SINGAPORE – For decades, policymakers would decide what needed to be done before getting tech teams involved to build the systems to implement the policies. Now, the Singapore Government is changing its approach.
Calling for a mindset shift across the public service, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Nov 5 that policymakers and technologists need to work together much earlier and more closely.
“Changing established habits and ways of working will take time. But the direction is clear,” he said, outlining the next phase of the Singapore Government’s digital transformation. “Technology cannot be an afterthought in policymaking. It must be part of the process from the very beginning.”
PM Wong was speaking at the Government Technology Agency’s (GovTech) 10th anniversary dinner held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
This transformation, in which GovTech will play a critical role, can also be taken further with artificial intelligence to empower officers across the public service to develop better solutions, said PM Wong. “Sometimes, the best solution is not more sophisticated technology, but a simpler policy,” he said, adding that this mindset shift will deliver better outcomes for Singaporeans. “Instead of saying: ‘This is the policy – how do we get IT to implement it.’ We should ask: ‘This is what we are trying to achieve; how can we design policy and technology together to deliver it in the best possible way?’ ” he added.
He noted that the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority used to have 33 different combinations of penalties for late filings. Instead of building a tech system around this complex policy, the 33 combinations were reduced to four.
“The result was a simpler policy, a simpler system and better outcomes,” said PM Wong. So, policymakers – including Cabinet ministers – need to develop a better understanding of technology so that they can take it into consideration when designing policies.
“It is to develop the instincts to ask the right questions, appreciate the possibilities and constraints, and understand how technology can help shape better policy choices,” said PM Wong. At the same time, GovTech officers need to actively participate to solve public policy problems, he added. This includes challenging established assumptions and questioning requirements that create unnecessary complexity.
The next phase of Singapore’s digital transformation also requires tech teams to work differently.
Traditionally, many government information technology projects follow a waterfall approach, said PM Wong. This involves gathering the project requirements, seeking approval, procuring a vendor, building the entire system, launching it, and then maintaining it.
While this works for infrastructure projects, applying this to software development will be hard because technology evolves quickly and users’ needs change.
GovTech’s approach is different. Its officers build iteratively, by putting products in the hands of users early, learning from their feedback and improving continuously.
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