31 October 2012 - The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) received the prestigious Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) International Innovations Award at the CAPAM Biennial Conference held in New Delhi, India on 26 October 2012 for its contributions to public service.
Singapore, 31 October 2012 | For Immediate Release
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) received the prestigious Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) International Innovations Award at the CAPAM Biennial Conference held in New Delhi, India on 26 October 2012 for its contributions to public service.
Intergenerational IT Bootcamp, a Joint Collaboration Between IDA and Local Schools
Singapore's Intergenerational IT Bootcamp programme won the highest accolade in the 'Innovations in Citizen Engagement and Dialogue" category. A joint effort by the IDA and school partners, the Bootcamp was first introduced in early 2010, to help senior citizens overcome their phobia or inertia to learn IT skills with the help of their grandchildren guiding them along during the IT lessons, such as learning to surf the net, watch videos on YouTube, use hand-writing devices to insert Chinese text on search engines and make travel bookings online.
This innovative project leverages the resources of many neighbourhood schools as the bootcamps take place on school grounds. Students conduct one-on-one tutorials for the senior citizens, covering topics such as Mouse Management Skills, Getting Started on Facebook and Infocomm Tools for Health Management. Students are also engaged in event planning and execution, thus giving them a sense of ownership and providing the schools a way to foster long lasting relationships with the residents in the community. It also offers a platform for students to impart practical computer skills to their grandparents who are drawn to participate by the "back-to-school" appeal and the opportunity to bond with their grandchildren.
The Intergenerational IT Bootcamp is a programme under the Silver Infocomm Initiative (SII)1 that aims to bridge the digital divide among senior citizens aged 50 and above through addressing differences in educational background, language and infocomm competencies. To-date, under the SII initiative, more than 65,000 training places, conducted in Silver Infocomm Junctions (SIJ), Silver Infocomm Day and Inter-generational IT Bootcamps, have been attained since 2007, exceeding the target of 45,000 by 145%.
"We are heartened by the winning of this prestigious award. By encouraging bonding with the younger generation through learning, seniors will be further motivated and spurred to pick up ICT skills. The Intergenerational IT Bootcamp is one of IDA's many programmes aimed at bridging the digital divide and ensuring that individuals of all ages can benefit from the use of ICT. We certainly hope to see more seniors taking part in the programmes we have to offer," said Mr Ronnie Tay, CEO of IDA.
In addition to the win, Singapore had a triple-showing at the CAPAM Awards, as the Accountant-General's Department (AGD) and Housing Development Board (HDB) were also shortlisted as finalists for their initiatives in the "Innovations in Public Service Management" and "Innovative Use of Technology in the Public Service" categories respectively.
AGD's Centralised Liquidity Management (CLM) for Statutory Boards (SB)
One of three finalists for the "Innovations in Public Service Management" category, CLM is an innovative solution which optimises cash management practices of SBs. Cash management of SBs is now centralised at AGD, and this has resulted in substantial savings and efficiency gains for the public sector.
Under the CLM initiative, SBs' bank accounts are linked to AGD's central bank account via a sweeping structure developed with the banks. Any excess or shortfall of cash in the individual SB bank accounts will be transferred back or topped up from AGD's central account respectively. SBs continue to retain ownership of their cash, while AGD manages and invests the excess cash on their behalf. The online cash portal also provides a holistic view of SBs' liquidity position - the first of its kind in the public sector.
Skydeck Lab@Treelodge, HDB's 1st Eco Precinct
Skydeck Lab@Treelodge, a research and development laboratory integrated into Treelodge@Punggol, HDB's first eco public housing precinct, was among the three finalists for the "Innovative Use of Technology in the Public Service" category. The lab monitors and validates data on green technologies deployed, with the aim of fine-tuning the features for wide-scale implementation.
Seamlessly integrated into the rooftop design of Blk 306C of Treelodge@Punggol, it is an integral part of Treelodge's 'living lab' concept for HDB to pilot the implementation of innovative green solutions in the areas of energy efficiency, enhanced greenery, as well as efficient water and waste management.
The Skydeck Lab enables data collection and central monitoring of the impact of green technologies and innovations deployed in the precinct. It also provides a collaborative platform for researchers to test-bed and validate the effectiveness of green innovations while being a venue for HDB to share best practices in sustainable public housing development with fellow industry professionals.
The data collected at the Skydeck Lab will enable HDB to fine-tune these innovative green solutions and technologies for wider-scale implementation in other HDB towns to deliver a better and greener living environment. This is aligned with HDB's Roadmap for Better Living in HDB Towns, and the Singapore Sustainable Development blueprint efforts to build 'Sustainable Towns'.
The CAPAM International Innovation Awards reinforces the Singapore Government's eGov2015 Masterplan's vision of developing a collaborative government that co-creates and connects with its people to be better prepared to meet the challenges ahead and bring Singapore to the next e-government frontier.
About the CAPAM International Innovations Awards
The CAPAM International Innovations Awards celebrates the spirit of innovation in the public service by recognizing organizations that have made significant contributions to improving governance and services in the public sector. In so doing, the award hopes to inspire and encourage innovators to improve public service governance, and the quality of life of citizens, communities and nations.
Each year, CAPAM receives submissions from across the Commonwealth countries in all sectors of the public service.
There are four award categories, with three finalists in each category, one of whom is chosen as the winner for that category:
- Innovations in Citizen Engagement and Dialogue
- Innovations in Public Service Management
- Innovations in Government Services and Programmes
- Innovative Use of Technology in the Public Service
For more information, please visit: http://www.capam.org/awards/iia/index.html
Event photos can be viewed and downloaded at www.flickr.com/photos/idasingapore/sets/72157631893021295/. If images are used, please attribute to IDA Singapore.
JOINTLY ISSUED BY ACCOUNTANT-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
Note to Editor:
1 Factsheet: Silver Infocomm Initiative (207.03KB)
About the Accountant-General's Department (AGD)
The Accountant-General's Department (AGD) is a department under the Ministry of Finance (MOF), and we support MOF in making Singapore a better place through Finance. We are responsible for the delivery of a wide spectrum of financial and accounting-related services to the Public Service and support the Accountant-General in the statutory role of protecting Singapore's reserves. For more information, visit www.agd.gov.sg.
About the Housing Development Board (HDB)
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) is the public housing authority in Singapore. Born in a crisis to address an acute housing shortage situation, HDB has today successfully housed about 82 percent of Singapore's 3.8 million resident population in well-designed apartments located in comprehensively planned housing estates. Beyond the hardware of public housing, the fostering of bonds, integration and engagement between communities is also of utmost importance to HDB. HDB has earned much international acclaim, including winning the 2010 United Nations Habitat Scroll of Honour Award, to date the most prestigious human settlements award in the world. For more information, visit www.hdb.gov.sg.
About the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is committed to growing Singapore into a dynamic global Infocomm hub. IDA uses an integrated approach to developing infocommunications in Singapore. This involves nurturing a competitive telecoms market as well as a conducive business environment with programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more news and information, visit www.ida.gov.sg.
For media clarifications, please contact:
Accountant-General's Department
Julie Ng (Ms)
Senior Associate
Corporate Communication
DID : +65 6332 7064
Email : julie_sc_ng@agd.gov.sg
Housing Development Board
Cheryn Cheng (Miss)
Senior Corporate Communications Manager
Corporate Communications Group
DID : +65 6490 1269
Email : ccy2@hdb.gov.sg
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Malini Nathan (Ms)
Manager
Corporate & Marketing Communication
DID : +65 6211 0660
Email: malini_nathan@imda.gov.sg
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