New government office launched to serve as ‘first stop’ for Singaporeans to share ideas, seek support for ground-up initiatives

Nuria Ling/TODAY

Dialogue during the launch of the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) on Jan 19, 2024, between (from left) Dawn Yip, coordinating director, SGPO, DPM Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, Dr Carol Soon, Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, and Mr Larry Yeung, Executive Director of Participate in Design (P!D), a non-profit design organisation.

SINGAPORE — To strengthen the government's partnership and engagement with Singaporeans, a new office was launched on Friday (Jan 19) to serve as a first stop for people to find volunteer opportunities, share ideas or proposals and turn them into action.

The Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) is part of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

It was set up in response to the recent Forward Singapore exercise — a national effort that involved dialogues and engagement sessions with citizens from all walks of life to discuss areas of concern and people's aspirations.

Speaking at the launch of the new office, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted that while there are already various platforms for government agencies to partner community groups, it can be difficult to figure out which one Singaporeans can approach. 

The SGPO aims to make partnering the government "more seamless and accessible", he said.

For instance, Singaporeans can share partnership proposals and the support they require through a portal. The office will, in turn, direct the submissions to the relevant agencies and explore how to take good ideas further.

The office will also connect interested Singaporeans with other like-minded individuals and organisations, and direct them to potential funding, mentors and other resources, Mr Wong said.

"It will advocate for deeper citizen-government collaboration, working closely with agencies to identify more areas where citizens can play a meaningful role, and publicise these opportunities accordingly," he added.

In a separate press release, SGPO said it will serve as a “first stop” for individuals and interest groups keen to partner the government.

It will curate key government resources for partnership, funding and volunteering opportunities. It will also drive the adoption of new engagement processes.

Encouraging interested Singaporeans to come forward, Mr Wong said the government wants to create ample opportunities for everyone to contribute meaningfully to a shared future. 

As a result of government-people partnerships, there is a strong sense of cohesion and solidarity in Singapore, he noted, adding that the country cannot afford to rest on its laurels. 

In a world of conflict and confrontation, Singapore will face an external environment that is less favourable to the country’s security and prosperity, said Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister.

He added that in the face of economic and social strain, people’s trust in the system gets eroded, and differences become entrenched, resulting in divided and polarised societies.

“We are not immune to these same powerful forces that can potentially divide us, there’s no reason why Singapore is immune to this … In fact, as a diverse, multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, we are all the more susceptible to such divisive forces in the world,” he continued.

Adding that this is why he launched the Forward Singapore exercise, Mr Wong noted that volunteers and community groups often know what the local community needs best, and can quickly organise themselves to address emerging gaps. 

“And there are many groups, ground-up initiatives and others, who can evolve new and innovative ways to serve the community, and to shape the character and tone of our society,” he said.

“The bottom line is that we can achieve much more when we work together as partners.” CNA

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