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29 Jul 2022
Good things come in threes, just like the three awards we received at the Public Sector Transformation (PST) awards ceremony on 29 July 2022 for excellence in our work and organisational practices.
The PST awards serve as a pinnacle platform to recognise and reward outstanding public officers and agencies.
Of our winners, Head Capability Development (CIP/Joint Facilities) Teresa Anne Yeo clinched the Exemplary SkillsFuture Award for demonstrating the spirit of continuous learning and skills upgrading.
An electrical engineer by training, Teresa saw the need to upskill herself to stay ahead of the tech curve, especially in the field of cybersecurity. Besides taking courses to establish her fundamentals, she also engaged various cybersecurity experts to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. By doing so, she has brought fresh perspectives to the cybersecurity of Operational Technology (OT) systems – critical infrastructure systems that monitor and automate changes in operations – in MINDEF and the SAF.
“I’m very honoured and encouraged to continue pursuing new competencies and deepening my knowledge, particularly in OT cybersecurity. This award is not just a recognition of my pursuit for new skills, but also a recognition of DSTA as an organisation that helps its people to learn and grow outside their field,” said Teresa.
Teresa (left) receiving the Exemplary SkillsFuture Award from Head of Civil Service Leo Yip.
Another team clinched the Exemplary Innovator Award for injecting and championing innovation in their work for the Operational Medical Networks Informatics Integrator (OMNII) system. The system was the result of a close collaboration between our technologists, paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), as well as doctors and nurses from the Ministry of Health.
With OMNII, paramedics are able to retrieve patients’ health records en route to the hospital once they obtain the patients’ NRIC for verification. The system also shares the patients’ vital signs with the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) in real time, allowing ED doctors to prepare the necessary ahead of time.
OMNII has transformed Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (PEC) by enhancing the SCDF’s responsiveness and the quality of information shared between paramedics on the ground and ED personnel at the hospital.
On what motivated the team throughout the project, Principal Systems Architect (Systems Engineering and C3 Centre) Fannie Lim said: “The thought of how OMNII could transform PEC in life-saving operations gave us a sense of purpose to keep going.”
Fannie Lim (left) receiving the award on behalf of the OMNII team from Guest of Honour and Minister for Education and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing.
A SCDF paramedic using the OMNII tablet.
She added: “I still get emotional thinking about how paramedics are using the OMNII tablets we developed when I see ambulances on the road. It reminds me to remain committed to injecting innovation in my work to deliver impactful solutions for our nation.”
Last but not least, the team behind the Integrated Municipal Operations Pilot received the Dare to Do Award for showing the courage to take risks, overcome failure, and persevere to try continually and learn iteratively.
In Singapore, the Municipal Services Office (MSO) works with key government agencies, town councils, and other partners to improve the delivery of municipal services that enable them to serve residents faster, better and more productively. To help the municipal sector meet rising demands, our technologists joined an inter-agency team comprising members from MSO, the Housing and Development Board, the Public Utilities Board, the Land Transport Authority, the National Parks Board, the Singapore Police Force, and the National Environment Agency.
As part of the efforts, the team piloted a new initiative in Tampines Town by contracting an integrated facilities management operator to streamline the delivery of services. This was a stark contrast with past arrangements, where municipal services were delivered by six different operators. The streamlining has since resulted in faster detection and resolving of issues in a quicker and more efficient manner.
Senior Engineer (Enterprise IT) Roger Wong and Programme Manager (Systems Engineering and C3 Centre) Seah Pei Pei (bottom row, fourth and third from right respectively) were part of the team behind the Integrated Municipal Operations Pilot.
Congratulations to all our winners!