Ethos Issue 4, Apr 2008

Leveraging Networks for Public Service Delivery
Nicholas Mai, Tang Tee Sing and Yeo Yaw Shin

During the initial waves of computerisation in the 1980s and 1990s, the Public Service made aggressive attempts to adopt the new technologies for both internal and external efficiency gains. About 1,600 online public services were introduced to provide round-the-clock access to government information and transactions, some to much acclaim.

However, despite being a significant step forward in terms of accessibility and convenience, this initial wave of computerisation did not change the fundamental approach to public service delivery; with some exceptions, these e-services were largely electronic equivalents of existing counter or form-based services already provided by respective agencies.

Nevertheless, several agencies have embraced the possibilities of service delivery at the Whole-of-Government (WOG) level. Cross-agency initiatives, such as the Online Business Licensing Service (OBLS) and integrated various services from different agencies have already dramatically improved entire business processes for the public. However, such efforts have been the exception rather than the norm for electronic public service delivery to date.

Going forward, it is clear that Singapore will face increasingly complex and multi-faceted issues, such as an ageing population, that cut across the domains of different agencies and are beyond the scope and capabilities of any single agency to resolve.

In the past, we were only able to effectively address individual aspects of multi-faceted issues. Today, however, “while hierarchies are not vanishing, profound changes in the nature of technology, demographics, and the global economy are giving rise to powerful new models of production based on community, collaboration and self-organisation rather than on hierarchy and control”.¹ The present challenge is whether we can apply these new models of production to provide new solutions, by leveraging the power of networks of participants.

WHAT IS LEVERAGING NETWORKS?
Google Maps is just one of many examples of how organisations at the forefront are leveraging the immense potential of networks. Wikipedia, with more than two million articles² as of end 2007, taps on the collective contributions of thousands of Internet users. The Tactical Ground Reporting System³ is revolutionising the war in Iraq, providing a large data trove of information that army personnel can retrieve and contribute to—valuable information that is saving lives.

What do these examples have in common?

Think Platform: They do not seek to solve problems directly, but rather, leverage the network’s latent ability to solve problems by tapping on the imagination of many. Instead of trying to provide a customised product for every conceivable purpose, Google transformed Google Maps from a product into a platform to provide the answers to the myriad needs of millions of users.

Empower Players: Users in the network are empowered by these platforms to transform their innovative ideas into reality. From passive users, they can now become active contributors. With empowerment come creative solutions and boundless possibilities.

Inspire Participation: Wikipedia broke the monopoly that traditional encyclopaedias have on authoritative knowledge, by empowering participants to contribute (or verify) detailed information on topics they are passionate and knowledgeable about. It gave ordinary users a reason to participate in a shared project towards a larger goal.

Imagine this concept applied to public service delivery. By leveraging networks, we can tap on the resourcefulness and creativity of the public and private sectors as well as individuals to improve upon existing public services or delivering new ones.⁴ We can harness the “power of us” by trading ideas, best practices and knowledge within the network, and we can bring out new ways of thinking and innovation to benefit all. This could lead to new levels of public service delivery, made possible by the very networks that we are serving. Leveraging networks is, in short, a new approach to problem-solving public issues.

Tackling the challenges that public service delivery will face by leveraging networks is about turning these challenges on their heads, and transforming them into opportunities for people to innovate and develop new ideas. It is about harnessing the ideas of the people, and allowing these people to realise their ideas. We need to start thinking about how to leverage networks, both within and outside of the Government.

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