‘Singapore-West’ hybridization: policy learning in the development of leadership training in the Singapore Public Service

ABSTRACT

An assumption by Rose and Dolowitz and Marsh was that policy-makers looked overseas for solutions when faced with policy problems. In setting up the first leadership training scheme in the Singapore Public Service in 1959, policymakers eschewed learning from abroad. Instead, the new centre for training the Administrative Service leadership corps was grounded in the Singapore context without reference to foreign exemplars. The local context continued to loom large at each phase in the development of leadership training in th Singapore bureaucracy over the years leading to the 1993 establishment to the Civil Service College (CSC). The pre-eminent consideration accorded to rooting lessons from abroad to suit the practicalities of the local context ultimately meant a very ‘Singapore-West’ hybridization.

KEYWORDS:

• Singapore Public Service
• leadership training
• Civil Service College
• policy learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. While ‘Public Service’ comprises the ‘Civil Service’ and statutory boards, and ‘public officers’ include ‘civil servants’ and statutory board employees, Singaporeans use these interchangeably in daily discourse. This paper uses the terms according to their definitions but retains references by sources in their original formats.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

James Low

James Low is Principal Researcher with the Institute of Governance and Policy, Civil Service College. His research areas include public sector governance, particularly whole-of-government coordination, crisis management, and international relations. James also teaches case study methodology.