3 Singapore Initiatives Among World's Top 20 Innovations

Government projects nominated for "Innovations in Transforming Government Award"

Three Singapore initiatives have made it to the top 20 global innovations being considered for the international "Innovations in Transforming Government Award". The top 20 were selected from more than 100 applications from 30 countries. The winner will be announced on 24 Sep 2007.

2. The three Singapore initiatives, grouped by the award administrator into a single submission, are:

• The CitizenConnect initiative which increases the reach of Government electronic services to Singapore residents, especially for those with difficulties transacting online,

• Mobile Government for citizens to access Government information and services conveniently through mobile devices and

• The Enterprise Challenge which provides funding to test innovative ideas that have potential to improve the delivery of public services

3. The first two initiatives are part of the Ministry of Finance's effort to bring convenience to citizens and increase the reach and diversity of electronic services available. The Enterprise Challenge (TEC) is an initiative driven by the Prime Minister's Office. Please see Annex A for details of the three initiatives.

4. On the nomination and the spirit of innovation in the Singapore Public Service, Mr Lim Hup Seng, Deputy Secretary (Performance), Ministry of Finance said "We are very pleased to have made it to the top 20. The Government places great emphasis on innovation in the course of our work. We must constantly strive to innovate, finding new and better ways to deliver public services to citizens, improving efficiency while reducing cost.

5. These projects are good examples of innovative and creative solutions which benefit our citizens and help to enhance Singapore's competitive edge. Even as we work to tackle new challenges that arise, the spirit of innovation must stay strong in the public sector. The CitizenConnect and Mobile Government have transformed the delivery of public services and people can now access them anytime, anywhere." he added.

6. "In seeking ideas to improve the delivery of public service, our fundamental belief is that promising ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. For example, 38 or about 40% of all the TEC projects have been implemented in the Public Service, bringing about some $170 million worth of cost savings for the Public Service," said Mr Chan Heng Kee, Deputy Secretary (Development), Public Service Division, Prime Minister's Office.

7. Apart from the above initiatives, an entry from the Singapore Institute of Technical Education also made it to the top 20 list.

8. The "Innovations Award in Transforming Government" is administered by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government and sponsored by IBM. The award recognises the world's most transformative government initiatives in operation worldwide. Nominees for the Award must demonstrate exceptional results in five key areas comprising innovation, effectiveness, scope, collaboration and transferability. For more information, please visit http://www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu/ASH

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