This is Part 3 of a four-part series. See Part 1, Part 2 and Part 4 here.
Over 500 government officials and senior technology executives from across the Singaporean government, banks, academic institutions and healthcare sector convened at the 5th Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2019 on 16th May 2019 at Marina Bay Sands.
The OpenGov Recognition of Excellence (RoE) Awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the OpenGov Leadership Forum.
An integral part of the OpenGov vision, Recognition of Excellence Awards are a commendation for agencies that establish new benchmarks for government ICT innovation in the ASEAN and ANZ regions. An Advisory Board, made up of former and current Chief Executives, select and vet these projects and initiatives. There have been over 200 recipients of these prestigious awards since 2016.
Though small, Singapore has one of the most technologically advanced infrastructures in the world and is expected to further expand its influence in not only Asia, but the global landscape. The work and contributions that these agencies have done to the technological development of Singapore as a Smart Nation is commendable.
This year, OpenGov is recognising and celebrating 14 agencies from the public and FSI sectors for initiatives that have achieved excellence in the use of ICT.
The award winners for Singapore OpenGov Recognition of Excellence 2019 are:
‘FutureReady’ digital upskilling programme, aimed to increase its employees’ digital literacy as well as equip them with capabilities that will ensure their relevance now and in the future. Made mandatory for all employees, the training is part of Maybank’s continuous commitment to humanising people development and enabling them to meet customers’ needs more effectively in the fast-changing digital world.
The FutureReady upskilling programme provides employees with the opportunity to also be certified in new skills areas such as computer programming, data analytics and data science, human centred design, and agile methodologies.
The Ministry of Defence won the award for their efforts in cyber defence and working towards the next generation of armed forces.
With cyber-attacks on the rise and high-profile public sector online breaches fresh in the news, the Ministry of Defence has rolled out many cyber initiatives over the last 12 months to counter this threat. One notable initiative is the opening of the Cyber Defence School this year. This will equip cyber vocationalists with the cyber skillsets and knowledge, strengthening Singapore’s cyber capabilities. This will foster resilience against future attacks and ensure operational readiness.
The Ministry of Education’s Parents Gateway Mobile Application was awarded by OpenGov for its role as a one-stop gateway for parents to stay connected and be kept informed on their child’s education journey together with their schools. Parents can receive updates on school activities, as well as give consent on their child’s participation in school events in real-time. The app helps manage and reduce the administrative side of education and making educational admin more effective and efficient.
OpenGov awarded MAS for its initiative Business sans Borders. A collaborative AI-driven global solutions hub to foster SME digitalisation. The initiative will leverage on Artificial Intelligence to facilitate the internationalisation and digitalisation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Notably, it aims to provide a wide set of digital services and connections to enhance domestic and international trade opportunities for SMEs, as well as promote the smoother and better exchange of information between SME ecosystems.