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d e ce m b e r 2 0 0 3 11 www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge Public Service for the 21st Century Reaching further Front-liners go to greater lengths to provide excellent, personalised service 10 Fostering entrepreneurship 5 Rejuvenating WITS at MITA 6 Driving efforts to cut costs at MCDS 14 1 d e ce m b e r 2 0 0 3 CONTENTS 3 A LINE FOR YOU We would like to hear your views and suggestions on the cover story, “Kudos for service champs”. Please write to the Editor of Challenge at PS21 Office, 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119620, fax to 6775 3461 or email to [email protected]. Give your name, ministry, ministry address and telephone number. Published contributions will receive an exclusive gift from the PS21 Office. 4 WHAT’S HOT In the spotlight: TEC at mega exposition Fostering entrepreneurship 6 AT THE MINISTRIES Rejuvenating WITS at MITA Two gold winners share their projects Multiple honours for outstanding WIT idea e-Submission System speeds up work process 10 COVER STORY Kudos for service champs The most helpful policeman Delivering babies and excellent service is her forte Leaving a lasting impression 12 EXCELLENCE AT WORK A purpose-driven organisation Learning from mistakes 14 ECONOMY DRIVE Driving efforts to cut costs at MCDS Challenge is published monthly by the PS21 Office, Prime Minister’s Office (Public Service Division), 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119620. Tel: 6874 7558 • Fax: 6775 3461 Email: [email protected] • Website: www.ps21.gov.sg Editor: Leong Shih Yeng, PS21 Office Editorial Advisors: Lim Huay Chih and Tan Chee Seng, PS21 Office Editorial Team: Pauline Mah, Organisational Review Committee • Josie Kang, Quality Service Committee • Annie Goh, Staff Well Being Functional Committee • Inthira Mailvaganam, PS21 Office Publishing Consultant: Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd Printed in Singapore: National Photo Engravers VOLUME NINE ISSUE ELEVEN VIEWPOINT Ear drops for the rear? 15 AT YOUR SERVICE HDB Quality Service Day 2003 Enhancing service delivery at HDB 17 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PUBLIC OFFICER He helps to make dreams come true 18 STAFF MATTERS ENV steps up to the President’s Challenge Carnival kaleidoscope 19 HEALTHY BODY, ACTIVE MIND Protect yourself and your loved ones from AIDS 20 CHALLENGE QUIZ You can savour juicy updates, bite-size stories, fresh tips, choice ideas and plenty of food for thought. What’s more, you’ll love the new, challenging online contest as well as today’s special — the Chomp Chomp online game! So hurry, don’t miss out! Log on to www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge now! EAR DROPS FOR THE REAR? A Robert Cialdini wrote the following in his book Influence: Science and Practice: “Errors in the medicine patients receive can occur for a variety of reasons. However, in their book Medication Errors: Causes and Prevention (1981), Temple University professors of pharmacy Michael Cohen and Neil Davis attribute much of the problem to the mindless deference given to the ‘boss’ of a patient’s case: the attending physician. According to Cohen, ‘in case after case, patients, nurses, pharmacists, and other physicians do not question the prescription’. Take, for example, the strange case of the ‘rectal earache’ reported by Cohen and Davis. A physician ordered ear drops to be administered to the right ear of a patient suffering pain and infection there. Instead of writing out completely the location ‘Right ear’ on the prescription, the doctor abbreviated it so that the instructions read ‘place in R ear’. Upon receiving the prescription, the duty nurse promptly put the required number of ear drops into the patient’s anus. “Obviously, rectal treatment of an earache made no sense, but neither the patient nor the nurse questioned it. The important lesson of this story is that in many situations in which a legitimate authority has spoken, what would otherwise make sense is irrelevant. In these instances, we don’t consider the situation as a whole but attend and respond to only one aspect of it.” The point Cialdini makes is that in many cases, people simply carry out orders from their bosses even though they do not appear to make sense. The lesson for all of us is: THINK before doing anything. If the order from the boss does not make sense, either we are not understanding the order correctly, or the boss is giving a wrong order. To simply carry out the order will be the wrong thing to do. When we come to work, we not only come with eyes and ears and arms and legs. We also come with our brains. Use them. And bosses: Be willing to use your ears more. Listen, for you may be wrong. Your people have brains. Allow them to use their brains. And to speak out their ideas. THINK! You may be wrong... or... your boss may be wrong. Lim Siong Guan Head, Civil Service What’s Hot 4 In the spotlight: TEC at mega exposition TEC signed an MOU with SPF. Seen in this picture are (from left): Mr Bilahari Kausikan, 2 Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CoChairman of TEC; Mr Kumar Nadarajan, TEC proposer and CEO of CastBridge Pte Ltd; and Mr Khoo Boon Hui, Commissioner of SPF. By Nirmala Sakthi, TEC ore than 10,000 leading entrepreneurs, innovators, venture capitalists, top and senior corporate executives and visitors from worldwide converged at Global Entrepolis @ Singapore 2003 — a mega event where enterprise, innovation and technology took centrestage. This inaugural event, organised by the Economic Development Board, was held from 28 to 31 October at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre. M c h a l l e n g e The Enterprise Exchange One important highlight was The Enterprise Exchange, an international exposition and marketplace for innovative enterprises. The Enterprise Challenge (TEC) Unit participated by showcasing 10 TEC sponsored innovations by four public organisations and three private companies. The exposition was an excellent opportunity to showcase the TEC scheme to attract more radical innovations that would create new value for the Singapore Public Service. It also drew attention to public sector innovations and provided TEC’s private sector proposers, many of whom are small start-ups, with a chance to meet new buyers and potential inventors, as well as to obtain venture capital to expand their commercialisation plans. d e c e m b e r Significant TEC moments TEC has been a catalyst for developing many ideas from conceptualisation to implementation through live TEC trials. Many of the completed trials are at various stages of implementation and some are at the brink of commercialisation/ internationalisation. Some of the significant milestones in our innovators’ journey took centrestage at the grand event. • Aromatrix Technologies Pte Ltd, which developed the TEC-sponsored BioScrubber innovation, signed a licensing agreement with Met-Pro Corporation from the US. • TEC and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the project entitled “Delivering of Real-time Operational Information in SPF”. • The National Library Board’s Aspiration Pathfinder project team delivered a very unique presentation on “Expanding Your Innovative Capacity” by blending drama and storytelling with creativity and innovation. • Aromatrix organised the NOSE Challenge competition to find the most sensitive nose in the hall. The competition was in line with promotions for the TEC trial-tested Clinic Nose Olfactometer. Two new awards Mr Raymond Lim, Minister for Entrepreneurship, presented two new TEC awards during the event. The TEC Achievement Award was given to the Innovators of the most outstanding TEC innovations. These innovations have been successfully trial tested and implemented in the public sector, and are marketed locally and internationally. The TEC Champion Award went to exemplary public officers who had championed TEC innovations and consistently demonstrated the qualities of Tenacity, Enterprise and Commitment in their innovation journey. The winners were Dr Lynda Wee from Republic Polytechnic, Mr Gene Tan from the National Library Board, Mr Shaik Mohd Salim from the Ministry of Manpower, and Mr Lim Seng Kim from the Singapore Police Force. (Visit www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge for details on their projects.) A rewarding experience The event brought together the world’s best and most enterprising minds. TEC and its proposers gained many radical ideas, new partnerships and an enriching learning experience from the event. 0 3 What’s Hot 5 Fostering entrepreneurship By PS COE (Innovation Unit), CSC he Civil Service College and PS21 Office jointly organised a conference entitled “Fostering Entrepreneurship: The Role of Government” on 31 October 2003. The conference was part of Global Entrepolis @ Singapore 2003, a week-long event organised by the Economic Development Board. Two hundred and seventy delegates participated in the conference. They learnt about the Government’s plan and its role in promoting entrepreneurship in Singapore. They also gained insights from the experiences of other governments. The conference was opened by the guest of honour, Mr Raymond Lim, Minister for Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry. T The Government’s role In his opening speech, Mr Lim stressed the imperative need for Singapore to be a creative and entrepreneurial nation as Singapore can no longer solely compete based on costs due to the emergence of lower cost and resource-rich competitors like our regional neighbours. He also said that for Singapore to enjoy sustained economic growth, entrepreneurship can be a key driver to help Singapore make the leap from an investment-based economy to an innovation-based one. He outlined three main areas in which he sees the Government playing an active role to boost the entrepreneurial spirit in Singapore: Firstly, in the area of Policies — through mechanisms such as the ProEnterprise Panel (PEP), Zero-In-Process (ZIP) and Public Officers Working on Eliminating Red-tape (POWER), to continually drive changes in the Public Service (visit www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge to find out how the mechanisms work). Mr Lim said he was heartened to know that PEP has received over 1,000 suggestions since it was started in August 2000. Half Mr Lim giving the opening address. Ms Lim chaired a lively panel discussion which sparked off an interesting exchange of questions and answers between the panel and the participants. For of them have resulted in rule M the full t ext rL changes. Many agencies have out im’s speec of h, ch Chal len eck also reviewed their rules under www .ps21 ge Onlin e at .gov. the Rules Review Process sg/ch allen (RRP) and implemented ge. changes. Secondly, he talked about Processes — where the default way of dealing and interacting with businesses will be to respond with “Yes” rather than “No”. Said Mr Lim: “For the Government to be truly proenterprise, our public officers must have business perspective. They need to understand the impact that Government rules can have on businesses. They need to know how to craft and implement rules in a proenterprise manner, without compromising their regulatory objectives. When they receive business proposals that do not fall squarely within the book, they need to actively consider alternatives rather than reject them outright.” Finally, in the area of People, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Civil Service College are revamping the Cut Red Tape Workshop which will help to change our officers’ mindsets so that they will be more empathetic towards businesses. The workshop is now mandatory for all executive-level officers. Hearing from experts The other conference speakers were Mr Patrick Daniel, Managing Editor of the English and Malay Newspapers Division, Singapore Press Holdings, and member of the ACE (Action Community for Entrepreneurship) committee; Dr Joshua Mok, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong; and Mr Christopher Curtis, Chief Entrepreneurship Officer of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development in Canada. At The Ministries MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS 6 Rejuvenating WITS at MITA MDA, the organiser, and MITA and its sister organisations wanted to rejuvenate WITS by organising the convention along the lines of a workshop that allowed all participants and supporters to share ideas and learn together. The judges hard at work. “We Innovate Together” was the theme of this year’s MITA WITS Convention. Fun, games, music and an opportunity to learn together were the order of the day, or rather, days. By Kerry Tan, MITA eld on 12 and 13 August, the convention saw 24 teams from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MITA), Media Development Authority (MDA), Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), National Heritage Board (NHB), National Library Board (NLB) and the National Arts Council (NAC) taking part in the event held at MITA Building. H Engaging and interactive programme There were three halfday sessions. The participating teams in each session were encouraged to sit through the entire session to learn from the projects of other teams and exchange ideas instead of leaving the venue after their presentations. Ice-breakers and team games focusing on innovation and WITS were introduced to inject fun into all the sessions. To raise the excitement level, the results were announced at the end of each session. The CEOs of NLB, NHB and MDA gave out the letters of participation to the teams. This showed the senior management’s strong support of WITS. A total of 5 gold, 11 silver and 8 bronze awards were given out at the convention. Two gold winners share their projects c h a l l e n g e Flashz WIT presenting their project. d e c e m b e r Project by Flashz from NLB READ@TN (Resources for Education And Development @ Teachers Network) is a special library that caters exclusively to teachers. Teachers have ready access to a large collection of useful teaching aids and education-related literature. However, even though a WIT called Flashz introduced a number of initiatives to improve the loan performance at READ@TN, the loan figures were still dissatisfactory. This problem was confirmed when they compared the loan figures with that at other similar libraries in Singapore. 0 3 At The Ministries 7 MITA Innovation Fiesta The MITA WITS Convention ended with pomp on 22 August to coincide with the launch of the MITA Innovation Fiesta. The fiesta had a carnival-like setting. There were jugglers, fun and thought-provoking innovative games, balloon sculpting, a live band and more that generated an atmosphere of creative learning. To top it off, an in-house team produced a video clip which artistically showcased the fun, anxiety, excitement and humour experienced at the convention. As the organisers were mindful of the Economy Drive, in-house talents and resources were fully utilised. More reasons for WITS At the closing ceremony, Permanent Secretary (MITA) Dr Tan Chin Nam gave his thoughts on the need for a new context for WITS. He said that WITS should be about value innovation, which is about pursuing differentiation while keeping costs low. This is especially crucial since we are facing To solve the problem, Flashz created the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Mobile Library, which is available to teachers during Teachers Network’s workshops and events organised by the Ministry of Education. The mobile library allows teachers to borrow items on the spot at their convenience. Since this initiative was introduced, Flashz has achieved 6,434 loans, which is 6.7% more than the target set. The mobile library effectively showcases the READ@TN collection of books and enables staff to have face-to-face interaction with the users. Moreover, NLB has achieved cost savings of $14,452. Project by Restorer from NHB Leafcasting is a conservation process where missing areas in documents are filled with newly cast paper from paper pulp. A specially fabricated formidable low-cost competitors from countries like China, India and Malaysia. As a result, the competitive gap is narrowing. “The next phase of Singapore’s success may depend on how well we value innovate,” said Dr Tan. While the convention may have come to an end, the spirit of WITS should live on. Mr Joseph Leong, Chairman of the Organising Committee, said, “WITS should continue to be promoted as it is a very good vehicle for continuous improvements and continuous learning, and it provides a platform for innovation. It is often through many small improvements that we eventually get a breakthrough. “Instead of just focusing on problem-solving, which is still necessary for improving efficiency and productivity, WITS should shift to the next gear of looking at work improvements and creating new value. And one must not forget that WITS brings people together, which in turn enhances teamwork, camaraderie and improves group dynamics.” machine is used for this process. For every leafcasting cycle, a specific amount of paper fibre in about two litres of water is poured into the machine. Water accumulated from the constant adding of pulp to water causes the volume of water in the vat to increase and overflow. This also causes the machine to stop and exposes the documents to prolonged soaking. A WIT called Restorer came up with a solution. They incorporated an automated draining device which removes excess water from the machine during the leafcasting process. The device eliminates the overflow problem. NHB also enjoys cost savings in manpower, materials and maintenance. More importantly, the team has improved the quality of the archived documents. At The Ministries MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 8 Multiple honours for outstanding WIT idea OASIS WIT developed a system that has improved efficiency at MFA Headquarters and its overseas missions. A WIT named OASIS was in the limelight at the PS21 ExCEL Convention 2002 as well as the National Innovation and Quality Circle Carnival 2003. The team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MFA) Consular Directorate developed a system that is now being used by MFA Headquarters and its overseas missions to manage consular cases effectively and extend timely assistance to Singapore citizens abroad. By OASIS WIT very year, over 30% of the Singapore population travel overseas for pleasure, work and study. It is inevitable for some of them to encounter difficulties in foreign countries. The Consular Directorate is responsible for assisting our citizens overseas. It normally handles no less than 10 cases daily. The cases range from the loss of passport to the loss of life. E c h a l l e n g e d e c e m b e r Problems with old manual system To achieve MFA’s vision to be always ready to help Singaporeans at anytime and anywhere ne ally do ct e r s a in the world, our e WIT h S proj OASIS Its CCM the MFA . d consular officers u o r MFA p ld award at y a o continually explore D g ation won a Innov e h d t n t ways and means to a rd a Ideas 02, ld awa 0 o 2 g n a o improve our case ti 2002, onven xCEL C t the a management d r a PS21 E aw silver and n o i system. t and a a nov 03! 0 3 al In l 20 Nation rcle Carniva i C y t li Qua One problem they encountered was that the old manual system for maintaining records and retrieving information was not able to cope with the large volume of cases. OASIS took up the challenge of addressing this problem. The team members began examining the problems in the existing filing system. They found that the manual system hampered MFA’s ability to maintain up-to-date records and staff could not retrieve information expeditiously. In the worst case scenario, when the case officer is away attending to some other matters, the covering officer has great difficulty accessing the relevant records and responding promptly to citizens who require urgent assistance. After identifying problems in the old system, OASIS worked with their colleagues from the Information Management Directorate to conceptualise and develop the Consular Case Management System (CCMS). A new system with many uses CCMS is an online system that stores consular cases in a central database and allows officers at MFA Headquarters and overseas missions to share the same information. With CCMS, searching and retrieving past cases is easy and fast, and there is no need to file any hardcopies. More importantly, the system enables MFA officers to interact with other public agencies via emails, which are automatically captured. At The Ministries 9 CCMS also incorporates various consular standard operating procedures and related information that can help our officers to handle difficult and sensitive cases. It also highlights some model cases for training new consular officers. Enhancing service and efficiency Our officers at Headquarters and the overseas missions are now using CCMS to manage consular cases and they find it useful. They are now able to respond to 90% of consular cases in less than four hours. The system also eliminates the need for the tedious process of maintaining monthly consular statistics. This is because CCMS electronically transfers all the figures into a statistical database, which was also created by OASIS. CCMS stores consular cases in a central database which allows officers at MFA Headquarters and overseas missions to share the same information. e-Submission System speeds up work process n its continuous drive to innovate and find new and more efficient ways of working, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has developed a system that enables its officers to put up and process submissions electronically. These submissions are papers raised to obtain management’s decisions on a wide variety of issues, such as policy matters, official trips, etc. Previously, these were submitted by circulating physical files. However, the circulating process was slow and prone to delays. Although email could be used for this purpose, it is not the ideal channel for clearing submissions as it is difficult for officers to track email submissions when they are cleared and to ensure that all email replies/threads received are archived. I New, effective system MFA’s e-Submission System, which was developed based on the Lotus Notes system, was fully implemented in the MFA Headquarters in September 2002. This new system allows officers to put up and process electronic submissions in a systematic manner that captures the spirit of “traditional” paper/file submissions. This is how the system works: The officer who creates the e-submission defines the various clearing levels as well as the approving officer. The submission is automatically forwarded to each officer in turn. An automatic email alert is sent to prompt the relevant officer when the submission is forwarded for his action. After reading the contents of the submission, the officer may append his remarks directly into the submission and forward it to the officer in the next clearing level. If for some reason the officer is unable to act on the submission within 72 working hours, the system automatically forwards it to the next clearing level to prevent unnecessary delay. Finally, when the approving officer appends his comments and closes the submission, the one who created the submission as well as the officers in all the clearing levels are informed by email alerts. The system allows everyone to view the final decision/results at the same time. The closed submission, together with all comments and attachments, is then automatically stored in MFA’s document management system. The system also enables officers to easily keep track of all their submissions in real time. They can track the officer who is currently “holding” the submission and whether it is still pending or has been closed. Faster results Now the overall submission process is faster and more efficient. Decision-making is also easier now as decisions made by management can be obtained and disseminated among relevant parties within a shorter period of time. This in turn allows officers to take appropriate follow-up action more quickly. Officers also have more time to focus on other areas of their work and are hence more productive. Sharing the innovation The system has been presented to the Committee of Permanent Secretaries as well as 10 ministries and two government agencies. At least four ministries are exploring how the system may be configured for their own use. CoverStory 10 Kudos for service champs Dr Balaji delivering the opening address. Every year, the Excellent Service Award (EXSA) honours people who have delivered exemplary service. This year, there were 6,286 winners, the largest number of service champions to date. n his opening speech at the EXSA presentation ceremony held on 6 November, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Minister of State for Health and Transport, highly commended the nine SuperStar winners for their exemplary performance. He said, “They have good product knowledge but they do not just sell or serve. Instead, they I This ye healt ar, staff from hcare th and indu secur e strie s rec i t y awar eived ds the The o for the first ther time s e parti . cipat ven i n attra g ind cti u hosp ons, lan stries are d tra italit nsp y, airpo rt, tr restauran ort, avel t, and retai l. actively seek to understand customers’ needs better and recommend the best way to meet their requirements. They pay attention to details and go the extra mile to delight their customers.” Such service providers are vital because exceeding customer expectations, creating service experiences and delighting customers is the new paradigm in service excellence. Dr Balaji said, “It is no longer sufficient to understand and meet customers’ needs and expectations. Today, customers need to be wooed and wowed. We need to exceed their expectations. It is going beyond service quality.” He added that organisations are increasingly judged by the depth of their customer relationships. Such relationships are built on trust and reinforced through consistently good experiences. Service providers who engage their customers in a personal and memorable way will be able to retain them. Dr Balaji also said that customers need to be delighted by providing them with benefits beyond what they expect to receive. Delighting customers will enhance customer loyalty. Highlighting the fact that the competition is intensifying, Dr Balaji stressed on the need for organisations to continuously create more innovative value propositions to delight their customers. The most helpful policeman friendly and familiar face at Bishan Neighbourhood Police Centre, Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Chia Voon Yeow has earned the trust and praises of residents in the estate. He often offers a listening ear and a helping hand to those in distress. Once a lady who had a quarrel with her husband turned to SSgt Chia for help. She was thinking of divorcing her husband. SSgt Chia counselled her and called up her husband. He even arranged a session to talk things over with the couple. Two weeks later, the lady called to say that their relationship had improved. SSgt Chia said, “Some residents have no one to turn to when they have family disputes, so they go to the police officer. If I turn them away, their disputes can lead to family violence. I’ll do what I can to prevent family violence. If I can’t help them, I’ll refer the cases to agencies like family service centres.” A c h a l l e n g e d e c e m b e r Sharing lessons from the heart, he said, “I’ve had bad experiences of meeting bad retail service providers, so I tell myself I cannot be a bad service provider. When customers come to me, I try to put myself into their shoes, find out what they want and understand their needs so that I can serve them better.” On the importance of delivering quality service, he added, “Providing good service enhances our relationship with the community, which will have more trust in us and in the services we provide. That’s important because we work hand in hand to fight crime.” SSgt Chia is also always on the lookout for ways to improve work processes and customer service. He is actively involved in two WITs and has a hand in eight projects. With such a positive attitude towards his work, it is no surprise that he has won numerous awards and commendations. 0 3 Cover Story 11 Delivering babies and excellent service is her forte aving been a practising midwife for over 17 years, Ms Teo Chor Cher, Senior Nurse Manager, has helped to deliver many babies at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). Her patients are in good hands as she gladly goes beyond the call of duty to care for them. “It is my privilege to help women in labour cope with labour pain and delivery,” she said. “Sharing their joy upon hearing the first cry from their babies is my greatest satisfaction.” Caring, dedicated, professional and empathetic, Ms Teo embodies the very best in a nurse. She also continually seeks ways to raise service standards and H Star uper hree S e n e ni ar, t Of th s this ye r ublic e improve work processes. She is winn om the P r fr ei actively involved in several service were . Read th e b e c i v and Ser improvement projects, one of which here iver s e i r l sto o de . won a gold award at the National red t e too inspi nt servic Quality Circle Convention. e l excel Ms Teo’s dedication has won her many accolades over the years including the National Day Excellence Award. On her latest win, she said, “It came as a surprise and I’m overjoyed! I feel very honoured and encouraged by the award and would like to share this award with all my colleagues. It is the fruit of the excellent teamwork in KKH.” Ms Teo, SSgt Chia and Mr Tee (fifth, second and first from right) with the other SuperStar award winners. Leaving a lasting impression urious passengers are pacified and desperate travellers readily find a helping hand when they meet Senior Immigration and Checkpoint Specialist Tee Soon Kay from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). This 54-year-old public officer based at Changi Airport Terminal 1 simply has a way with customers. Once he stopped a journalist who tried to bring in a carton of duty-free cigarettes which was against Singapore law. The passenger was very angry when he was stopped. Mr Tee gently persuaded him to talk things over in his office and managed to cool him down. On another occasion, he met a Malaysian lady who had flown in just after midnight from Detroit. She had forgotten to renew her passport which had expired. Mr Tee learnt that her aged parents were at the waiting area and asked the immigration duty officer to grant her a special temporary pass, so that she could meet her parents who would bring her back to Johor Bahru. When the pass was granted, Mr Tee helped to F retrieve her bags and even pushed the baggage trolley as she made her way out to meet her parents. The lady’s parents were very delighted with Mr Tee’s service. Their complimentary letter was just one of the many compliments he has received since he first joined the customs inspection team in 1969. While he admits that it is not easy to balance security concerns with the need for excellent service delivery, he has proved that it can achieved by adopting a positive mindset. He said, “Everyday is a challenge, especially for those at the front-line at the airport. As Singapore’s ambassadors, we should provide good service so foreigners will leave with a lasting good impression of Singapore.” Mr Tee shared that winning his most recent award marks a turning point in his career. He said, “I was thinking of retiring as I’m reaching 55 in four months’ time. Now, if I can contribute, I will keep on contributing, because I hope to help the younger officers.” Excellence At Work 12 A purpose-driven organisation A workgoup leader facilitating a discussion on MinLaw’s core values during a workgroup meeting. By Corporate Development Unit, MinLaw HQ ike DNA that controls and directs every genetic aspect of life, the Ministry of Law’s (MinLaw) core values are fundamental because they guide its staff to achieve its organisational goals. These core values unify and integrate MinLaw’s various agencies, departments and statutory boards into one seamless body. L c h a l l e n g e d e c e m b e r Redefining MinLaw’s mission and core values The ministry embarked on a pathfinding process to understand and redefine its mission and core values in early 2001. The pathfinding process was not one-sided as MinLaw sought the views of both senior management and staff on the ground. In fact, a team of young officers was tasked to gather the thoughts of colleagues from various departments and statutory boards. The team got to hear the most ingenious contributions through a fertile exchange of ideas in an informal setting. With all the feedback from staff, the team then spent some time crafting the core values, bearing in mind the need to bring the points across simply and in a concise and succinct manner. The new core values were endorsed by the Minister for Law in March 2001 and launched at a ceremony. Imbuing the core values MinLaw believes that once its staff can understand and relate to its core values as something akin to their personal values, they will naturally exhibit behaviours that uphold the values. To cultivate a common understanding of the core values among its officers, MinLaw adapted one of the best practices of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. The premier hotel believes that to create good habits and a service culture, its staff need to identify with a set of core values. At the start of each work shift, its staff gather in their work teams for 15 minutes to talk about one of its 20 values. MinLaw found a way to adapt this practice to suit its organisational setting. As its various workgroups were already meeting up regularly to discuss operational matters, MinLaw tapped on this ready opportunity to highlight its core values. The ministry institutionalised the sharing of core values during those meetings. The workgroup leaders facilitate the discussion on core values with their staff which takes only about 10 minutes so as not to overshadow the discussion on operational matters. 0 3 Excellence At Work 13 of istry ublic n i M eP The on th for w w La ard ce Aw Servi ational . nis Orga nce 2003 lle e c x E To facilitate the sharing of core values, real-life stories contributed by staff who have exhibited the values in their day-to-day work are distributed to all workgroups by the Corporate Development Unit every month. A different value is discussed each month. The staff also receive practical tips on how to remember the values, suggestions on how to live out the values and quotes to inspire staff to uphold the core values. MinLaw’s efforts are evidently paying off. Said Corporate Development Executive Shirley Ou, “The core values provide me with a sense of direction in my daily routine, particularly when I encounter difficult situations. As an officer who deals with members of the public on a regular basis, I always bear in mind that I have to serve the public with utmost ‘Integrity and Professionalism’, because I know that they expect nothing less than the best possible outcomes.” A worthwhile journey MinLaw has found its journey of organisational culture development worth taking. While developing an organisational culture takes time, adopting a comprehensive approach and repeatedly reinforcing the shared values will bring about desired behaviours that move the organisation towards achieving its goals in a sustainable manner. OUR MISSION To ensure a sound legal infrastructure, optimise land resources and promote intellectual property to support our economic and social goals. OUR CORE VALUES • For Singapore — Singapore’s interests come first. • Integrity and Professionalism — We abide by the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct. • Creative Pragmatism — We embrace challenges with passion, creativity and pragmatism. • Valuing People — We value and respect our people, promote teamwork and recognise individual contributions. Learning from mistakes By Corporate Development Unit, MinLaw HQ he fear of making mistakes is one of the basic stumbling blocks to learning. So that its staff do not fear exploring new ideas, making mistakes and learning from them, MinLaw launched a new column in its quarterly newsletter, MinLaw Line, called “Back on Track”. The column shines the spotlight on members of MinLaw’s core management team who share an occasion when they had made a mistake. They also share their perspective of making mistakes and learning from them. The idea for this column was inspired by Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) approach to staffs’ mistakes. At SIA, mistakes are treated as important learning steps. The emphasis is on recovery and learning and not “crucifying the culprit”. As a result, staff are less likely to be defensive and more prepared to admit and rectify mistakes or omissions quickly. T DS shares a genuine mistake he made The first story in the column was contributed by our Deputy Secretary (DS). He shared about how he had mistaken an early Sunday morning flight for a late Sunday night flight. DS reached the airport on Sunday evening thinking he would be catching the after-midnight flight at 1 am. However, he was 24 hours late for his flight. Fortunately, the airline staff managed to book the next flight for him, and he arrived at his destination early Monday morning just on time for his business meeting. In the story, DS said management recognises that to err is human and that management is no different from rank and file officers. He gave this piece of advice: “To avoid making mistakes would be to sit back and do nothing. That is not tenable. The wiser way is to acknowledge our mistakes, review what we have done, learn from them and move on.” Getting the right message across Since the first Back On Track story was published, three more management staff have been featured in the newsletter. The column has been warmly received by MinLaw’s staff. As one staff put it: “I am now able to see that our leaders are tolerant of genuine mistakes. The column helps to communicate the right message to staff. We should all learn from our mistakes, and not repeat them.” EconomyDrive 14 Driving efforts to cut costs at MCDS public education and IT, because of their potential to achieve material savings. Although this approach provides clear accountability and potentially good results, it did not involve everyone. Hence we adjusted our approach and incorporated ED targets for all divisions as part of their resource management process of redeploying savings to fund new programmes. This way, all divisions have a stake in ED. A skit to bring home the ED message. By MCDS ince the Economy Drive was officially launched across the public sector in May 2003, the Ministry of Community Development and Sports (MCDS) and its statutory boards have formed respective Internal Economy Drive Committees (iEDC) to spread the ED message. The committees set the direction and nurture a culture where staff always try to get more out of government expenditure. MCDS’ iEDC is chaired by Deputy Secretary, Ms Yeoh Chee Yan, while the iEDCs of the statutory boards are chaired by the respective CEOs. S c h a l l e n g e The Economy Drive is not new to MCDS At MCDS, we are always economical in the way we manage our systems and run our programmes. This attitude is clearly spelt out in our corporate approach, the MCDS Way. In fact, when we talked with MCDS staff, many said they have been practising the ED approach over the years as a matter of duty. We applaud this attitude and explained that the relaunch is a timely reminder for everyone of the need to systematically realise efficiency gains. As the fiscal environment grows tighter, the ED way must be promoted and practised at all levels so that there will be resources for funding new initiatives. For the minority who viewed ED as a one-time campaign during bad times, we took pains to point out that this should not be the case. By driving ED efforts from the top and with support from one and all, we hope to see ED progressively becoming part and parcel of how we work and manage our resources. d e c e m b e r Everyone has a stake Initially, we examined the Net Economic Value (NEV) drivers of seven big-ticket items, including Strategy for implementation To inculcate ED values, we established a communication plan. We are tackling the ED challenge in three phases: creating awareness, educating staff to inculcate the spirit of ED, and reinforcing and upholding the spirit of ED. Some effective measures Like many public agencies, MCDS has adopted measures such as double-sided photocopying, switching off lights during lunch hour, outsourcing the production of public education materials and using minimal specifications for these materials. We conducted a review of the usage of water and electricity at MCDS-run homes to identify areas for savings. We are also placing fewer paid advertisements. Instead, our public education messages are carried for free in the mass media through magazines, newspapers and television. Our next lap Our ongoing ED efforts include a feasibility study on setting up an administrative hub for voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) that are running social welfare programmes funded by ministries and the National Council of Social Service. By tapping on central administrative services (e.g. building maintenance), VWOs can focus on their core business and achieve greater cost efficiency. The ministry is also actively exploring ways to save energy in MCDS Building, use NEV as a management tool for deploying resources efficiently, and to outsource the ministry’s non-core functions. Learning about ED in a fun and memorable way. 0 3 At Your Service 15 HDB Quality Service Day 2003 This year, the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Quality Service Day (QSD) was given a new spin. Held on 10 September, the event was upbeat, fun and challenging. Many front-line staff were reminded of the principles of quality service through games — carnival-style. There were also many other exciting highlights that day. By HDB icking off the day’s programme was a stimulating in-house multimedia production that paid tribute to front-line staff, the service heroes of HDB. CEO Niam Chiang Meng then gave his opening address to some 400 HDB front-line staff at the HDB Auditorium and unveiled SHiNE, the new mascot for quality service in HDB. The mascot, embodied in a smiling sunflower, represents the service front that HDB wants to portray — K HDB Hub, and personally assisted customers with their enquiries. The customers were more than delighted to have HDB’s senior management and department heads take a personal interest in their requests. Mr Niam also took a tour of the many frontline counters at HDB Hub and greeted the frontline staff. It was clear that the customer service officers and telephone enquiry staff appreciated Mr Niam’s gesture and were greatly motivated by the show of commitment to quality service by management. SHiNE — the virtual knowledge centre for quality service SHiNE, an Intranet portal for quality service, was also launched. SHiNE provides an avenue for HDB staff to learn about delivering better counter services, relating to customers over the telephone, and techniques for replying to written correspondence. Front-line staff can read about each other’s “Whether you are involved in front-line counter experiences, the best services or in providing telephone enquiry services, practices of other service organisations and even you are a key pillar of ours in that you are the face post messages to an of HDB, or for some of you, the voice of HDB…. interactive discussion And, as in the past, you have done a wonderful job.” forum. — HDB CEO Niam Chiang Meng a friendly face that delivers services that shine and delight customers! The Service Challenge Carnival This carnival was a first for QSD. It saw staff having fun playing games aptly named “Delight Your Customer”, “Unleash Your Potential” and more, and winning prizes. Said Administrative Assistant Sheena Goh and Administrative Executive Serene Choong from the Geylang Branch Office on their first QSD experience, “The carnival games were simple but nice. We hope that for future QSDs, there’ll be more carnival game stalls.” ‘I was served by HDB’s CEO!’ Management staff gamely took to the front-line counters. Mr Niam cheerfully took up his position at the Sales/Resale Reception Counter A at the Shine on! Staff feedback at the end of the day revealed that the HDB Quality Service Day 2003 was a success. Most of the staff found the multimedia show inspiring and the carnival game stalls interesting. Mr Niam assisting customers with their enquiries. At Your Service 16 Enhancing service delivery at HDB By HDB he Management Services Section of the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Corporate Development Department conducts the HDB Expectation & Experience (E & E) Survey once in two years. The objective of the survey is to evaluate customers’ expectations of HDB’s services and how well customers think HDB has been meeting those expectations. The results over the last 10 years show that HDB has been improving its ability to gauge and meet customers’ expectations. In fact, the expectation-experience gap value has been showing a gradual downward trend over the years (see chart). T Five service contacts HDB recently conducted the fifth cycle of the survey. Five major points of service contact were assessed. For counter services, customers ranked efficiency and effectiveness as the two most important factors. When it comes to waiting time, 23% of HDB’s customers expect to be served within 5 minutes of arriving at HDB counters, and 83% expect to be served in 15 minutes. As for telephone enquiry services, 91% of the customers expect to get through the line in three attempts and 85% expect the call to be picked up within five rings. c h a l l e n g e d e c e m b e r Customers expect fast and effective counter service at HDB. Promptness of replies is regarded as one of the most important factors when it comes to handling written and email replies. More than one-third of the customers expect to receive written replies in three days, and 92% expect to receive replies in seven days. In the case of email replies, 28% of the customers expect to receive replies within a day, and 84% expect to receive email replies within three days. The increasing popularity of the Internet has also seen a rise in the number of suggestions pertaining to the HDB InfoWeb. There have been numerous calls from customers requesting HDB to provide more information and e-services on the InfoWeb. On the whole, running the E & E Survey has been an enriching process that has uncovered valuable insights into the psyche of HDB’s customers. For one, the downward trend in the expectation-experience gap value is a positive endorsement of the many service initiatives that are continuously being adopted in HDB. For another, the survey reveals the increasing expectations of customers on several aspects of our service. The E & E Survey has also provided the necessary impetus for introducing numerous service improvements such as the development of an in-house knowledge database for quality service and a review of the service recovery process in HDB. The recent E & E Survey received a total of 1,056 responses. 0 3 A Day In The Life Of A Public Officer 17 He helps to make dreams come true S hannon Low thrives in two different worlds — even while at work. In the one we are familiar with, he attends functions, meets people, reviews proposals, does paperwork, travels overseas and makes things happen. In the other, he enters an exciting “virtual” landscape where anything can happen, and imaginations of the future are (digitally) in the making. Shannon’s job title: Assistant Manager, Content Development/Digital Media, Industry Development Division, Media Development Authority (MDA). Simply put, his role is to grow Singapore’s digital media industry by helping companies to develop and export content products. Such products include computer games, interactive media products, and animated television series and films. Growing a budding industry “The digital media industry is still quite young here,” said Shannon. “Although we haven’t got a large number of content products at the moment, there’s potential for growth.” Shannon oversees MDA’s Digital Content Development Scheme, which provides funding for companies seeking to produce pilot episodes of a TV series, trailers for a film, a playable technical demo for a game, or an interactive media project. With the funding from MDA, these companies can produce something to show interested buyers, investors and partners, who can then provide further funding for developing the entire project. So far, close to 20 proposals have been submitted. Several have been approved. Those that have made it are truly innovative ideas and concepts that come with a promising business plan for marketing the products overseas. Bringing different worlds together ia 21 d e M Shannon also looks for its to nched u 3 a 0 l 0 A 2 avenues where MDA can MD July int in to a work with the private bluepr ingapore in city. pS develo lobal media sector to bring more s, tg e year v i vibran f attention to digital t x he ne $100 Over t d l n e a media content c p e lo ill s ote th MDA w m o r p products and to excite n to millio ustry. d more people to create n i a medi them. For example, MDA supports international cybergames, digital art and animation competitions. Going on industry promotion trips are also part of the job. Shannon recently spent a week in the US visiting animation and game development companies in a bid to pave the way for partnerships between US and Singapore companies. He explained, “We want to get US companies to think about co-production and co-development with our local companies. That will give local companies a chance to learn from US companies, as well as an opportunity to gain access to the international market through their US partners.” Work is fun and invigorating “I read gaming magazines and play computer games for research, and I get to watch animated pilot TV series submitted by companies!” he said beaming. However, what he enjoys most about his job is working in a dynamic industry. “We are now seeing a big growth in 3D animation in TV series and films. We’re also seeing a lot more complexity in computer games. I think they can grow a lot more complex, with more impressive and exciting visual effects,” he said. “There’s also the idea of convergence between media. For example, your mobile phone can become a widespread platform for much more interactive games. It’s exciting to be able to push and develop this industry, and see how companies come up with new ideas and ways to exploit the convergence and tools for interactivity.” A ‘happening’ life outside of work too Beyond office hours, Shannon thoroughly enjoys pursuing his many passions. When he is not street racing on his PlayStation 2 or surfing on the beaches of Bali, Shannon produces his own digital projects. He co-publishes an online magazine (www.the2ndrule.com) and is the project director of Digital Compassion (www.digitalcompassion.com), a series of creative digital projects that address social concerns. Staff Matters 18 ENV steps up to the President’s Challenge climbed up all 27 storeys of the ENV Building — all for charity! Senior management, the Minister for the Environment Lim Swee Say, Permanent Secretary of ENV Lam Chuan Leong, Chairman of PUB Tan Gee Paw and CEO of NEA Lam Joon Khoi, also rose to the challenge. Mr Lim flagging off the vertical race. By ENV “ here is a Mandarin saying that those who have the money should contribute money, and those who have the strength should contribute strength. I’m glad that today, I have a chance to do a bit of both by pledging my donation to the President’s Challenge and taking part in the Vertical Challenge,” said Mr Yuen Sai Kuan from the Public Utilities Board (PUB). And it was no ordinary vertical marathon that he participated in as he was joined by over 200 officers from the Environment Headquarters (ENV HQ) and its two statutory boards, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the PUB. Defying gravity, many of the participants T Funds and fun! The ENV-NEA-PUB Vertical Challenge 2003 was organised as part of A.C.T.I.V.E Day and also to raise funds for President’s Challenge 2003. As officers eagerly signed up for the individual, trio and relay events, pledges poured in from their excited friends, colleagues and bosses. ‘Yes, we did it!’ At the end of the event, the Vertical Challenge Shield was awarded to ENV HQ. There were also prizes for those who were named “Most DropDead Gorgeous Gal or Guy”, “The Most VerticallyChallenged Individual”, “Baby Warriors” (the team with the youngest combined age) and more. Most importantly, the ENV family well exceeded its target for the President’s Challenge. As one officer from NEA aptly put it, “We pledged, we climbed, we ached… but it was all worth it!” Carnival kaleidoscope Held at the Jurong BirdPark, MOE Family Day 2003 was extra memorable. d e c e m b e r By MOE PS21 Staff Well Being Functional Committee c h a l l e n g e n 21 September 2003, over 4,500 Ministry of Education (MOE) staff, teachers and their family members arrived at the Jurong BirdPark for a fun-filled day of activities, entertaining shows, fun games and challenges. Organised by the MOE Sports and Recreation Club, MOE Family Day 2003 provided MOE staff and teachers at all levels with an opportunity to interact with one another, participate in exciting activities and enjoy the visual spectacle of over 8,000 birds of 600 different species from worldwide. After Acting Minister for Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam declared the event open, the O day of never-ending shows began with the All Star Bird Show. The activities that followed included a line dancing workshop, a telematch, a treasure hunt, and performances by a ventriloquist, a magician and an acrobatic troupe. There were also booths for face and finger painting, balloon sculpting and caricature drawing which contributed to the carnival-like atmosphere. At the end of the day, everyone walked away with lots of souvenirs and prizes. 0 3 Healthy Body, Active Mind 19 Protect yourself and your loved ones from AIDS he recent events surrounding SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) showed that no country can be immune in a global epidemic. What we can do is to protect ourselves to the best of our ability. And some of the most cost-effective protective measures begin with us. SARS may have dominated the headlines in recent months, but let’s not forget that there are other epidemics ravaging our world at the moment. One of these is AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, which has been with us for a little more than 20 years. Like SARS, AIDS is a disease caused by a virus. The virus that causes AIDS is known as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV for short. HIV destroys the body’s immune system and renders it ineffective, so that the patient eventually succumbs to infections and cancers. Despite advances in treatment and research, AIDS has remained an incurable disease. That is to say, with or without drugs, AIDS kills. And death usually comes in a slow, painful way. What drugs can do at the moment is to delay the inevitable. And they are not without side-effects. Not everyone responds to them. There is as yet no vaccine against AIDS. The World Health Organization estimated that there were a total of 42 million adults and T children around the world living with HIV/AIDS at the end of last year. The greatest number of sufferers were in sub-Saharan Africa (29.4 million). An estimated 5 million adults and children were newly infected, and an estimated 3.1 million adults and children died due to AIDS last year. AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease. You get infected when you have sex with an HIVinfected person. Infection is mainly through heterosexual contact. There is no way you can tell from external appearances whether a person is infected with HIV or not, unless he or she undergoes a blood test, and a repeat test a few months later if the results of the first test are negative. Hence avoid casual sex and stay faithful to your partner. Using a condom during sex only reduces your risk of getting AIDS. A condom does not offer 100% protection. The other way of getting infected with HIV is through the use of contaminated needles and other skin-piercing instruments. Many sex workers are also intravenous drug abusers. Hence, your “virgin” prostitute or casual sex partner may still pass the virus to you. It is safer to avoid casual sex and visiting tattoo parlours. If you think you are HIV-positive or are at risk of getting infected, see your doctor and get yourself tested. Starting medication in time delays the onset of AIDS-related complications. As you still have to live even if you are HIV-positive, you need counselling in order to live positively and also to prevent passing on the infection to others, including your loved ones. CHALLENGEQUIZ d ec e m b e r 2 0 0 3 ANSWERS to November 2003 Quiz 1 What does HOTM stand for? Heritage On The Move 2. How many readers participated in the recent Challenge Online Readership Poll? 504 3. What is the address of the Cut Waste website? www.cutwaste.mof.gov.sg Answer the following questions on the contents of this issue of Challenge: 1. How many TEC sponsored innovations were on display at Global Entrepolis @ Singapore 2003? 2. What was the theme of the MITA WITS Convention 2003? 3. What award did Senior Immigration and Checkpoint Specialist Tee Soon Kay win recently? 4. What is the name of MITA’s internal newsletter? Colours@MITA 5. Can people with diabetes still lead an active lifestyle? Yes WINNERS of November 2003 Quiz 1. Low Lang Cheng, AGC 2. Lim Kah Cheng, S’pore Customs 4. What is the name of HDB’s Intranet portal for quality service? 3. Alang Moh Kamaruldzaman, URA 4. Lee Mooi Hoon, MOF 5. Leong Yen Neey, S’pore Customs 5. Answer “true” or “false” to this statement: A condom offers 100% protection from getting AIDS. 6. Woo Chee Kwang, S’pore Customs 7. Chiong Aoi Choo, S’pore Sports Council 8. Laila Salleh, LTA 9. Yun Chiang Chan, MOE 10. Ho Bee Lian, PA Send your entries to PS21 Office, 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119620 by 12 January 2004. Email us at [email protected] or fax to 6775 3461. Give your name, ministry, ministry address and phone number. The first 10 correct entries drawn will receive a token of appreciation from the PS21 Office. Congratulations to the winners, who will each receive a pen.
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