SINGAPORE: Government leaders in Singapore are finding new ways to better engage stakeholders and getting buy-in on policies.
These include using the social media and dialogues to get Singaporeans to discuss issues, and in the process, find a common ground and understand what the trade-offs are.
Almost all Cabinet members now have their own Facebook accounts.
While the extent of usage varies, with some managing their own accounts and more active on social media than others, leaders said they are mindful that they have to reach out to Singaporeans who are accessing information in a slightly different way.
Some have found concrete ways to bridge online discourse with offline engagement.
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, Chan Chun Sing, recruits dialogue participants via his Facebook page for "Informal Dialogue Sessions".
The Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports said it is not just about gathering feedback but also explaining policies and empowering young people to take charge by contributing ideas about issues affecting the country.
The former chief of army said this is an initiative he started in the military.
He said: "For me, I want them to own the decision and I want them to understand the rationale why we do certain things, whether it is defence policies or HR policies in the military circle.
"My own belief is that when you give people the tools to think about an issue, they will come to their own conclusions. They will own that issue...That is more powerful than taking directions from me.
"My job is not whether a certain political party will survive or be in power. My job is to make sure that this country survives and thrives. In order for this country to survive and to thrive we must have people who are passionate about the future of this country.
"We must have people that understand the fundamentals of this country, share the same understanding of these fundamentals, but they can all have different solutions."
Mr Chan added that it is good to have a diversity of options and solutions and that Singapore must be ready to evolve when circumstances change.
"I always say any options and policies that we develop and choose at a certain point in time are only correct and appropriate at that point in time. We must be prepared to change and evolve when the circumstances change. We can change the solution as time changes, only if we understand the fundamentals. Then we are on a solid foundation," he said.
Since May, Mr Chan has held monthly dialogue sessions on issues such as problem gambling, HDB flat prices and issues of work permits for foreign workers. These topics were suggested by the participants themselves and it is something he hopes to continue with.
The feedback and workable solutions from the dialogue sessions are subsequently channelled to the relevant government agencies.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has also extended "tea sessions" to groups he has met online.
Mr Gan cited the example of a group of young doctors who shared their experience with him.
He wants to see a "multi-party" consultation process which will involve healthcare providers, recipients and the government.
Mr Gan said: "This comes from my past experience in the Ministry of Manpower. Because we have this tripartite partnership with the unions and employers, we have extensive consultations with both the unions and employers before a key manpower policy is introduced.
"At the Ministry of Health (MOH), I shared with my staff on how we can also think of various parties who have a stake in these healthcare services. One is the healthcare providers, the hospitals, institutions as well as the health care professionals. And on the other hand, the healthcare recipients, patients, community organisations that represent patients, the voluntary organisations that run the nursing homes and so on.
"If these various parties can come together and find common grounds, forge better understanding of the various policies and challenges, I think it will be useful and it will allow us to have a more robust policy and better buy-in and commitment from the various stakeholders to make sure these policies succeed."
As for Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew, he said social media tools have enabled him to do his "job better".
"I do go in and take the feedback. Some of it is actually pretty useful, pointing me to go and say 'let's take a look at it for myself'."
Mr Lui added: "We need to be able to provide information out there to them and while we can't respond to every single input and feedback... I should be able to distil some of what have been expressed and find some ways to respond to it."
All three ministers agreed that trade-offs in policies need to be better communicated to the ground.
"The content is about how you share information to allow people to think through the issues," said Mr Chan.
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