microwave eggs

april 2004 3 www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge .ps21.gov www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge Public Service for the 21st Century 1 Exploring new vistas Public officers on work attachment gain new perspectives 10 Now you can withdraw your CPF online 5 How MINDEF saves $100 million a year 8 Transforming Quality Circles in CGH 12 april 2004 CONTENTS 3 A LINE FOR YOU Exploding egg gives birth to microwave oven We would like to hear your views and suggestions on the cover story, “A new outlook for teachers”. Please write to the Editor of Challenge at PS21 Office, 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119620, fax to 6775 3461 or email to LEONG_shih_yeng@psd.gov.sg. Give your name, ministry, ministry address and telephone number. Published contributions will receive an exclusive gift from the PS21 Office. 4 WHAT’S HOT Have you got your SingPass? EASY does it! Now you can withdraw your CPF online Inaugural SPFIS Learning Festival 7 AT THE MINISTRIES e-Polling is coming your way 8 ECONOMY DRIVE How MINDEF saves $100 million every year Successful initiatives 9 INNOVATION IN ACTION A kickboxing librarian 10 COVER STORY A new outlook for teachers Stints at DSTA and Shell BCA officers taste life in the private sector VIEWPOINT 12 AT YOUR SERVICE Transforming Quality Circles in CGH Safer trolleys for all Changing sheets is now a breeze SNEC introduces two e-newsletters It is attitude that counts Challenge is published monthly by the PS21 Office, Prime Minister’s Office (Public Service Division), 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119620. T 6874 7558 • Fax: 6775 3461 el: Email: LEONG_shih_yeng@psd.gov.sg • Website: www.ps21.gov.sg Editor: Leong Shih Yeng, PS21 Office Editorial Advisors: Boo Chong Han and Tan Chee Seng, PS21 Office Editorial Team: Pauline Mah, Organisational Review Committee • Josie Kang, Quality Service Committee • Cheryl Lee, Staff Well Being Functional Committee • Inthira Mailvaganam, PS21 Office Publishing Consultant: Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd Printed in Singapore: Utopia Press Pte Ltd 15 JUST DO WIT Keeping troops safe from lightning strikes Navy WIT’s brainwave 16 STAFF MATTERS Effective workplace health promotion SAF Smoking Cessation Programme 18 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PUBLIC OFFICER Animals is her pet topic VOLUME TEN ISSUE THREE 19 HEALTHY BODY, ACTIVE MIND Screening for breast cancer starts with you 20 CHALLENGE QUIZ You can savour juicy updates, bite-size stories, fresh tips, choice ideas and plenty of food for thought. What’s more, you’ll love today’s special — the Chomp Chomp online game! So hurry, don’t miss out! Log on to www.ps21.gov.sg/challenge now! EXPLODING EGG GIVES BIRTH TO MICROWAVE OVEN Dr Percy Spencer was a scientist working for the Raytheon Corporation in the US. One day in 1946, he noticed something very unusual while doing research for a project related to radar. He was testing a new vacuum tube called a magnetron. He found that a bar of chocolate in his pocket had melted. This puzzled him. So he tried another experiment. This time he put some popcorn near the tube. The popcorn cracked and burst all over the place. Clearly the popcorn had been cooked. The next morning, Spencer decided to put the magnetron tube near an egg. The egg began to shake as its inside heated up. Then the egg exploded.* Spencer asked why these things had happened. The melted bar of chocolate, the popcorn, and the exploding egg all were cooked by the microwave energy coming out of the magnetron tube. Now, if the egg can be cooked so quickly, why not other foods? This was how we came to get the microwave oven. Very few of us are scientists. But we do not have to be a scientist to learn a very useful lesson from this story. The lesson is: If you see something unusual, ask “Why?” If you do not understand something, ask “Why?” By asking why, you will learn something new. And it may be that you will find out others also do not know why. We all know that children like to ask the question “Why?” Sometimes they ask so much that adults tell them to stop asking. But it is by asking that they learn. We should learn to be like children again. Ask “Why?” And if you have a new idea and people say you should not try it out, ask “Why not?” We need to be curious. We need to be imaginative. Ask a lot of “Why?” and “Why not?” Lim Siong Guan Head, Civil Service * If you put a raw egg in your microwave oven at home, it will quickly cook and it will also explode. Warning: Never try to run a microwave oven with the door open. Dr Spencer did not know of the danger of microwaves at first. He could have cooked himself. But he soon decided he must not be near the magnetron tube when it is running. What’s Hot 4 Have you got your SingPass? Your SingPass or Singapore Personal Access is your common password for accessing and using all public services online. Put simply, it is the online equivalent of your NRIC number. Find out how you can use it to transact with the Government online. • • • • S • • • ingPass is an alphanumeric password made up of 8 to 24 characters. With your SingPass, you can do the following: view your Central Provident Fund (CPF) Statement of Account transfer your CPF savings from your ordinary account to your special account submit a request to encash your Electronic Restructuring Shares file your income tax through the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore’s (IRAS) website register for a business/company on the BizFile website do business with the Government online through the GeBiz website file notice of a civil marriage All Singapore citizens, Permanent Residents, You can apply for your SingPass via the eCitizen website. employment pass holders and dependent pass holders can apply for their SingPass. To get it by post, make your application through the eCitizen website. To get your SingPass on the spot, visit any CPF office, Community Development Council or any of the 15 selected Community Clubs/Centres. To know more, log on to www.eCitizen.gov.sg. Read the following stories for two examples of how organisations and members of the public can benefit from using the SingPass. EASY does it! n October 2003, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) launched the new e-Services Authorisation System (EASY), a common business authorisation system. EASY allows an organisation to authorise its staff or a third-party organisation (for example, tax agent, professional body) to access government services on its behalf. The organisation no longer needs to apply to the various government agencies to change authorisation access details. Selected staff can act on behalf of their organisation to access and update I online corporate information required by different government services. With EASY, the process of transacting with the Government is now a straightforward journey. Its one-user identification (ID), one-password authorisation (SingPass) approach makes it “transparent” and seamless for staff or a proxy to access and transact with different government agencies online. EASY is accessible by all companies and businesses registered with the Registry of Companies and Businesses, and all societies registered with the Registry of Societies. By Lim Seng Joo, Electronic Services Division, GCIO, IDA c h a lh l ae l nl g e g a p r ip l r i 0l 4 0 4 c e n e a What’s Hot 5 Now you can withdraw your CPF online Gone are the days when people had to visit the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board to withdraw their CPF when they turned 55. Now they can go online to apply for withdrawal. n the past, CPF members had to visit the CPF Board with their bank passbooks, or go to the bank to get their bank account numbers endorsed in order to apply for withdrawal. Now, to use the new eCPF members can log on to the Board’s website at www.cpf.gov.sg, click on “E-services” and select “Reaching 55: e-Withdrawal” to withdrawal service, they simply apply for CPF withdrawal. need to key in their NRIC number and SingPass. Said Mr Soh Chin Heng, will be able to view their personal information Director (Retirement and online, such as their estimated withdrawal amount Investment Division), “The and CPF Minimum Sum. This will give members a o all sent t ng i ass is new e-withdrawal more complete picture of their CPF savings, and xist ngP The Si members. E o service saves members help them in planning for their retirement.” nt CPF o new ho log The e-withdrawal service is currently available the hassle of visiting bers w with their mem ices e our offices to apply for to members who are POSB account holders. This e-serv our will b L PIN heir CPF withdrawal. In service will later be extended to UOB and OCBC CPF PA eset t d to r te addition, members account holders. promp he ot By Member Education Department, CPF Board I ass. IN t SingP PAL P meric nu alpha Although EASY can typically be used for e-services built on the PSi (Public Services Infrastructure) platform, it applies to e-services built using non-PSi tools too. If you are keen to know more about EASY, simply log on to the PS Online Intranet (www.intranet.gov.sg/eCitizenSupport) and download a factsheet on EASY or even a brochure for potential business customers of EASY. You can also contact your PS Online account managers by sending an email to either Stephanie_Kwok@ida.gov.sg or Sharon_Low@ida.gov.sg. Agencies that require copies of the EASY brochure for dissemination to their customers can write in to IDA_PSOnline@ida.gov.sg. EASY BENEFITS Government agencies do not need to: • issue and maintain agency-specific IDs/ passwords for authorised access to their e-services • manage agency-specific authorisation databases For organisations, EASY allows: • the administrators to effect authorisation to access multiple government e-services from a central location, instead of having to do so with different agencies at multiple websites • an employee or a proxy to use only his own ID and SingPass — and not multiple IDs and passwords — for authentication and access to different e-services What’s Hot 6 Inaugural SPFIS Learning Festival importance of continuous learning and personal mastery. He said, “In a knowledge-based economy, only continuous learning will equip us for tomorrow’s world…. It requires us to be willing and able to constantly and continuously learn new things, unlearn old ones that are no longer relevant and re-learn to keep moving forward.” He urged the audience to embrace lifelong learning. Two much sought-after speakers, Dr Low Guat Tin from the National Institute of Education/Nanyang Technological University and Dr Kirpal Singh from the Singapore Management University, were invited to share their thoughts at the symposium. Dr Low captivated the audience with her humorous talk entitled “The Enemy is Out There!” She pointed out that some people are always inclined to blame others for how things happen instead of being introspective and reflective. She also shared about various learning disabilities and how one can overcome them. Dr Singh shared on the challenges to lifelong learning and the guts and gumption we need for learning and breaking new ground. He said that it is not the strongest who will survive but the ones who are most responsive to change who will flourish. Having some fun At the end of the symposium, everyone had a chance to try out many games and learning activities organised by the different PID divisions at a fun-filled Learning Carnival. For example, the participants could learn about themselves by taking the MBTI® (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ®) personality test. They could also gain knowledge on diverse topics such as hydroponics, ozone and even the many uses of lemon. Investing in human capital A series of learning journeys and courses were made available to staff during the festival. To instil the value of taking responsibility for one’s learning, all staff were given Learning Dollars to bid for what they were keen to attend. Through the various programmes and activities of the Learning Festival, PID hoped to encourage staff to take the first step in the lifelong learning journey and to develop personal mastery. PID’s management is convinced that this investment in human capital will accelerate its progress towards achieving its vision of being “a worldclass criminal intelligence agency”. SPFIS staff could try out many games and learning activities at the Learning Carnival. Staff responded in positive ways to the Learning Festival. By PID, SPF T reating our people as our most valued assets and developing a family of valued professionals are tenets of the shared vision of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Police Intelligence Department (PID). With these in mind, PID launched a mega event for personnel of the SPF Intelligence System (SPFIS). The inaugural SPFIS Learning Festival was officially kicked off by Director PID, Assistant Commissioner (AC) T. Raja Kumar, on 14 January 2004. The festival lasted two and a half months. The theme was “Life is a Learning Journey”. Hearing from experts The festival opened with a symposium for all SPFIS personnel. Commissioner of Police, Mr Khoo Boon Hui, was present to grace the occasion. In his opening address, AC Raja highlighted the c h a l l e n g e a p r i l 0 4 MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SPORTS At The Ministries 7 e-Polling is coming your way to be exported from the portal to an Excel spreadsheet. Users can then use the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software for further crosstabulation and detailed analysis. Government agencies are eagerly waiting to use the e-poll for online indicative polling. Agencies will welcome this latest feature which enables them to conduct their own poll with ease and speed. Last year, the Feedback Unit launched the e-Consultation Paper webpage for all government agencies to post policy papers online for feedback. It will launch the muchawaited e-poll feature in April/May 2004. By Feedback Unit H ave you ever thought of conducting your own poll with ease and speed? If so, the e-poll feature of the Feedback Unit’s Government Consultation Portal (www.feedback.gov.sg) may be just what you are looking for. The e-poll is one of several features being added to the portal to enhance its value as a consultation medium. In the works for about 10 months, the e-poll system is now in the final phase of testing and will be launched soon. In “walking the talk”, the Feedback Unit sought feedback from the government agencies on what would make a user-friendly and effective e-poll facility. Enhancing the e-Consultation Paper webpage New features have also been added to the e-Consultation Paper webpage. Agencies can now post several questions to obtain more information on the profile of feedback contributors. They can also attach documents as additional information supporting the issue being discussed. For the feedback contributors, they can save their incomplete write-ups as drafts and work on them later. They can also email the paper to their friends. This way, they will help to generate more feedback. With such friendly channels available, public consultation is now a breeze. Come on board the Government Consultation Portal at www.feedback.gov.sg today! MANY CONSULTATION CHANNELS Singaporeans can choose from a variety of consultation channels available at the Government Consultation Portal. Likewise, Benefits of e-poll The e-poll is easy to use. he nt ation o inform It is simple to upload and n re For mo sultatio the Con r disseminate poll e-poll o dmund ntact E r questionnaires, as well rtal, co 127) o Po 55 8 9) (Tel: 63 as to gather and 54 806 Phang Tel: 63 eah ( o ictor S analyse the findings. V il t sg. an ema ds.gov. or send The e-poll system it@mc ck_un feedba allows the findings public agencies can ride on these channels to gather views and ideas from people. Indeed, this is what they have been doing. Since the launch of the e-Consultation Paper webpage last April, 15 agencies have posted 51 policy papers on the webpage. EconomyDrive 8 How MINDEF saves $100 million every year he Ministry of Defence’s (MINDEF) Economy Drive (ED) movement started in 1976. Since then we have been optimising the use of resources and minimising wastage through innovation and technology. A culture of cost consciousness within MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces has been built up over the years. We achieve savings of more than $100 million annually. The money is re-deployed to fund more critical requirements. Some of the projects have had wide-reaching impact. Projects such as the Indirect Seawater Cooling System and automatic switching devices have been publicised in the local newspapers and during our PRIDE (PRoductivity and Innovation in Daily Effort) Day. T Promoting ED There are three main thrusts for promoting ED in MINDEF: • Firstly, there is clear demonstration of commitment at the very top level of MINDEF. For example, the Minister of State for Defence heads the committee which monitors the ED efforts in MINDEF. • Secondly, MINDEF adopts a coordinated and cross-functional approach in planning and implementing ED. This way, initiatives can be examined holistically. For example, the feasibility and cost of the initiatives, as well as whether the initiatives will result in higher costs in other areas, are taken into consideration. MINDEF’s approach also facilitates “cross-fertilisation”. For example, ED initiatives that have proven to be successful in one department can be introduced to other departments. • Thirdly, there is empowerment and accountability at the operating level in promoting and implementing ED initiatives. While incentives encourage ground-level units/departments to independently seek innovative ways to optimise resources, these incentives will be awarded only after the ideas have been implemented and the savings have been confirmed. By MINDEF ED Secretariat Successful initiatives M INDEF shares three successful projects that have reaped significant savings: Improving productivity in tunnel construction To reduce the time taken for drilling when MINDEF officers are conducting tunnel construction works, the water supply is now pumped directly from a nearby quarry pond. Previously, mobile water tankers were used to provide the necessary water supply for drilling. With the change, the drilling time has been significantly reduced from 8 to 6 hours a day. This has greatly improved the overall work processes and productivity in tunnel construction, as well as enabled MINDEF to enjoy savings totalling $8.3 million. Cheaper way to dispose refuse Previously, the expenditure for refuse collection rose due to an increase in the number of refuse bins used at various camps and the use of different bin sizes. To curb the rising costs, MINDEF officers looked into using larger bins and reducing the overall number of bins. As a result, MINDEF saves about $244,000 per annum. Saving on maintenance works MINDEF requires regular maintenance works such as the cleaning of external compounds, grass cutting at non-critical areas and horticulture maintenance. By optimising the frequency of maintenance works through process re-engineering and adopting cheaper alternatives, MINDEF now saves about $620,000 annually. c h a l l e n g e c h a l l e n g e a p r i l a p r i l 0 4 0 4 Innovation In Action 9 A kickboxing librarian By Nirmala Sakthi, TEC Executive he image of a librarian is stereotypically someone bookish who wears thick glasses, dowdy clothes, has her hair in a bun and no life outside the library. But Mr Gene Tan from the National Library Board (NLB) breaks all myths, stereotypes and personas of a traditional librarian. He is the new age, cool and sleek librarian who innovates with passion, zeal and style. He is also a TEC (The Enterprise Challenge) Champion. T Aspiration Pathfinder Reminiscing about his innovation journey which saw the development and launch of the TEC sponsored Aspiration Pathfinder (AsPI) programme, Gene says, “I wanted to change the world a little bit, seriously! Being a ‘learn-by-rote’ student, I felt very inadequate and craved for exposure to diverse perspectives outside my little world. So at an Innovation Masterclass, I toyed with combining the travel experience with library services. The result was a library programme that emulates the best travel experience — the kind that takes you to meet people and undergo experiences you don’t usually encounter.” In fact, this starry-eyed innovator has such a strong inclination for AsPI that he says, “AsPI is everything that I’ve ever believed in — anything less than that and it becomes work.” An agent of change Gene is a veteran public officer who joined the Public Service even before NLB was formed. True to his radical nature, he quickly joined the lifestyle library revolution. He was part of the team that initiated the famous library@orchard and introduced the cafés in libraries concept in Singapore. In addition, Gene was also the brain AsPI is a revolu tionary, behind the popular dimensio multinal prog ramme th “Ask Stupid exposes at particip ants to informa Questions” varied to tion, an ols, d visual experien workshops that and sen ces beyo sory nd their spheres. have inspired normal The prog ramme stimulate aims to staff in over 20 experien tial lear creative ning of organisations and inn ovative cultivate skills, open an to innovate d inquis and gen itive min erate br and think ds eakthro ugh idea s. creatively. Thriving on challenges As someone who derives energy from challenges, Gene fought hard to make people understand AsPI and not to be terrified by it. Since AsPI makes people stray from what they know and learn not by rote but by experiences and interaction, Singaporeans were shell-shocked at first! So Gene adapted AsPI so that users can better understand the programme and accept it more readily. AsPI is currently in the second phase of development. Gene’s biggest challenge now is making it accessible to all without letting it become ordinary. Gene is grateful for the funding from TEC which is also supporting the second phase of AsPI. He looks upon the TEC Unit team as football coaches nudging him forward and giving him a big push when the going gets tough. Gene envisions that one day AsPI will become a worldwide programme that will be talked about and imparted as much as the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. His team’s dream is to become the “Creative Technology” of creativity and innovation. And they’re in the process of planning manuals, a book and even a gameshow! TEC Champion Gene received the TEC Champion Award at the Global Entrepolis @ Singapore 2003. This award is presented to public officers to recognise their innovative and enterprising spirit. Gene is not only one of the new breed of librarians but also an exemplary public officer who truly lives his dreams. He has incorporated everything he loves, from theatre to gameshows, into his work. He explains, “Breaking down the distinction between work, life and passion makes you feel like you are living, not working!” Gene striking a pose. Kickboxing at Orchard Road was part of the AsPI programme. Gene and his team gave the crowd at Global Entrepolis @ Singapore an innovative and energising treat. Cover Story 10 A new outlook for teachers Seventy-seven teachers were more than happy to work during their year-end school holidays last year. But they did not spend their time in school. Instead, they were attached to over 30 organisations in both the private and public sectors, such as banking, e-learning, IT, law, tourism and hospitality. he Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced the Teacher Work Attachment scheme to provide opportunities for teachers to broaden their experiences, enrich their teaching and ultimately More publ ic ag enco encie urag s are ing t gain heir new staff expe take to rie up n ew c nces and this halle cover nges st abou t MO ory, you . In E an will who d re go o n wo BCA offic ad stint ers rk at s in tachm the p and ri ent othe r pub vate sect or lic ag encie s. T enhance their pupils’ learning. The teachers can choose the organisations they wish to be attached to for one to four weeks. The attachments can be done locally or overseas, in either private or public sector organisations. Teachers can apply for attachments during the school holidays or term time. The teachers who participated have found the experience beneficial and have posted their reflections on the MOE Intranet. For a first-hand account of two teachers’ experience, read the story on the facing page. BCA officers taste life in the The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) started a programme that offers its officers a chance to experience a one-year stint in the private sector. Two to three officers are selected each year for attachment to consultant firms in the construction industry. By Leong Ee Leng, BCA ooted by BCA’s CEO, the programme aims to expose the officers to industry practices and to give them a taste of private sector life. It also presents a chance for staff to broaden their experiences and boost their overall development. M Gaining relevant lessons Ms Irene Ho, an engineer, was glad for the opportunity to work in the private sector. During her attachment, she was involved in designing underground MRT station structures and condominiums, as well as conducting checks on the structural design of various schools. She found her attachment experience helpful to her work. She explained: “My current duty at BCA is to inspect dangerous buildings and to approve periodical inspection reports. Through the attachment I gained a better understanding of various structural systems. I can now easily identify crucial structural elements and hence assess whether the defects are serious and whether they will affect the overall stability of a building.” She added, “The experience has also helped me to be more confident in making decisions regarding structural issues.” New perspectives, useful contacts Another advantage of the programme is that the staff will learn to view the construction industry from more c h a l l e n g e c h a l l e n g e a p r i l a p r i l 0 4 0 4 Cover Story 11 Stints at DSTA and Shell r Thomas Low from Radin Mas Primary School had always wanted to know how private organisations and statutory boards go about their business. So when the Teacher Work Attachment scheme was launched, he was the first in his school to sign up. He was attached to the Defence Science and Technology Agency’s (DSTA) Plans Department for five days. During his attachment, he learnt how Knowledge Management (KM) can enhance an organisation’s competitiveness. When the new school term started, he eagerly applied what he had learnt to his work. He said, “I have since incorporated two KM initiatives into my teaching methodology. Firstly, I tried to build a culture of sharing and collaboration by getting my students to post resources online so that everyone can access the materials from home as long as he/she has a computer and Internet connection. “I also introduced a tea session during which my pupils and I discuss current affairs over food, drink and classical music. It is very much like a working highThomas Low tea session.” Sharing how the attachment experience had impacted him on a personal level, he said, “Now I tend to look at things from a broader perspective. When faced with a problem, I would look at it from multiple angles. The experience has developed my critical thinking skills to a large extent.” Mr Yap Wai Meng, an Anderson Junior College teacher, M also had many positive things to say about his experience. He had wanted to learn about operations in a multinational corporation and was attached to Shell’s Yap Wai Meng Human Resource Department for a week. During his stint, he gained insights into how the company goes about recruiting staff. He noted that when assessing candidates, the company paid much attention to each candidate’s accomplishments, traits and abilities beyond what their academic track record might state. He actively shares what he observed with his students. “I talk to students every now and then about working life and what they are going to do after their ‘A’ levels,” he said. “I try to point out that although academic performance is important, it is also important to lead a balanced life with CCA involvement and other experiences that may be invaluable one day in the working world.” Mr Yap has also incorporated a case study on Shell in his geography lessons. private sector Moreover, engineers will not only gain practical design experience in building engineering but also establish a good industry network and learn about the latest developments in the construction industry. Upon completing their attachment, they will be in a better position to help recommend policies and resolve issues in the industry with their new perspectives. Said Senior Development Officer Jeffery Neng, “We are able to network with various industry players like architects, project managers, contractors and even construction-related authorities such as the National Environment Agency. Such exposure has definitely helped me in understanding the industry better and in working towards achieving BCA’s vision to develop an advanced and competitive construction industry.” BCA officers are enriched by their work attachment experience. angles and can then provide fresh perspectives for BCA. The experience will enable them to understand the practices and problems faced by the private sector. At Your Service 12 Transforming Quality Circles in CGH By Quality Management Office, CGH hangi General Hospital (CGH) introduced a new Quality Circle (QC) system and structure in 2003 to enhance its existing QC structure. With the change, staff can choose from three types of projects instead of just one. Two new project types — Quick and In-House projects — have been added. The report templates for the two new categories of projects are much simpler. For instance, staff C ong g am arnin ng nd le n bri s a ing a Shar sations c s. Thank t gani od resul working on Quick or t go and abou Housing and In-House rd’s e as t Boa to th projects are only men ts, CGH h p evelo s inpu y D it required to complete Qual ture. rou gene rmed its struc a 4- to 6-page report, sfo and tran ystem as compared to NQCC cle s Cir OUR VISION A hospital recognised by patients and staff for excellence and compassion in service and care. OUR MISSION • We are dedicated to improving the health of the community in the east. • We will accomplish this through cooperation with other caregivers, to provide quality healthcare that is integrated, accessible, affordable and appropriate to the community’s needs • We value and recognise the contribution of every staff and foster a culture of innovation and lifelong learning. OUR QUALITY VISION To provide a level of patient care and services good enough for our own mothers without the need for special arrangements. (National QC Carnival) project reports which are 15 pages long (see table for more details). The main purpose of adopting the new framework is to encourage a higher level of staff participation, and to allow staff to effectively focus on doing the projects without having to spend too much time writing the reports. The flexibility of the framework also allows staff to inject creativity and innovation into their projects. Presentations at the In-House Forum can be in any creative form, including skits, PowerPoint presentations, exhibiting the actual product and singing. A staff who joined a QC for the first time said, “I find the Quick and In-House templates simpler to use compared to the NQCC one. It is faster to implement and is more effective in helping our team to solve problems.” In 2003, CGH completed 18 Quick and InHouse projects. This was a commendable effort, given that the staff had to deal with SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) last year. The new QC system comes with a new set of rewards. Staff are given credits based on the type of project and the award achieved. The credits accumulated can be exchanged for attractive prizes. Approval for implementation Presentation Maximum number of members* Quick project In-House project NQCC project Report length Timeframe 5 4 pages 3 months 8 6 pages 6-9 months HOD (Administrator’s approval is necessary when cost exceeds $2,000) Division Administrator In-House Forum (with option of presenting at NQCC) NQCC and/or national convention c h a l l e n g e a p r i l 0 4 8 15 pages 6-9 months * The number of members includes the leader but not the facilitator. At Your Service 13 Safer trolleys for all hen two nurses injured their toes while manoeuvring a patient trolley, a team called the “Special Action Squad” (SAS) embarked on a mission to make patient trolleys safer for staff at Changi General Hospital. Upon initial investigation, SAS found that the wheels (castors) on the patient trolleys were in good condition. And Before: Staff can easily get injured when according to the moving a trolley. manufacturer, there was no safety feature to prevent the type of accident that injured the two nurses. However, SAS persisted in finding a solution. Using the In-House project template, the team was able to come up with an efficient and practical solution. The members first brainstormed and developed a W few conceptual drawings. Next they approached a local welding company for help to fabricate a safety bracket Now: The trolleys are being fitted with safety protector for placing bracket protectors. over the castors. Then a trial was conducted. From there, the team modified their drawings based on users’ feedback. The project was presented during the InHouse Forum on 2 December 2003. Even after that, the team members continued their relentless pursuit of quality improvement by looking into design enhancements. Presently, SAS is carrying out the first phase of implementation. The team looks forward to introducing the enhancements to the rest of the trolleys in the coming months. They will also be starting on a new Quick project soon! Changing sheets is now a breeze n line with Changi General Hospital’s (CGH) quality vision to “provide a level of patient care and services good enough for our own mothers”, a Quality Circle team called “SPARKS” developed an innovation using the In-House project template. Othe r have hospita ls show inte rest n to this inno adopt vatio n! I considerable amount of the linen attendants’ time. An effective solution SPARKS proposed using envelope bedsheets instead and implemented a trial in six wards. The team found that as the flap of the envelope bedsheet is deep, Now: The envelope the bedsheet holds bedsheet fits mattresses nicely. the mattress well. Such bedsheets are also more presentable and comfortable. And as they are flat, folding and packing them is easier and neater. The envelope bedsheets will be implemented in phases in all wards, starting from the subsidised wards. Even after presenting the project at the InHouse Forum, SPARKS’ members continue in their innovation improvement. They are currently finding ways to make it easier for staff to change the bedsheets of bedridden patients. The problem with garters The team members, who are from the Housekeeping Department, found that the garters of bedsheets tend to lose their elasticity after several washing cycles. When that happens, the bedsheets will either roll to the centre of the beds or come off the mattresses when the beds are raised, causing discomfort to the patients. As the mattress sizes differ, the bedsheets may not fit them neatly. The bedsheets also tend to crease even after ironing due to the gathers around the garters. Furthermore, Before: The mattress is changing loose garters visible and the bedsheet is a tedious process can easily come off when that can take up a the bed is raised. At Your Service 14 SNEC introduces two e-newsletters The newsletter aims to strengthen service quality awareness and provide customer service tips. Readers are encouraged to share what they learn during their regular sharing sessions with staff, so as to facilitate the transfer of knowledge. Staff are welcome to share articles on best practices they come across. Said Ms Iris Wee, Quality Service Executive, “It’s a good way to keep ourselves updated on ‘what’s in the market’. It is also a good platform for sharing best practices.” There are plans to have E-Flash uploaded onto SNEC’s Intranet so that everyone in SingHealth can benefit from it. SNEC F.A.C.E. This monthly newsletter is made available to all staff via SNEC’s Intranet. It provides a quick analysis of the compliments received and recognises SNEC staff who have received accolades from the public for their display of care, concern and professionalism when attending to patients. The name of the newsletter reflects the organisation’s drive to encourage every staff to be a “SNEC F.A.C.E.” (Friendly, Anticipates and acts on needs, Customer-oriented, Empathy). Said Ms Susan Tan, Quality Service Secretary, “The newsletter is definitely a morale booster for our team of service providers as their hard work is recognised by our patients.” The newsletter also provides a point of reference for the Department when it comes to recommending staff for the Excellent Service Award. SNEC F.A.C.E. recognises staff for delivering excellent service to patients. By SNEC Quality Service Team he Singapore National Eye Centre’s (SNEC) Quality Service Department has introduced two e-newsletters that focus on service. E-Flash is about best practices and customer service tips, while SNEC F.A.C.E. recognises staff for rendering excellent service to patients. T E-Flash E-Flash is circulated to all heads of departments and key staff monthly via email. It leverages on IT to provide quick and useful data to enable staff to be proactive in delivering quality service to patients. It is attitude that counts In the March issue of E-Flash, readers were encouraged to take ownership and adopt a positive attitude when going about their work. Here are some excerpts you may find helpful. ustomer service providers must recognise that their attitude is extremely easy to detect and misinterpret. What is “attitude”? It is the image you project to the world. It is your outlook, your mood, and your perceptions and prejudices. You project an attitude using your body language and tone of voice. C The most important “attitude” lesson: Customers can detect a negative or condescending attitude in a split second! Good customer service providers recognise that customers respond most comfortably to a friendly, open-minded attitude. They respond to the use of their names. They want you to look them in the eye. They want you to listen to their needs and concerns. If you project another attitude (even unintentionally), there is a huge chance that you will alienate, irritate or simply “turn off” a customer. Happy employees create happy customers. c h a l l e n g e c h a l l e n g e a p r i l a p r i l 0 4 0 4 Just Do Wit 15 Keeping troops safe from lightning strikes safety zone Soldiers standing inside this PROW are safe in stormy weather. By MINDEF renches and protection walls (PROWs) are built for defence exercises and for securing key installations against terrorist threats. They are deployed in the open and exposed to lightning strikes. Hence during rainy weather, troops have to be evacuated to safe shelters to avoid lightning strikes. When troops have to vacate their trenches during serious lightning situations, their operational effectiveness as well as the realism of the training are affected. This could seriously impact the confidence of our commanders and men who may view that our training and operations are not realistic. Valuable training time is also lost in the process. T To address this problem, a WIT called Rangers from the Army came up with a new design for the PROWs called the Lightning Protection System (LPS). The new system utilises the concept of the “Faraday Cage” to protect soldiers in the PROWs from the effects of lightning strikes. The LPS consists of two bonding cables and a series of interconnected wire mesh. The special bonding cables connect the zinc roof and PROW mesh to the 10 cm by 10 cm wire mesh on the floor. The system is designed to allow electric current to dissipate and flow to the earth freely, thus protecting the soldiers standing inside the PROW. With the LPS, the soldiers can still be deployed in the n ge is a tely of day Ca trenches during rainy comple A Fara made This re weather without commesh. enclosu etallic cts as or m sure a promising their safety. The metal g enclo ld to tin tic shie conduc morale and confidence magne from tro an elec nclosed s. of the troops have improved hat’s e w rent protect tric cur as the soldiers are certain al elec rn all exte about their safety during training and operations. Navy WIT’s brainwave he Mine Clearance Diving Teams (MDT) are tasked to recover underwater targets during and after exercises. Previously, the divers encountered many difficulties: • The diver faced difficulty in bringing down the MK 5 lifting bag as the trapped air in the bag would cause it to float up. • There was additional drag on the MK 5 bag caused by underwater currents. • An additional diver was required to assist in pulling down the MK 5 bag. • The process could take a long time and prolong the whole operation. • Too many unnecessary movements underwater can endanger the diver while he is connecting the MK 5 lifting bag to the underwater target. T To address these problems, a WIT called Diversonic designed a remote lifting actuation system. Now the diver only needs to send down a coupling pin to connect to the target object. The bag is then remotely pulled down by the sea boat. Another coupling pin will be guided down and inserted into the first coupling pin. When the two pins connect, the remote actuation system will activate the actuator and inflate the MK 5 lifting bag to lift the target. This project has enhanced the capability of the diving teams. It has also brought tremendous satisfaction to the team and motivated them to innovate further. The Ministry of Defence now enjoys $157,000 in savings per year from this project. Staff Matters 16 Effective workplace health promotion By Fiona Soh, Workplace Health, HPB “These health needs For mo he Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) re in curriculum for workplace health promotion relate to organisational workplac formation o e heal n traini th pro was revised in 2002. Now more stress levels, individual ng, th motio e Wor n Health kplace comprehensive and flexible, the curriculum cholesterol levels, Promo tion G and th rant e Sing emphasises customising tools and techniques for hypertension levels apore Award H.E.A , call implementing effective corporate health and other health .L.T.H Rena 6435 . a issues that might be HP 3704 or em t programmes. B_Hea ail to lth_At the A panel of specialists in the field was involved draining _Work @hpb .gov.sg in reviewing workplace health training strategies. medical budget of . Using a step-by-step resource, Essential Guide the company.… Companies to Workplace Health Promotion, they revised can customise programmes to meet the curriculum by introducing and packaging different Companies can customise programmes to meet modules to ensure organisational and employee needs. — Ms Mabel relevance and effectiveness. Chia-Yarrall, Manager of Workplace Health Promotion The curriculum Programme emphasises equipping companies with evaluation tools so that companies are more able to track the outcomes organisational and employee needs,” she said. of their programmes. As the marketing gurus say: Reaping the benefits “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Many companies have benefited from the training provided by HPB. A systematic, comprehensive approach “Very often, companies seem to think of health Said Ms Sharon Pereira, Manager of Quality, needs assessment as simply an interest survey — Environment, Health and Safety Department, measuring what employees want,” said Ms Mabel Philips Electronics Singapore Pte Ltd, “Prior to Chia-Yarrall, Manager of the Workplace Health attending the training programme offered by HPB, Promotion Programme. I thought that healthier workplaces meant more While that is somewhat true, what she sports and games.” advocates is a comprehensive health needs She had also wondered how to improve Philips’ assessment. This includes looking at corporate H.E.A.L.T.H. Award status. She now knows more health screening and fitness assessment results, and Philips will be using the funds from the as well as conducting organisational climate Workplace Health Promotion Grant to colour-code surveys to see if there are health needs that can canteen food, promote vegetables and engage be benchmarked against national standards. caterers who can offer healthier food. “The training has provided us with a clear direction for strategising our workplace health promotion programmes,” said Ms Pereira. “We are no longer second guessing what makes a Gold H.E.A.L.T.H. Award programme.” Having gone through the training, OCBC Property Services’ IT Manager Wilfred Foo was “convinced of the urgency of promoting health”. His company was concerned about containing stress levels effectively and now he has an idea of how to do so in an integrated and systematic HPB provides training to promote healthier workplaces. manner. T c h a l l e n g e a p r i l 0 4 Staff Matters 17 SAF Smoking Cessation Programme he Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) ensures that all servicemen who smoke go through a comprehensive process where they receive health education, counselling and supervision throughout the entire duration of their active service. This is to continually motivate them to quit smoking. The SAF Smoking Control Programme A smokerlyser is used to detect if a serviceman has reduced smoking. consists of three main components: voluntary. Unit commanders and medical officers • identification of smokers • supervision and counselling (including referral have been asked to actively encourage smokers to attend the sessions. to the Smoking Cessation Clinic) Dedicated para-counsellors give the • health education servicemen who attend the Smoking Cessation Pre-enlistment Clinic personalised attention and advice on how the irs medical review atly impa to stop smoking. There is regular follow-up and oking gre Sm During the medical ess and ysical fitn iers. the smokers are encouraged to gradually cut ph r sold check-up, the nce of ou , performa down and eventually quit smoking. to severe o lead medical officer ases, It can als ting dise debilita enquires about the Nicotine Replacement Therapy chronic, tructive ronic obs smoking habits of all Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is generally heart uch as ch s emic se, ischa ng disea pre-enlistees and safe and has been shown to significantly improve lu d stroke. isease an d records this in cessation rates. Nicotinell patches may be the servicemen’s recommended by SAF para-counsellors to smokers with high nicotine dependence. These patches electronic medical record (PACES). help smokers who use them after quitting smoking Interviews by supervisor to reduce their withdrawal symptoms. All servicemen are interviewed by their supervisor If NRT is recommended by the paraevery three months. During the interviews, the counsellors and the officer agrees to going on it, supervisor has to ascertain the smoking status of the medical officer will interview the officer before all the servicemen under his charge. prescribing it. The supervisor provides every identified smoker with a Smoker Interview Card, which is kept in the Positive results The results of SAF’s Smoking Cessation Programme serviceman’s interview booklet. are comparable with studies from the US that show The supervisor also educates the servicemen on an average success rate of about 8% to 10% the adverse health effects of smoking and encourages without NRT. him to attend the Smoking Cessation Clinic. For long-term success, personal motivation is Smoking Cessation Clinic and para-counsellors extremely important. With encouragement and The Smoking Cessation Clinic was introduced as motivation from commanders, doctors and peers, a trial in June 2003. Attendance is strictly our servicemen who smoke can kick the habit. By MINDEF T A Day In The Life Of A Public Officer 18 Animals is her pet topic Do you know that cats and dogs can live up to 20 years? A terrapin’s lifespan is even longer — over 20 years. Koi fish can live past 40 and some birds can even live till 70! However, not all pet owners are prepared for such a long-term commitment. As a result, many pets are abandoned every year. Sherry Nee, Senior Animal Welfare Education Officer at the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), wants people to realise the responsibilities that come with keeping pets. hile pets can be beneficial to people, not everyone is suited to be a pet owner, said Sherry. Besides being prepared to spend money on food, training, grooming, regular check-ups and vaccinations, pet owners must also provide adequate space, love, attention and long-term care for their pets. Many owners buy pets when they are young and look small and cute. But when the animals grow bigger, some owners get tired of them and throw them away, oblivious to the consequences. For example, some people release terrapins into ponds. This upsets the ecology in the ponds. Moreover, the terrapins, which are not used to finding food for themselves, may not survive long in the wild. As for abandoned dogs, they risk falling sick and being knocked down by cars. If the animals do not find new homes, they will be put down. contents to cater to the particular needs of schools. Facing a restless and sometimes rowdy crowd of 1,000 to 2,000 students during assembly time can be very challenging. Sherry has to continually find new and creative ways to capture the students’ attention. To further promote pet education, Sherry set up a website (www.ava.gov.sg/aweb) that offers plenty of information and useful resources. She expanded the library at CAWC by acquiring books, videos and overseas magazines. She also picked up desktop publishing on her own, and wrote and designed brochures, flyers and a children’s book which are all available online. For love of animals Animals have always had a special place in Sherry’s heart. She explained, “Animals are innocent. They don’t scheme or make plans to harm you. Their thoughts are very simple. They are consistent — they won’t love you one day and hate you another day. They are not fickle, like humans. You can talk to them and you feel that you have a friend — one that doesn’t criticise or lecture you.” Sadly, in the course of her work, she often encounters people with various misconceptions. She said, “When I show children a picture of an abandoned and abused dog and ask them if it will find a new home, they’ll say ‘Yes’. And when I ask them if their pet will find a new home if they don’t want it any more, they’ll say ‘Yes. It costs money you know, someone else will want it.’” Moreover, some adults contribute to the problem of abandonment by breeding their pets to sell to pet shops or just for the experience. Sherry said, “Unfortunately, their pet’s offspring are not guaranteed good homes or they may deprive those pets which need good homes. “Also, parents influence how their children treat animals. If parents do not have respect for animals, it’s very likely that their children will not too.” While mindsets take time to change, Sherry hopes her efforts will eventually drive home the message that animals have feelings too and deserve our care and respect. W Pet talks and more Sherry’s role is to educate members of the public, especially students, on pets. She gives talks at schools and during events and exhibitions. She also hosts visits to the Centre for Animal Welfare and Control (CAWC) where participants can get a chance to handle cats, hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs. Since joining AVA in 2001, Sherry has given around 250 talks to students on many topics including stray animals, the different types of pet animals, how to handle pets and being a responsible pet owner. The talks are For poste customised for rs, work sheets, brochure s, article audiences ranging from s and info rmation kindergarten children to on AVA’s pe t educati tertiary students. Sherry on program mes, ch eck out will also develop the www.av a.gov.sg /aweb. c h a l l e n g e a p r i l 0 4 Healthy Body, Active Mind 19 Screening for breast cancer starts with you reast cancer remains the most common cancer among Singaporean women today. About two women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day, and about 250 women die from breast cancer every year. One in 20 women in Singapore has a chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime, and her chance increases if: • She is older than 40 years old. • She has a close relative (mother, sister or daughter) who has breast or ovarian cancer. B Detection and treatment Breast cancer, if detected and treated early, can be cured. This is how you can beat it: • Do regular breast self-examination and go for regular mammography. • Know the signs of breast cancer and see a doctor if you notice a change in your breasts. Mammography A mammography is a simple examination of the breast using low-dose X-ray. It can detect cancerous lumps in the breast that are too small to be felt by the hand. In this way, it is possible for the cancer to be detected early and removed completely to save the breast. Breast Self-Examination (BSE) Breast cancer may develop in the interval period between mammographic screenings. It is important to do BSE during the interval period. All women 30 years and above should do BSE regularly — once a month, about one week after a period when the breasts are less tender and lumpy. Menopausal women should choose a fixed monthly date for their BSE. BreastScreen Singapore This is a national breast screening programme run by the Health Promotion Board which encourages women aged 40 years and above to go for regular mammography. Women 40 years and above will receive invitation letters to go for mammography. Once enrolled in the programme, women will receive reminder letters for the next routine mammography. Mammography services are available at hospitals, private X-ray centres and selected polyclinics. Go for regular mammography. It can save your breast and your life! For more details, call BreastScreen Singapore at 1800-333 3030 or visit www.hpb.gov.sg. THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BREAST SCREENING IN SINGAPORE Age 30 – 39 years Do breast selfexamination (BSE) monthly Go for mammography — Age 40 – 49 years Age 50 years & above (once a year) (once every 2 years) CHALLENGEQUIZ april 2004 ANSWERS to March 2004 Quiz 1 Name the award that Nanyang Polytechnic won for successfully automating its business processes. Intelligent20 Award 2003 2. What does “DEWS” stand for? Drowning Early Warning System 3. From which website can you get access to IM7? Government Intranet/ www.intranet.gov.sg 4. Answer “true” or “false” to this statement: At www.place2lease.com, factory units are put up for bidding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. True 5. Volunteers from which ministry spent a meaningful day with children from needy families? Ministry of National Development Answer the following questions on the contents of this issue of Challenge: 1. Name the password for accessing and using all public services online. Name the TEC Champion from NLB. How many teachers signed up for MOE’s Teacher Work Attachment scheme last year? Which SNEC e-newsletter recognises staff for delivering excellent service to patients? What is the average number of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer every day? 2. 3. WINNERS of March 2004 Quiz 1. Loo Kim Chwee, LTA 2. Lee Wei Chin, PUB 3. Krishnan Gurusamy, CPF 4. Kumutha Muthu, Temasek Poly 5. Zaidah Bte Ahmad, HPB 6. Sim Siew Hong, Customs 7. Tay Poh Choo, SLA 8. Patricia Chua Lieu Soo, IDA 9. Samuel Chew, AGD 4. 5. Send your entries to PS21 Office, 29 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119620 by 7 May 2004. Email us at psd_ps21@psd.gov.sg or fax to 6775 3461. Give your name, ministry, ministry address and phone number. The first 10 correct entries drawn will receive a token of appreciation from the PS21 Office. 10. Ong Ah Seng, RCB Congratulations to the winners, who will each receive a prize.