MoU signing between GovTech and UK GDS to strengthen collaboration in digital public services

MoU signing between GovTech and UK Government Digital Service to strengthen collaboration in the design and delivery of digital government public services

The United Kingdom and Singapore are pleased to announce the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that continues to build on the existing relationship between the UK and Singapore on the areas of digital government. The MoU will remain in effect for three years and supports the long-standing partnership between the two agencies and helps to strengthen collaboration in the design and delivery of digital government public services.

The signing of the MoU took place on 4 July 2022 at 10 Whitechapel High Street, London. Representing the agencies to sign the MoU were Mr. Kok Ping Soon, Chief Executive of GovTech Singapore and Mr. Tom Read, Chief Executive Officer and Director General of Government Digital Service (GDS) UK.

MoU signing between GovTech and UK Government Digital Service

Providing digital government services

Both the UK and Singapore are widely recognised as digital leaders and take an active role in shaping international standards and discussions in the digital government space.

The formalisation of both countries’ cooperation and collaboration is backed by their respective recognition of the importance of providing digital government services, and signals their intent to lock in the gains from the rapid digitalisation from the last three years. This MoU follows the signing of the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA) that came into force on 14 June 2022.

In recent years, Singapore has invested heavily in Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT), taking a holistic digital society approach by investing in their digital infrastructure, developing private sector digital capability, and setting aspirational digital government agendas.

The MoU will cover not only sharing know-how and approaches to building digital services, but also exploring new ways of working that help build more effective, efficient and economical government digital services in the long term.

Continuing the digital government partnership

Since the signing of the first MoU in 2019, there have been a number of ongoing activities between GDS and agencies across Singapore’s public sector for personalisation.

1. GDS and GovTech have held knowledge exchanges on life event design approaches, with a particular focus on priority events, personalisation and use of data to underpin this work.

2. GovTech and UK GDS have started exchanging knowledge and working toward mutual recognition of UK and Singapore digital identities through pilots.

3. GDS supported a review of the data security regime in Singapore’s public sector. GDS Information Assurance Unit shared their experience and best practices on data security, which were helpful to Singapore’s Public Sector Data Security Review Committee (PSDSRC) in developing recommendations on data security processes and initiatives.

4. In October 2020, GDS and GovTech met to discuss respective national cloud strategies, with a particular focus on standards, security and the types of data that can be held in different environments.

MoU and beyond

Bolstered by our close and harmonious partnership, GDS participates in two multilateral working groups for the Digital Government Exchange (DGX). DGX is an annual high-level conference run by the Singapore government and is attended by international public sector leaders from jurisdictions that have made significant progress in digital government.

With a view to enabling each other to become better at what they do, GDS and GovTech will continue to collaborate and cooperate, sharing the knowledge and expertise from both sides to deliver better results for both countries.

“The Government Digital Service is proud to partner with GovTech Singapore. Over the last three years we have shared experience and expertise on a number of topics, from digital capability and the COVID-19 response, to digital ID, data security and our Government as a Platform strategy. GDS recognises the incredible value of peer-to-peer partnerships for sharing and progressing good practice in digital government.” - Mr. Tom Read, Chief Executive Officer and Director General of Government Digital Service (GDS) UK

“With economies around the world digitalising, it is imperative for Singapore to work with like-minded partners to push the boundaries of digital services for our citizens and businesses, and unlock greater benefits for the respective countries. The partnership between GovTech Singapore and the Government Digital Service will lock in the digitalisation gains that we have made respectively in the last three years, as we look forward to further improving the delivery of government services.” - Mr. Kok Ping Soon, Chief Executive of GovTech Singapore

References:

• UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement: final agreement explainer

• UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA)

• First UK-Singapore MoU in Digital Government Services

• GovTech Singapore and the UK’s GDS sign MoU to deepen collaboration and exchange in the development of Digital Government Services