The United Nations (UN) has conferred the 2007 United Nations Public Service Award for "Improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the Public Service" to the Singapore agencies responsible for delivering the Progress Package. These agencies represent one of seven winners worldwide, and one of only two in the Asian region to be honoured with this recognition by the UN this year. This award recognises the work done through an inter-agency collaboration amongst the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Manpower, the Central Provident Fund Board and other partner agencies to implement and deliver the Progress Package to over 2.3 million adult Singaporeans.

The Progress Package was a surplus-sharing initiative that benefitted all adult Singaporeans; more so for lower-income and older Singaporeans. It consolidated six different schemes into a single package and provided a common government touch point (website, email address, phone services and letters) which enabled Singaporeans to easily access information on their benefits and sign up for their Progress Package.

PHOTO: 123RF

Officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) celebrated the spirit of innovation at the MOM Innovation Carnival 2007, which was held at the Legends, Fort Canning in May. As part of the programme, 20 officers from MOM vied for the title of "The Radical", The "Risk-Taker" and "The Visionary" at the inaugural MOM Innovation Ambassador Awards. The theme of the carnival was to discover how MOM officers applied personal innovation at work, and to celebrate the spirit of personal innovation.

For the first time, officers from MOM were asked to nominate leaders who walked the talk and exhibited personal qualities that were pivotal to innovation. The winners were determined in a final round of voting which was conducted during the carnival.

"The Radical" title went to Mr Sandor Wang, Deputy Director, Work Pass Operations, for breaking away from convention to pursue breakthrough ideas.

Mr Craig Docherty, Director, Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, was "The Risk-Taker", while "The Visionary" award went to Ms Tan Leng Leng, Director, Manpower Research and Statistics.

ILLUSTRATION: CLIFORD

Nineteen-year-old Singapore Management University undergraduate Olivia Chiu has been named Singapore's first iWhiz after taking on 10 gruelling challenges in an infocomm reality game show.

iWhiz - developed by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore in collaboration with institutes of higher learning (IHLs), the Singapore Computer Society and the Singapore Science Centre - is aimed at exposing youths and students to the opportunities available in the infocomm industry. The prize is a trip to Redmond, Seattle to meet key executives at Microsoft's headquarters.

The contestants were grouped into teams and put through several weeks of challenges. In a segment that involved integrating Heeren Shopping Centre's website with the nationwide Wireless@SG network, she managed to garner sponsorship from some of the stores.

Mr K C Lee, Chairman of the Infocomm Manpower Council and Chief Judge at iWhiz, said: "To me, Olivia won not because she was the most technically gifted, but because she was able to adapt and make the most out of the available resources."

The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) marked its 10th birthday with the launch of its second compilation of stories on kindness. Always In Season comprises about 126 stories that were shortlisted from 500 entries. The youngest contributor is just eight years old.

The SKM was set up in 1997 in response to then Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong's call for Singapore to be a gracious society so as to complement our economic achievements with social, cultural and spiritual development. In 2001, the National Courtesy Campaign was subsumed under the SKM.

A remixed version of the original courtesy jingle, which was made popular almost 20 years ago, was launched at the 10th anniversary celebrations which also featured a cake-cutting and a re-dedication ceremony in May.

A record 13 companies joined the Singapore pavilion at the Marche du Film (Cannes Film Market) this year as part of a delegation led by the Media Development Authority and Singapore Film Commission to promote and market made-by-Singapore film content.

Amongst the 20 films that were showcased was Anthony Chen's Ah Ma, which was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and won a Special Mention award. Ah Ma was one of the 11 films shortlisted from 3,000 entries submitted from all over the world. Pok Yue Weng's Superdong was selected for official screening under the Director's Fortnight sidebar event, while Ekachai's Pleasure Factory was selected for official screening under the Un Certain Regard category and was nominated to compete for the jury prize.

Singapore film company Monsoon Pictures and Dutch filmmaker IdtV Film also announced a US$6.5 million partnership to produce a feature on the Maria Hertogh Riots.

PHOTO: SPH - THE STRAITS TIMES