Ethos
Ethos is a biannual publication of the Centre for Governance and Leadership, Civil Service College. It aims to provide thought leadership, insight and context on a wide range of public policy issues of interest to Singapore. Ethos is circulated to the policy-making community in Singapore as well as to a select international readership.

The online version of Ethos also features additional web-exclusive materials that were not published in the print version—interviews with thought leaders, commentaries and reflections.

We welcome contributions, suggestions and letters to the Editor. The editorial team reserves the right to select, edit and publish articles according to its editorial policy. All correspondence should be directed to the Editor at ethos@cscollege.gov.sg.

Ethos Perspectives
Ethos Perspectives complements our biannual journal ETHOS and seeks to update you on the latest developments in public policy and public sector governance. These alerts surface interesting articles, reports or speeches, with a short synopsis and commentary. We hope that you will find them useful and welcome any comments and suggestions.

Research Papers
Researchers from the IPD RU has joined the CGL family with effect from 1 December 2007! However, the Centre will continue work closely with the Institute of Policy Development to document policy lessons and develop content for the training of public sector leaders. Click here to see our research papers.

Policy Innovations Book
This book seeks to capture the Singapore policy and developmental experience, as told from the perspective of practitioners. The authors come from various Ministries, and the book is edited by Mr Ravi Menon, 2nd Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Fellow at CGL.

CGL’s research focus for 2007-2008 includes Managing in Complexity, Leadership and Strategy, and Market Regulation.

Managing in Complexity
Successful policy innovation is rarely the result of superior foresight or accurate prediction. More often, it is the result of learning by doing, constant experimentation and flexible adaptation. The Centre’s research in this area will explore the limits of traditional planning and study frameworks that enhance organisational learning, resilience and adaptability.

Leadership and Strategy
Leadership research at the Centre studies the actions of public sector leaders in turning around their organisations. It will examine the approaches used by different leaders to generate key leadership principles, practices and lessons. Its purpose is to create a better understanding of the profile of a Singapore public sector leader within the context of the country’s principles of governance.

Market Regulation and Strategy
Market regulation research will document Singapore’s experience in regulatory and governance issues. It will capture the evolution of economic policies, their regulatory philosophies, as well as best practices and failures.

Research Methodology
The Centre’s strength is in qualitative research, in particular, fieldwork that has a strong concentration on one-on-one interviews with policy makers and government leaders. Its researchers are skilled in interview techniques which forms an integral part of the research analysis and interpretation. The Centre is constantly building relationships with local public agencies. Their support of the Centre’s objectives and aspirations have informed the Centre’s research priorities and helped researchers gain access to in-depth information that are pertinent to the Centre’s research agenda.