21 Jul 2019
The Public Service Week (PSW) 2019 was held from 15 to 21 July 2019 for public officers to come together and foster a greater sense of appreciation for the work of the Public Service.
In line with the next phase of Public Sector Transformation, PSW 2019 was themed ‘Transformation starts with an I.D.E.A’, where I.D.E.A. stands for Innovate, Digitalise, Engage, and Adapt and Skill Up.
As part of the PSW celebrations, the Public Sector Transformation Awards Reception was held on 19 July 2019, where two individuals and a team from DSTA received recognition for their contributions to the Public Service.
Principal Data Scientist (Enterprise IT) Heidi Chen and Principal Engineer (DSTA Masterplanning and Systems Architecting) Tan Puay Siang received the Exemplary SkillsFuture @ Public Service Award for their continuous efforts in deepening their competencies.
A mechanical engineer by training, Heidi ventured beyond her original scope in armament acquisition project management to pick up data analytics skills. She eventually took on the role of Principal Data Scientist last year and established an organisation-wide data analytics training programme.
Similarly, Puay Siang also acquired a multitude of new skills beyond her job scope and have applied the knowledge to deliver impactful initiatives. For instance, she led a team of engineers to achieve the top team prize in an organisational hackathon in 2018, which was accomplished by developing methods to drive down operational costs and support activities in the armaments domain using visualisation tools.
The MINDEF Bug Bounty Programme team, which consisted of members from both MINDEF and DSTA, clinched the Dare to Do Award for the team’s courage and perseverance to try something new. This was the first government programme in Singapore where international and local white hat hackers were invited to test eight of MINDEF’s major internet-facing systems for vulnerabilities (or ‘bugs’), and receive rewards (or ‘bounties’) for doing so. It helped MINDEF better secure their internet-facing systems in light of the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
DSTA members also joined their MINDEF and SAF counterparts on 16 July 2019 at the MINDEF Observance Ceremony to reaffirm their commitment in serving Singapore and Singaporeans.
In video messages screened at the ceremony, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, commended public officers and rallied them to continue working as one united team.
Head of Civil Service Leo Yip also shared that transformation is a long journey and encouraged public officers across the service to build a digital government, engage citizens better and innovate.
On the same night, DSTA members joined the Istana Reception hosted by President Halimah Yacob on 16 July 2019, where Head (Network Security Infra) Vincent Lim and Deputy Director (Full Scale Development) Leong Wai Mei were among the guests.
Vincent shared: “It was a privilege to be invited to the reception alongside with public officers from various ministries and agencies. I enjoyed the sharing session with a group of like-minded people who are committed to serving the nation and protecting our sovereignty.”
Wai Mei added: “The event was a good opportunity to network with colleagues from various sectors of the Public Service.”
