So far the government's performance has always been assessed by its
own ministers and MPs with the state-controlled press and TV media
giving look-good presentation in a one-sided manner.
To be more objective and credible in assessing government's
performance, all such assessments should be carried out by an
independent panel.
For example, an Independent Government's Performance Index can be
set up as follows:-
PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE INDEX (PGPI)
SAMPLE QUESTIONS: ADDED AT REGULAR INTERVAL IN TANDEM WITH NEW
GOALS, TASKS AND POLICIES.
(PGPI-1) Whether LTA has improved its safety standards in 2006
(after Nicol Highway collapse or overhead-bridge barricade
accidents) ?
VOTE: Reply to forum thread: PGPI-1 - (1, 2 or 3)
(representing: 1-parameters not attained; 2=satisfactory ; 3=well
done)
TOTALISATOR: aggregated votes divided by total of maximum (3
points) in percentage for each question.
(PGPI-2) Whether MOM has served Singaporean workers with higher
priority than foreign workers : Vote: (1/2/3)
(PGPI-3) Whether NTUC has served employees with higher priority
over employers: Vote: (1/2/3)
(PGPI-4) Whether Ministers have become more proactive in creating
employment opportunities for citizens or whether they are trying to
avoid the problem by urging the unemployed "not to be choosy", "go
for retraining" or harping on constant "no free lunch" excuses:
Vote: (1/2/3)
(PGPI-5) Whether government has learned from the NKF case and
moderated on its tax-and-recover pro-surplus policies at the
expense of providing reasonably priced basic services or creating
economic competitiveness to relieve unemployments.: Vote :
(1/2/3)
(PGPI-6) Whether the government is better standard of
accountability and transparency at ministries, departments,
statutory boards, Temasek, GLCs and NGOs after the NKF saga ? Vote:
(1/2/3)
(PGPI-7) Has the government demonstrated leadeship qualities such
as the following:-i
(1) Passion,
(2) Ability to Motivate followers,
(3) Ability to get people to work with coordination and apply
knowledge.
(4) Ability to Translate goals and objectives into implementation
processes to accomplish goals e.g. bring about competitiveness,
technology start-ups and jobs etc.
(5) Invest monies and perform tasks with Accountability and
Transparency
(6) Collective leadership by core team to make major
decisions,
Vote: (1/2/3)
(PGPI-8 ) Has the government made adequate efforts to lower its
costs of essential government services e.g. medical, utilities,
housing, transportation, education, etc, etc Vote: (1/2/3)
(POPI-9) Have government succeeded in efficiently executed major
projects e.g. MRTs, infrastructureal developments, Growth Triangle,
IR within cost/time targets.
(PGPI-10) Is there any significant relaxation of controls over the
intellectual space ?
(PGPI-11) Are there sufficient and effective implementation of safe
Work site practices after the previous major safety accidents e.g.
Hotel New World collapse, Nicol Highway Collapse ?
(PGPI-12) Has government delivered the promised Swiss standard of
living?
(PGPI-13) Has government succeeded in its widely publicised "Asset
enhancement scheme"?
(PGPI-14) Has government succeeded in getting citizens to invest in
Unit trust investment?
(PGPI-15) Has government maintained a desirable strategic Foreign
relation consistent with its overall interest in a hostile
environment for matured and balanced national wellbeing and
security e.g. based on people-to-people relation and social and
cultural mutual respect.
(PGPI-16) Has the government succeeded in its economic
restructuring to a knowledge-based value-adding technology-driven
model?
(PGPI-17) Has government while seeking to avoid welfarism gone to
the other extreme with its
tax-and-recover-all-cost-up-to-market-value high-cost policies e.g.
Double-charging on lands (paid for by taxes) or triple charges on
vehicles (retaining excise duty, after COE and ERP)
(PGPI-18 ) Has the Meritocratic education policy over-emphasised on
the education of elites while neglecting development of broad-based
practical education and practical knowledge application and
entrepreneurship.
(PGPI-19) Is the government on the way to realizing its vision of
Reaching World Cup soccer league within the 2010 deadline?
(PGPI-20) Has government succeeded in preserving the values or
growth of the citizens' retirements through the CPF scheme?
(PGPI-21) Has government become obsessed with paying the highest
salaries to its own number while neglecting nurturing integrity,
honesty, values, humility, accountability?
(PGPI-22) Is there sufficient accountability and transparency in
respect of investments of citizens' monies in overseas
investments.
(PGPI-23) Has the government succeeded in improving the standards
of living of its citizens as a result of wage-restructuring for its
public sector introduced under the Goh Keng Swee Doctrine?
(PGPI-24) Has the government taken sufficient steps to nurture the
domestic sector of economy while promoting foreign talents and
investments.
Is a system of benchmarking the minister's salaries to the highest
paid bosses or CEOs in the private sector based on apple-to-apple
comparison?
(PGPI-25) Has government's entry into business brought about
greater economic competitiveness, vibrancy or entrepreneurship to
the economy?
(PGPI-26) Is there any sincerity or progress in building a more
cosmopolitan and inclusive society?
NOTE: On 12.11.2005 Today's Newspaper carried an article on page 6:
"New "Satisfaction";; Index for service which states:
"A BENCHMARK to evaluate service standards in the retail and
F&B sectors will be established by the end of next year.
The Workforce Development Agency says it will call for proposals on
the national service indicator by next month..."
It looks like WDA has still not yet put up a more neutral and
objective government performance index despite the past
publications of presumed performance indices.
