To Listen, Labour and Governance Through Lead: Building a Better Adaptive Urban Platforms: Together The INSINC Experiment ISSUE Chng Kai Fong, Balaji Prabhakar and Jeffrey Siow 12 J Successful Governance: Commissioning Public Value: U 3 A Conversation The Role of Civil Servants NE 201 Interview with Gus O’Donnell Peter Shergold

2 / Ethos 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.

Ethos is circulated to the policymaking community in Singapore as well as to a select international readership. It is also available online at: www.cscollege.gov.sg/ethos

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

The Editor-in-Chief, ETHOS Civil Service College, Singapore 31 North Buona Vista Road Singapore 275983 Fax: +65 6775 8207 Email: [email protected]

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

©2013 Civil Service College, Singapore

The mission of the Civil Service College (CSC) Singapore is to develop people for a first-class . CSC was inaugurated as a statutory board under the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office, in October 2001. As the ’s core institution for training, learning, research and staff development, CSC builds strategic capacity in governance, leadership, and management for a networked government in Singapore.

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

ISSN: 1793-3773 Contents Issue 12, June 2013

3 Editorial 54 Public Managers as Innovators: In Search of 6 To Listen, Labour and Lead: Design Attitude Building a Better Singapore Christian Bason Together Lee Hsien Loong 61 Rethinking Public Service Delivery for the 21st Century 12 Successful Governance: Janine O’Flynn A Conversation Interview with Gus O’Donnell 65 Commissioning Public Value: The Role of Civil Servants 17 A New Paradigm for the Peter Shergold Delivery of Public Services Pang Kin Keong 71 Public Engagement That 24 CPFB’s iCARE Advantage Works Interview with Lim Boon Chye Interview with Geoff Wilson and Stephanie Ng 77 What’s Past is Prologue: 28 MOM’s Smarter Service Kissinger on China Initiatives Book review: On China by Henry Roslyn Ten A. Kissinger Reviewed by Leong Ming Wei 36 Randomised Controlled 80 The Age of Angst Trials in Policymaking Charles Ng Do Hoang Van Khanh and Sharon Tham 86 Context, Connection and 45 Governance Through Continuity: Governance in Adaptive Urban Platforms: the Next Decade The INSINC Experiment The ETHOS Roundtable with Ms Vani Chng Kai Fong, Balaji Prabhakar Tripathi, Datuk Noharuddin Nordin and Jeffrey Siow and Ambassador S. Francis Moloi editorial

n an earlier edition of ETHOS services of unprecedented breadth. In I (Issue 4, April 2008), we traced many areas, particularly online, the the evolution of contemporary public scope and quality of public services services and surmised that, driven lag behind the service standards set by in part by technological change and corporations with global influence and social pressure, they would advance scale: think Google, Facebook, Apple. towards greater adaptability, fluidity For many countries, nimble, adaptive, and collaborative engagement across connected government is no longer a agency and sectoral boundaries. Much developmental goal to aspire to in an has happened in the world since, but ideal future — it has become a pressing, this trajectory holds mainly true today, present imperative. albeit for somewhat varied reasons. The The accelerated pace at which global financial crisis has obliged many change has taken place makes its own developed countries to pursue austerity particular demands on the business in government spending, prompting of governance. In a recent address to renewed interest in innovative means of Singapore’s Administrative Service delivering public services that devolve (p. 6), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong the resource burden away from state called for the Civil Service to embrace a actors. Globalisation has facilitated broader range of perspectives from both Asia’s economic resurgence — but within and without the public sector, in the relentless traffic in value, labour order to avoid policy blind-spots and to and resources has also widened the gain a better appreciation of the impact gap between the haves and have-nots, public policies have on those affected by and led to ever more diverse societies, them. He also expects the Government with divergent priorities and needs to be prepared to adopt partial solutions, that governments must juggle. The in the interest of overall progress, if the proliferation of social media and mobile time is not right for a fuller resolution technology has altered the balance of of difficult issues. information — and of trust — between Lord Gus O’Donnell, until recently the public and the institutions they the Head of the British Civil Service, interact with, although it also paves has advocated a more pragmatic, clear- the way for ubiquitous, intelligent eyed approach to governance rooted in

ETHOS / 3 the behavioural realities of actual, often of Governance and Policy make a imperfect decisions made by individual compelling case for the use of randomised citizens and households every day (p. 12). controlled trials — already de rigeuer To do so, he argues, requires a broader in the healthcare sector — to enrich measure of what constitutes national and strengthen policymaking (p. 36). wellbeing and resilience, as well as new The experience of many public tools, systems and structures to take agencies also suggests that timely, stock of how well the country and its credible, relevant and accessible citizens are in fact doing. information, appropriately shared, can These are challenges that Singapore’s itself be a powerful prompt towards public sector agencies have not only positive behaviour. The Land Transport confronted but become increasingly Authority’s experimental INSINC platform sophisticated in grappling with, as they marries the objective rigour of transport transit from transactional to relational data with social elements such as peer modes of interaction with the public networking and competitive gaming (p. 17). Public-facing agencies such as to encourage off-peak travel on public the CPF Board (p. 24) and the Ministry transport, with promising results (p. 45). of Manpower (p. 28) have developed a MindLab Director Christian Bason range of strategies for monitoring and points out that listening to evidence differentiating service delivery. In an of actual public views has spurred environment of growing customer traffic, civil servants to rethink their roles as rising expectations and increasing case public managers, and to redesign their complexity, these mechanisms help services in ways that encourage citizens them channel scarce service resources and government to work together for to where they are needed most. The the public good (p. 54). wealth of data gathered in the process The coming together of state and is also becoming invaluable to policy non-state actors to achieve increasingly design, and to the development of a new complex goals continues to represent a generation of more nuanced, citizen- rich new ground of possibility — and centric services. of anxiety. Public service veteran Peter Sound and sufficient data could also Shergold reflects on the conditions unlock better evidence-based methods of and considerations necessary for such policy analysis, assessment and design, collaborations to succeed (p. 65), while helping to overcome false assumptions, communications expert Geoff Wilson stereotypes, ideology, habit and other outlines key strategies for successful public cognitive biases endemic to the field engagement (p. 71). Other contributors of governance. Researchers from the discuss worldwide trends towards more Public Economics team in the Institute participatory governance in the context

4 / Editorial of globalisation, demographic transition, and growing disaffection with public institutions. It may be that the most successful governments of tomorrow will be the ones that not only do things right and do the right things, but that continue to earn the trust, support and partnership of a public that is becoming more capable and engaged than ever before. In so doing, they could open the way for new forms of public value creation and delivery to emerge: not by fiat, no matter how sophisticated, but through learning by doing and shared ownership of the issues that matter.

I wish you an engaging read.

Alvin Pang Editor-in-Chief ETHOS

ETHOS / 5 To Listen, Labour and Lead: Building a Better Singapore Together

Addressing public sector leaders, Singapore’s Prime Minister calls for greater diversity in the Civil Service, and a change in the Government’s approach to policymaking.

by Lee Hsien Loong is the third Prime Minister of Singapore. This article is an adaptation of a speech delivered Lee Hsien Loong at the 25th Administrative Service Dinner and Promotion Ceremony on 27 March 2013.

6 / To Listen, Labour and Lead: Building a Better Singapore Together Introduction How Government Must Change Fundamental changes are underway Our job as political leaders and civil in our society. Our demographics and servants is to build upon these strengths, population mix are shifting. Elderly and work with Singaporeans to solve our Singaporeans worry about retirement problems and build a better Singapore. needs and healthcare costs. Younger This means getting both our policies Singaporeans have high aspirations, yet and politics right. harbour nagging anxieties about whether they can achieve them. Businesses are Pressing Problems struggling with the significant slowdown Our first priority is to deal with in foreign worker growth. pressing problems, especially housing Income distributions are widening. and public transport. These are urgent Social media is fundamentally changing political and national imperatives. relationships between the Government We must make visible progress on and people, and within society. The these problems, and address the valid interests of different groups are now concerns of Singaporeans. The Ministry more diverse and stridently expressed, of National Development (MND) and as we can all attest. Many countries Ministry of Transport are fully seized grapple with these challenges. We see with the task, but these are issues for this in their economic and political the whole Government. difficulties, whether in Europe, the US As a Government, we need to or even China. respond faster and more coherently to Singapore is not immune from these new and urgent priorities. Whether we global trends, but we are better placed are resolving issues like housing and than others to overcome our challenges. public transport, or battling an imminent Singaporeans are well educated. We have danger like SARS, we need to break an efficient and well-run system. Our out of ministry silos to think and act strong economy gives us resources to as one Government. In particular, we improve lives. Our reserves, if carefully must share more data across agencies, husbanded, will help us to weather to put together a more complete picture storms. We are located in the most of the overall landscape; and take a dynamic region in the world. Above whole-systems perspective, not just all, we have a Government that is that of our own ministries. committed to serving Singapore. We should therefore look to the future Reviewing Policy Fundamentals with confidence. To respond strategically to our new environment, we must make some major shifts in philosophy and policy. We

ETHOS / 7 must find a new balance between self- and a spirit of service to their fellow reliance and social support to mitigate citizens. One reason we have been able widening income distributions. We to build such a Service — though by must strengthen safety nets for specific no means the only reason — is that we groups of Singaporeans, especially our have paid our officers realistically and elders. We also need to rethink major competitively, in line with the quality social policies, including healthcare and of the officers and the value of their housing. The Government is doing so contributions. We have been reviewing across different platforms, including in Administrative Service salaries, but we Our Singapore Conversation. are not changing this principle. While these strategic shifts are Making this calibrated change essential, some hard truths do not will not be easy. We must consider change. We must continue to strengthen carefully what to change and what to and reinforce our core values. We must reaffirm, and avoid raising unrealistic stay united and face the future together. expectations in the process. We must be We will always need a strong Home prepared for uncertainty and anxiety Team and Singapore Armed Forces before we reach a new settled position; to keep our country safe. We still rely we can see some of these emotions in on a competitive, vibrant economy the reactions to MND’s suggestion to to provide good jobs for our people lower the cost of new Built-To-Order and generate resources for our social flats. But staying put is not an option, programmes. We must strengthen our and we have to navigate this uncertain Singapore identity, while remaining environment together. open to the world. That is why close cooperation between the political leadership and the The Administrative Service must increase Civil Service is so important. Both must the diversity of experiences among be clear about their respective roles. The political leadership has to set the its officers. direction, develop the narrative, manage the politics, and carry the ground. For This being the Administrative this to work, policies and programmes Service Dinner, one more of these hard have to deliver not only practical results truths is worth stressing: The need for but also political dividends. For its a high-quality public service that is part, the Civil Service has to develop competent and honest, staffed with able options imaginatively, analyse issues and committed officers, imbued with objectively, and implement policies well. a sense of responsibility to the nation It has to be more customer-centric, for

8 / To Listen, Labour and Lead: Building a Better Singapore Together citizens see our front-line officers as the for good mid-career recruits. Many AOs face of the Government. Ministers and also volunteer with voluntary welfare civil servants have different roles, but organisations or serve in charities a common mission — to improve the during their free time. well-being of our fellow Singaporeans. What more can the Service do? More operational and external postings What Civil Service Must Do will help, especially to expose officers Fortunately we have an excellent Civil to perspectives on the ground. I am Service, especially the Administrative glad that the Community Attachment Service. You have all been working Programme will be expanded, to keep hard — reviewing policies, adjusting AOs in touch with ground realities. to the new environment, engaging The Service must also reach out the public, raising the morale of your to external parties to work with the colleagues. I appreciate your commitment Government. For example, the Ministry of and support. But there is more that the Trade and Industry is engaging industry Administrative Service can do. associations to develop productivity First, the Administrative Service roadmaps, because the associations must increase the diversity of experiences know their own industries better than among its officers. Administrative SPRING or International Enterprise Officers (AOs) should be sensitised to the Singapore can. We should also bring challenges faced by the less fortunate, in more officers from the private and to anticipate their needs and ensure people sectors, and help them adjust to that our policies continue to benefit all the Service’s culture and environment segments of society. AOs should also so they can contribute more. have more experience in business. It Beyond the Administrative Service, is one thing for a ministry to set rules the Civil Service must develop more like foreign worker dependency ratios, specialist leaders from the Professional quite another to be a small- to medium- and other Services. We will put more sized enterprise having to cope with emphasis on sectoral and professional such changes which may massively expertise within the Public Service impact business. Leadership corps. This will complement The Administrative Service has AOs who are “generalists”, and build posted AOs to the People’s Association deeper expertise in specific areas. That and the Community Development way, the Civil Service as a whole will Councils. It has seconded officers to be a “T”-shaped organisation, with a companies like Shell, McKinsey and wide breadth of experience but firmly IDEO, and it is constantly on the lookout anchored in critical competencies.

ETHOS / 9 Second, the Government must change The adjustments will not be easy to its approach to policymaking. We no make. They require confidence and longer have the luxury of making policy skill on the Government’s part, and “in a lab”. Today’s environment is more maturity and commitment on the part complex and fluid, and our trade-offs of the public. But they are essential to more stark. Ideas are more vigorously avoid blind-spots, generate buy-in and and widely contested, especially online. improve the quality of our policies. our policy process must adapt to Third, the Civil Service must harness this new landscape. We must gather a the energy and passion from within its wider range of views, especially from ranks, especially among our younger and outside the Government. We must more junior officers. Many officers have market-test and adjust our policies a healthy idealism, and lots of ideas to more. We must also acquire a better change society for the better. We should feel of how our policies impact different tap their passion, and empower them to groups, and what their likely reactions identify problems, develop solutions and and concerns will be. With win-win drive change. Give them the satisfaction solutions more elusive, we must be more of championing an idea, and seeing it willing to “satisfice” to achieve our through from concept to completion. If main goals. This includes recognising we dampen their fire, they will leave for when it is better for the Government more exciting opportunities elsewhere. to wait for the right time to solve a Indeed, many good ideas have emerged problem, or to take a partial step and this way. Workfare had its roots in an defer a fuller solution to some more Amoeba Team, while young officers propitious moment. from the Ministry of Finance were the ones driving the design of the Wage The Civil Service must harness the Credit Scheme in Budget 2013. energy and passion from within its We must institutionalise these arrangements and make this the ranks, especially among our younger prevailing ethos of the Civil Service. and junior officers. This means changing how the Service engages its officers. We should encourage These imperatives apply to all our more bottom-up initiatives, and use policies, whether community projects Whole-of-Government platforms like like developing Wisma Geylang Serai, the Strategic Issues Group to overcome perpetually thorny issues such as public Ministry silos. We should explore new transport or car ownership, or major ways to “stress-test” our approaches, reviews like our housing policy rethink. such as by using “red teams”.

10 / To Listen, Labour and Lead: Building a Better Singapore Together Upholding Values and The Public Good of authority, and must live up to These changes can be unsettling. In the trust bestowed on us. Stewardship this “messier” environment, we may feel also means improving those around off-balance at times, but we cannot go us — our colleagues, the rest of the Civil off-course. Always let our core values Service, and most importantly the lives guide us, and remember that our role is of Singaporeans. Ultimately, stewardship to serve Singaporeans and Singapore. means developing our successors and This is true for both political leaders handing on to them a better Singapore and civil servants. Three values in than the one we inherited. particular are salient. Firstly, always carry ourselves with The Government does not have all the the highest standards of integrity and answers. That is why we must engage the incorruptibility. This is fundamental to our mission, and a key factor in Singapore’s public more, to walk in their shoes and tap success. Our system functions properly their diverse perspectives. because policies are developed for the public good rather than for private or Conclusion vested interests. We do not tolerate any Building a better Singapore is what impropriety. Anyone breaking the rules Government is about. This is an exciting will be caught and punished, whatever time to be in the business of governance. his post and however embarrassing it The world and Singapore are changing may be. If we lower our standards, we rapidly, but the possibilities are endless. are headed down a slippery slope. Despite our challenges, I am confident Secondly, serve with humility. Let us we can succeed. We have an excellent do the right things and do things right, Civil Service and Administrative but never be self-righteous or arrogant. Service, a strong base to scale loftier Being humble also means accepting heights and a shared passion to improve that Government does not have all the Singaporeans’ lives. We must Listen with answers. That is why we must engage empathy, Labour with conviction and the public more, to walk in their shoes Lead with humility. Let us persevere in and tap their diverse perspectives. our mission to create a brighter future Lastly, always be stewards of for all Singaporeans. the public good. We are in positions

ETHOS / 11 Interview WITH Gus O’Donnell

Successful Governance: A Conversation

The former Head of the Home Civil Service in the UK discusses national wellbeing, meritocracy, the future of service delivery, and the value of public service.

Lord Augustine O’Donnell served Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron as Cabinet Gus O’donnell Secretary and Head of Civil Service from 2005 to 2011. He stood down from this position at the end of 2011 and was appointed to the House of Lords in January 2012. Prior to his role as Cabinet Secretary, he served as Permanent Secretary of the UK Treasury from 2002 to 2005 and as press secretary to Prime Minister John Major from 1990 to 1994. In 1999, he was appointed Managing Director of Macroeconomic Policy and International Finance and was responsible for fiscal policy, international development, and European Union Economic and Monetary Union. Lord Gus studied economics at Warwick University and then Nuffield College, Oxford, before lecturing in political economy at the University of Glasgow. He has honorary doctorates from Warwick and Glasgow universities.

In his first visit to On Alternative Indicators of National across countries seems like a good Singapore as CSC Success, and the Value of Data idea and that number has been GDP. Senior Visiting Fellow in November 2012, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was In the absence of anything better, it’s Lord Gus spoke the first attempt to measure everything what people revert to. The challenge on “Innovations in that is going on in an economy, but of is to come up with better measures. I Governance and course it’s an incomplete measure — am not suggesting that anyone stops Leadership”, and headed a Roundtable we’ve known that for a long time. GDP measuring GDP. It is more a question on “Income Inequality, is a measure of flow and not of stock: if of supplementing income indicators Social Mobility, Well you run down your natural resources, with other sensible ones. We should Being and Behavioural your income grows but your total wealth think more about measuring people’s Economics”. He shared these views diminishes and that is not captured in wellbeing in ways that comprise a in conversation with GDP. After an earthquake, GDP may broader view, allowing for things such as ETHOS Editor-in-Chief go up during reconstruction, yet it health and sustainability, environment, Alvin Pang. would be absurd to suggest that people people’s capabilities, whether they’re are better off because of the disaster. flourishing or not, and so on. But people like simplicity, so looking We know that wellbeing rises at one number that is comparable quite rapidly with income, and then

12 / Successful Governance: A Conversation flattens out — this suggests that you we expanded the publication of public could increase your overall national service wages from the top down to the wellbeing by helping the lower end of the middle level, hoping to put downward economy and reducing unemployment. pressure on wages. But this created a In Singapore, with full employment, lot of resentment, when people started the bigger benefit might come not looking around and comparing their from creating jobs at the lower end, but salaries to others in their grade or perhaps by improving the quality of the those in the private sector. commuting experience, for instance. I think it is quite important for The concentration of thinking on every country to be looking at its own performance relative to what it wellbeing and what we value will ought to be, given its public policies, help people realise that the pursuit investments, quality of services and employment rates. The concentration of income alone is not going to of thinking on wellbeing and what we achieve the goals we think it will. value will help people realise that the pursuit of income alone is not going On Capabilities that the Public Sector to achieve the goals we think it will. Will Need in the Coming Decade In the meantime, we should err on the It is very important to be measuring side of collecting more data now, so that capabilities. One of the things I did we will learn over time what is really when I was in the UK was launch a valuable to society, and what perhaps programme called Capability Review, we can do without. where we look at various skills such as I’m generally in favour of openness strategic capability or service delivery. and transparency in terms of data. It We found that in an environment where allows people to understand what’s we are trying to explore alternative really happening; informed debates are ways of delivering services, one of our always better than uninformed ones. weaknesses was commissioning. So Also, the private sector will quite often instead of doing everything ourselves, come along and use available data to we set up contracts and commission create useful services that have not services from someone. But how do we been possible or thought of before. specify that contract? It is a skill that of course you need to think about we will need more of in future. the benefits that you get from greater Many aspects of the public service openness and do your own cost-benefit will need to be professionalised: human analysis. It is not a case of “publish resources, IT, process re-engineering everything and be damned”. In the UK, and so on. We will also need people to

ETHOS / 13 design better online solutions, which understand the kinds of problems have enormous untapped potential for experienced by the people they are service delivery. The next generation dealing with. We therefore need to of online services needs to be more draw our public servants from much intelligent: for example, systems that more diverse backgrounds, with more “cross-sell” services. When people varied sets of experiences. apply for one benefit, we can make them aware of other benefits for people in On Meritocracy, Diversity, and their position and so on, based on the Behavioural Insights data available. One of the great things about civil service is that it should be the ultimate We should be aware that we tend to come meritocracy. We should be the ones that up with the kinds of solutions for the show no fear or favour, who are not biased one way or the other. We should world we’ve been in. have people of diverse backgrounds. Our civil servants should simply be When it comes to delivering public the best at what they do. service to a vast number of people, one The question of course is how we of the benefits of online systems is that define “the best”: I think these should they enhance fairness. A computer is not be people who have a range of skills, going to treat you differently because of rather than those with the highest how you look, or discriminate based on IQ scores. However, what may have stereotypes or bias. This fairness and happened is that we’ve defined “the predictability are good for citizens. best” narrowly, and having defined it in however, we should go on to that way, we continue to hire people like determine those things that can only ourselves — not surprisingly, because be done face-to-face for various reasons, we’ve defined ourselves as the best. and concentrate resources there. There We should be aware that we tend may be disadvantaged groups who to come up with the kinds of solutions cannot use online systems or who for the world we’ve been in. So if you have multiple problems that do not ask an economist for a solution, he’ll fit standard guidelines. These call for probably suggest a tax or a subsidy. If bespoke solutions, and we need people you ask politicians who sit every day in with the right skills to help them. a legislative body, they’ll probably come So one of the things we will need up with a legalistic answer. Whereas is public servants who are better at if you ask someone who has lived that interpersonal relations and who can problem — say you ask ex-prisoners

14 / Successful Governance: A Conversation about how we can help prisoners to public eye if something is done about stop re-offending — you’ll probably it. But there are other issues where get some really interesting answers. early policy action can prevent what We need to start working with and could have been a terrible problem later. thinking about a world inhabited by For instance, look at what Singapore humans — humans who make mistakes, has done with water — it is no longer who can be inconsistent, dishonest, short- a significant issue for the people of sighted, who do things they later regret. Singapore today, but only because of All of these shortcomings give rise, one the government’s long-term thinking way or another, to public policy issues. and investment in the past. Building up public policy interventions In that sense, Singapore has done around the basis of understanding how incredibly well in thinking ahead, real people make choices, I think, has and it is important that you do it well. fundamentally got to be right. I come from an environment with a Certain quarters think of this as great degree of political change, so an an attack on economics. Now, my first element of change is built in for us. We job was as an academic economist and live in an unstable world. But you have I still think of myself as an economist a very stable political system and you foremost. What I’m trying to do is to might be tempted to wish that stability create a much richer field of economics, will continue. When you are in such an which has a lot more to say about public open and vulnerable situation, I think policy. The point about behavioural what you need to be doing is to build economics is to look at real evidence, resilience: resilient individuals and about the way actual people make institutions that can manage shocks. decisions. There is a very good piece by Ronald Coase in the latest Harvard We need to start working with and Business Review where he argues that thinking about a world inhabited by we need to start developing economics that treats man as man is and companies humans — building up interventions as companies are.1 around the basis of understanding

On Foresight, Long-Term Planning and how real people make choices. National Resilience It is important to keep an eye on both A resilient society can withstand current and long-term trends. Some big shocks and bounce back. During issues that citizens complain about World War Two and the recent terrorist will quite often disappear from the attack on the Tube, there was public

ETHOS / 15 determination in Britain borne out of a happened that the capacity to respond feeling of a just war, and of not letting to really big shocks diminishes. the terrorists win. The politicians and At the same time, I think what we the public were aligned, and the attacks do in public service as well as the way were not allowed to completely disrupt we set things up supports national life. We proved resilient. resilience. For example, the financial But our banks failed the test of crisis put many individuals in shock: the recent financial crisis. Almost all through redundancy and becoming of them were bankrupted and had to unemployed, with personal finances be helped out by the government. We being depleted when people get sick and could afford the small risks but we so on. So by helping people to get back didn’t think about the big shocks. We to work, supporting them in the period now know that we should have been when they haven’t got any income and thinking about a much broader range of providing healthcare help when there’s possible future outcomes and different been a sudden accident, we are helping institutions will need to be tested. It to build resilience in our society. may be in areas where nothing much has

NOTE

1. http://hbr.org/2012/12/saving-economics- from-the-economists

16 / Successful Governance: A Conversation A New Paradigm for the Delivery of Public Services

Public agencies looking to step up service delivery should invest in people-centred reforms and smarter data tools.

by Pang Kin Keong is the Chairman of the Quality Service Committee (QSC). Within this Committee, he meets bi-monthly with a core group of Quality Service Managers (QSMs) from 27 public agencies to Pang Kin Keong discuss service delivery matters pertaining to the development and promotion of effective service management practices across the Public Service. Pang has been the Permanent Secretary (Transport) since July 2012. Before his current appointment, he served in various portfolios in the Public Service Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Home Affairs. He was the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and Director, Internal Security Department, Ministry of Home Affairs, before his appointment as Permanent Secretary (Law) in 2010.

ETHOS / 17 Introduction overhaul — its services. To be sure, we In recent years, there has been a sharp have achieved a high level of efficiency escalation in public interaction with in service delivery to date, but the government agencies. Public agencies Public Service will need to re-examine REACH (Reaching have experienced quantum jumps in its service paradigm, and consider how Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home) feedback volumes and service requests. to evolve further to meet the changing saw a The nature of feedback and needs of our people. expectations of government responses 29% have also become more complex. This Reframing Public Services: increase in feedback in 2012 compared to is in part because a better educated, From Transactional to Relational 2011, and overall, a better informed and more sophisticated In 2011, the Public Service’s Service seven-fold citizenry have come to expect greater Principles were expanded to increase between responsiveness, accountability and include People- Centricity, Shared 2006 and 2012. personalisation in services. They also Responsibility for Public Good, expect public agencies to have more and Mutual Courtesy and Respect empathy and understanding of their in addition to CARE.1 This was done individual needs. in acknowledgement that our compact LTA has reported an All this calls for deep reflection with the people is changing. It is no increase of almost on how the Public Service should longer sufficient to provide transactional 25% improve — or where necessary services alone. per year in email volume from 2008 to 2011. The Service Principles for the Singapore Public Service

HDB today receives close to 1 million calls and 720,000 written correspondences per year, with the numbers looking set to increase further in 2013.

18 / A New Paradigm for the Delivery of Public Services Achieving the principles will require people, and to make government services a shift towards a more relational form more useful from the perspective of the of governance. Apart from trying to citizens and customers who use them. understand our customers better and The Animal Response seeing things from their point of view, Relationships and Mutuality: Centre (ARC) under we also need to proactively look for A Two-Way Street the Agri-Food and well-rounded solutions that can better Is there a limit to how far the Public Service Veterinary Authority meet their needs. and the Department can go towards being people- centric? of Public Cleanliness Public resources are finite: manpower (DPC) under the People-Centricity and financial resources are already being National Environment Public agencies have sought to be more stretched to cope with the increasing Agency were both set up as single contact people-centred, by infusing citizen volume and complexity of requests. The points to manage all perspectives into policymaking and fact is that government agencies will animal and cleanliness service design. The Ministry of Manpower not be able to accede to every request. issues respectively. and the Housing & Development Board, While the Public Service strives Together, they eliminate the need for for example, studied how their counter to be more people-centric, it has also the public to navigate services could be delivered with greater to ensure that Singapore remains our to customisation and sensitivity to their well-governed, that our procedures find out which agency customers. The Public Service Division had responsibility for are fair, and that no one gets short- different aspects of (PSD) introduced the First Responder changed because of undue attention these two issues. Protocol in 2012, complementing the to the demands of a few. A minority No Wrong Door policy, to ensure of customers can also be especially that public requests and feedback are insistent, even unreasonable, with expediently addressed by Government their demands, sometimes resorting as a whole, even if the right agency was to threats and verbal abuse of service not the first to be approached. This was staff, which is clearly unacceptable. particularly necessary for issues that do We are seeing more cases of abusive not fall neatly within a single agency’s behaviour towards front-line service purview. Such initiatives reflect our officers, with customers throwing desire to create convenience for our tempers and threatening staff when their

While the Public Service strives to be more people-centric, it has also to ensure that Singapore remains well-governed, that our procedures are fair, and that no one gets short-changed because of undue attention to the demands of a few.

ETHOS / 19 Drawing A Line For the Public Good

he South Australia State Government makes clear on its website and in letters the overriding Tconsideration why penalties for traffic offences are strictly enforced, and emphasises this again when rejecting waiver appeals: speeding kills lives.1 In doing so, they emphasise that individuals are personally responsible for the safety of their fellow citizens, and draw a line against people’s expectations to be excused for violations. In the USA, the White House turned down a petition in November 2011 that asked for marijuana to be legalised and regulated in a manner similar to alcohol, notwithstanding the fact that the petition came with 75,000 signatures. This was decided on the consideration that use of marijuana is associated with addiction, respiratory disease and cognitive impairment, and would raise serious concerns about public health if the request was acceded to.2

NOTES

1. http://dpti.sa.gov.au/roadsafety/safer_speeds/new_speeding_penalties

2. http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/advocacy/white-house-turns-down-petition-to-legalize-marijuana

requests are not granted. Where service Mutual courtesy and respect is interactions between public officers fundamental for any constructive and customers become unproductive interaction. A relationship works best or abusive, it is necessary for us to halt when there is respect and consideration interactions after appropriate service for each other, coupled with the has been rendered. understanding that both parties are PSD has developed guidelines on trying their best to achieve a common how agencies and officers may respond goal: in the case of public service, it is in such instances. This is to ensure to arrive at the best possible outcome that public resources can be freed up to for both the customer and society. serve other customers. We also need to protect our officers from unreasonable Shared Responsibility and Community and abusive behaviour, and should not Ownership hesitate to take legal action against The Public Service works to ensure abusive behaviours where warranted. a progressive society in which our

20 / A New Paradigm for the Delivery of Public Services citizens can thrive: a society aligned regulator — by convening and clarifying to the people’s wishes and ideals. Our public voices and choices in policy and citizens and residents are a necessary service delivery. and rich source of feedback and ideas. Some members of the public are able Service Management in and willing to go even further and Public Sector Organisations co- develop public initiatives for the Service excellence cannot be the sole greater good. This should be encouraged. responsibility of front-line departments Both Government and the people but must involve all parts of an should be partners in the development organisation, and be empowered by of society — as is represented by the its leadership, in order to effect real clasping of hands in the Service and palpable change to the citizen Principles motif — each bringing their experience. In general, public agencies own perspectives, experiences and seeking to transform their service expertise to bear. Citizens who have delivery should consider four general experienced our policies and services areas of development. can often offer good answers to the problems we are trying to solve. Service Leadership and Agencies come some way in Organisation Development co- developing solutions with the people. Leadership is critical for public agencies However, the Public Service can do more to effect a strategic shift towards service to foster creative partnerships, where excellence. Senior leaders are responsible appropriate, in which the Government for charting a people-centric vision, plays the role of facilitator — not just building a service-oriented culture,

PARTNERING THE COMMUNITY

n 31 January 2013, the National Library Board (NLB) opened its first community-supported O Library@Chinatown at Chinatown Point Mall. The library is funded privately by donors and run almost completely by volunteers. The library works with various community groups to organise programmes for library-goers, and this results in programmes which are better tailored for the community and more pertinent to their interests. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) set up the Community Partnership Network (CPN) in 2007 to engage and co-create ideas with local communities on transport matters. The National Environment Agency (NEA) established a 3P Partnership Strategy to develop environmental programmes with the people and private sectors.

ETHOS / 21 and for providing strong support quality by enabling them to proactively for staff contributions to service, identify and address customer needs. particularly the efforts of front-line officers. Leaders need to emphasise that People-Centred Service Design service is an important priority for the Services should be designed with the organisation, and demonstrate this by customer experience in mind, and devoting management attention and aligned to the needs and preferences resources towards service design and of different customer segments. Part delivery. Internal organisational health of service design includes simple and is also integral to service excellence. In clear communication that facilitates Singapore, the Quality Service Managers understanding. Agencies should also of public agencies are appointed from make better use of technology (such the ranks of senior management so as mobile applications, e-appointment they have enough influence to drive a systems, and automation of services) to culture of service excellence and change. create convenience for customers. These systems should be designed with intuitive Integrated Sense-Making and interfaces that are easy to use and transact Feedback Loop with. Where cases fall outside the scope For better customer insight, agencies of policy, there should be procedures should develop robust Customer to facilitate the handling and resolution Relationship Management (CRM) and of exceptions. data systems that integrate feedback and data from different sources. These Service Capabilities and Support systems should allow the agency to Agencies should be prepared to make analyse trends and test hypotheses. In extensive investments in service order for the data to be sufficiently rich capability building. Front-line officers and meaningful, divisional boundaries and managers should be equipped with may need to be broken down through the the skills, expertise and motivation for sharing of information and supporting good service. Agencies should find ways cross-unit projects. Feedback and data to recognise their efforts, and to ensure analyses should also be systematically the wellbeing of front-line staff. As looped into policy reviews and service the volume of customer transactions improvements, and be surfaced regularly increases, operational practices can be for leadership attention and decision. improved to help balance the workload Effective sense-making and feedback of these officers (such as through loops will allow agencies to achieve staggered deployment to better manage significant improvement in service peak hour demand). Agencies should

22 / A New Paradigm for the Delivery of Public Services One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.

– Lewis Carroll also seek to broaden development Public sector leaders will need opportunities for service staff, such as to continually refresh their service through rotations across organisational strategy, and chart out the next leaps functions or creating service specialist of progress they intend their agencies progression tracks. to achieve. Public officers at every level need to understand the role they play Conclusion in their organisation’s overall service As members of the Singapore Public strategy, and take personal ownership Service, we should continue to strive for achieving service excellence in their to bring value to the people through own field of influence. Front-line officers the services we deliver. Nevertheless, are of particular importance in this bringing the new Service Principles effort, and their conviction to serve, to life in the next phase of service despite today’s complex and demanding excellence will be challenging. environment, should be appreciated.

NOTE

1. CARE stands for Courtesy, Accessibility, Responsiveness and Effectiveness.

ETHOS / 23 Interview WITH Lim Boon Chye & Stephanie Ng

CPFB’s iCARE Advantage

Two senior managers from the Central Provident Fund Board discuss the strategic benefits of the agency’s iCARE customer information system.

by Lim Boon Chye was Director of Accounts and Services Planning and the Quality Service Manager in the LIM BOON CHYE Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board. He is now Director, Policy Studies & Business Insight.

and Stephanie Ng was Deputy Director of Business Process and Services Planning. She is now Deputy stephanie ng Director, Withdrawal Schemes.

As part of its iCARE Offers a One-stop, Total View of service counter, the Customer Service research on Customer Relationships Executives (CSEs) can leave a message innovative service delivery, the ETHOS The iCARE project was started in 2006 on iCARE for backend officers, indicating editorial team met to develop a single, complete, 360-degree that this particular customer needs to with Boon Chye view of our customers. We needed a know some specific information and and Stephanie in common repository for all information would like to be called back by a certain January 2013. pertaining to a customer, across our time. Everything is recorded. various schemes as well as service iCARE empowers our CSEs to channels. So even if a customer came be more productive. In the past, they through our service counters one day, would probably have had to call the and the call centre the next, we would back office for customer information. have a single, consistent and integrated Now they can use the integrated system view of their case history. in front of them, similar to how banks When a complaint is filed, we can manage customer accounts. iCARE track it and make sure it has been noted enables us to build a much better and followed up on. We track the number relationship with our customers, with of transactions that our members have better case management. with us. If a member calls or visits a

24 / CPFB’s iCARE Advantage Given the standards of technology in iCARE Helps Collate Feedback and the market today, customers now expect Service Trends us, as a , to have a In CPFB, we track two types of good overview of their account details, feedback — service feedback and policy and to keep track of all the contact they feedback — and these can also be captured have had with the Central Provident by iCARE. For example, some of our top Fund Board (CPFB). They expect more enquiries are about early withdrawal personalisation of services, and to have of CPF funds and the use of Medisave relevant information delivered to them. funds for healthcare. Although Medisave In the past, some features might have policies come under the Ministry of been “nice to have”, but today, they have Health, we collate the relevant feedback become critical to good service delivery. and forward it to them. You would have The iCARE system helps us noticed that over time they have relaxed accomplish all these and more. We can their policies on the use of Medisave, keep track of key customer life stages, for instance for outpatient treatment for example, if a customer is just starting of long-term chronic diseases. The work or buying a house. We can then feedback they received from us, and use this information to push targeted from elsewhere, would have factored information and services to them, or into their decisions. The same goes for notify them when an application has feedback on the use of funds for housing, been processed. If we know who you or withdrawal rules under the Ministry are, and know, say, that you’re reaching of Manpower and so on. The feedback 55 years of age, we will be able to send we receive represents a ground feel, for you messages related to your imminent which the CPFB faces pressure from the CPF withdrawal at 55. People who reach public, so this is something we need to retirement age can become very anxious pass on to the policymaking ministries. about their entitlements, what they need to do next and so on, so we want to offer In the past, some features might have information that would be relevant at been “nice to have”, but today, they have that stage in life. Proactively delivering targeted information to customers also become critical to good service delivery. helps free up demand on call centres, because customers now know the status Sometimes we get good suggestions of their transactions without having to from the public. For instance, one member call us. Our officers can then focus on suggested that we should allow credit other cases that need their attention. card transactions, which we didn’t in the

ETHOS / 25 past. We explored it, and today we do it is important that key characteristics allow credit card payments. Whatever the and attributes of members are kept up outcome, we always reply to those offering to date. A member’s marital status, for feedback. The member who suggested example, is important in CPF’s context the use of credit cards was pleasantly since a marriage would invalidate any surprised to hear back from us! CPF nomination made prior to the Currently, our feedback is sorted member’s marriage. Such status data is into quite broad categories. In future, dynamic and can change, so the system we hope to have finer, more granular will have to keep information up to demarcations. We could potentially also date. Because timeliness is important sort out feedback according to customer in these matters, CPFB links up with demographics, such as by age group. other government agencies instead of waiting for members to notify us — say iCARE Paves the Way for More of a marriage or a death, which would Sophisticated Data Mining and Analytics trigger changes to related CPF accounts. Today, sites such as Amazon can already of course, the privacy of members’ intelligently predict, based on your accounts is very important, and information transactions, where your interests lie. from iCARE cannot be released without We hope in future to employ this sort their consent, for example to banks. of data analytics in order to anticipate Confidential information (such as medical what our members might want and conditions or bankruptcy status) retained then pull out relevant initiatives or in members’ accounts are also flagged information for them, based on the rich for restricted viewing by authorised data residing in iCARE. personnel only. So the data is captured, but appropriate clearance is needed to The key philosophy behind iCARE is that view the details. all relevant information must be captured Nevertheless, the key philosophy behind iCARE is that all relevant by the system. It should not be a case information must be captured by the where people choose what to include and system. It should not be a case where what to leave out. people choose what to include and what to leave out — the data would then be CPF is at the heart of many key incomplete, which would compromise government policies from healthcare to its value and integrity. Instead, we can housing, so patterns of CPF usage could be restrict who has permission to view insightful to policymaking. In this regard, sensitive data.

26 / CPFB’s iCARE Advantage iCARE is Designed to be Well Used records all customer activity, including The premise of iCARE is that all relevant previous correspondence with CPFB. information should be included in the With iCARE, they don’t have to do system, so we can have a total view of everything themselves. Even front-liners customers. For a system like iCARE can resolve an issue before it gets to the to be useful, everyone has to come on back office. board and all the data has to be there. We have tried to make the system A system that is technically good but user-friendly. We piloted the system not well used is a white elephant, just with selected groups. We also held focus like a knowledge management system group sessions on an ongoing basis to where nobody puts in their fair share of understand where the new system’s pain knowledge. The people factor is more points were, and to understand their important than the system. established ways of doing things. So how do we encourage people to As a system becomes better used and use the system, and be willing to share more successful, more people are willing new knowledge through the system? to come on board, and a virtuous cycle Strong management endorsement is a of system usage develops. Today iCARE must. But the trick is also to make sure is deployed widely across CPFB. Over the system complements operations and the years, we have also made continual actual work processes, to make it more enhancements to make the system even worthwhile for staff to come on board. easier to use and more productive for They have to feel that the system is of our staff. use to them and is part of their actual workflow, and not something extra they The people factor is more important have to do. You have to show that the than the system. system actually helps make tasks easier, or reduces workload. For example, we Since its inception, iCARE, supported helped staff slowly transit from the old by our strong service culture instilled Excel spreadsheets to the new system over several generations of leadership, by giving them a system to upload their has helped propel CPFB in its service Excel files instead of re-entering the data. excellence journey. We believe it will We put the point across that iCARE be an important part of our future helps them keep track of customer cases strategy to deliver more streamlined, automatically. It would even reduce the integrated and relevant services for number of multiple calls on the same our members. issue since the system already tracks and

ETHOS / 27 MOM’s Smarter Service Initiatives

Customer demand and limited resources drive front-line and backend process redesign at the Ministry of Manpower.

by Roslyn Ten is Director of the Customer Responsiveness Department at the Ministry of Manpower, responsible for managing the ministry’s service touch points, including its outsourced MOM Contact Roslyn Ten Centre, and building staff capability in service excellence. She is also the Ministry’s Quality Service Manager. Mrs Ten has more than 30 years’ experience in the public service, spanning labour relations, employment facilitation and work injury compensation.

28 / MOM’s Smarter Service Initiatives A Tougher Operating Environment points, including the MOM Services Service delivery in the public sector Centre (which handles the public in has never been more challenging. As person) and the MOM Contact Centre policies and procedures are introduced (which handles calls and emails from or refined to meet the evolving needs the public), to better cope with the of Singaporeans and industry, the increase in the number and complexity administrative burden can become ever of issues they deal with. more complex, and ever more difficult Such service re-design efforts include: for those affected to understand and comply with. • Deploying better educated officers to At the same time, the public has front-line work to resolve issues become much more demanding about While the service desks have the quality of our service delivery, traditionally been manned by and more critical of the rationale and corporate support officers, MOM effectiveness of government policies and has progressively moved the service staff profile to management processes. They expect more empathy support officers and management and more personalisation when public executives with graduate and higher agencies address their needs. Customers qualifications. They are now better also tend to be more persistent and able to handle more complicated often demand that issues be escalated issues without having to escalate to senior management, even if their most cases. requests may be unreasonable. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), being responsible for a broad range of • Shifting customers to an appointment- manpower issues that impact businesses based system and workers, has not been exempt from The Appointment@MOM system has been expanded to cover all the challenges facing many public service advisory and work pass card organisations today. Workload across registration related services. By all MOM touch points has increased shifting customers from walk-in substantially, particularly since the to scheduled, appointment-based 2011 General Elections, which saw a services, MOM officers can better 1 spike in customer volume. manage customer flow and devote appropriate attention and time to Re-engineering Service Delivery addressing more complex cases. Given the increasing number of Customers can also be served at customer visits, MOM has had to rethink their appointment time and no its approach to service delivery. This longer need to wait in queue. includes a re-design of its service touch

ETHOS / 29 Applying Behavioural Insights to Service Design

ehavioural insights (BI) draw on research in the fields of behavioural economics and B psychology to encourage, support and enable people to make better choices. These techniques have been used by governments such as the UK to “nudge” people towards desired outcomes. MOM has begun exploring how BI could be applied towards its business goals, such as to achieve higher compliance with regulations as well as to direct customers to use appropriate channels for different services. For example, BI could be useful in reducing the number of customers who insist on calling the Ministry’s hotline or even visiting its services centre just to check the status of applications or appeals, despite being aware of service timeframes and the fact that they will be informed of outcomes in due course.

• Expanding online services • Revamping the MOM Contact Centre Simple, straightforward transactions To better manage complex calls and have been moved to online platforms emails, the MOM Contact Centre (e.g. e-services such as Work Permit (MOM CC) now operates on a Online, Employment Pass Online, two-tier model of service. The first Check Worker Training Records), tier is fully outsourced and handles freeing up the service counters simple enquiries. The second tier to handle the issues that require comprises experienced staff who bespoke attention. can handle more difficult cases, with support from MOM officers. This two-tier approach helps MOM • Improving iFAQ (Ask MOM) as a allocate its in-house expertise to the viable self-help service channel cases that need the most attention, Ask MOM, the online FAQ portal, and to better manage the overall allows free text queries and features quality of services rendered. “Most Asked” questions, “Trending Questions” and FAQs grouped by categories. This self-service channel Using Smarter Systems addresses the most common issues Improvements to service delivery touch that users may face. points alone will not give MOM the edge it needs to manage its growing service demands. MOM has also developed

30 / MOM’s Smarter Service Initiatives richer data systems in order to gain a issues; it allows for customer surveys, much better view — both at the macro so that MOM can analyse customer and micro levels — of its interactions satisfaction at the various touch points with customers. and gather meaningful feedback for MOM’s new Customer Relationship service improvement. Management system, CaRe@Mom, provides a 360-degree view of all Improvements to service delivery customers’ interactions (such as their touch points alone will not give the past and current enquiries, or case- specific matters) with the Ministry. edge needed to manage growing Used extensively by both front-line and service demands. back-room case-management officers, it helps MOM to monitor and track Tapping on the wealth of data it interactions with customers, to ensure collects, MOM has structured CaRe@ timely resolution of issues as well as Mom to provide useful indication on consistency and accuracy in service areas of concern and recurrent issues. delivery. CaRe@Mom also supports Analytical tools (including non- the reporting and trending of customer numerical textual analysis) are used to

CULTIVATING Professional Empathy

efore the introduction of a policy mandating a rest day for Foreign Domestic Workers B (FDWs),1 time was set aside for the policy officers to consult front-line staff on possible service issues that might arise as an outcome of the change. Experienced customer service officers helped to fine-tune policy FAQs to be more relevant to both FDWs and their employers. Front-line staff were also primed to address public queries after the policy announcement. Subsequent feedback from the front-line helped MOM plan education and outreach programmes that target gaps in the public’s understanding of the new regulations.

NOTE

1. http://www.mom.gov.sg/Documents/foreign-manpower/FAQs%20on%20weekly%20rest%20days%20for%20FDWs.pdf

ETHOS / 31 Service Commitment and Service Differentiation

n response to the greater volume of customers and higher public expectations, MOM has I more clearly articulated its service commitment. This helps to establish mutual expectations for service behaviour, optimise the use of limited manpower resources and protect staff from abuse.

Service Differentiation Framework its “Service Commitment”) was developed With limited manpower resources, MOM had with a clear message on what is expected of to focus its service strategy and re-calibrate customers transacting with MOM — such as internal guidelines to prioritise customers compliance with rules and regulations, and with genuine and critical needs. A service behaving in a professional and civil manner. differentiation framework was developed, making it clear that the Ministry would not Service Charter deal with anonymous parties or those who To address an increased number of abusive persisted with unconstructive or abusive customers and to protect its front-line staff feedback. Guidelines were also developed more effectively, MOM revamped its service to help departments improve their tone and charter (displayed prominently wherever its empathy when replying to customers. front-line staff serve customers). In the past, the Charter stated that MOM would not hesitate Service Commitment to take legal action against abusive customers To better implement and express the service (though it rarely did). Now, MOM makes it differentiation framework, the Quality Service clear that its officers will not serve those who Management team did an extensive study are abusive. Such customers would therefore of the service charters of private and public feel the immediate impact of service denial; organisations both locally and overseas. MOM’s this also helps to safeguard front-line staff. Customer Responsiveness policy (known as

MOM’s new Service Charter now reads: “We know your issues are important. Our officers want to serve you well and give you our attention and respect. Likewise, we would be greatly motivated when you return the mutual understanding and respect. We want to provide a conducive and safe environment for our customers and staff. We will not serve any person who is abusive, offensive or threatening in language or behaviour.”

32 / MOM’s Smarter Service Initiatives help make sense of customer feedback are consulted at an early stage during on specific issues. Officers with a deeper policy formulation, so that policies understanding of MOM’s broad range can be designed and implemented in of interrelated business processes have an effective, customer-centric manner. also been able to spot relevant trends Policy and line departments keep these or anomalies in the data, leading to front-line customer-facing departments more incisive insights and innovative, well-informed ahead of planned practical solutions that enhance overall policy and procedural changes that service delivery. have customer impact. This ensures For example, instances of employers sufficient lead time to plan for the failing to pay their foreign worker levies changes, including the crafting of on time may indicate that the firms in timely and relevant Frequently Asked question are cash-strapped and may also Questions (FAQs) to address customer have difficulty paying salaries to their enquiries that may arise after policy employees. In such cases, MOM could announcements. After policy deployment, initiate early intervention measures — for feedback and insights are gathered from instance, by stopping them from bringing front-line departments and discussed in more foreign workers — hence pre- at ministry-wide platforms such as empting issues which may affect the Joint-Ops and Foreign Manpower interests of workers downstream (such Planning into Operations meetings. as salary payment arrears). This allows front-line departments to help improve FAQs and suggest ways in Tighter Integration Upstream which policy or process changes can be Policies that are well designed and better communicated or delivered to aid easily understood enhance public public understanding and compliance. compliance and minimise enquiries through emails and calls downstream at Looking to the Future: MOM’s service touch points. MOM has Opportunities and Challenges therefore sought to integrate insights MOM continues to review and explore from front-line service operations with other initiatives and opportunities for policy formulation upstream. Its One- service improvement. Some areas that MOM Policy-to-Operation process is it is working on include: applied ministry-wide, and consists of four stages: Sensing and Agenda • Ensuring that MOM has the right Setting, Policy Formulation, Policy level of staffing, and with the Implementation, and Policy Review. right profile of skills. This is key operating front-line departments to effective service delivery. MOM and public-facing statutory boards believes that front-line officers are

ETHOS / 33 in demand across the rest of the saying and doing will translate organisation because of their service into improved policies, processes experience, and have thus not locked and service delivery. them into a specialist track for front- line service. However, in order to While MOM continues to transform meet the demands of increasingly and improve its service delivery to complex public interaction, the meet customer expectations, it is also challenge is to balance and retain mindful that there are limits. First, business knowledge and experience while IT and automation play a large in customer service, while providing part in many service transformational for these officers’ aspirations efforts, IT-enabled improvements do in terms of career development not necessarily translate into manpower and progression. cost savings. Instead, it allows the agency to add value and provide • Reviewing the entire customer more complex, personalised advisory handling process at the MOM services. Automation may in fact mean Services Centre, to better an increase in the resources that are differentiate walk-in customers needed (such as having more qualified from those who make enquiries staff to handle residual services which on case-specific issues. By take up a longer time per interaction) offering alternatives for customers because the straightforward transactions to either self-help or be moved to have already been migrated to online an appointment-based process, and other self-help platforms. New MOM hopes to better regulate the service needs and opportunities that flow of customer visits, thereby subsequently open up may also require ensuring that each case can be given manpower resources to fulfill. its appropriate attention, without overwhelming staff with heavy The hard truth is that customer flow during peak periods. better service delivery • Deepening its capabilities to does not necessarily mean leverage data analysis, in order happier customers. to better harvest the wealth of customer interaction information Second, MOM believes that “you collected by CaRe@Mom across can outsource the service, but you the various service touch points. can’t outsource the problem”; it seeks Making better sense of this data to remain fully accountable for the full on what MOM customers are range of services under its mandate,

34 / MOM’s Smarter Service Initiatives since these services have an impact Customer satisfaction is ultimately on the public no matter who delivers limited as an indicator of the work done them. This means that the customer by public sector organisations. The value experience for services that are not proposition of a public service agency rendered directly by MOM, but by is often based on less tangible and external service providers (such as the quantifiable outcomes such as citizen commissioned MOM Contact Centre), trust, empathy, policy effectiveness, should also be well designed, delivered, and the prevention of crises or other and monitored. public problems down the road. Hence, Finally, the hard truth is that better conventional efficiency-based KPIs service delivery does not necessarily may not be as relevant as they might mean happier customers. Often, citizens be in a profit- making private sector are responding to the impact of policies organisation, and could in fact drive rather than the service standards of the wrong processes and behaviour. the agency. Chasing compliments This begs the deeper question: How can will only take a service organisation we best assess the value and performance so far, and in fact risks becoming of public service delivery in this brave counter- productive after a point. new future?

Acknowledgements

My special thanks to team members who have contributed to this article: Deputy Director Foo Chek Nam, Senior Assistant Directors Tan Che Wei and Chow May Fong, Assistant Director Irving Lim, Section Head Nicholas Quek, Senior Manager Regina Chang and, last but not least, Manager Janet Koh.

NOTE

1. There was a substantial increase in customer volume after the 2011 General Election. For instance, the workload for the MOM Quality Service Management team alone almost tripled from the low 200s to more than 500 cases per day via email and phone. This spike may be due to several factors, including the tightening of immigration and foreign worker policies, redirected cases, and a greater willingness by the public to come forward with feedback.

ETHOS / 35 Randomised Controlled Trials in Policymaking

Controlled trials can bring rigour to the process of determining what works — and what does not — in public policy.

by Do Hoang Van Khanh Do is Researcher in the Public Economics team, Institute of Governance and Policy, Civil Service Khanh College. Her research interests include healthcare economics and evidence-based policymaking.

and Sharon Tham is Senior Researcher in the Public Economics team, Institute of Governance and Policy, Civil Service College. Her research interests include evidence-based policymaking, behavioural economics Sharon Tham and economic geography.

36 / Randomised Controlled Trials in Policymaking Introduction cognitive bias and ideology often prevent There is no doubt that public policy proper randomised trials from taking should rely on evidence to ascertain place. In addition, there are ground issues whether intervention is likely to work. with RCTs such as ethical concerns Historically however, many policy and administrative costs that further decisions have been dominated by values, impede running trials. interests, timing and circumstances — political realities, in short.1 How Do We Find Out What Proponents of a more evidence- Works? Run a Trial based approach argue for the use of RCTs can play an important role in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the rigorous evaluation of how policies public policymaking. They have long actually work in practice. First, theory been used in healthcare research design: is often ambiguous on the effects of people are selected randomly to receive policy intervention. For example, wage either the intervention being tested or supplements for low-wage earners can the standard intervention (as a control result in either more (substitution effect) group), so that on average all possible or less (income effect) working hours. causes are evened out across different Thus, trials can help shed light on the groups. Today, most new drugs and overall effect of policy interventions. medical treatments are required to pass Second, even if the overall direction an RCT showing that they are more of a policy effect is known, it is still effective than existing medicines before important to assess the magnitude they are cleared for prescription. of its impact. Third, trials can help In recent years, RCTs have increased discover unintended consequences of in prominence, with Abhijit Banerjee policy interventions. and Esther Duflo pioneering the use In Singapore, a trial conducted of RCTs in development economics.2 by the Ministry of Social and Family Their work, and that of others in related Development on the impact of selected fields, has raised the prospect of RCTs activities on active ageing found that as a means to help policymakers find adults engaged in some activities had realistic answers to questions at hand. stronger social engagement than the Policymakers can be better prepared control group. While this may seem rather and informed when implementing a new intuitive, the RCT also provided a way policy intervention, or when evaluating to quantify the extent to which these and refining current interventions. programmes have actually improved the Yet policymaking worldwide — overall wellbeing of elders. This helps including in Singapore — has yet to policymakers decide where and how enjoy such systematic rigour. Inertia, much resources should be channelled,

ETHOS / 37 How a Randomised Controlled Trial works

unning a trial involves splitting the study intervention, while the other (treatment group) R sample into two groups by random lot, one will get the new intervention. of which (control group) will get the standard

Evaluate effect of policy Split sample into Determine the trial sample intervention between control two groups randomly and treatment groups

This allows for a more robust and transparent the control and treatment groups can be comparison of how effective a new intervention expected to have the same characteristics. is, compared to doing without it. This eliminates the possibility of external In addition, when individuals are assigned factors (e.g. bias in the sample group) that randomly and the sample size is large enough, could affect the results.

and what policy refinements could be to be effective. The “Scared Straight” made to achieve the desired outcomes. programme in the US was intended to In other cases, RCTs have also revealed deter juvenile delinquents and at-risk which aspects of a policy have the greatest children from criminal behaviour, by effect towards desired outcomes.3 exposing them to the realities of a life of Trials have also helped uncover crime through interactions with serious false interventions that were believed criminals in custody. The programme

38 / Randomised Controlled Trials in Policymaking was designed on the assumption that political priorities or habit. There are, these children would be less likely to however, other real obstacles to running engage in criminal behaviour if made reliable trials, including ethical concerns, aware of the serious consequences. A administrative challenges of running a trial run of the programme showed randomised trial, institutional capacity otherwise: the intervention, in fact, led and problems of external validity. to higher rates of offending behaviour, Ethical concerns seem to be among while costing the taxpayers a significant the most common obstacles. Many people amount of money.4 believe that it is unethical and unfair to withhold a new intervention from Obstacles in Conducting RCTs people (e.g. the control group) who could and Overcoming Them benefit from it, even for the purposes Despite the merits of RCTs, it is generally of a trial. This is particularly the case acknowledged that governments are not where additional money is being spent making the most of their potential in the on programmes that might improve the policymaking process. Many attribute health, wealth or education of one group. this to the persistence of ideologies, In The Tennessee Study of Class Size

The impact of PROGRESA on Health in Mexico

ROGRESA combines a traditional cash transfer programme with financial incentives for P families to invest in human capital of children (health, education and nutrition).1 In order to receive the cash transfer, families must obtain preventive healthcare and participate in growth monitoring and nutrition supplements programmes. Approximately 10% (506) of the 50,000 PROGRESA communities were chosen to participate in trials. These communities were randomly assigned to either a treatment group that would receive PROGRESA benefits immediately or a control group that would be given the benefits two years later. The trials showed that the utilisation of public health clinics increased faster in PROGRESA villages than in control areas, with significant improvements in the health of both adult and child beneficiaries.

NOTE

1. GarGertler, Paul and Boyce, Simone. “An Experiment in Incentive-Based Welfare: The Impact of PROGRESA on Health in Mexico”. University of California, Berkeley, 2001. http://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/gertler/working_papers/ PROGRESA%204-01.pdf

ETHOS / 39 Modular Curriculum for Chinese Language in Singapore Primary Schools

n line with recommendations made by the Chinese Language Curriculum and Pedagogy I Review Committee, a modular Chinese Language curriculum was piloted at 25 schools in 2006.1 Various aspects of the new curriculum including the modular structure, pedagogical approaches, textbook and activity book, instructional resources and students’ learning outcomes were studied. outcomes in terms of teachers’ pedagogical practices and students’ learning from pilot and non-pilot schools were compared. The pilot schools yielded encouraging results and indicated that the curriculum objectives were largely achieved. By the end of 2006, the new curriculum for Primary 1 and 2 was ready for implementation in 2007.

NOTE

1. “New Chinese Language Curriculum Ready for Implementation at Primary 1 and 2 Levels in 2007”. Ministry of Education, Singapore press release. Singapore: November 15, 2006.

in the Early School Grades, researchers robust randomised evaluation of the faced objections from parents to the programme (see story on “The Impact variation in the treatment of children.5 of PROGRESA on Health in Mexico”). In light of these ethical issues, In Singapore, the Ministry of policies that are planned to be rolled Education conducted a trial of the new out slowly and on a staggered basis Chinese Language Curriculum in 2006 present ideal opportunities for public for Primary 1 and 2 levels. Instead of policy experimentation. A very large a full roll-out to all schools, 25 pilot scale RCT on the effectiveness of the schools were selected to represent conditional cash transfer programme an even spread of school types and in Mexico was conducted on the basis students’ home language profiles, so of budgetary and administrative that a better estimate of the effects constraints, which meant that the of the new curriculum could be made programme could not be extended to all (see story on “Modular Curriculum eligible communities at the same time. for Chinese Language in Singapore In phases staggered across a two-year Primary Schools”). period, treatment and control groups one natural opportunity for RCT were randomly assigned, allowing for is when current policy gives rise to

40 / Randomised Controlled Trials in Policymaking Demonstrating the Impact of Text Messaging on Fine Repayments in the UK

he Courts Service and the Behavioural Insights Team carried out two trials to test whether T sending text messages to people who had failed to pay their court fines would encourage them to pay prior to a bailiff being sent to their homes.1 The individuals in the initial trial were randomly allocated to five groups. The control group was not sent any message, while the other intervention groups were sent either a standard text or a more personalised message (with the name of the recipient, amount owed or both). The trial showed that text message prompts yield far better payment rates compared to no text prompts. A second trial was conducted to determine the aspects of personalised messages that were key to increasing payment rates. It ascertained that not only were people more likely to make a payment if they received a text message with their name, but the average value of fine repayments went up by over 30%. This amounted to an additional annual recovery of over £3 million in fines, and eliminating the need for up to 150,000 bailiff interventions annually.

NOTE

1. Laura Haynes, Owain Service, Ben Goldacre and David Torgerson. Test, Learn, Adapt: Developing Public Policy with Randomised Controlled Trials (UK: Cabinet Office Behavioural Insights Team, 2012).

exogenous changes. A study done by and administratively challenging. On the Angrist and Lavy6 on the impact of ground, complete randomisation is often class size took advantage of such a extremely costly to administer, and may situation. In Israel, schools must open be impossible if the policy has already an additional class when they reach a been rolled out. This is a significant certain maximum number of students reason why RCTs are often substituted per class. Termed the “Maimonides by simple experiments or pilots within rule”, this resulted in a credible source a community or locality, even though of exogenous variation for class size they lack rigour and reliability and research, allowing researchers to are prone to selection bias. Voluntary conduct RCTs on the impact of class participation can exaggerate or distort sizes on scholastic achievement, with observed effects because volunteers may less concern about ethics or fairness. be more experienced or more motivated Another limitation of RCT adoption than those who refuse to participate. is that randomisation can be expensive Policy interventions borne out of

ETHOS / 41 studies based on highly self-selective access to the equivalent programme) samples can go awry because they do increases. Trials examining long-term not present a realistic picture of how effects of policies therefore need to be the intervention will work. carefully planned and mindful of these high costs can be overcome. For possible obstacles.7 instance, experiments could be carried In situations where randomisation out on current policy and outcome may not be possible, it may still be useful data already being collected from to find alternative ways to randomise the routine monitoring systems (whether recipients for the purposes of analysis. administrative or survey data). To Researchers evaluating Singapore’s illustrate: the UK Courts Service and Work Support Programme (WSP) were the Behavioural Insights Team wanted unable to randomise the selection of to test whether sending text messages recipients into the programme because to people who had failed to pay their it had already been implemented. court fines would encourage them to Instead, they randomised the receipt of pay prior to a bailiff being sent to their different versions of the programme (i.e., homes (see story on “The Impact of variations in the amount and duration Text Messaging on Fine Repayments of assistance) so that the effects of in the UK”). The trials were conducted differences in amount and duration of at very low cost as the outcome data assistance could be reliably tested. This was already being collected by the could still provide further insight into Courts Service, and the only cost was “what matters” when WSP recipients the time taken for the team to design try to attain financial independence, and set up the trial. sustained employment and earnings.8 In other cases where randomisation Voluntary participation can exaggerate or is not feasible or the best approach, distort observed effects. there are evidence-based tools of similar rigour that might be explored; Apart from costs, policymakers quasi-experimental research designs often also need to undertake longer- that could substitute for RCTs include term studies to understand the effects matched subjects design9 and regression of a policy intervention over time. This discontinuity design.10 poses administrative and logistical RCTs also require suff icient challenges (e.g. ensuring participant institutional capacity. In a speech on follow-up). As time goes by, response evidence-based policymaking, Gary rates may fall, leading to higher Banks (Chairman of the Australian attrition rates, and the probability of Productivity Commission) argued contamination (control group having that “any agency that is serious about

42 / Randomised Controlled Trials in Policymaking encouraging an evidence-based approach affects any evaluation derived from needs to develop a ‘research culture’”.11 studying a policy in a specific context, Nurturing such a culture would involve and is a general problem that remains a range of elements, from establishing to be addressed in the social sciences. evaluation units and achieving a critical mass of researchers to strengthening Conclusion links with academics, research bodies Beyond being a powerful tool to and institutions working in the field. evaluate single policy interventions, it Such holistic commitment could prove is useful to think of RCTs as part of a challenging amidst competing priorities continuous process of policy innovation and demands on resources in government. and improvement. Trial findings can RCTs also suffer from problems of be built upon to identify new ways of external validity. It is unclear whether improving outcomes, especially when the findings from one specific trial can trials are used to identify which aspect be carried over to another economic of a policy produces the greatest impact. and social context. When scaled up, a In Singapore, government agencies policy may generate effects that were embarking on new programmes recognise not picked up in a smaller trial: the the value of RCTs, as evidenced by local impact of a policy may not be nascent efforts to conduct trials on the same as when it is more broadly new policy interventions. We are not applied. For example, smaller class spared from the challenges faced in sizes may improve learning outcomes conducting RCTs, and in some cases, in a trial. But when all schools reduce conducting an RCT at the policy level class sizes, there will be an increased may not even be feasible. demand for teachers. This can cause a however, there are ways to make the change in teaching quality, which may best of the situation and data on hand, not be accounted for in the trial. such as by looking for alternative ways Furthermore, the context of an to randomise, or by using other tools of evaluation (place, time, participants, similar rigour. This is far better than norms and implementer) may influence settling for a pilot that is conducted on the final outcome of the trial. However, a self-selective sample based on vicinity these evaluations could still inform or other factors of convenience. Without decisions on whether or not to implement evidence and robust ways to test the new policies. They should also encourage outcomes of interventions, policymakers governments to replicate the trial in their can only rely on intuition, ideology own countries to verify the results.12 and inherited wisdom, risking good At any rate, the external validity intentions that produce disappointing problem is not unique to RCTs — it or unintended outcomes.13

ETHOS / 43 NOTES

1. Gary Banks, “Evidence-Based Policy-Making: See: I. Y. Ng, H, K. W. Ho, T. Nesamani, What is it? How do we get it?” ANZSOG/ANU A. Lee and N.T. Liang, “Designing and Public Lecture Series, Canberra, Australia, Implementing an Evaluation of a National Work February 4, 2009. Support Programme”, Evaluation and Program Planning 35(2011): 78–87, doi: 10.1016/j. 2. Taking the lead with their work at the Jameel evalprogplan.2011.07.002. Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), Banerjee and Duflo have identified new aspects of the 8. Ng, I. Y. H, K. W. Ho, T. Nesamani, A. Lee behaviour and needs of the poor, including the and N.T. Liang. “Designing and Implementing way financial assistance impacts their lives. an Evaluation of a National Work Support They have also debunked certain presumptions Programme”. Evaluation and Program — that microfinance is a cure all, that Planning 35(2011): 78–87. doi: 10.1016/j. schooling equals learning and that increasing evalprogplan.2011.07.002. immunisation rates among the poor is costly. See: Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Poor 9. For more information on Matched Subjects Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way Design, visit http://www.education.com/study- to Fight Global Poverty (New York City: Persus help/article/matched-pairs-design-comparing- Book Group, 2011). treatment/?page=2 and http://www.une.edu. au/WebStat/unit_materials/c6_common_ 3. In 2006, the then-Ministry of Community statistical_tests/special_matched_samples. Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) html embarked on a seven-year study of families placed under the Work Support Programme 10. For more information on Regression (WSP) in 2009. The study includes a Discontinuity Design, visit http://www. randomised trial of WSP recipients to nber.org/papers/w14723.pdf, http://www. understand how differences in the duration socialresearchmethods.net/kb/quasird.php and and quantum of assistance may affect their http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/Blogs/EITM/ capability for self-reliance. wp-content/uploads/2011/06/RD-Lecture.pdf

4. Laura Haynes, Owain Service, Ben Goldacre 11. See Endnote 1. and David Torgerson, Test, Learn, Adapt: Developing Public Policy with Randomised 12. Adrien Bouguen and Marc Gurgand, Controlled Trials (UK: Cabinet Office “Randomised Controlled Experiments in Behavioural Insights Team, 2012). Education”, European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE) Analytical 5. Frederick Mosteller, “The Tennessee Study of Report, no. 11 (February 2012). Class Size in the Early School Grades”, The Future of Children 5(1995): 113–127. 13. As Duflo candidly puts it in an interview, RCTs are good news “for people who don’t have 6. Joshua D. Angrist and Victor Lavy, “Using a hugely strong view about how anything in Maimonides’ Rule to Estimate the Effect of particular should work and are willing to apply Class Size on Scholastic Achievement”, The that mindset but are willing to be proven wrong Quarterly Journal of Economics 114(1999): by the data… By measuring well and showing 533–575. what the effects are, you get these kinds of realistic answers. When you don’t measure 7. Researchers undertaking the longitudinal you can always claim something big. From Tim study to evaluate Singapore’s Work Support Ogden, “An Interview with Banerjee and Duflo, Programme put in place measures to Part 4”, Philanthropy Action (July 13, 2011), minimise attrition, such as requesting contact http://www.philanthropyaction.com/articles/ information of three people closest to the an_interview_with_banerjee_and_duflo_part_4 respondent to increase contact points, and providing a token for participation as an incentive to keep respondents in the study.

44 / Randomised Controlled Trials in Policymaking Governance Through Adaptive Urban Platforms: The Insinc Experiment

Cloud and mobile technology meet big data and behavioural economics in LTA’s public transport experiment.

by Chng Kai Fong was Director, Resource Division, at the Ministry of Trade & Industry. In 2011, while pursuing a business degree at Stanford Graduate School of Business, he met Balaji and got involved Chng Kai Fong, with Urban Systems and the INSINC project. The views expressed in this article are his own.

Balaji Prabhakar Balaji Prabhakar is Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, where he worked extensively on data networks and related technologies. From bit-pushing, his research has evolved into helping people commute ecologically, economically and comfortably. He and serves on the Advisory Board of the Future Urban Mobility Initiative of the World Economic Forum.

Jeffrey Siow Jeffrey Siow is Director, Land Division, at the Ministry of Transport. He has degrees in business administration, urban and regional planning, economics and government. The views expressed in this article are his own.

ETHOS / 45 Technology companies such as Google, great numbers. Governments are in Amazon and Facebook are redefining an enviable position given the breadth “customer service”. Every search we of services they offer and the depth of make on Google, every book we browse detailed personal data they can collect on Amazon, every Facebook post we about their customers: births, deaths “Like” or share is stored and analysed and travel movements, income, medical to build a customer profile. They records, educational qualifications, predict customer likes and dislikes the usage of water and electricity with uncanny accuracy. Google is from individuals to households and able to find the information users commercial entities. Unlike Google, are looking for in context. Amazon however, governments usually offer suggests books that we would enjoy each service on separate platforms, reading. Facebook recommends long- i.e., they are not integrated. There may lost primary schoolmates as friends. be sound regulatory or other reasons These companies are able to do so for this separation, but it can prevent because they build their services on governments from leveraging data the top of a platform, by which we mean a way Google does in order to serve the collection of technologies that support public better. multiple applications. It is interesting to note that the platforms of Google, Governments are in an Amazon and Facebook are all converging technologically while offering a range enviable position to offer of different services, from search, integrated, personalised online shopping and social networking and real-time services to video sharing, document sharing, and cloud computing. They seek to based on the breadth and expand their user base and increase the depth of citizen data they number of user interactions on their platforms, because doing so increases can obtain. their database, which in turn enables them to serve more customers better Fortunately, governments around and improve their bottom lines. Their the world are fast catching up to these business model is “One Customer; One opportunities, and are integrating Platform; Many Services”. their services into unified platforms. Like Google’s consumers, citizens An increasing number of cities, such also interact with government services as Chicago,1 are pursuing predictive regularly, in a variety of ways and in analytics platforms that warehouse all

46 / Governance Through Adaptive Urban Platforms: The Insinc Experiment Integrated service platforms in Boston and New York

oston’s BUMP1 platform allows a citizen to post “glitches” that need fixing; e.g., potholes, B broken hydrants, faulty lighting, bad taxi service. This helps authorities to target areas that require the most attention. For example, if data analysis finds that 20% of the potholes in Boston are found to make up 80% of the complaints, the public works department can prioritise the potholes that attract the most complaints for repair. Similarly, New York’s Office of Policy and Strategic Planning has used public data on carting service licenses to track down illegal dumpers of grease.2

NOTES

1. http://www.cityofboston.gov/internships/BUMP.asp

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/nyregion/mayor-bloombergs-geek-squad.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

the data collected by municipal agencies. well as the real-time locations of other Policy Exchange, a conservative think smartphones on the map. tank in the United Kingdom,2 called There are three elements to an on the British Government to set up adaptive platform: an analytics capability in the Cabinet Office “to identify big data opportunities • First, they mine the data across a and help departments to realise them”. large user base; Such platforms remain largely passive • Second, they provide valuable and non-real time, because the data feedback to the users; and collected by the platform is analysed • Third, they affect the state by public agencies periodically offline. of the system by nudging users They do not involve the user in a real- to adjust their behaviour in response time feedback loop. Adaptive platforms, to feedback. however, feature a tight feedback loop between the platform and the user. Google Maps, for example, adaptively INSINC: Singapore’s Adaptive directs users to travel on routes with Platform for Public Transport minimal congestion and hence travel time, Singapore has been experimenting based on data from central databases as with an adaptive platform based on

ETHOS / 47

How INSINC works

INSINC is best described as a frequent commuter programme, similar to an airline miles programme. Its main goal is to shift commuters from peak to off-peak trains.

Signing up, Winning Rewards, Inviting Friends A commuter registers and sets up his INSINC account using the unique identification number of his fare card. Trips made using this card earn credits proportional to the distance travelled, with extra credits for off-peak trips. The credits earned by a commuter are redeemable either at a fixed exchange rate, or for prizes ranging from $1 to $200 in a fun online game — essentially a Personalised Recommendations “self-administered raffle”. This leverages via the Magic Box behavioural economics — the general Every Friday at 10am Singapore time, preference of people for a $100 prize at 1% commuters receive a “magic box offer”, which odds over a $1 prize — to induce a larger is an offer of extra rewards should they achieve shift, which in turn improves cost efficiency. behaviour targets the following week. For There is a strong social element to example, a commuter travelling consistently INSINC. Participants may invite their friends in the peak hour may receive extra credits for to join from social networks and email services off-peak travel the following week, while a (Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo! mail, etc.), and different commuter may earn extra credits they earn bonus credits when their friends for inviting friends; yet another commuter sign up. Friends are displayed on a participant’s may get extra credits for answering a few INSINC page in a “ranking list” style: off- survey questions. peak commuting friends on top, followed Such personalised offers allow administrators by others. to understand a participant’s utility function: i.e., a commuter’s willingness to exhibit a particular behaviour, measured in monetary terms.

48 / Governance Through Adaptive Urban Platforms: The Insinc Experiment Applying incentives in a principled way

he Stanford Center for Societal Networks1 has been running a series of projects to study T the effect of incentives as a way to nudge people to change their behaviour. Their research has uncovered several insights:

• Receiving money is more motivating than avoiding charges — carrots work better than sticks. • When the stakes are small, a random reward is more appealing than a deterministic reward of the same expected value — a fact underlying lottery systems. Games are an intuitively pleasing, fun and engaging way of conducting lotteries. • humans are social animals. Viral adoption, peer comparison and collective spirit are all powerful motivators. • Fine-grained measurement and data mining allow desired behaviours to be targeted and rewarded precisely. It allows offers to be personalised to users, depending on the negative externality of their behaviour on system efficiency.

NOTE

1. http://scsn.stanford.edu/research.php

the public Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) (e.g. buses and trains) in anticipation of rail network. The platform is known as long-term projected demand. However, INSINC, which stands for “Incentives planners are typically less adept in for Singapore Commuters”, and is accommodating transient or short-term provided as an online cloud service demand fluctuations, which can occur at www.INSINC.sg. Launched as a from time to time. Moreover, purely Stanford/NUS trial in January 2012, adding capacity to address short-term the platform is supported by Singapore’s peak demand does not always solve Land Transport Authority and SMRT. the problem: when capacity is added, latent demand moves in to fill it, thus Solving the Problem of Traffic Congestion leading to a marginal reduction in Transport planners aim to supply peak hour crowding. In Singapore’s sufficient public transport capacity context, this “peaking” concept is better

ETHOS / 49 understood for road capacity, where it reached saturation point. Over 70% of is now generally accepted that road the participants have enlisted through capacity is finite — but it is much less friend invitations. Comparing travel recognised in terms of public transport. patterns of trips made by participants Thus, peak demand for public transit before and after registration, we have must also be managed; capacity addition observed shifts from peak to off-peak alone is not sufficient. in the range of 8% to 15%. Those with friends on the INSINC platform shift Using Incentives: Behavioural Economics significantly more: good behaviour and the INSINC Concept appears to thrive on inspiration and INSINC adds a new option to the competitiveness. The platform has a transport planner’s arsenal: using weekly engagement rate of between 25% incentives to change travel behaviour. and 30% and a monthly engagement Incentives are attractive because they are rate of over 50%, comparable to seen as a win-win solution: commuters mainstream social platforms such as are not “penalised” for wrongful Facebook. However, beyond shifting behaviour; rather, the system rewards peak commuters to off-peak, the true them for exhibiting positive behaviours. utility of INSINC is best expressed in Further, since commuters view them terms of its capabilities as a platform. favourably, incentives can be deployed INSINC participants, through incrementally and be customised to the registration and use of the platform, individual, unlike penalties, which for actually offer up a wealth of personal reasons of equity have to be applied information, including demographic across-the-board. profiles and commuter logs. This database provides tremendous insights Incentives are attractive because they are for INSINC administrators, both at the seen as a win-win solution. individual and aggregate levels. For example, over 17% of males shift to the off-peak, while only 11% of women INSINC: Results and Benefits of do the same. When men shift from the Urban Platforms peak, they shift to both pre- and post- INSINC has grown at a phenomenal peak; women, however, shift primarily rate since its inception, with about pre-peak (possibly because of childcare 3,500 participants in January 2012 responsibilities). About 25% of the and doubling its subscription rate participants contribute over 90% of peak every three months. INSINC has over hour trips; this means that if we can 103,000 registered participants as of 15 induce these 25% to shift, the marginal May 2013, and does not appear to have impact would be very significant.

50 / Governance Through Adaptive Urban Platforms: The Insinc Experiment We can do so because we know the see the potential to scale such a platform individual’s propensity to shift. INSINC to the national level, given the ubiquity allows customised testing, as participants of sophisticated smartphones that are offered different individual payoffs already have gyroscopes and location because we know how likely they will sensors embedded. Indeed, INSINC shift given a certain payoff: this is the commuters can be incentivised to get idea behind the Magic Box. With a off one station before their destination larger base of users, we would be able and walk the rest of the way — to work to do small group experiments on or home. This would decongest the a large scale, much as Google, Amazon trains while, simultaneously, promoting or Facebook do today. physical exercise.

Looking Ahead: Further Applications Municipal Services: Residents often for Adaptive Platforms transact with town councils or local Once INSINC achieves critical mass governments. These transactions as an adaptive platform, it would include complaints, requests such as have built up a pool of users who are clearance of bulky items, or inquiries. familiar and comfortable with the There is potential for a platform to be “methodology” of INSINC as well as built around enabling citizens to report INSINC administrators who can posit faults and file complaints in return outcomes based on past behaviour. for points (these could be monetary, Potential applications in a range of material or reputation points). Such public service fields could then open up. an adaptive platform could also use the concept of gamification and incentives Health Promotion and Exercise: Using to build desirable community norms concepts from INSINC, Accenture and ownership. More active levels of employees signed up to a programme response on the ground would enable which gave them points for clocking the government to capture and analyse a certain number of walking steps. data in the backend, and micro-target The experiment yielded similar incentives or messages. results in that employees responded to incentives — monetary and social. Personalised offers allow administrators More importantly, the experiment demonstrated the viability of a health to understand a participant’s utility promotion platform that is adaptive. The function: i.e., a commuter’s willingness to platform evolved as employees invited their friends, transacted regularly, and exhibit a particular behaviour, measured habits of walking started to form. We in monetary terms.

ETHOS / 51 Energy Conservation: Every home-dweller statutory requirement — hence they are receives a utilities bill every month. large — but they are not very interesting Using incentives, a home-dweller could or useful on an ongoing basis. be nudged to conserve energy. His behaviour can then be used as social c. A platform should have frequent proof for other home-dwellers, thus user engagement. Such a platform creating an opportunity to cultivate has the potential to influence highly good habits and reinforce energy dynamic societal processes, even ones conservation norms. with which it may a priori have very little or no relationship. Witness the manner Conclusion: Lessons on Designing in which smartphone-based mapping Adaptive Platforms solutions help with traffic management. The INSINC experiment demonstrates great value for the potential of adaptive d. A platform should be extensible. platforms in urban settings. As Platforms should not be over-engineered governments build data platforms to suit only one particular application. to serve policy objectives, there are opportunities to develop these platforms e. Platforms should evolve in a further as adaptive ones, amplifying data- driven fashion. The effectiveness their effectiveness through the tight of the Magic Box offers is a testament to feedback loops and shaping individual the power of mining data to understand behaviours and norms. Based on the the behaviour of fine-grained commuter INSINC experience, some insights on segments and apply appropriate nudges. how to design an effective adaptive platform have emerged: f. Platforms induce good social norms. Many online fora have their own a. A platform should support a large social norms and “good behaviours”; for user base. Platforms with few users example, good Internet communication will vanish or be absorbed into a is famously termed “netiquette”. As larger platform. large numbers of users engage with urban platforms, they will create and b. A platform should provide an propagate a new “civic sense”. interesting and useful service. This sounds like a tautology, but it Such adaptive platforms have great suggests the kinds of service around untapped potential to provide a significant which effective platforms may be built. leap in performance in public sector For example, birth registries are a service delivery and cost efficiency, at

52 / Governance Through Adaptive Urban Platforms: The Insinc Experiment a resolution commensurate with the understand and strengthen its evolving individual’s needs and expectations. In relationship with citizens to a much doing so, the adaptive nature of such greater and nuanced degree. platforms can help the government

NOTES

1. http://www.informationweek.co.uk/big-data/ news/government/leadership/chicago-cio- pursues-predictive-analytics/240153231

2. http://policyexchange.org.uk/images/ publications/the%20big%20data%20 opportunity.pdf

ETHOS / 53 Public Managers as Innovators: In Search of Design Attitude

Can public managers see themselves as active designers of innovation and change processes, involving both citizens and the government?

by Christian Bason is the Director of MindLab, an innovation unit that is part of the Danish central government. The author of four books on social innovation, design and leadership, most recently Christian Bason Leading Public Sector Innovation: Co-creating for a Better Society (Policy Press, 2010), he is a frequent presenter and advisor to governments around the world. Bason is a member of numerous advisory boards and was recently appointed Chairman of the European Commission’s Expert Group on public sector innovation. He holds an M.Sc. in political science and is currently writing a doctoral thesis on public management as a design discipline.

54 / Public Managers as Innovators: In Search of Design Attitude Introduction degrees and in different forms, taken The economic, financial and social up such design approaches as a tool crisis in many developed economies is to drive innovation and change.6,7 Just putting public managers under almost within the past year, governments in unprecedented pressure to deliver the US, Australia and Singapore have more value while reining in cost. From set up their own innovation labs and Europe to the UK and the US, austerity design centres. measures have been put in place which leave no doubt that governments will Co-designing for Solutions be severely cash-strapped for the that Work foreseeable future. In the meantime, Design approaches provide a different “wicked” societal challenges abound, set of tools and ways of working which require smarter solutions systematically with innovation in in increasingly turbulent, complex government. Qualitative, ethno- and interdependent societal and graphically inspired design research; human settings.1,2 highly interactive and tangible workshop formats; visualisation and The voice of the citizen, rapid prototyping; user testing of captured through audio redesigned services: these are emerging as effective approaches to innovation.8 or video, is a crucial Such co-design approaches help trigger for change. public managers understand how the system/user relationship is shaped, concretely, in terms of space, time This growth in both turbulence and interactions. This “outside-in” and complexity has occurred in perspective has a disruptive potential, tandem, perhaps coincidentally, with because public managers get to view an increasingly systematic exploration the results of their organisation’s of what design3 can do for government. efforts in a new light. We appear to be seeing a period of The voice of the citizen, captured rapid experimentation, often framed through audio or video, is a crucial trigger in the context of new forms of citizen for change. Qualitative research seems to involvement.4 Over the past decade, engender an empathetic, engaging, but public sector organisations in countries still professional, (re) connection between such as Australia, New Zealand, public service staff and users: what can Singapore, France, Denmark, the UK,5 be termed “professional empathy”.6 Canada and the US have, to varying

ETHOS / 55 THE Lab

he Human Experience Lab (THE Lab) • A full-day Design Thinking Boot-camp T helps Singapore’s public agencies design to help agencies understand the potential and develop public policies, services and benefits of design experiences that are more human-centred. • Two-day design thinking programmes Established in April 2012 within the Public as part of the Management Associates Service Division, PS21 Office, it has worked Foundation Programme at the Civil with agencies to: Service College • harnessing the vibrant online design • Reframe existing problems by injecting thinking community in Cube, the Public user perspectives and challenging current Service’s social intranet. assumptions and practices • Better understand the needs of customers OpenIDEO Challenge1 and stakeholders through deep ethnographic The National Environment Agency, in approaches and sense-making collaboration with innovation and design • Build capabilities in human-centred firm IDEO and the Public Service Division, design techniques launched a crowd-sourcing effort to explore how communities could be encouraged to • Tell stories to inspire decision-makers in ways that will inform their policy design, take more initiative in making their local implementation and communication. environments better. More than 50 participants across industries participated: 271 inspirations THE Lab staff serves as “design mentors”, and 102 concepts emerged from the challenge, helping project teams apply the full design from which six winning concepts were selected process to their challenges. Through its work, for further development and prototyping THE Lab aims to build design capabilities and at a two-day Make-A-Thon on 15 and 16 communities across the Public Service. Some March 2013. of the current initiatives and platforms include:

NOTE

1. http://www.openideo.com/open/connected/brief.html

56 / Public Managers as Innovators: In Search of Design Attitude The Hidden Ingredient: and opportunities, seeking new ideas Engendering Design Attitude and solutions, and acting on them Professional Empathy Peter Gadsdon, Change and innovation, however, do through engagement with actors inside Development Director not just come about by way of smart and outside the organisation. Boland in the Borough of methods and tools. It is also a question and Collopy make the point that “a Lewisham in the UK, of stewardship. It is one thing for design attitude views each project as an worked with a design firm to reshape how public managers to hire or employ opportunity for invention that includes his organisation dealt designers to conduct citizen-centred a questioning of basic assumptions and with homelessness. innovation projects. It is quite another a resolve to leave the world a better Front line staff were 9 instructed to use video for managers themselves to relate to place than we found it”. to film each others’ and drive the change efforts. It turns In this light, design attitude could client engagements, out, perhaps unsurprisingly, that the help us understand the role of the and then to prototype most forward-thinking managers don’t public manager as someone who drives and iterate new solutions for citizens. just commission design projects, but innovation by taking responsibility for Gadsdon says engage actively with the process of designing organisational responses the process had a innovation. We might even think of to the challenges and opportunities “profound effect them as designers. they face. How can managers more on staff because it changed their view on fundamentally relate to their role as the service they were We appear to be seeing problem solvers and innovators? providing.” In an exploration of what design Source: Christian Bason, a period of rapid attitude might entail, Kamil Michlewski “Public managers as designers — Can experimentation, undertook a doctoral study in which design-led approaches he interviewed a number of design lead to new models often framed in the for public service consultancies, such as IDEO and provision?”, Danish context of new forms of Philips Design, and mapped the ways Journal of Management & Business Vol. 77(4), citizen involvement. key people in design functions in December 2012. those organisations viewed their roles and practices.10 He subsequently In their seminal 2004 book Managing proposed a range of behaviours which as Designing, Richard Boland and Dick characterise design attitude, including: Collopy suggest that design attitude “Consolidating multidimensional might be a useful way of understanding meanings”, “Creating, bringing to how managers shape and make desirable life”, “Embracing discontinuity and futures. Innovative public managers openendedness”, “Engaging polysensorial tend to immerse themselves in a set of aesthetics” and “Engaging personal activities around identifying problems and commercial empathy”.

ETHOS / 57 Design attitude in practice

ow do design attitude archetypes play out This style of thinking and questioning H in the real world? Consider how Ms Anne assumptions points to “embracing discontinuity Lind, Director of the Board of Industrial and open-endedness”. The manager chooses Injuries, reflected on the purchase of a new to open up her organisation to explore what IT system for her organisation, a Danish the implications of the new technology can government agency of around 300 employees: be, and she begins a journey to find out what they are going to “put into” the new system. “Back in 2005–6 or so, we decided to work Another example is Ms Christina Pawsoe, towards a new IT system which needed to the manager of a small institution for mentally be much more dynamic and which should be handicapped adults in Odense, Denmark’s able to do ‘objective’ case management, that third-largest city. Using design-led approaches, is, hyper-modern technology. What we spoke she transformed her organisation to provide about was that we needed a new IT system. a much more satisfactory and meaningful And then I was home during my summer service to citizens, effectively casting her holidays, and I thought there is something wards as the everyday innovators in spite of wrong. One doesn’t ‘just’ buy a new IT system. their disabilities. Describing her approach to It is great that IT is so smart and can do all innovation and change, Pawsoe says: these things. But that means that one just puts those things into it, the ways we work today, “We must make some trial-balloons, and and then we don’t go any further. So when then see if it works. If it does not work, fair I came back I established this Secretariat for enough, so we just change it, so that we developing our case management, which we always have some new goal, or a new angle call SUS, where we simply decided to go on our challenges.” through and assess our entire organization. Because an IT system will never be better than what we put into it.”

NOTE

1. Christian Bason, “Design Attitude as an Innovation Catalyst.”, in Public Innovation through Collaboration and Design, eds. Chris Ansell and Jacob Torfing (Oxford: Routledge, forthcoming).

58 / Public Managers as Innovators: In Search of Design Attitude Design and Management: Second, it appears that the A Complex Dynamic ma nagers’ exposure to design There seems to be a complex interplay approaches — through actual project between managers as commissioners of work — amplifies or catalyses extant design work, managers as designers design attitudes. The design work themselves, and managers as they stimulates their thinking and perhaps are affected by the design work teases out a more “designerly” way as it unfolds and impacts their of addressing current and possibly organisation. There is a distinction future problems. between “managers as designers” and “managers absorbing design”. The most forward-thinking managers First, evidence suggests11 that don’t just commission design projects, it is because of their fundamental attitude in favour of problem solving but engage actively with the process that managers are open and willing of innovation. to work with designers. Many of the managers who choose to engage with While the work of Michlewski and designers have a long track record in others help describe what a design continuously exploring new or different attitude might look like, the very management tools and technologies. notion still raises questions for how They tend to have had a career pattern we should educate current and future of heavy engagement in developmental public managers. What is their role in activities, personally and professionally. initiating and stewarding systematic, One might therefore speak of a certain design-led problem solving? What “design management maturity” as a specif ic competencies and skills leadership trait. are required? And perhaps more fundamentally: Is design attitude even something that can be learned?

ETHOS / 59 NOTES

1. Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber, “Dilemmas in 6. Christian Bason, Leading Public Sector a General Theory of Planning”, Policy Sciences Innovation: Co-creating for a Better Society 4 (1973), 155–169 [Reprinted in Cross, Nigel, (Bristol: Policy Press, 2010). ed. Developments in Design Methodology (Chichester: J. Wiley & Sons, 1984).] 7. Bryan Boyer, Justin W. Cook and Marco Steinberg, In Studio: Recipes for Systemic 2. Tom Ritchey, Wicked Problems — Social Change (Helsinki: Sitra, 2011). See http:// Messes: Decision Support Modelling helsinkidesignlab.org/instudio/ with Morphological Analysis (Springer, Heidelberg, 2011). 8. Elizabeth Sanders and Pieter Jan Stappers, “Co-creation and the New Landscapes of 3. Charles Eames aptly describes design as “a Design”, CoDesign: International Journal of plan for arranging elements in such a way CoCreation in Design and the Arts 4(2008): as to best accomplish a particular purpose”. 5–18. From: Bill Moggridge, Designing interactions (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2007). 9. Richard J. Boland and Fred Collopy, Managing as Designing (Stanford, CA: Stanford 4. In her keynote address to the 2008 IPAA University Press, 2004), 9. National Conference, Sydney, NSW, June 2008, Jocelyne Bourgon argues that “Citizen 10. Kamil Michlewski, “Uncovering Design engagement aims at opening up new avenues Attitude: Inside the Culture of Designers”, for empowering citizens to play an active role Organization Studies 29(2008): 229–248. in service design, service delivery and, perhaps most importantly, the ongoing process of 11. These issues are the subject of ongoing service innovation”. research. See: Christian Bason, “Design Attitude as an Innovation Catalyst.”, in Public 5. Sophia Parker and Joe Heapy, The Journey Innovation through Collaboration and Design, to the Interface: How Public Service Design eds. Chris Ansell and Jacob Torfing (Oxford: Can Connect Users to Reform (London: Routledge, forthcoming). Demos, 2006). See http://www.demos.co.uk/ publications/thejourneytotheinterface

60 / Public Managers as Innovators: In Search of Design Attitude Opinion

Rethinking Public Service Delivery for the 21st Century

by Janine O’Flynn is Professor of Public Management at the University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Professor at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. Her expertise is in public sector Janine O’Flynn management, particularly in the areas of public sector reform and relationships. She is currently involved with addressing the performance framework aspects of the Australian Government’s Ahead of the Game blueprint for reforming the Australian Public Service. In 2012, O’Flynn published Rethinking Public Service Delivery: Managing with External Providers, co-authored with John Alford (Palgrave), which explores how government organisations can work with other providers, in various modes, to deliver public services. Crossing Boundaries in Public Management and Policy: The International Experience will be published in July 2013 (co-edited with Deborah Blackman and John Halligan; Routledge).

The effective delivery of public services who decides and who produces, and is a complex challenge. At a time when what the right combinations of these many governments face incredible activities might be; the appropriate fiscal pressure and increasing demands mode of coordination between the from citizens, the question of who does parties; the motivations of various what has again taken centre stage. For actors and how to tap these to deliver some, the answer will always be that public services; the obstacles that the private sector can do it best; for government organisations encounter others, the state. But such one-size- in effectively managing relationships; fits-all approaches do not help us to how we should recalibrate public deal with the increasing complexity organisations to manage this complex of public service delivery. It is time to portfolio of providers and relationships rethink public service delivery: just who in order to best deliver public value in are the providers of public services? the 21st century. When should governments externalise? In Rethinking Public Service Delivery: Rethinking who and when is just the Managing with External Parties, my beginning of rethinking public service co-author John Alford and I explore delivery. We also need to determine: these ideas: we argue that using various

ETHOS / 61 modes of coordination to simultaneously The second are regulatees — mainly manage a complex portfolio of providers organisations — that are subject to with different motivations represents one government regulations. Good examples of the most pressing public management are firms who must comply with challenges of our time.1 environment regulations, or restaurants that follow food hygiene regulations. Rethinking who these external providers Finally there are those other actors are opens up a much broader menu of that we call on to make contributions to public services in different ways. options in the delivery of public services. Child protection is a good example: this service needs contributions from Rethinking the Providers a range of different providers. We ask In our work, we identify an external teachers, doctors and neighbours to provider as any entity outside of a report suspected cases of abuse and government organisation that produces we seek changes in behaviour from some or all of the service. This seemingly family members. All of them make simple definition, however, opens up a some contribution to this public service, much broader menu of providers than albeit in different ways. conventional wisdom suggests. Some may find these additions to Three types of providers have long our external providers list unusual. been part of the public service delivery However, each, in their own way, makes landscape: private firms, non-profit contributions to public services. Recall organisations, and volunteers who give our definition: any entity outside of their time and effort to government a government organisation that produces organisations. In recent years, we some or all of the service. Both clients and have also seen an increasing interest regulatees make critical contributions in government organisations working to public services and the creation of with other government organisations in public value. Clients co-produce public more joined-up or whole-of-government services: jobseekers, for example, look ways. In addition to these four commonly for jobs, undertake training to increase identified providers, we explore the employability, and go to interviews; contributions of three more sets patients take medicines and follow doctors’ of actors. advice to improve health outcomes; First are the clients of government schoolchildren do homework and organisations, the ones we usually engage in the classroom to co-produce think of as recipients, or at the business education; restaurant owners follow food end, of public services: school children, regulations to ensure public safety. Such hospital patients and job seekers. contributions represent co-production of

62 / Rethinking Public Service Delivery for the 21st Century public services, enabling the achievement profound insight into the complexities of governmental outcomes, and the of public services and externalisation. creation of public value. our argument is that, to date, views Rethinking who these external on the costs and benefits of externalisation providers are opens up a much broader have been far too narrow. We point to menu of options in the delivery of public three major categories of considerations services. On the one hand, this is not a that should guide the decision. radical change because these external The first category gets plenty of parties are already performing these attention, in fact all of the attention in functions. On the other, we have not some cases. These are the service benefits tended to think so broadly when we and costs aspects of the argument, often consider public services. Once we rethink expressed as “value for money”. Here who we might work with, we must then we see governments focused on whether rethink when we should externalise to an external party can do something other parties. better and/or cheaper and this has often driven externalisation decisions. Rethinking Externalisation The second category gets some Government organisations, like any other, attention, but not enough given the have always had to confront the make- potential for this to add or detract versus-buy decision. What has tended from “value for money”. These are the to surface, in the current debate about relationship costs. Even if some other externalisation, (in particular on the party can potentially do something topic of outsourcing), is a return to old better or cheaper, government positions: with a pro- externalisation bias organisations expend considerable on the “right” and an anti-externalisation effort and resources in making that bias on the “left”. Both positions are, happen. They must define services, however, misguided and we need a more often run processes to select providers, nuanced discussion. and then monitor that the provider is We define externalisation as any doing what is expected. None of these arrangement in which one or more activities is cost-free for either party, external providers produces all or some but these rarely get discussed in any of the service. Given our more expansive public debate about externalisation. set of potential external providers, we make the case that the answer to the question of when to externalise is: it all Views on the costs and benefits of depends. On the one hand, this may seem externalisation have been far too narrow. an ambiguous and unhelpful foray into the debate, but on the other, it can offer

ETHOS / 63 The third category barely rates a Conclusion: Rethinking Public mention until there is a scandal. These Service Delivery are the strategic costs and benefits, With a broader set of providers and a such as how externalisation may enable more robust framework for weighing government to take a more strategic up the externalisation decision, we are rather than operation role (the classic just starting to rethink public service “steering rather than rowing” narrative), delivery. Once we make the decision to how risk is allocated (or not allocated) externalise, public managers are only part between parties, the reputation building of the way there. They must determine or destroying potential of outsourcing, who will do what — who will take on the the loss of core competences, and the deciding and producing roles and in what handing over of legal force to other combination? They must decide what parties. Again, these factors tend to come mode of coordination — compulsion, to the fore when there is a scandal but supervision, classical contracting, do not otherwise get enough attention negotiation, or collaboration — can in externalisation decisions. connect the parties together. They Whilst our argument of “it all must consider the motivations of those depends” might on the face of it seem they will work with and then determine simplistic, it does, in fact, represent a much what motivators, or levers, they can use more sophisticated way of considering to tap these contributions. Finally, the externalisation decision. To answer they must consider how to build the the question of when to outsource then organisational capabilities to manage requires public managers to weigh up external parties and in doing so, confront these various costs and benefits on a a range of potential government case-by-case basis. One-size-fits-all obstacles to effective relationship approaches cannot deliver when there management — accountability, is such complexity in determining what interdependency/complexity, turbulence, the potential benefits and costs may be. and cultural differences. All are potential barriers to optimising relationships for the delivery of public services and the creation of public value.

NOTE

1. John Alford and Janine O’Flynn, Rethinking Public Services: Managing with External Parties (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).

64 / Rethinking Public Service Delivery for the 21st Century Commissioning Public Value: The Role of Civil Servants

Civil servants should see themselves as the architects of new, flexible, cross-sectoral arrangements for creating greater public value.

by Peter Shergold, Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney, is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Civil Service College, Singapore. From 2002 to 2008, he was the Secretary of the Department of the Peter Shergold Prime Minister and Cabinet in the Australian Public Service. He is now Chair of the Commonwealth Government’s Aged Care Reform Implementation Council, the New South Wales Public Service Commission Advisory Board and Social Investment Expert Advisory Group, and the Western Australian Premier’s Partnership Forum. He serves on the Queensland Public Sector Renewal Board and is leading a Victorian Government project on reform of the community services system.

ETHOS / 65 In many ways the role of democratic the emergence of a “contract state” or governments in sovereign nations remains the “privatisation” of the public domain, bounded by tradition and practice. driven by a “neoliberal” agenda. This On the basis of a successful election hostile characterisation narrows and outcome, governments claim a mandate simplifies the transformative process to set political direction, subject to that is underway. the ongoing need to win legislative What is actually occurring is that approval (and, of course, to withstand governments are commissioning the media scrutiny). They establish revenue implementation of the outcomes they and expenditure parameters within seek. The process of selection, often which they frame budgets. Through referred to as market testing, contemplates legislation they regulate civic conduct, the entry of competitive providers. It although the laws they enact are open encourages incumbent public sector to judicial review and, increasingly, agencies to focus on performance. The subject to international agreements. emphasis is on contestability. Every few years they face the court of public opinion at the ballot box. What Commissioning Really Means for Government Most governments are now finding that Commissioning does not preordain the expectations of citizens are rising outcomes. In many instances, governments will continue to rely upon civil servants faster than their capacity to deliver. to dispense justice, maintain security, collect taxes, issue passports and deliver What has changed in recent years citizen payments. On other occasions, is the manner in which public policies delivery may be undertaken more are implemented. Today, governments effectively by third-party agents. With rely on a variety of institutions, and the construction of major infrastructure, not just their civil services, to deliver the focus is increasingly on sharing cost programmes.1 In effect they look to and risk through varieties of public- a mixed “public economy” to provide private partnership. With the delivery defence and ensure order, raise revenue, of human services, success frequently build and maintain public infrastructure involves the engagement of not-for- and provide financial assistance and profit institutions (schools, hospitals services to citizens.2 and community organisations), both Too often, the willingness of faith-based and secular. The creation governments to embrace market of an “evidence base” for policy is mechanisms is portrayed as representing now often undertaken by universities,

66 / Commissioning Public Value: The Role of Civil Servants think-tanks or consultancy companies, servants tend to be highly proficient although public sector research agencies at articulating the benefits of a policy continue to play a significant role. intervention, they are often less willing Governments, and in particular or able to identify the regulatory costs their civil services, need to take a imposed on those who are subject to it. more strategic and holistic approach In short, there is a danger if civil to commissioning. Not infrequently servants wield monopoly power. decision-making focuses on the merits Governments need to choose the mix of outsourcing — that’s not the best of public, private and social service approach. The starting point should sector delivery that can contribute be to decide, on the basis of price and most effectively to the creation of public quality, what is the most effective way to value. The task should be approached design programmes, deliver services, fund with strategic intent. Assumptions need policy initiatives and evaluate outcomes. to be tested. Context and circumstance Procurement, in the broadest sense, rather than ideological persuasion should be driven by a continuing process should determine the most effective of commissioning and recommissioning channel by which to implement the the goals of government. ambitions of government. It should not be assumed that civil services are necessarily the best It should not be assumed that civil services institutions for delivering government are necessarily the best institutions for policy. Their bureaucratic structures are often inflexible and process-driven. delivering government policy. The vertical hierarchies and horizontal demarcations of officialdom tend to The key is for all those involved in undermine public sector capability. The the design and delivery of government skill, expertise and creative impulse policies to recognise that they are partners. of front-line managers, for example, If the relationship between “purchasers” is rarely harnessed in the design of and “providers” is defined solely by programmes: in fact, their creative energy contractual obligation, the likely result is too often directed to finding work- will be a self-defeating emphasis on arounds to the prescriptive guidelines the micromanagement of process under which they work. Similarly, the compliance rather than an agreement silos of authority continue to act as on a joint approach to outcome-based obstacles to joined-up government performance. A rigid approach will approaches to delivering holistic citizen- stifle the innovation that should be centric services. Moreover, while civil the hallmark of contestability. It will

ETHOS / 67 limit the search for new approaches. It capacity to deliver. It is becoming ever will fail to create choice and diversity harder for governments to balance for citizens. Commissioning must be expenditure with revenue. Consequently, understood as far more than the exercise there is growing interest in the potential of purchasing services in the market: to harness social finance (from the rather it is about inspiring more effective philanthropic or private sectors) to and creative governance arrangements. help fund public initiatives. In Australia, for instance, the Commissioning: Advantages and New South Wales government is Opportunities introducing “social benefit bonds” to New opportunities are emerging. scale-up not-for-profit innovation by Governments are increasingly allowing social service organisations recognising the value of engaging to attract private sector funds.3 Such community-based organisations in new financial instruments enable the design of programmes, rather mission-driven social enterprises to than just encouraging them to tender pay a return to investors on the basis for their delivery. More flexible ways of sharing any reduction in public costs are being found to achieve outcomes. with government. It is an approach In Australia, place-based solutions which is particularly valuable in trialling are being devised for the provision of preventative interventions which can services in ways which can respond reduce the need for crisis management flexibly to the distinctive needs of later — such as lowering the likelihood particular communities — whether of released prisoners re-offending or it is regions, neighbourhoods, school reducing the need for out-of-home zones, hospital authority areas or remote care for vulnerable children by helping Indigenous settlements. parents cope more effectively. Around the world, funding pressures Commissioning can also benefit from are acute. That is not just a consequence applying the insights of behavioural of economic volatility. Most governments economics to the delivery of public are now finding that the expectations services. This requires not just of citizens are rising faster than their improving the quality and accessibility

While civil servants tend to be highly proficient at articulating the benefits of a policy intervention, they are often less willing or able to identify the regulatory costs imposed on those who are subject to it.

68 / Commissioning Public Value: The Role of Civil Servants of information made available to citizens of government. They are central to the but changing the context within which commissioning process. they exercise discretion. In Australia, Some tasks should continue to be there is increasing focus on allowing undertaken by a professional public disadvantaged individuals (such as those administration. Many can be performed with a disability, suffering from mental by outside suppliers. Nevertheless, the illness or becoming frail with age) to ability to provide confidential advice be directly involved in the choice and to successive governments — and management of the services that they the obligation to be answerable and need to fully engage in the community. accountable for the expenditure of public “Consumer-directed care”, we funds — means that civil servants are are discovering, means that those in likely to remain at the centre of political need are likely to treat public money decision-making. The question is how as their own rather than belonging to effectively they can perform their role. the government. As a result, they make spending decisions far more wisely There is a need not to reduce the power of and the incentive for fraud is lessened. public services but to redirect it. Placing citizens in control reduces the antisocial and self-destructive behaviours that often mark the learned helplessness Civil service leadership skills need of marginalised welfare recipients. to be redirected to the important task of Individualised budgets represent an facilitation. This requires the ability to investment in citizen empowerment. exercise strategic judgement on which modes of creating public value work A New Facilitative Role best. It calls for the capacity to assess for Public Servants objectively what expertise, from which Do such collaborative approaches to sectors, and in what forms, should be public policy diminish the role and steered towards the achievement of status of public services? Not a bit. government objectives. Civil servants remain at the heart of Civil servants have to develop the governance. The transformation is that skills to listen empathically, to stand instead of designing and delivering in the shoes of other stakeholders, to public policy alone and directly, they negotiate carefully and to remain focused increasingly have to focus on how on results. Collaboration demands best to generate and intermediate a much more sophisticated skill set cross-sectoral relationships in order to than consultation or coordination. The implement most effectively the ambitions creation and maintenance of partnerships

ETHOS / 69 requires trust, respect, intuition and the introduction and careful evaluation emotional intelligence. of pilots, trials and demonstration At the same time, civil servants projects. Performance metrics have to be need to bring to discussions of policy designed which can audit and measure formulation and implementation their the returns on public investments. Failure inside understanding of the governance needs to be contemplated and, when structures which distinguish decision- it happens, learned from as quickly as making in the public arena. They possible. It is central to the pursuit of must bring to any cross-sectoral public innovation. arrangement their intimate knowledge There is a need not to reduce the of governance processes. power of public services but to redirect it. Civil servants should take pride in Collaboration demands a much more their position at the centre of the “co- sophisticated skill set than consultation production” and “co-management” of public policy. As the commissioners or coordination. of government policy implementation, they are, in a real sense, the architects Civil servants need also to be able to of a flexible and innovative design and manage risk prudently rather than avoid delivery system. It is a crucial role to it. They need to take responsibility for which to aspire.4

NOTES

1. In fact there is a long history of governments 3. http://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/site_plan/ commissioning the delivery of public social_benefit_bonds policy. Much of the responsibility for the transportation of convicts to the American 4. A broader assessment of my views on the and Australian colonies in the eighteenth future for civil services can be found within and nineteenth centuries was, for example, Shergold, Peter, “Reform of the Australian contracted out by the British government to Public Service” in State of the Nation: Aspects private providers. of Australian Public Policy, Don Markwell, et al., eds (Victoria: Connor Court, 2013). 2. For a more detailed assessment of “the public economy”, see Gary L. Sturgess, Diversity and Contestability in the Public Service Economy (Sydney: New South Wales Business Chamber, 2012) and ‘Double Government’ : The Art of Commissioning Public Services, November 2012, http://www.anzsog.edu.au/media/ upload/publication/107_Sturgess-oration- November-2012.pdf

70 / Commissioning Public Value: The Role of Civil Servants Interview WITH Geoff Wilson

Public Engagement That Works

A veteran strategist shares advice on how to make the most of public engagement as an instrument for governance and decision-making.

Geoff Wilson was President of the International Association for Public Participation International geoff wilson (IAP2) from February 2010 to November 2012. He is Director of Patient and Public Engagement in Capital Health, Nova Scotia’s largest provider of health services in Halifax, Canada. Wilson last spoke in Singapore at the 2012 MICA-CSC Public Communications Conference on “Public Engagement and Organisational Culture”.

What is distinctive about public however, governments sometimes engagement in the public sector? use confidentiality as an excuse for There are some basics common to all unnecessary secrecy or to control an public engagement activities no matter issue, the public discourse around it, or which sector is undertaking the work. to achieve a predetermined outcome. However, I believe there are some But open and transparent information important fundamental differences. is a critical component of meaningful Motivation is one important public engagement, especially if the difference. Public accountability, engagement process seeks significant acting with public good in mind, public decision-making input from citizens. The ownership, democracy and citizenship best decisions are made when decision are unique priorities in the public makers and their advisors have the best sector environment. These will have possible information. If government an impact on the kinds of issues or information is opaque, there will be problems that are addressed through a lower quality outcome from public public engagement as well as the engagement precisely because people approaches and intended outcomes of will not have all the information they such activities. require to have well-informed views. Confidentiality is also a limiting Notions of privacy and confidentiality factor to an extent. In my experience, are changing dramatically, especially

ETHOS / 71 for those of the younger generation who • If the public is not ready (i.e., they live their lives very openly in the world may not have the information they of social media. This demographic is need to participate) unlikely to share the same devotion to • If the public does not see the issue confidentiality and privacy as previous or decision as important or relevant cohorts. This will continue to challenge to them

Leadership is an more traditional and conservative • In circumstances where the subject incredibly important government practices around privacy or issue is so esoteric or highly component of and confidentiality. technical that the dialogue and public engagement. decisions are rightly in the domain Some key How should public sector agencies of technical experts. That is not to leadership decide when and how best to engage say that the public cannot engage in attributes the public? issues that involve complex ideas or that are necessary for technical information, but it requires the practice of public I am an advocate for meaningful and engagement include: appropriate public engagement. I do not much more effort on the part of the public body to help citizens • being fully present, believe public engagement is relevant or open and available useful for every situation, and discerning prepare and build knowledge and to others understanding. In these cases, it when it is appropriate to engage with • compassion will take more time to plan and the public is an important skill for the • enabling learning, educate participants and careful, growth and public sector to master. focused attention should be paid meaningful There are many situations when it contributions to the specific input that is being is inappropriate to engage the public • deep listening sought from the public. • effective in a conversation or decision: communication with Some basic questions I always ask diverse stakeholders when I am assessing an opportunity to • self-reflection and • When a decision has already been awareness made and there is no opportunity for see if public engagement is an option: • ability to the public to influence the outcome recognise, identify • Is the decision or issue one that and challenge • In situations where rapid decision- making and action is critical, such affects peoples’ lives directly? assumptions Is it something people care about? (including your own) as emergencies • ability to explore • When there is not enough time • Is there opportunity for the public without jumping to to influence the decision? solutions to allow for thoughtful public • ability to let go deliberation of an issue: for example, • Can the public body undertaking • accountability for if a quick decision is necessary to the engagement take the time and actions take advantage of an opportunity devote the resources necessary for • honesty, integrity meaningful public engagement? • fulfilment of • If the outcomes of the public dialogue promises and are unclear commitments

72 / Public Engagement That Works • Will people have all the information good public engagement practice as they need to participate in the it is about experience and applying discussion? What information will sound judgment. they need?

What kinds of structures and approaches Some other fields These are just some of the basic might help public organisations leverage worth exploring in terms of considerations when judging the public engagement more effectively? skill-building rationale for public engagement. There is a debate about whether or for public engagement not governments should have in- include: Discerning when it is house, paid public engagement staff • negotiation designing and facilitating public • group facilitation appropriate to engage with engagement, or whether it is better to • project management/ planning the public is an important contract external consultants. The only • mediation and reasonable response to this question is conflict resolution skill for the public sector to to take the approach that best fits the • public relations and communication master. context in which the public engagement • social media is taking place. • community Like any tool we would employ The approaches to take and development in policymaking, programme design structures to employ can also be and for deciding public issues, public informed by other contexts (e.g. engagement has both great potential cultural, operational, etc.). However, I and great limitations. It is not a panacea find the approach to public engagement or the solution to everything wrong advocated by the International Association with government or public decision- for Public Participation (IAP2)1 to be making. However, it can uncover hidden the most flexible and adaptable that I knowledge and motivations around an have come across, and it seems to work issue. It can generate new and creative well within a public sector context. approaches to problems; it can repair Regardless of the approach adopted, relationships between the public and however, it is important for there to be a the public sector if done well and well-established base of understanding thoughtfully; it can build trust; it can among both public servants and politicians lead to productive collaboration. But of the advantages and limitations of there are also many risk factors that public engagement in general before need to be carefully weighed in every embarking on any process. situation or decision before public For any government or engagement is undertaken. This is as organisation, it is important to truly much about skill and knowledge of embrace engagement in the right spirit.

ETHOS / 73 Public Engagement: How to promote inclusive, balanced and constructive conversations

• Begin the dialogue by exploring and • Cultivate compassion among the participants. celebrating points of agreement among • Be prepared to make compromises. the parties, including shared values and beliefs that may be at the heart of the issue. • Take the time to build trust among the dialogue participants. • Be deliberative in your approach to these kinds of conversations. Put in place ground • Collectively define what success looks like. rules and practices for holding people • Know when it is time to take a break. accountable for engaging respectfully. • Be prepared to let go. • Acknowledge the diversity of viewpoints • Go slow in order to go fast. Plan and without judgement or preference. Ensure prepare well. Invest in participant learning. fair and balanced information, facts and These will accelerate people’s ability to perspectives are welcomed into the dialogue. engage in the issue. • Assert equality of perspectives involved • Do not be afraid of emotion. David Brooks, in the issue, and their validity. New York Times columnist and author of • Take steps to design a process that allows The Social Animal (Random House, 2012) for open dialogue and the exploration of makes this point in a Ted Talk: “Emotion healthy tension among the varying views. is the foundation of reason because it Create the conditions for people to “see tells us what to value”.1 That is, we can the issue though another’s eyes” or create learn about peoples’ values and what they opportunities for participants to share value by paying attention to the tone and in another’s perspective or experience of tenor of emotions during such dialogues. the issue. This can lead to a deeper understanding • Embrace and acknowledge the conflict about the values that are involved in the that is inherent in these situations. With exploration of an issue. skilled facilitation, conflict can be turned into a creative rather than a destructive force in public discussions.

NOTE

1. http://www.ted.com/talks/david_brooks_the_social_animal.html (posted March 2011).

74 / Public Engagement That Works Towards more effective public engagement: Strategies for success

• Go slow at first and take the time to build understanding about public engagement within the public service and its agencies, but also among the public. Understand its limitations. • Set reasonable goals for early public engagement initiatives. Do not try to tackle the biggest issues early in your learning and skill-building phase of development. • Be clear about the appropriate role of citizens in public engagement on public issues. • Be forthright about making mistakes: make mistakes, and learn as much as you can from that experience. This is particularly difficult sometimes in public sector environments, which tend to be highly risk-averse. • Set reasonable expectations for public engagement. • Public engagement supplements, but is not a replacement for, democratic process. • Take time to train staff, and build skills and capacity to conduct public engagement properly. Create understanding and support for public engagement at senior levels within the public service. • Put policies and frameworks in place to provide consistent guidance for public engagement, such as defining accountability, defining circumstances of appropriate use, and establishing guiding principles, procedures and accepted models or approaches. • When designing engagement initiatives, use methods that are appropriate for the issue and the participants, and that will satisfy the needs and style of the organisation. For example, don’t use online engagement tools if participants cannot easily or comfortably use online tools to engage.

Half-hearted efforts or superficial How might we best evaluate the success engagement processes will only of public engagement initiatives? alienate the stakeholders with whom Evaluation is an evolving and emerging you are trying to build a rapport. field within the practice of public Meaningful engagement involves engagement, and it is most certainly being genuinely interested in and the aspect of public engagement practice taking account of the ideas, opinions, with the most work yet to be done. beliefs, aspirations and values of the As in many fields, the measuring stakeholders you are engaging. process is much easier to conduct

ETHOS / 75 than the measuring of outcomes. think they did influence the decision As a practitioner, I am very interested is an approach that will help gauge the in knowing from participants what they overall success of public engagement learned through their involvement in efforts. I want to emphasise however that an engagement exercise. I also try to it is still very important to evaluate the understand how they perceive an issue public engagement work itself and to or a topic at the start of an engagement recognise the significant measurement process, and then how they perceive challenges involved in doing so. that issue at the end of the process. Standards of practice are beginning Furthermore, identifying how public to appear in various places around the engagement may have affected decisions world, and these can offer guidance and or key outcomes during engagement insight into some of the appropriate is an important factor. process and outcome measures common in the field. The IAP2 will soon have Public engagement supplements but is not practice standards based on their approach. However, there are many a replacement for democratic process. organisations and jurisdictions that have created practice standards, for example, From a public perspective, a Scotland, the AA1000 Standards Board successful project is one in which the in the UK2 and Australia,3 to name just public can see that they have had a visible a few. The Brisbane Declaration on or demonstrable impact. Being able to Community Engagement4 also outlines ask participants at the start of a project a set of general principles that can be about how they believe their input will readily adapted into a standards or influence decisions, and then asking evaluation framework.5 them at the end of the project if they

NOTES

1. http://www.iap2.org 4. http://www.qld.gov.au/web/community- engagement/guides-factsheets/documents/ 2. http://www.accountability.org/standards/ brisbane_declaration.pdf aa1000ses/index.html 5. http://www.iap2.org.au/sitebuilder/resources/ 3. http://www.acelg.org.au/upload/ knowledge/asset/files/40/undecevaluation program1/1320191471_Community_ frameworkforcommunityengagement.pdf Engagement_web.pdf

76 / Public Engagement That Works BOOK REVIEW

What’s Past is Prologue: Kissinger on China

BOOK DETAILS On China By Henry A. Kissinger Penguin Books Ltd (paperback published in April 2012); 624 pp.

REVIEWED BY Leong Ming Wei is Principal Strategist in the Strategic Policy Office, Prime Minister’s Office. His current research interest is China. He holds a Master in Civil Engineering degree from Cambridge and a Master in Leong Ming Wei Public Management degree from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. The views expressed in this review are his own.

Described by the New York Times as He shows how Mao secretly coordinated “shrewd” and “fascinating”, On China China’s actions with former US President is a tour de force account by a renowned Nixon and his successors to balance former US Secretary of State of how Soviet influence worldwide — similar China’s long history has shaped its global to the temporary Shu-Wu alliance perspective as well as foreign policy. formed against Wei at the Battle of Red Competent futuring cautions against Cliff — even while both sides understood blind extrapolation from past trends. the mutual need to trumpet ideological However, a reading of Kissinger suggests differences publicly in order to placate that modern China’s broad strategies have their respective citizenries. been and will continue to be influenced heavily by its rich past. For example, On Strategic Encirclement Kissinger describes Chairman Mao and Influence as drawing heavily from strategies of Kissinger’s account of China’s strongest the Three Kingdoms of Wei (魏), Wu external fear — that of “strategic (吴) and Shu (蜀), an oft-romanticised encirclement” by a coalition of its civil war period in the 3rd century, immediate neighbours — is particularly to manage both Cold War superpowers. salient. He argues that China has, since

ETHOS / 77 antiquity, realised its inability to deal than America’s ideal vision of its place simultaneously with military threats in the world and its relationship with on all its borders, and has thus sought strategic partners around the globe. to pre-emptively “sow disunity among Nevertheless, Singapore, with its relative [the] barbarians” by pitting them geographic and cultural proximity to against each other. He describes how China, is bound to experience a growing Qing diplomats had delayed the fall degree of Chinese influence that former of China’s last dynasty by enlisting Secretary of State Madeline Albright Tsarist Russia’s assistance against other has described as “too big to ignore, European powers, and details why China too repressive to embrace... and very, invaded Vietnam in 1979 in defiance very proud”. of a Hanoi-Moscow pact. Reading this, one cannot help but draw a parallel to The Future of Sino-US influence alleged Chinese influence at the July in the Pacific 2012 ASEAN Ministerial meeting, The trajectory of the evolving which failed to issue a joint position Sino-US balance of power in the Pacific on South China Sea developments. One and its possible second-order effects might then conclude warily that more on Singapore have been pondered by such suspected interventions could many, although pessimist views appear be forthcoming. to dominate both sides of the Pacific at But Kissinger’s closing chapters may present. Both Colonel Liu Mingfu (author assure the patient reader that China of China Dream) and Stanford Professor has no aspirations, at least officially, Ian Morris (author of Why the West towards taking over global leadership Rules — for Now) expect substantial in a US-led world. Unlike America with turmoil in the world order, with its “missionary” zeal to propagate its flare-ups as early as mid-21st century. values worldwide, the Middle Kingdom Kissinger’s On China, however, ends on a (or so the author suggests) seeks only non-committal but generally optimistic to Sinicise those who willingly come note, making the most reassuring and forward to pay it homage, as was the credible argument to date: that China’s case in dynasties past. In this regard, peaceful development is “neither a ruse... while China’s preferred relationship nor naive delusion... [but] best serves with its neighbours might be that of a Chinese interests and comports with peaceful Abang-Adik (Malay for elder- the international strategic solution”. brother/younger-brother) fraternity, A prudent Singapore strategy would such influence would be decidedly therefore be to encourage, without shorter ranged and more defensive compromising its own aims, China’s

78 / Book Review: What’s Past is Prologue: Kissinger on China development along a path guided by far outpaced that of Europe. It has been considerations of legitimacy. pointed out that China views current Among the many virtues of reading Western dominance not as a strategic Kissinger’s On China is a realisation of shift, but as an aberration of the past the vastly different timescales upon few centuries that will eventually cease. which the three countries of Singapore, On this basis, it has been argued that US and China view their history — 40, the much-vaunted “Rise of China” 400 and 4,000 years respectively — may be more accurately termed as the along with the sobering fact that for “Return of Sino-Centricity”. Readers of most of recorded history, the GDP and Kissinger’s account might be inclined advancement of the Middle Kingdom has to agree.

ETHOS / 79 Opinion

The Age of Angst

How should governments contend with the rise of social discontent in the wake of rapid globalisation?

by Charles Ng is Assistant Director in the Legal Industry Division, Ministry of Law. Prior to this, he was Assistant Director in the National Security Coordination Secretariat. The views expressed in this Charles Ng article are his own.

A sweeping groundswell of public previous German booms were marked discontent, catalysed by the advance with a national mood of confidence of social networking technology, and optimism, this is a prosperity of appears to be traversing both developed angst and fear… provoking Germans and developing countries alike. This to turn against their government.1 phenomenon of social angst is evident even in countries that have experienced Such a response in even the high growth rates and sustained better performing nations of the prosperity in the face of a sluggish world — including Germany, Israel and global economy. Of this discontent in Singapore — should give policymakers Germany, Sanders writes: pause. What are the roots of this social angst? What implications might this “Age Shops are busy. Home sales are rocking. of Angst” hold for the social compact Unemployment hasn’t been so low between governments and their people, since the eighties. In terms of growth, and how should governments respond? profits and productivity, the current German economic boom has surpassed The Origins of Angst even the “wonder years” of the 1950s. It is not the first time in history that These are, by several measures, the most the twin forces of globalisation and successful people in the world… Yet it technology have generated social angst. is very hard to find anyone here who The Industrial Revolution of the 19th is happy about this state of affairs… If century was a well-documented period

80 / The Age of Angst with distinct similarities (see story of salience: while the overall benefits of Since 2004, Israel’s on “Social Angst in the Industrial globalisation may outweigh its tradeoffs, growth rates averaged Revolution”). Both then and now, the frequency of having to deal with its 4.5% rapid economic progress and dramatic defects has a disproportionate impact per annum and improvements in social connectedness on people’s perceptions. This also unemployment had led to profound social stresses, and explains why empirical improvements fallen from 11% to 6%. But in July 2011, consequently widespread socio-political in economic outcomes may not result crowds as large as movements and upheaval. in correspondent improvements in 400,000 thronged historically, the convergence of a perceptions of wellbeing. A growing the streets of Tel Aviv to express their technological boom with exponential sense of social dislocation at the pace discontent at the high economic growth and integration tends of cultural and social change, greater cost of living. to lead to a flattening and reordering income inequality and the local stresses of social hierarchies. In our time, the that result from these global forces then integration of markets and ease of labour arouse deeper existential concerns of flows that characterise globalisation fairness, belonging, identity and values, have had three main palpable effects. resulting in a deficit of meaning. First, they expose businesses to cheaper These narratives of social angst, Germany emerged global labour, depressing wages of the and their underlying discontent, are relatively unscathed broad middle class and resulting in then amplified by rapid developments from the recession in reduced or even negative growth in real in information and communications 2009 and achieved a growth rate of incomes for lower- and middle-income technology (ironically also a key driver groups. Second, knowledge acquisition for globalisation). Platforms such as 3.5% and management talent are prized and social media accelerate and proliferate in 2010, its best performance since rewarded disproportionately. The result the exchange and expression of views, 1991. Yet in this is a widened income gap. Third, large- which in turn shape social dynamics climate of economic scale migration driven by cross-border with unprecedented pace and scale. prosperity, Stephan labour demand increases local tensions The progression from ideation to Grünewald, who interviewed 7,000 as societies struggle to adjust to the mobilisation and collective action citizens for his book accelerated interaction and assimilation has become so rapid that traditional Germany on the Couch of disparate cultural groups. government institutions now struggle (Campus Verlag In the past few years, two notable to keep up. GmbH, 2006), writes, they are “repeatedly narratives have emerged across finding that despite the manifestations of social angst. The Effects of Social Angst very good economic first is depressive success — the angst The angst that is generated by these data, there is a huge amount of unease and that arises when the positive effects global forces affects society in three uncertainty, where a of globalisation, though substantive, ways: it re-shapes national discourse manifest crisis of trust are slow to trickle down or are not by influencing the framing of popular (is evident).” spread evenly. The issue is partly one issues; the polemical nature of discourse

ETHOS / 81 creates new schisms in society; the Correspondingly, the anti-immigrant relationship between government and narrative feeds on local flash points, the people is affected, and this influences arousing strong emotive feelings on the process of policymaking. issues of national identity, fairness and First, we begin to see angst influence concerns about integration.2 and frame the local discourse. Although Second, the polemical nature of angst is fundamentally a result of global the narratives of discontent has an phenomena, it contextualises itself in ongoing polarising effect on society. the language of local concerns. In the Such angst tends to be directed against past five years, there has been a global a common, oft-caricatured antagonist. rise in anti-immigrant sentiment. If uncontrolled, such social discontent

Social Angst in the Industrial Revolution

eginning in Britain with the introduction of in their living standards for most of the 19th B textile-producing machinery, the Industrial century. Poor living and working conditions, Revolution in the late 18th century and malnutrition, unfettered population growth throughout most of the 19th century, quickly and depressed wages reflected the Dickensian spread throughout Europe, shifting it from its realities of 19th century life. This combination predominantly agricultural and mercantilist of increased literacy, greater connectivity base to an industrial economy. With it came and lowered standards of living gave rise to a great burst of innovation, leading to critical a groundswell of discontent. developments such as factories, steam power, Notably, there was a growing clamour railroads, the telegraph, electricity, and more. for political participation, leading to social on the one hand, modern medicine, steam unrest across Europe. In 1848 alone — without power, the telegraph and industrial processes the internet or social media — the whole of of printing reinforced rising literacy and Europe underwent an unprecedented wave increased the life expectancy of children of social revolutions. This puts to question dramatically. On the other hand, as Brown and theories that isolate the IT revolution as the Hopkins1 conclusively point out, the majority sole cause for modern day social angst. of people in Europe suffered severe reductions

NOTE

1. Woodward, D. “Wage rates and living standards in pre-industrial England”, Past & Present 91(1981): 28–46. http://past.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/91/1/28

82 / The Age of Angst can frame itself as “people against policymaking process and political government”, “rich against poor”, “locals participatory norms. Nicholas Kulish against foreigners”, “religious against observes “from South East Asia to non-religious”, and so on. We see this the heartland of Europe and now even repeated in a number of issues, from the to Wall Street… citizens of all ages, local-foreign divide to income inequality particularly the young, are rejecting (see story on “When Does Angst Become conventional structures like parties a Movement?”). Increasingly, cultural and trade unions in favour of a less differences will come to the fore. While hierarchical, more participatory system such narratives may in fact increase modelled in many ways on the culture and consolidate national identity (in a of the Web”.3 Yochai Benkler, director reactionary way), local concerns may of the Berkman Center for Internet begin to dominate national discourse, and Society at Harvard University, obscuring the global forces that are further argues that “a generation of the real drivers of change. 20- and 30-year-olds” are rejecting the Finally, social angst in the 21st century old social structures of the “industrial has the potential to permanently alter economy”, and are searching for a the relationship between government and new model of engagement between the people. From “Occupy Wall Street” government and society to deal with to the Arab Spring, angst has re-shaped the growing stresses that have emerged the socio-political landscape, suggesting from globalisation as well as other a shift in society’s expectations of the longstanding local concerns.

WHEN DOES ANGST BECOME A MOVEMENT?

very social movement is broadly manifested in The Arab Spring of 2011 exemplifies this E a three-part sequence: Ideation, Catalysation sequence. Prior to 2011, the narrative of angst and Mobilisation. Ideation refers to the point that resulted from income inequality, corruption, at which the idea is planted and becomes a high youth unemployment, perceived western compelling narrative, shared and accepted by injustice and growing political frustrations at a substantial audience. Catalysation refers to the lack of democracy was gaining credence. an event or a series of incidents that ignites The immolation of a single street vendor in the movement. Mobilisation is the final phase Tunisia acted as the catalyst. Accelerated where collective action is taken, bringing the through the internet and social media, large narrative to fruition. crowds were mobilised and before long, a socio-political movement was underway.

ETHOS / 83 Dealing with the Age of Angst Finland, the maternity pack or “baby Globalisation will remain a necessary box”, a starter kit of toys, clothes and driver of economic success, but sheets given to every newborn child, governments will need to mitigate has become a powerful symbol of a its affective fallout through an government that cares for its people. understanding of the underlying drivers It serves as a reminder that narrative of social discontent. While globalisation shaping actions do not always need to has no doubt brought about significant be expensive grand gestures. Third, change and uncertainty to countries, its good sense-making and communication broad benefits should not come to be should engender a collaborative process overshadowed by its costs (as embodied of policymaking that, if harnessed well, in the narrative of depressive success can help shore up social resilience. and deficit of meaning). Admittedly, in the long run, a more responsive and relational government Although angst is fundamentally a result is only half of the solution. A culture of of global phenomena, it contextualises collaboration, where multiple domains harnessed across society support and itself in the language of local concerns. enhance the delivery of outcomes, is the essential ingredient to the recipe. In such Three broad strategies might be a scenario, government will continue pursued. First, governments need to detect to play a leading role, except that it is and understand public perception early now able to draw from a greater range in order to influence the development of options and develop better pathways of emerging social narratives in good for policy implementation. Yet therein time. This requires governments to lies the challenge, for societies would integrate information-sharing efforts need to undergo a paradigm shift and to develop more effective sense- where they eventually see themselves making capabilities. These should as partners in the solution, rather than include broad analytical capabilities just depending on governments to to determine, for example, whether resolve all of society’s ills. particular public issues are borne out by history has shown us that difficult facts on the ground or in fact represent challenges have always unearthed gaps between perception and reality. opportunities for nations to unite around Second, governments need the creative common goals and ideals. In the face and emotional acumen to generate of the American Civil War, Abraham smart options in order to communicate, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address in 1863 engage and influence the tenor and offered a language that enunciated mood of discussions. For example, in American beliefs and goals, and aided a

84 / The Age of Angst country torn by internal strife to move longer-term concerns like globalisation beyond its existential challenges. When and ageing, Japan has proved itself less facing the tensions that arise from global adaptable as its society continues to change, governments must be able to struggle to find a consensus to deal with enunciate a unifying goal or ideal that these emerging issues. As governments transcends current social difficulties. learn to navigate the age of angst, they Nevertheless, the factors that allow will have to expand their communication a society to deal with acute occurrences and engagement strategies, moving are quite different from those that beyond conventional speeches and press allow it to respond to chronic forces. releases to embrace affective approaches,4 For example, Japanese society dealt in order to more effectively shepherd remarkably well with the earthquake social narratives towards the greater and tsunami in 2011. However, against collective good.

NOTES

1. Doug Sanders, “Germany’s Season of Angst: 4. New York in the 1970s was struggling with the How a Prosperous Nation is Turning on Itself”, highest crime rates in the history of the city. Globe and Mail, June 25, 2011. This not only affected its public image, but also had aggravating effects on public opinion. 2. Such as the Ferrari incident in Singapore. See Through a campaign to generate tourism, http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/ celebrated American graphic designer Milton Singapore/Story/A1Story20120512-345585. Glaser devised the “I Love New York” symbol, html which has endured far longer than anticipated. In an unintended fashion, this powerful symbol 3. “Walking Out of the System”. International was heavily utilised by New Yorkers after 9/11 Herald Tribune, September 29, 2011. as a sign of solidarity collective strength.

ETHOS / 85 The Ethos Roundtable

Context, Connection and Continuity: Governance in the Next Decade

Three eminent participants from Singapore’s 5th Leaders in Governance Programme discuss the evolving role of the public sector, and the need for governments to engage with changing norms in society.

The ETHOS Roundtable was conducted by ETHOS Editor-in-Chief Alvin Pang in September 2012. Ms Vani Tripathi, Datuk Noharuddin Nordin and Ambassador S. Francis Moloi were participants in the 5th Leaders in Governance Programme (LGP) organised by the Singapore Civil Service College from 10–18 September 2012. Drawing from Singapore’s development experience, the LGP offers practical insights into the fundamentals of good governance and effective policy implementation for sustainable economic development and social cohesion. Over the eight-day programme, participants interact with senior government officials and thought leaders, and visit key government agencies to understand their operating philosophies and values.

Participants Ms Vani Tripathi, National Secretary, Indian Bhartiya Janta Party, India Datuk Noharuddin Nordin, Chief Officer, Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Malaysia Ambassador S. Francis Moloi, Chief Director, Department of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa

On Key Challenges Facing Governments A young Indian person today is Around the World bombarded with stimulus that he or Tripathi: Despite India’s yearly economic she often may not understand very growth of a steady 9% or so, poverty, well but which nevertheless influences malnutrition, education and primary their reaction to governance and policy. healthcare remain challenges. However, Some of our young people are brilliant the greatest challenge India faces is and very well-educated, particularly in demographic in nature: by 2014, 60% of the urban centres, but there is great India’s massive population will be under cynicism about political and governmental 40. So we are a very old civilisation with processes — and not just in India. All a very young population — and young across the globe, young people feel people are very difficult to please. disenfranchised from their political

86 / Context, Connection and Continuity: Governance in the Next Decade systems. Nevertheless, we cannot every intervention is an appropriate just disregard them because they are one, issues are sometimes compounded. disengaged. So the question is how do It has also been my observation that we effectively involve the young of our in many African countries, the political countries in the processes of governance mandate has not been viewed as a from which they feel alienated? mechanism for service delivery to fulfil the needs of the people. Without greater Moloi: In African countries and in public deliberation and understanding South Africa in particular, the major of the proper uses of power, we open challenge is not so much in having the the way to a lack of accountability, right policies — we have good plans corruption and abuse. for education, housing, infrastructure development and so on — but in the How do we effectively involve implementation of those policies. We operate in a context where there are the young of our countries in the many interrelated demands: youth processes of governance from unemployment, poverty, urban slums. What should we deal with first? Do which they feel alienated? we devote more resources to education or do we address immediate issues of Noharuddin: To me, the biggest question crime and insecurity? We do not have is not so much what the right solutions the luxury of parking issues to one are, but how we come to decide on the side and dealing with them one at a solutions and their implementation in time. We must find the right balance the complex environments we have of policy priorities and solutions in to operate in. The issue is how we order to address the many challenges define and understand our context and that we face. how we adapt the available solutions What makes this even more difficult to our context. is that South Africa as a whole (not Furthermore, not only must we just the public sector but the private develop solutions suited to the challenges sector and NGOs as well) lacks the we face in our own countries, but we right mix of managerial, organisational, have to do so in an interconnected technical and leadership skills needed world — we can no longer operate to respond to the challenges we have in isolation. Whatever we do, there on the ground. So there is a lot of trial is always an international context to and error both in the civil service and consider. When I talk to businessmen outside government, and since not in Malaysia, I tell them that there is no

ETHOS / 87 such thing as a domestic market versus Mr Mandela played a key role in an overseas market — there is no such taking us from apartheid to democracy clear division anymore. In the past, and attempting to unify the people; now the competitor to a sundry shop was we need the same kind of leadership to another store down the road or in the take us forward through the challenges neighbouring state. Now with giants that we have. In the case of South such as Tesco and Carrefour coming Africa, we also need to have the right in, their competitors are not their people with the right skills at the local neighbours next door but companies government level. At the moment, the in Europe and America. Competition best minds are concentrated at the is now global. national level, but it is at the local level where intervention is most necessary. On the Responsibilities of Public Sector Leadership and the Nature of Talent Tripathi: People often have the idea Moloi: The question of leadership that because they vote you in, you are becomes very critical: we need leaders supposed to be like a god, with the power who are skilled, focused, able to take to change or save lives. Government very bold decisions and also able to structures are then regarded as so influence people in a diverse society many ranks under god. But that is such as South Africa. not how it is. As a politician, I think of government as a process, and a very Without greater public deliberation long road. and understanding of the proper uses In India, the bureaucracy would sneer if I were to say that politicians and civil of power, we open the way to a lack of servants have a shared responsibility accountability, corruption and abuse. to implement policy and they too have to exercise leadership. They might say, When we hosted the 2010 FIFA this is your constituency, you’re the World Cup, we saw how sports could politician, go do what you want to do. unify South Africa: the entire country So one has to learn how best to work from village to city came together to around the in the structure, make it succeed, and we projected a and identify the ones who are effective South Africa that we could be proud and who can serve as a bridge between of. However, we have not been able to the government and the people. An sustain that momentum after the event. important question then becomes: how Continuous and consistent leadership do we identify these figures? How can is important. we find out who are the best people to staff the bureaucracy?

88 / Context, Connection and Continuity: Governance in the Next Decade Noharuddin: Everybody talks about to deal with very different contexts talent. In every country, policymakers in future. How do we respond to grapple with the “talent gap” in their the changes and the opportunities country, and think about how they that are out there? What type of should adjust their education system skills and competencies will we need in order to produce the right talent to from our population and how do we match the needs of the market. acquire them? Can the skills that we Unfortunately there is no clear relied on in 2000 be the same ones definition of talent. What is it really? that we use to address the challenges It is not just a function of education, of 2015? Obviously not — so this is or of knowledge of science and math. where innovation and some creative Sometimes the capability of a person thinking comes into play. We may be is not a matter of intelligence but one compelled not to focus so much on of exposure. I have seen a lot of people grades or on traditional concepts of who are brilliant — but neither they talent but on other qualities. nor anybody else were aware of their one thing I have found helpful brilliance until they were exposed to from the experience of Singapore is the right circumstances. the concept of a whole-of-government The right exposure can come very approach to solving complex, late in life — especially for those who interconnected problems. In South are less fortunate or from the rural Africa, we do operate through what regions — so if we come up with a system we call clusters of government, with where people are discounted at a very ministries clustered under economic early age, we may be depriving them development, labour, international of the opportunity to move up and let relations and so on, but these clusters their talents show. The country then do not quite communicate with each also loses the talent. Our perception of other. Yet one of the most effective ways talent can sometimes be too narrow. The of delivering service and developing kind of people we need tomorrow may policies that reinforce one another is not be the kind of people that delivered for these clusters to connect and engage results in the past. with each other.

On Dealing With an Uncertain Future Noharuddin: The most important thing and the Singapore Experience is to have self-awareness. If you don’t Moloi: Just as the Singapore of fifty see yourself for what you really are, years ago is neither the Singapore then you wind up addressing the wrong of today nor the Singapore of thirty issues. I think one important thing years to come, so we will all need that Singapore has is a good process

ETHOS / 89 for self-examination and assessment. As a small country without resources, It does not mean that you have all the Singapore has developed a very solutions, but you have a mechanism for successful, disciplined system thus clarifying the issues, for anticipating far. You have some challenges with an and understanding the challenges that ageing population and declining fertility. you will face, and that is a good start. But I think your national debate is not I think your process works also really about these issues. When you because you have the right people in began your development, you could the right place — some of them work not have envisaged the direction that out and some of them don’t, but you society would take. Since the 1960s, practise meritocracy and you end up society has become more progressive with a team that is able to deliver what and more liberal. People’s ideals and Singapore aspires to be. One remarkable values have changed. strength is how you are not only able to Are you listening to the voices that identify capable people, but also move are now more open and critical of the them around from one organisation to way society is governed? From the another, apparently without any barriers perspective of the internet generation, at all, even to positions that they had I think there is a big gap between your not originally been trained for. print and broadcast media and what is being expressed on social media. You Our perception of talent can sometimes have to engage your population more be too narrow. The kind of people we need instead of falling back on the collective instinct of controlling or censoring tomorrow may not be the kind of people the media. that delivered results in the past. You need to make a conscious effort to open your doors more to young Tripathi: The vigorous participation of people, who are the future of any the people in democracies such as India country, and also to women, whom I can sometimes look like a disadvantage notice are a minority in government. from the outside. But it also means Why women? Because I believe they that despite being very diverse, we are intrinsic community builders even are a people united by our political if they may not always be economic consciousness and principles. When providers, and they bring a different we have issues, we fight over them, we touch to leadership. I think these are have the means to express and debate the issues that Singapore will need to our views — all of which enrich our address a little more, in the challenging policies and the country as a whole. It decades you have ahead. makes us more robust.

90 / Context, Connection and Continuity: Governance in the Next Decade ETHOS / 91