Sustaining excellence in government: the Singapore experience
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-162X(199702)17:1<167::AID-PAD920>3.0.CO;2-# |
| Author | LIM SIONG GUAN |
| Published date | 01 February 1997 |
| Date | 01 February 1997 |
Sustaining excellence in government: the Singapore experience
LIM SIONG GUAN
Prime Minister's Of®ce, Singapore
SUMMARY
This article describes PS21Ða programme for adapting Singapore's public service to the needs
of the twenty-®rst centuryÐagainst the backdrop of Singapore's recent history, including the
challenges posed by the island's small size, its sudden independence and its multi-ethnic
population. The ability to sustain four decades of economic adaptation and public service
adjustment is seen to be intimately linked with the goals of governance and the quality of
leadership in the Republic. (&1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)
There are disadvantages to being smallÐbut there are advantages too. The situation
is far from hopeless, provided that realities are acknowledged and policies adopted
that maximize the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses. This article describes
Singapore's experience of sustaining excellence in government. That may or may not
be a model of how other countries ought to be thinking and what they ought to be
doing. Each has to ®nd its own way, learning from others where they can, but with
the moral courage to create their own paths where they cannot. For each country's
solutions lie as much with its geography, history and cultural background because
they affect the national psyche, as they lie with political will and sound leadership
because these often de®ne the boundaries for national solidarity.
Small scale is a factor of some signi®cance. Lack of economic mass, limited
human and natural resources, and little in¯uence on external events are among the
disadvantages of small states. On the other hand, they may count as advantages in
the fact that government is less complex, that citizens are potentially easier to
mobilize, and that they are potentially able to react faster.
Given this small size, certain approaches in public policy are likely to offer greater
chances of success than others. The following is a representative list drawn from
Singapore's experience:
.solidarity of hearts and minds;
.attitude of self-reliance;
.reward for work; work for reward;
.test for results, not political correctness;
.pragmatism, not dogma in economics;
.clean and effective public service
To share the Singapore experience, it is necessary to start with a short account of
its geography, demographics, cultural backdrop and history at independence in
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT, VOL. 17, 167±174 (1997)
CCC 0271±2075/97/010167±08$17.50
&1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lim Siong Guan is Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Of®ce, Singapore.
This article is reprinted with permission from ETHOS, August 1996, a publication of the Civil Service
College, Singapore.
To continue reading
Request your trial