Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review (SPOR)

Date: 8 April 2013

Parliamentary Question by Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene:

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether there are plans to introduce quantitative measurements of performance outcomes in key areas of national interest in future editions of the Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review (SPOR).

Reply by DPM and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam: 

The Singapore Public Sector Outcomes Review (SPOR) reports several quantitative measures of outcomes that are of national interest, such as real median monthly household incomes, fertility rates and crime rates.

However, not every desired outcome can be measured with quantitative indicators. An example is “community bonding”, where an indicator like the volunteerism rate provides a useful reference point but not the complete picture. SPOR supplements quantitative measures with qualitative assessments aimed at a more holistic perspective of an issue.

Nevertheless, we will certainly consider further quantitative measures of outcomes where appropriate in future editions of SPOR.
In addition to SPOR, the Government releases other reports such as MTI’s Economic Survey of Singapore and MOM’s Labour Market Report, which provide a wider range of quantitative indicators in their respective domains.