It makes perfect sense to assume that public services are citizen-centric because they are essentially created for citizens. But what does it really mean to design citizen-centric services? What are the ah-ha! moments, and what are the challenges? Tong Teck Lim, & Joycelyn Chua from the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore spoke about ‘Putting Service back into Public Service’ during Service Experience Camp 2014 in Berlin.

1. Putting Service back into
Public Service
Ministry of Manpower Singapore
Tong Teck & Joycelyn

2. Today
Why Service Design in Public Sector?
Examples of Service Design in Ministry of
Manpower
What’s next for us?
Other examples in Singapore Government

3. In MOM, we process work pass
applications.
Over the years, we improved to
become faster and more efficient.
Since 2009, our work pass online
system can process applications in 1
day.

4. • But what about the customer experience?
• We are so efficient, that we reject customers
• in minutes…
• To our customers,
• MOM is an over-efficient faceless machine.

5. We started the journey to recreate
the experience for customers… and
staff
Our 1st project was the Employment
Pass Service Centre (EPSC)

6. MOM staff and our vendor staff were involved in
prototyping the new experience

7. EPSC

11. The ‘Old’ Work Pass Service Centre

13. Redesigned WPSC
Learning Zones
Appointment Kiosks @
Arrival Hall
One-Stop Registration
Work Pass Registration
Centre

14. MOM’s communications were lost on
customers

15. Where we were
LACK OF CLARITY
LACK OF INFORMATION
HIERARCHY
CLUTTERED

17. Changing the Way We Communicate

19. Spreading service design culture throughout MOM
In 2013, we set up the Behavioural Insights and Design Unit
to partner different departments and infuse service design
elements into projects
Understand needs
and motivations
Understand
behaviours and
reactions
Evidence-based way of
measuring impact of
interventions

23. How can governments be
more service-oriented?
And how can design
help us further?