules and procedures are formulated High Roads to guide the decision-making process The literature offers two broad approaches so that “the individual ethical choice is to the systematic management of limited to choosing to follow the rules ethics in public sector organisations: (ethical thing to do) or to violate them compliance-based and integrity-based,7-9 by commission or omission (unethical also referred to as the low-road and acts)”.10 Instruments typical to this high-road approaches respectively. approach include legislation, codes of The compliance or low-road conduct and ethics, extensive control approach emphasises the importance mechanisms, and centralised control of external controls on the behaviour institutions with extensive powers.11 of civil servants. Formal and detailed

ETHOS / 79 The integrity or high-road approach of an individual civil servant can focuses on internal self-control exercised be strengthened by cultivating the by individual civil servants, and is based necessary values and norms, as well on two components: moral judgement as by developing the skills in ethical and moral character. Hejka-Ekins12 decision-making needed to apply those suggests that the moral judgement values in daily work situations. Moral

CR ITICal GOALS AND Desired Outcomes for Ethics Training

he Walton, Sterns and Crespy Framework1 2. U nderstand how to frame the ethical T sets out three critical goals and three desired dilemma in a model that allows discussion learning outcomes in the teaching of ethics. from diverse perspectives; and 3. D evelop the skills necessary for playing Critical Goals out the conflicts that arise so that trainees 1. Develop an awareness of ethical issues can measure the extent to which they have and problems in the field; fulfilled the manifold and conflicting 2. Build analytical skills that can address moral obligations they have identified. those problems when they arise; and 3. C ultivate an attitude of moral obligation Since approaches to ethics teaching and and personal responsibility as part of training vary widely, different goals could be public service. addressed. Other researchers have suggested alternative goals such as “understand regime Learning Outcomes values”,2 “develop an operational ethics”3 or 1. D evelop an understanding of the diverse “reasoning of values underlying decisions perspectives of moral philosophers; with public impact”.4

NOTES

1. Based on a survey of 64 ethics instructors from National Association of Schools of Public Affairs & Administration- accredited schools in the US. See J. R. Walton, J. M. Stearns and C. T. Crespy. “Integrating Ethics into the Public Administration Curriculum: A Three-Step Process,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 16 (1997): 470–483.

2. J. Rohr, Ethics for Bureacrats: An Essay on Law and Values (Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1989).

3. T. Cooper, The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role (San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, 2012).

4. P. Sheeran, Ethics in Public Administration (New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1993).

80 / Ethics in Public Administration: Are We Teaching What Can’t be Taught? character, defined as the intrinsic is to teach ethical systems of analysis, will to act upon judgements reached not moral standards of behaviour.”18 through ethical decision-making,12 Indeed, there is general scholarly could be stimulated and improved consensus19 that ethics training should through interactive training sessions, be an important and integrated part of workshops and individual coaching.11 the training of civil servants, particularly While these two approaches may to develop in leaders an understanding seem to belong to opposite poles of of ethics and a moral reasoning that management, they need not contradict demonstrates stability, empathy and each other, and in practice best ought to integrity. Research interest in ethical be used in combination, complementing decision-making and moral development, and reinforcing desired behaviours.13 particularly in the context of officeholders and corporate whistleblowers, has grown Can Ethics Be Taught? in recent years.20 Ethical decision-making and moral development have long been Approaches to Ethical Training and central themes in the exploration of Moral Development administrative ethics.14, 15 While morality Approaches to ethical teaching vary is often associated with personal beliefs widely across institutions that feature and values (prompting some contention it,21 and there is no clear consensus in the about which values ought to be taught literature on which is the most effective. through formal curricula), Kohlberg16 Live instruction is a common approach: argues that moral development is a “reality-based and practical, involving process of maturation that arises from hypothetical scenarios, case materials, or thinking about moral issues. Scholars role-plays or short exercises — methods such as Churchill also make a useful consistent with most descriptions of distinction between “morals” and best training practices”.22 Among the “ethics” — he defines “morals as the more frequently used methods are behaviours of a human and ethics as small-group discussions, case studies, a systematic rational reflection upon research papers and lectures. that behaviour.”17 In the teaching of business ethics, If ethics can be regarded as a case studies have been recognised as a form of critical thinking about moral promising pedagogical tool to “build dilemmas, then it can plausibly be taught. a halfway house between abstract Ethical teaching would therefore be the concepts and real life experience”.23 means by which to cultivate “a method Case studies provide real decision of moral reasoning through complex scenarios in which students apply ethical issues ... the primary function moral values and principles, explore

ETHOS / 81 conflicting dilemmas and subsequently public sector. For example, easy-to-use move from doctrine to judgement.24,25 handbooks on procurement and the Cases may also illustrate the complex Code of Conduct have been developed: and ambiguous information and myriad important principles are simplified and of stakeholder pressures that are part brought to life with illustrations that of the decision-making environment. highlight key issues and potential pitfalls. In addition, researchers documenting Conclusion cases from across the Public Service An important aspect of ethics education that demonstrate how officers’ poor in our public administration is judgement have led to major lapses, communicating how the standards misconduct and fraud. These cases will and instructions inherent in the Code be used in CSC’s training programmes of Conduct and Instruction Manuals to raise awareness of ethical issues should be applied in real-life workplaces. and to facilitate classroom discussions. Since last year, the Civil Service In the longer term, CSC hopes to College (CSC), in collaboration with establish a common curriculum to lead agencies such as the Public Service embed values and ethics in milestone Division and the Ministry of Finance, programmes and other relevant has launched numerous initiatives to courses for officers at different support ethics education in the Singapore levels and in different roles.

NOTES

1. T. Koh, “Corruption Control in Singapore,” 6. See G. B. Adams and D. L. Balfour, “Market- Resource Material Series 83 (2011): 122–131. Based Government and the Decline of Organisational Ethics,” Administration and 2. Corruption Perceptions Index, 1996–2012, Society 42 (2010): 615–637; D. Radhika, accessed April 17, 2013, http://www. “Ethics in Public Administration,” Journal of transparency.org/research/overview. Public Administration and Policy Research 4 (2012): 23–31. 3. “Former SLA officers jailed for $12m fraud case”, AsiaOne News, November 4, 2011; 7. OECD, Ethics in the Public Service: “Singapore Civil Servant facing 455 fraud Current Issues and Practices charges”, Yahoo! News, December 22, 2011; (Paris: Organisation for Economic Cooperation “Sex-for-business case”, AsiaOne News, and Development, 1996). June 7, 2012. 8. OECD, Trust in Government: 4. D. Osborne and T. Gaebler, Reinventing Ethics Measures in OECD Countries Government: How the Entrepreneurial Spirit (Paris: Organisation for Economic Cooperation is Transforming the Public Sector (New York: and Development, 2000). PLUME, 1992). 9. L. Paine, “Managing for Organisational 5. A. Doig and J. Wilson, “The Effectiveness of Integrity,” Harvard Business 2 (1994): Codes of Conduct,” Business Ethics 7 (1998): 10 6 –117. 140–149.

82 / Ethics in Public Administration: Are We Teaching What Can’t be Taught? 10. C. Fox, “The Use of Philosophy in Journal of Public Administration Research and Administrative Ethics,” in ed. T. L. Cooper, Theory 9 (1999): 459–471; J. Rest, Moral Handbook of Administrative Ethics (New York: Development: Advances in Research and Marcel Dekker, 2001): 105–130. Theory (New York: Praeger, 1986).

11. J. Maesschalck, “Approaches to Ethics 17. L. R. Churchill, “The Teaching of Ethics and Management in the Public Sector: A Proposed Moral Values in Teachers: Some Contemporary Extension of the Compliance-Integrity Confusions,” The Journal of Higher Education Continuum,” Public Integrity 7 (2004): 21–41. 53 (1992): 296–306.

12. A. Hejka-Ekins, “Ethics in In-service Training,” 18. W. Cragg, “Teaching Business Ethics: The in T. L. Cooper, Handbook of Administrative Role of Ethics in Business and in Business Ethics (New York: Marcel Dekker, 2001): Education,” Journal of Business Ethics 16 79–104. (1997): 231–245.

13. S. Gilman, “Public Sector Ethics and 19. Scholars of philosophical ethics at the 1991 Government Reinvention: Realigning Systems National Conference on Government Ethics to Meet Organisational Change,” Public Research concurred on the importance of Integrity 1 (1999): 175–192. ethics education for public administrators — see H. G. Frederickson and J. D. Walling, 14. L. Kolberg, Essays on Moral Development: The “Editor’s Introduction: Ethics in Contemporary Philosophy of Moral Development Volume 1 Human Resources Management,” Public (New York: Harper and Row, 1981). Personnel Management 28 (1999): 501–504. Since then, several authors have reaffirmed 15. D. Thompson, “The Possibility of the importance of ethics training [see OECD, Administrative Ethics,” Public Administration Ethics Training for Public Officials (Paris: Review 45 (1985): 555–561. OECD Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern and Central Europe, 2013)]; S. S. Kennedy and D. 16. Kohlberg’s theory was also adopted by Stewart Malatesta, “Safeguarding the Public Trust: Can and Sprinthall’s survey research on American Administrative Ethics be Taught?” Journal of students and local government managers Public Affairs Education 16 (2010): 161–180; that later branched out to include Polish and D. C. Menzel, Ethics Management for Public Russian local government officials (Steward Administrators (New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2006); et al.), Wittmer’s experimental research to N. Preston, Ethics for the Public Sector: explore ethical decision-making, Jurkiewicz Education and Training (NSW, Australia: and Brown (2000)’s study that examined Federation Press, 1994); A. Hejka-Ekins, the link between leadership and ethics, and “Ethics in In-service Training,” in ed. T. L. White’s study on the effect of gender upon Cooper, Handbook of Administrative (New York: moral development based on Rest’s Defining Marcel Dekker, 2001)] in public administration Issues Test. See D. W. Stewart and N. A. and schools of public administration, with Sprinthall, “The Impact of Demographic, the opinion that aspiring civil servants should Professional and Organisational Variables on be taught to be ethical and encourage the the Moral Reasoning of Public Adminsitration,” integration of ethics into the curriculum in Ethics and Public Administration, ed. H G (see NASPAA, Code of Good Practice 2009, Federickson, (New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1993): accessed April 17, 2013, http://www.naspaa. 205–219; D. W. Stewart, N. Sprinthall and org/codeofgoodpractice/). J. D. Kem, “Moral Reasoning in the Context of Reform: A Study of Russian Officials,” Public Administration Review 62 (2002): 282–297; D. Wittmer, “Individual Moral Development: An Empirical Exploration of Public and Private-Sector Differences,” Public Integrity 2 (2000): 181–194; C. L. Jurkiewicz and R. G. Brown, “Power Does Not Corrupt Absolutely: An Empirical Study,” Public Integrity 3 (2000): 195–210; R. White, “Are Women More Ethical? Recent Findings on the Effects of Gender Upon Moral Development,”

ETHOS / 83 20. See J. Perry, “The Consequences of Speaking 22. J. West and E. Berman, “Ethics Training Out: Processes of Hostility and Issue Efforts in U.S Cities: Content, Pedagogy and Resolution Involving Federal Whistle-Blowers,” Impact,” Public Integrity 6 (2004): 189–206. Academy of Management Proceedings 1993: 311–315; D. C. Menzel, “Research on Ethics 23. B. Richardson, “Why We Need to Teach Crisis and Integrity in Governance,” Public Integrity Management and to Use Case Studies to Do 7 (2005): 147–168; R. Shareef, “Teaching it,” Management Education and Development Public Sector Ethics to Graduate Students: The 24 (1993): 138–148. Public Values/Public Failure Decision-making Model,” Journal of Public Affairs Education 24. J. Cagle and M. Baucus, “Case Studies 14 (2009): 385–395; S. S. Kennedy and D. of Ethics Scandals: Effects on Ethical Malatesta, “Safeguarding the Public Trust: Can Perceptions of Finance Students,” Journal of Administrative Ethics be Taught?” Journal of Business Ethics 64 (2006): 213–229. Public Affairs Education 16 (2010): 161–180. 25. V. McWilliams and A. Nahavandi, “Using Live 21. The teaching of ethics in the public sector has Cases to Teach Ethics,” Journal of Business been included in the curricula of schools of Ethics 67 (2006): 421–433. public administration (University of Virginia, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Indiana University, Harvard Kennedy School). Menzel has found that 40% of the schools of public administration and public affairs integrated ethics across their curricular and 60% offered some type of standalone ethics course. See D. C. Menzel, “Teaching Ethics and Values: A Survey of Graduate Public Affairs and Administration Programs in the U.S.,” Political Science and Politics 30 (1997): 518–524.

84 / Ethics in Public Administration: Are We Teaching What Can’t be Taught? The Ethos Roundtable

Inclusive and Iterative Governance

Two distinguished participants from Singapore’s 6th Leaders in Governance Programme discuss income inequality, talent and governance which balances the needs of the public with the challenges of the future.

The ETHOS Roundtable was conducted by CSC Researcher Dr Vernie Oliveiro in September 2013. Mr Bui The Giang and Mr Abdul Mutalib Pehin Dato Yusof were participants in the 6th Leaders in Governance Programme (LGP) organised by the Singapore Civil Service College from 26 August to 3 September 2013. Drawing from Singapore’s development experience, the LGP offered 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 interacted with senior government officials and thought leaders, and visited key government agencies to understand their operating philosophies and values.

Participants M r Bui The Giang, Director-General, Department for West Europe & North Americas, Commission for External Relations, Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Vietnam Mr Abdul Mutalib Pehin Dato Yusof, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Brunei Darussalam

On Income Inequality and the Implications A government may choose to accept for Good Governance a widening gap between the rich and Bui: Theorists have argued that there the poor if it means that a portion of is a global trend towards smaller the population moves ahead faster, government, with the state acting as becomes richer, and pulls the rest along a service provider rather than as the on the path of development. Twenty- classical ruling authority. In reality, seven years ago, when Vietnam began there are relatively few countries where its renewal process in 1986, 73% of the the government is able to become population was below the poverty line smaller. For the majority of countries, by international standards. Millions the classical situation still applies, but suffered from famine and hunger, but when we talk about a smaller government the gap between the so-called rich or service provision, the ultimate goal and so-called poor then was minimal. is, in fact, efficiency. Today, poverty in Vietnam is 9.2%, after

ETHOS / 85 only a quarter of a century. So I think On Nurturing Talent for the Future in Vietnam the choice of policy was Bui: There is a Vietnamese proverb correct. At the same time, we should that says that “leakage comes from not depend on this sort of growth for the roof.” Leadership is of prime good, because it can reduce incentives importance: it determines whether a for effort and lead to social instability, government is good or bad. Meritocracy with political and economic effects and zero tolerance for corruption are that can bring the whole system to vital. The recruitment process needs stagnation, or even worse, collapse. to be based on qualifications, not on whether you come from a rich family Mutalib: Income and other disparities or have a big company behind you. may be symptoms that public or Placement and promotion need to be private institutions are not working based on the best use of a person’s as well as they could be. A good abilities and talents and effective institution is one that will implement contributions. In the final analysis, we its functions efficiently. This calls for are working with human beings, but good governance; good governance that should not be a pretext for keeping requires good leadership. This is the an incompetent person for too long a main challenge in government. time in a position, preventing others We need both dynamic people and from engaging and contributing, and dynamic leaders, but at the same time, ultimately leading an organisation or we need to look at the system and its country to failure. People should be impact as a whole. Staff well-being, placed where they deserve to be, and and instilling passion and a sense of enjoy only the rewards they deserve responsibility in all employees, is of to receive. utmost importance: Are they motivated? Have they been matched to the right Mutalib: Change, or in this particular job? Are they being treated fairly? context, public sector transformation, How long have they been doing the does not happen overnight. Apart same job while in service? Have they from the importance of having the performed? What makes them tick? right planning and implementation, You need competency, motivation and the public sector will have to adopt a incentive, and the right personalities. mindset of lifelong learning. The change You need well-rounded leaders looking must come from ‘within’. Generally, after a well-rounded team. These any good government will put their are just some of the prerequisites of young leaders through processes and good governance. programmes to help build up their range of competencies. At the leadership or senior management level, we cannot

86 / Inclusive and Iterative Governance afford to be pure specialists anymore; One of the obvious indicators of how we must be generalists. Having to well your policy will work out is how well experience both the corporate and public the public embraces the policy. But in sectors generally gives an individual an fact, there are no straightforward KPIs. edge: the ability to see both ‘worlds’ in For instance, tracking the number of perspective. There’s a cross-multiplier complaints that have gone down does not effect when we bring our skills from really tell you anything. It could mean one organisation to the next that can that the public has given up. Of course, result in more positive outcomes. you also need a mitigation plan in case The new generation of public sector things go wrong. Accidents happen in leaders will have to get down to the real life. Tools such as scenario planning ground, know people, what the real and risk management can assist in functions of institutions are, and what decision-making, but ultimately when a the policy big picture is. They will have policy is already out there, you have to to learn to respect the opinions and get engaged with the real stakeholders: views of the others, and look at policy the public. issues from different perspectives. They will have to learn to manage Bui: When you decide to aim for efficiency, diverse groups, including people older there is a tendency to narrow down the or more senior than them, taking into margin for manoeuvre. But in many cases, consideration their different attributes, it is still important to make room for attitudes and views. flexibility, to have a sense of readiness for risk. There is always a risk when you On Public Sector Transformation and decide to devolve power and responsibility. National Alignment At the same time, as a leader, you tend to Mutalib: Public policy is an iterative want safe solutions. So how far are you process. It must always be two-way: ready to go in devolving your authority, seeking alignment between national and and delegating to your subordinates to stakeholders’ perspectives. Consultation, work on their own? That is a question communication and public engagement that leaders everywhere need to address. are important processes that can help What I have seen here in Singapore make sure that stakeholders are not is that despite the diversity of people and overlooked. Before you introduce a policy, scarcity of resources, there is a unity of the people need to know about it. mind and action, all the way from the Through piloting exercises, where top leadership down through the civil you allow for trial and error and service to the population. And that will plenty of feedback, you reduce the risk enable you to move forward, as has been of public resistance to new policies. shown for the past several decades.

ETHOS / 87 The First New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners

A groundbreaking lab for practitioners demonstrates the robustness and applicability of the New Synthesis Framework in transforming ideas about public administration and public value for the future.

by An international expert in governance and public sector reforms, the Honourable Jocelyne Bourgon is Senior Visiting Fellow at the Civil Service College, Singapore, where she works closely with public sector Jocel yne Bourgon leaders and managers to prepare the Government to be fit and resilient for the future through research and practitioners’ workshops. Madame Bourgon is also President of Public Governance International (PGI), President Emeritus of the Canada School of Public Service, project leader of the New Synthesis Project and author of A New Synthesis of Public Administration: Serving in the 21st Century.

88 / The First New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners How the New Synthesis (NS) Part of the difficulty facing public Framework Came About organisations today comes from the Serving in the 21st century is more industrial-era concepts that conventional challenging than ever: public administration is rooted in. These are derived from scientific management, • Issues are inter-connected and more with solutions based on narrowing prone to shocks down and “fixing” parts of the system. • Social media transforms the issues As a result, public administration has and contexts internalised many forms of segregation • Public servants deal with volatility (between politics and policy, policy and complexity decision and implementation, policy development and service delivery, etc.). • An increasing number of public Public administration relies on analysis. policy issues exceed the capacity of It values productivity and efficiency. government acting alone. NS is an invitation to go beyond these These changes are transforming conventional approaches. It values the the role of governments and their effectiveness of the whole rather than relationship with citizens and society. the efficiency of its parts. It focuses on Public servants feel the tensions but societal results. It proposes that the most public organisations are not yet solutions to complex issues can only ready for the challenges that lie ahead. come about as a result of synthesis — As a result, governments are frequently the capacity to recombine in new ways left in a reactive position. There is a the roles of government, citizens and need to re-think public administration society, and the relationships that bind as a discipline and as a domain of them together. practice. This is why the NS Project The NS Framework appears was conceived.1 simple at first glance. However, it has Public institutions and public several layers of meaning that are organisations must adapt to changing uncovered progressively. needs and circumstances in order to In 2010 and 2011, Singapore’s Civil sustain the trust between government Service College (CSC) participated in and citizens. There is a need to preserve the NS Project, a multi-country research practices of enduring values, learn project that initially involved six countries from reform efforts and acquire new (Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, capabilities. In the end, old and new Singapore and the United Kingdom)3. capabilities must blend in a manner that In Singapore, this work informed public takes into account the circumstances sector dialogues on pertinent issues, unique to each country.2 including public engagement and co-

ETHOS / 89 creation. Acknowledging the need to of the NS Framework was tested across test the NS Framework in a diversity a broad range of domains. of domains of practice, the NS Lab was T bhe NS La born from a shared commitment to • Is not a course The dynamic capacity in the traditional expand the conversation and test the sense, but a ideas in practice. And so the design of the New Synthesis laboratory designed work began. for interaction- Framework becomes based learning among experienced Programme Design most apparent when key practitioners. The first NS Lab was designed to concepts are integrated • Is a discovery encourage open exchange, experimentation process; a collective and learning. It challenged participants with practical challenges. learning experience; an encounter to continually move between exploring among master concepts, learning from practice and Apart from their skills and experience, practitioners and the integrating findings. each participant also came to the NS Lab NS Project Leader. A gap week between sessions with a real-life case — a challenging • Is rooted in practice. The conversations was intentionally included to allow and unresolved issue that the participant are centred on participants to test ideas in practice, was committed to addressing in his real-life challenges reflect on what was relevant in each current position. Participants were and issues that respective context and integrate what encouraged to return to their cases participants bring forth. they learnt in their search for solutions after each session, changing and in their live case before returning for refining their proposed approaches as The NS Lab seeks to the next session. the conversation progressed. build capacity at two In practice, the one-week break This approach proved to be a very levels • Individual: allowed participants time to consolidate powerful element of the NS Lab design. practitioners are and integrate their learning. As the cases evolved, participants better equipped for quickly became very skillful at using achieving complex results and for Master Practitioners the NS Framework, which helped them addressing their real- Seventeen director- and senior director- to look at their challenges in new ways life case challenge. level public officers — the Master and through different lenses. They • Institutional (system- Practitioners — attended the first NS were able to re-position their issues on wide): participants Lab, held in Singapore in early 2013. a broader level, and each one of them share a commitment to a collective effort Some were from central ministries, identified other stakeholders who needed for advancing public while others were from line ministries to be brought in as partners. Most of sector reforms in and statutory boards supporting the them discovered that it was possible to their own country. ministries.4 This mix brought a diversity encourage the contributions of citizens, of perspectives to the NS Lab sessions, users of government services, their and helped to ensure that the relevance families and their communities while

90 / The First New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners preserving and even enhancing the concurrently in order to bring about stewardship role of government. desired outcomes.

Master Weaver Post-NS Lab feedback by participants Playing the role of Master Weaver, indicated that the role of the Master I drew lessons learned from other Weaver was a key factor in the success countries from the NS key findings. of the sessions. The collective wealth of experience was used to tease out solutions from Growing Towards A New Synthesis the participants. The key assets for an The first NS Lab was designed with NS Lab are in the room. practitioners in mind. It was learner- centric, with improvements throughout As Master Weaver, my role was to: the process to ensure that each session met the needs of the group. It brought 1. Help participants weave the key senior practitioners from many fields of threads to create a powerful public sector practice into conversation tapestry: a “new synthesis” of and, together with me, they examined public administration adapted to a how the NS Framework can be used to particular (in this case, Singapore’s) open up a broader space of possibility context and circumstances. with which to face the complex issues of the day, and to solve problems that 2. Summarise key findings after each conventional approaches could not. session, laying the foundation for They shared experiences and acquired the next session while allowing for new insights about what is being done different approaches. In Singapore, and what can be done to prepare public each session was unique and specifically institutions and organisations to be designed to support the needs of fit for the time and to build a resilient the participants at that time. society able to adapt to the changing landscape of the 21st century. In the 3. Enrich the exploratory discussion process, they crafted an emerging by sharing ideas and insights about narrative of change to provide coherence what is being done elsewhere, or to their transformation efforts. They what could be done to broaden the framed a New Synthesis for Singapore. range of choices open to government. The success of the NS Lab was first There is no one right way, but and foremost due to the commitment instead multiple ways of achieving of the Master Practitioners, who were public policy outcomes. Often, not only active contributors during different approaches must operate each session, but invested time and

ETHOS / 91 T sihe NS LAB ses ons

he first three sessions were designed to explore the implications of some of the key T underlying concepts of the NS Framework in practice. This was done by drawing from international examples, inviting local resource people who had led ambitious, transformative reforms, and working as a group to explore solutions to the cases.

Session 1: Positioning In the late-1990s, the National Library Board This session explored the importance of and the Singapore Prison Service successfully “positioning” public policy issues in a broader repositioned their mission in the broader context. Participants discovered how this could context of system-wide and societal results. help them to uncover the multi-dimensional This meant a focus on nation and community nature of complex issues and the need for building for the former and the reintegration cooperation across governments and systems. of ex-offenders for the latter. In so doing, they As one of our invited resource persons said, reinvented their respective professions and “We are all part of a bigger cause.” their roles as public agencies, resulting in better A key challenge is to frame public policy outcomes and improving the lives of users and issues and challenges in a way that invites those of the people providing the services. and allows others to contribute. Changing the way one thinks about the mission of public Session 2: Leveraging agency changes the way one shapes policy Leveraging is about the Power of Others. It responses and services, how an agency relates is the coming together of the authority of to others and engages citizens. the state and the power of society to achieve Participants explored and shared ideas better public results. Participants explored about how to use the concept of “positioning” the importance of working across multiple to domains as varied as open data, “City in boundaries inside government and across sectors a Garden”, social and family development, to achieve results of higher value for society. and education. Leveraging recognises that an increasing The participants discovered the power number of issues exceed the capacity of of a broader mental map to open up new government working alone.2 It calls for avenues and encourage cooperation, through an understanding of the perspectives the process of constructively questioning of others and the key factors that each other and sharing insights to improve encourage them to join a collective effort. the likelihood of success in addressing each Participants identified some factors that others’ cases – a key feature of the NS Lab.1 would enhance government capacity to build

92 / The First New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners on contributions from others, learning from Integrating and applying NS concepts both successful and failed attempts. By the end of the first three sessions, participants had learned and applied some Participants examined the reasons behind the of the key findings from the NS Framework, success of the Singapore Health Promotion and become skillful in their use of: Board in working with hawkers and food manufacturers to achieve better public health • Positioning that shifts the focus of analysis outcomes. They also explored possibilities for from an agency’s results to that of applying leveraging in the work of agencies societal outcomes such as the Land Transport Authority and • Leveraging that shifts the balance between a the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority. government-centric approach to governance • Engaging users and beneficiaries of public Session 3: Engaging services to shift the relationship between Even when working together, public agencies the government and citizens from one of may not be able to achieve some complex results dependency to one of mutuality and or find solutions to intractable problems. shared responsibility. This session explored how public policies and programmes can be shaped to engage users Participants improved their search for and beneficiaries as value creators. solutions in the context of their cases by Successful citizen engagement requires using all three lenses. clarity of purpose from the agency in question. Participants discussed the importance of Through community engagement efforts, establishing clarity on when the government the Ministry of Home Affairs was able to is best positioned to engage citizens, when reconcile its stewardship role under the law it would be unwise to do so, and when the while expanding public involvement in desired outcomes can only be achieved with achieving public policy results. the contribution of users and beneficiaries as value creators. Sessions 4–6: A New Synthesis for Singapore The subsequent sessions marked a shift in A case study from Sweden Clinic of focus from key concepts applied to individual Internal Medicine provided key insights cases to an overall transformation agenda into co-production.3 Important distinctions were drawn between various forms for Singapore’s public service. Sessions 4-6 of engagement including information, reached beyond particular initiatives to identify consultation, co-creation, co-production and and explore the capacities needed to build enabled self-organisation.4 public institutions and organisations capable

ETHOS / 93 of adapting to changing circumstances and Over the course of the NS Lab sessions, of evolving alongside society. participants co-created a powerful narrative During these sessions, participants heard that speaks to Singapore’s context and to their from resource persons about the changing aspirations. They articulated the special role landscape in Singapore from an internal and and responsibility of government to nurture an external perspective. The participants adaptive public institutions fit for the time, drew insights from the early findings of “Our and a resilient society fit for the challenges Singapore Conversation”. They engaged with of the future. They also highlighted guiding political, academic and public sector leaders, principles and promising approaches to heard from central agencies about current support these efforts.5 The document they initiatives, and discussed how these agencies produced amounts to an ambitious reform could help build the capacity of government to agenda that warrants careful consideration.6 adapt to changing needs and circumstances. It is available on the CSC website at: https:// A series of international examples were used www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/Pages/ to help participants learn what others were New-Synthesis-Laboratory-for-Master- doing to build adaptive and resilient societies. Practitioners-Moving-Ideas-to-Action-Key- Findings.aspx

NOTES

1. Jocelyne Bourgon, “New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners: Moving Ideas into Action-Key Findings”, 4–5, May 2013, CSC working paper.

2. Jocelyne Bourgon, “New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners: Moving Ideas into Action-Key Findings”, 6–8, May 2013, CSC working paper.

3. Jörgen Tholstrup, “Empower Patients to Need Less Care and Do Better in Highland Hospital, South Sweden”, Making Health and Social Care Personal and Local: Moving from Mass Production to Co-Production, eds. E. Loeffler et al. (UK: Governance International, 2012), 7–11.

4. Jocelyne Bourgon, “New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners: Moving Ideas into Action-Key Findings”, 6–8, May 2013, CSC working paper.

5. Jocelyne Bourgon, “New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners: Moving Ideas into Action-Key Findings”, 9–12, May 2013, CSC working paper.

6. Jocelyne Bourgon, “New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners: Moving Ideas into Action-Key Findings”, 13–17, May 2013, CSC working paper.

94 / The First New Synthesis Laboratory for Master Practitioners effort in updating their cases during time. The ongoing development of N S Lab: The Journey the gap week. Many of them took the each institution involves adapting to Continues For the next phase of the extra step to share what they learned changing circumstances and evolving NS Project, new tools on their return to their agencies. with the society that they have a developed from the first NS is an ongoing journey of mission to serve. Countries with public Lab in 2013 were tested; discovery. No institution is fit for all institutions able to meet the needs of the conversations were also brought to different their time have a greater capacity for levels of public officers. It will be important to adaptation. They will be best positioned In the first quarter of to influence events in their favour and 2014, we conducted provide ongoing support 2 new NS Labs for to prosper under all circumstances. Singapore public service to this cohort and to tap There is every reason to believe officers, one at the into their experiences that Singapore will be among them. Middle Manager level and And so the journey continues. the other for people at the most senior levels. Both when other NS initiatives workshops generated are conducted. new discoveries and possibilities.

The NS Labs conducted NOTES in 2013 and 2014 are a powerful reminder of 4. Participating agencies included the Public 1. Jocelyne Bourgon, A New Synthesis of Public the need to continue to Administration: Serving in the 21st Century, Service Division, Ministry of Finance; explore the New Frontiers (Montreal, Quebec and Kingston, Ontario: the ministries of Communications and McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2011). Information, Education, Home Affairs, of Public Administration, Social and Family Development, and to prepare government 2. Jocelyne Bourgon, “New Synthesis Laboratory the Environment and Water Resources; fit for the challenges and statutory boards the Immigration for Master Practitioners: Moving Ideas into of its time and to build Action-Key Findings”, May 2013, CSC working and Checkpoints Authority, National paper, http://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/ Environment Agency, Urban Redevelopment public organisations and Pages/New-Synthesis-Laboratory-for-Master- Authority, Public Utilities Board, National public institutions with Practitioners-Moving-Ideas-to-Action-Key- Parks Board, Land Transport Authority, and the capacity to adapt the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority. Findings.aspx to changing needs, 3. The key findings resulting from the NS Project circumstances and were captured in the book A New Synthesis citizens expectations. of Public Administration: Serving in the 21st The Civil Service College Century which was launched in Singapore in plans to continue October 2011. to explore the ideas generated from the 2013 and 2014 NS Labs as the New Synthesis Journey continues, for there is no end to our search for good government and good governance.

ETHOS / 95 Opinion

Making Public-Private Partnerships Work: Implications for Singapore and the Region

Can cross-sectoral collaborations be structured to deliver public value more effectively on a large scale?

by Thia Jang Ping is Director, Public Economics, Institute of Governance and Policy at the Civil Service College, T hia Jang Ping Singapore. He is concurrently Director, Transformation Office at the Ministry of Finance, Singapore.

and Alan M. Trager is Senior Research Professor and Director, Public-Private Partnerships Initiative, at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. A lan M. Trager

96 / Making Public-Private Partnerships Work: Implications for Singapore and the Region Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) are required during the crisis. Singapore’s Professor Trager collaborative organisational structures experience with the Sports Hub is visited Singapore in November 2013, supported by public, private or even not unique. Taiwan’s high-speed rail where he conducted non-profit partners who agree to system, also a PPP, required government a two-day workshop share risks, resources and decisions support when there was a reduction in on “Public Private in building and implementing certain passenger use during the crisis, and Partnerships: Aligning Resources projects. PPPs have been used by many the PPP could not meet debt service and Interests” and governments as collaborative models payments. This underscores the point spoke at the CSC to attract private sector financing or that private sector financing can be Economic Regulation bring in private sector operational quite tenuous, and that the private Symposium, explaining the advantages and capacity, for medium to large-scale sector does not always have as much challenges of different projects. This has typically resulted capacity as the government does to PPP models. in governments ceding operational undertake the higher level of funding control over key assets while sharing risks associated with these large-scale some financial risks. infrastructure projects, or absorb risks associated with uncertain future Singapore’s Experience revenue streams. PPPs are not new to Singapore. Singapore has utilised PPPs as vehicles for various projects, including water The private sector does not always have treatment plants, waste disposal as much capacity as the government does plants and education infrastructure. to undertake the funding risks associated The largest PPP to date is the Sports Hub, which brings together private with large-scale infrastructure projects. bank financing for the Sports Hub Consortium to build and manage Furthermore, unlike some developed Singapore’s key national sporting economies with large public deficits, facilities, with an annual payment by the Singapore has often run budget surpluses. Government for use of these facilities. There is adequate fiscal space for the While the Sports Hub PPP won construction of the sports facilities. several international awards, it also With its strong fiscal balance sheet, prompted a re-assessment of how the Singapore government is also able PPPs should be structured. This was to raise funds from the market easily, in part due to the financial crisis in the at lower interest rates compared to late 2000s. Even though the private the private sector. This would have sector had ostensibly taken over the made more economic sense than construction of the Sports Hub, further requiring private firms to raise finances. loan support from the government was Arguably, under these circumstances,

ETHOS / 97 a more straightforward model would present in state-owned projects. Internal be for the Government to finance the government re-negotiates construction of these facilities, and resources, responsibilities and outcomes contract them to a managing agent all the time. It is unrealistic to expect upon completion instead. otherwise when dealing with private Finally, the construction of the sector players. Sports Hub was also much delayed due Thus, a successful PPP needs to be to a variety of reasons, including cost developed as a flexible organisational overruns. The case for PPPs in Singapore and financial model along a risk curve thus appears further weakened.1 (project complexity and risks over time). There should not be a “template mentality”; one should be thinking about The common denominator of a successful a PPP toolkit instead. It is important PPP is a partnering government employee for the PPP model to be flexible enough to evolve over time, while ensuring with multi-sector experience. sufficient certainty for private sector partners and governments alike. This Fresh Perspectives for PPPs calls for a different set of skills for Nevertheless, new perspectives are public sector officials. emerging. Governments may have the financial strengths, but may still want What Skills, Resources and Capacities to engage the private sector for the are Needed? purpose of fostering innovation and There are at least four skills required competitiveness. Importantly, PPPs offer to develop PPPs: political management, opportunities for the state to co-create negotiation, financial structuring with the non-state sector, sometimes and innovation. even converting liabilities for the state First and foremost, we have to into valuable social assets. recognise that PPP decisions are Another important and emerging based on necessity as well as political perspective is that the state should considerations. By necessity we refer not view ex post facto negotiations or to the need to improve or expand the re-negotiations of a PPP as a failure. government’s financial or operational No amount of prior contractual capacity to deal with a public policy negotiations can possibly cover all problem. This is the problem statement. scenarios over the long lifespan of a The government will then have to decide project. In fact, problems associated if it is worth the resulting political risks with PPPs — delays, financing re- when the private sector is brought in negotiations, subsidies, etc — are also to help solve a public problem.

98 / Making Public-Private Partnerships Work: Implications for Singapore and the Region Ea x mples of Successful PPPs

ew York’s Central Park Conservancy and These very different public spaces were N Bryant Park Restoration Corporation converted from liabilities into major tourist, are great examples of how PPPs created and real estate and community assets through two managed by the private sector can introduce different types of PPPs. The city retained innovation and competitiveness to public assets ownership of the parks but transferred through collaboration with the public sector. operations to the privately financed and In the 1970s, New York’s Central Park1 managed non-profit Conservancy and and Bryant Park2 had become liabilities to Corporation. The results have been startling the city. They were relatively unsafe, their increases in the assessed value of the areas facilities deteriorated, and the surrounding surrounding the parks, one primarily residential real estate and economic activity residential, the other commercial. were in decline.

NOTES

1. http://www.centralparknyc.org/about/

2. http://www.bryantpark.org/about-us/management.html

Second, good negotiation skills are risks. The financial structuring of necessary. Public sector officials need to PPPs is more about assumptions than properly communicate with stakeholders, models. In selecting and evaluating and have a good appreciation of the PPP projects, the emphasis is too motivations and incentives of various often on the successful completion of parties. The common denominator the design and construction phase as of a successful PPP is a partnering defined by an on-time and on-budget government employee with multi-sector outcome. Rather, it is more important experience (public and private). A civil to test out financing assumptions, and service with only lifelong career officials enter into a PPP knowing what the may have more challenges creating and worst-case scenarios are for the state. implementing successful PPPs. Similarly, select and manage projects Through innovation and creativity, whose programming of public activities government can reduce the need for minimises, if not avoids, the soft cost private sector financing, thus reducing of an annuity of liabilities/subsidies.

ETHOS / 99 Finally, enter into a PPP only when The best example of a fundamental there is a genuine potential for non-state asset is water — a simple, essential innovation, instead of just depending asset. Water desalination in Singapore, on promised efficiency gains. as a PPP, is a more straightforward construct since outcomes like quality Framing PPPs Towards More and quantity are easily measured. The Complex Issues nation’s high-income level also ensures There are three key concepts associated that most will find water affordable. Of with the formation of PPPs. The most course, the same water in other countries important is to properly frame the could also involve very complex PPPs; problem. The second is the identification, it may be necessary for the water to analysis and organisation of the be treated, protected, distributed and partnership’s stakeholders. The third is accessed by huge populations. the use of a set of PPP tools rather than The challenges associated with a template to complete the formation of improving public health outcomes are the partnership. Such a toolkit would typically more complex than providing include financial structuring skills such adequate and safe supplies of drinking as the development of key assumptions water. Healthcare requires a system or that will impact use and revenue network of assets: facilities for prevention, projections, motivations and incentives diagnosis, treatment and long-term care. of stakeholders, and negotiation issues. Maximising the outcomes associated with these assets may not necessarily be a function of cost and investment. Governments may have the financial The innovation may be in terms of strengths, but may still want to engage the public and private configuration the private sector for the purpose of of these assets. Even when resources and interests become aligned to support fostering innovation and competitiveness. improved public health, behaviour and culture may present serious obstacles. The best way to realistically It may be therefore better to frame approach the formation of a PPP is by the problem as delivering superior understanding the type of asset and healthcare outcomes, rather than public-policy problem that is the focus of one of the Government purchasing the PPP. Essentially, all PPPs are best services. As healthcare often reflects understood as either fundamental or complex underlying social challenges, complex assets. Fundamental assets can it becomes useful to bring in different have either simple or complex structures. perspectives. Ideally, the framing of

100 / Making Public-Private Partnerships Work: Implications for Singapore and the Region PPPs must shift from one where the state sector. It will be the public manager’s co-opts the private sector to provide primary responsibility to allocate the financing and solutions (another form opportunities associated with a PPP of outsourcing), to one where state and (revenue, efficiency, capacity) against non-state actors come together to solve the risks (financial shortfalls, under- complex social problems. served populations, environmental An example can help illustrate changes and political decisions). this point. A traditional form of PPP might involve a design-build-finance Internal government bureaucracy model, where the private sector builds a hospital to meet the demand of a public re-negotiates resources, responsibilities authority. However, this would create and outcomes all the time. It is incentives for the operator to increase demand for hospitalisation. If the PPP unrealistic to expect otherwise with contract does not allow the operator private sector players. to charge for the increase in demand, there would be incentives to cut back Conclusion on services. PPPs have worked well in many A different form of healthcare PPP countries but have also attracted could instead create incentives for the critics. Too often, critics charge that operator to meet healthcare outcomes; governments have entered into PPP for example, to reduce the incidence of agreements that lead to pressure to non-communicable diseases like obesity re-negotiate financial terms when or diabetes amongst the population. Once financing conditions deteriorate, when the problem is framed differently, other revenue streams do not materialise or potential stakeholders could emerge. when costs overrun. However, this line This will then change the operator’s of criticism conveniently ignores the incentives towards finding solutions fact that government-owned projects for public education, early screening often also face cost overruns and poor and monitoring. Again, the key is to management, resulting in additional frame the challenge properly. project subsidies. The key difference A number of countries are evaluating here is that PPPs, involving private changes to their use of PPPs, focusing sector actors, often result in these on an amalgamation of economic and subsidies being made very explicit. social PPP structures. These changes This may attract greater political will require a more explicit recognition controversies, but it does not necessarily of subsidies and risks by the public imply weaker governance.

ETHOS / 101 In all likelihood, PPPs will become Its access to capital, expertise and a permanent part of the public sector experience in the development process landscape. There are financial and non- are well known. financial reasons driving this. Even in Singapore, a fiscally healthy country, The framing of PPPs must there could be greater reliance on PPPs in the future. The population is ageing, shift from one where the and trend economic growth is slowing state co-opts the private as a result. Fiscal space will become sector to provide financing tighter in the future. Coinciding with this, there will also be more ageing and solutions, to one where infrastructure (economic or social) that state and non-state actors would need to be replaced. PPPs offer opportunities to introduce innovation come together to solve into the financing and management of complex social problems. government assets and services. As Singapore works to improve Singapore should build PPP capacity its evaluation and strategic use of, and while it still does not really require it expertise in PPPs, it can also become a from the fiscal standpoint, and when it valuable PPP hub for the region where still has luxury to experiment and learn. there is a great financing need for It may stand to reap good rewards in infrastructure. As a potential partner, the future. Singapore brings distinctive strengths.

NOTE

1. Pamela Qiu, “Can Public-Private Partnerships Deliver Better Public Services? Annex 3: Singapore Sports Hub: Why the Delay?” https://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/ Documents/EP042010_Annex%203.pdf

102 / Making Public-Private Partnerships Work: Implications for Singapore and the Region ETHOS / 103 th Practitioners’ Insights 7 Leaders into Singapore’s Experience in in Governance Public Governance Programme 25 August to 2 September 2014

Inspirational leadership and good governance have the power to change the destinies of countries and cities.

This 7-day international programme offers practical insights into creating sustainable competitive advantage — through innovative policies and effective implementation. You will have the opportunity to engage Singapore's Ministers and senior public sector leaders in discussion and learn about Singapore’s experience in public governance.

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S$10,165 (approx US$8,470) per participant; or The closing date for programme registration is 11 July 2014. S$13,965 (approx US$11,638) per participant Selected participants will be notified by 25 July 2014. inclusive of 10-night accommodation and daily breakfast. For the latest updates on the programme and application information, please visit our website at The fee also covers study visits, meals and http://bit.ly/1ez0Y0K or contact Ms Zann Lee at transportation during the official programme. 6874 2050 or [email protected].