LEADERSHIP AND FORESIGHT
“Foresight” is a flagship tool to inform strategic planning system in many countries (including Singapore) and involves systematic attempts to look into longer-term futures with a view of identifying the short-term policy goals. It is a mix of forward looking practices and methods in the policy planning cycle and became one of the key enabler of the innovative economy. Foresight transforms the mindset of those engaged in policy formulation and plan implementation, and involves thinking about likely changes in the external environment, political and economic forces, legislation, environmental impact, and help determine the strategic directions of development, choose the desired scenario and design strategies to achieve a positive outcome.
In a volatile, uncertain, complex and changing context today, anticipatory leadership becomes a critical competency. Successful leaders constantly discern how emerging trends may affect national context and translate this insight into agile strategies. Assistance can be offered to build organizational and individual capacity to instill future thinking, think systemically, comprehend how forces outside organization are integrated in causal patterns to generate opportunities and threats in the external economic and political systems; learn scenario planning, understanding trends, drivers, wild cards and how the future might unfold as the result of executive decisions as well as external influencers.
Evidence based policy making
By using rigorous evidence to inform decisions, policymakers can achieve substantially better results when making budget and policy choice. Assistance is offered in leveraging the power of evidence-based governing framework, that can be a turning point and help governments reduce wasteful spending, expand innovative programs, strengthen accountability for public spending and be aware of opportunity cost.
EGOVERNMENT AND DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
New technologies shift a paradigm of interaction between the state, citizens and business. Assistance can be offered in the vision setting, evaluation and sequencing of the reform; architecture and an effective e-government portal; defining roles of state bodies and vendors, the foundations of public-private partnerships; business process re-engineering and cutting redtape; expanding access through multichannel service provision; interoperability standards for information systems and public registries; e-participation and feedback loops; application of design thinking in co-production of public services, establishing labs for collaboration; "open data" ecosystem. Anticipatory approach to disruptive technologies as the "fourth industrial revolution" transforms public sector (Cloud technologies, Block chain, AI, Machine Learning, Internet of Things).
SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Enhance decentralization policies and strengthen capacities at the sub-national and local levels of the regions. Methodological assistance is offered to design and implementation of socially cohesive area based development, based on competitive advantages, as well as augmenting citizen participation in the design of regional development strategies, coordination of public infrastructure investments and business investment strategies as part of the budgetary process. Inevitably, this would revert inequitable distribution of resources and tackle rigidity of the centralized planning and management paradigm to bring about desired social changes. Introduction of innovative thinking to urban development –gist of the “Smart City” concept, e.g energy efficiency, data, physical and social ecosystem, mobility.
REGULATORY QUALITY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH
Regulatory quality fosters competitiveness of the economy, promote level playfield, improve living standards, increase transparency and attract foreign investment. Strengthening the capacity of national regulators. Support is offered in introduction of the following tools and techniques that tackle staggering number of laws and improve regulatory quality: regulatory impact assessment; measurement and reduction of the administrative burden; simplification of existing legislation and regulation, codification. Inclusion in the lawmaking practice of procedures for "regulatory impact assessment", which is carried out both ex ante and post ante. Launching online platform for participatory policy making, to discuss draft laws with the civil society and businesses.
ANTI-CORRUPTION, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR
Prevention of corruption strengthens the credibility of public institutions, increases social responsibility of corporations in the private sector, drives economic growth and augments social stability. A comprehensive assessment and key “can openers” aimed at enhancing integrity of the public sector are offered: frameworks to ensure open government, access to information and participatory decision-making; professional and meritocratic civil service; functional review and streamlined public service provision; introduction of corporate governance in SOE (state owned enterprise); public finance and reform of the public procurement system; regulatory impact assessment. Additionally, comprehensive guidance and support can be offered in rendering public services through single window, online and offline.