GovTech A new vision, culture, and strategy lays the foundation for a transformative tech agency to support a smart nation How might we create a pioneering tech government agency to support a Smart Nation? In 2016, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) established the Government Technology Organization (GTO) with the initial mandate of being the central technological solutions provider for the public service. However, the GTO’s broader ambitions and the capabilities required to fulfill them remained unclear. Through collaborative discussions with Awaken Group (AG), the GTO was able to refine and implement its vision, transforming into a more agile and impactful organization. This transformation was guided by key questions such as: Leveraging Emerging Tech: How can emerging technologies like robotics, AI, and analytics be leveraged to deliver citizen-centric digital services? Global Leadership in Smart Cities: How can Singapore collaborate with potential partners to develop its Smart Nation Platform and become a global leader in smart city development? Digital Impact for Singapore: How can the GTO build in-house capabilities such as data analytics, application development and systems engineering to drive digital impact across the Singapore public service? Image: GovTech GDS Blog We helped transform a ‘government procurement’ agency into a transformative tech organization Our team designed and implemented a two-pronged approach, focused on strategy and leadership, to drive GovTech’s transformation and realize their vision: Strategic Alignment: Through facilitated discussions and “strategic seeding” exercises around key questions and issues, we fostered alignment among leadership, identified gaps, sparked in-house ideas, and gained commitment for their own co-created ideas. Leadership Development: We conducted comprehensive assessments of senior leaders, followed by targeted interventions to address any bottlenecks. We also supported the recruitment of key leadership positions, including the Chief People Officer, to further cultivate the desired culture. Organizational Restructuring: We co-created the new strategy and operating model with Govtech, providing clarity, direction, and focus for achieving their goals. We also oversaw an enterprise-wide restructuring to enhance organizational agility, focus, and efficiency. An expert ‘tech-in government’ agency that establishes global gold standards in ‘tech for public good’ Strategic Leadership & Innovation: GovTech’s clear mandate, strategic vision, and focus on building high-impact capabilities enabled them to help deliver personalized, high-impact digital services for the public. This proactive approach distinguishes them other similar agencies in Singapore which struggled with strategic agility and innovation. It has also gained GovTech region- and worldwide recognition. Agile Organizational Structure: GovTech’s clear and flexible structure fostered agility, allowing for rapid response to emerging challenges. This agility enables them to effectively adapt and innovate to any issues and trends that might arise (e.g., Covid-19, Generative AI etc) Human-Centric Technology: GovTech prioritizes human-centered design in technology development, ensuring that digital solutions directly address public needs and deliver tangible outcomes. This focus has earned them recognition from organizations like the UN and WEF as leaders in government innovation. Creating One of the World’s Most Pioneering Government Tech Agencies
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