SIN SG Facilitates new UK-SG MOU in Digital Government Services
SIN SG brokers an MoU between the UK’s Government Digital Service and Singapore’s GovTech Agency on collaboration in digital government services.
MoU signing
After 3 years of facilitation and support, SIN Singapore has brokered the partnership between the UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS) and Singapore’s GovTech Agency (GovTech) – with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration in the design and delivery of digital government services. Under the MoU, GDS and GovTech will share knowledge and best practices in building the digital skills of government officials, and adopting open standards for government information, data and software.
The digital age
Digitalisation is omnipresent in our lives today. Use of the internet and electronic devices have gone from what was once a privilege to a daily necessity. Manufacturers, service providers, and governments have to adapt to the rapidly evolving technological landscape of this new digital age. UK’s GDS is a world pioneer in introducing digital government services, and has influenced many other countries to develop their own capabilities in digital governance over the last decade. Spearheaded by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore’s Smart Nation programme incorporates digital government services as is one of six national initiatives to support better living using technology.
Developing the digital government partnership
GDS’s leadership in this space is internationally recognised just as Singapore’s speed in developing and implementing new initiatives is unparalled. With both countries recognising the importance of providing digital government services and keen to explore collaborations in this space, SIN Singapore facilitated and supported a number of initiatives to drive this interest. These included high-level introductions (co-ordinating visits to Singapore and the UK), securing UK participation in the annual Digital Government Exchange hosted by GovTech, and working with GovTech to oragnise a lecture by the Director General of GDS for the Singapore Smart Nation Speaker Series. All these endevours culminated in the signing of an MoU in London in June 2019.
MoU and beyond
Signing this MoU is a significant milestone in cementing the UK-Singapore partnership in digital government. Not only is this the first international agreement that GovTech has signed, but more importantly, the MoU is well placed to herald new opportunities for the two countries to deepen collaboration on their digital academies, digital identity projects, and the development of new and better digital government services for citizens. A great start and an exciting new milestone under the SG-UK Partnership for the Future.
SIN Singapore Contact: Zhen Hanbin hanbin.zheng@fco.gov.uk