Inaugural Temasek Foundation Governance & Public Administration Programme for Senior Public Official from Asia

Top government officials from Asia are in Singapore for the inaugural Temasek Foundation Governance & Public Administration Programme for Senior Public Officials (TFGPA). 

The Programme (TFGPA) is jointly organised by the Temasek Foundation (TF) and Singapore Civil Service College (CSC) from 19 to 28 November.

The eight-day executive training programme aims to provide a platform for senior public sector officials to discuss issues and share experiences related to governance and public administration. 

The programme will also create a network of peer support to advance future collaborations among participants. 

This new initiative is supported by Temasek Foundation through a grant of about S$631,000 for two runs. 

For the inaugural run of the TFGPA programme this year, some 32 senior public officials from 10 countries in Asia will form country teams. 

Each team will come into the programme armed with individual country projects that address challenges and issues in these broad areas: Public Sector Reform, Human Resources, Capability Building in Academies, and Economic Development and Education. 

Besides lectures and discussion sessions, participants will get the opportunity to visit relevant public service agencies to observe Singapore's approach to public sector management and gain an in-depth understanding of Singapore's experience and best practices in the areas of governance and public administration. 

Participants will also have the opportunity to network, discuss and develop ideas and approaches to address their individual country projects. 

This will be done through peer reviews, which will help the teams in the implementation of their action plans in their home countries after the training programme concludes. 

Mr Kwek Mean Luck, Dean and CEO of the Civil Service College said, "This programme will go beyond the more passive learning experiences associated with conference programmes. Participants are given projects to work on that address issues they face in their home countries. During the programme, they can tap on the experience and expertise of fellow practitioners to improve their projects. They can also build friendships that can lead to future inter-government collaborations to develop the region." 

Mr Benedict Cheong, Chief Executive Officer, Temasek Foundation said, "We are pleased to support this initiative which is in line with our efforts to build institutional capabilities that lend to development and growth of Asian communities. We hope that this programme will enable the participants to gain new insights, and develop approaches which can be applied to their projects and contribute to the overall development of their respective communities." 

The second run of the TFGPA programme will be held in late 2013.