Li Hongyi: New approach could fix 'big, slow, bureaucratic' govt system
In a "big, slow, bureaucratic" governmental system, a ground-up approach could work better than the traditional top-down structure, said Li Hongyi.
Li is director of Open Government Products (OGP), a division of GovTech.
Speaking at the Singapore edition of TEDx talks on Mar. 24, Li addressed the frustrations that the traditional government structure faces.
"The problem we're trying to solve is that government is traditionally based on a military structure – top-down, central decision making optimised for command and control," he said.
"This is great when you already know what you need to do and just need to execute. It's not so great when we need to figure out what needs to be done."
The problem with the existing approach is that ideas get stuck at the approval stage from people with "not enough time and even less context", said Li, who is also the son of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
"This is why government can do billion-dollar construction projects, but still has to keep asking you for your birthday."
While money and political will are not limiting factors in the government, attention span and creativity are.
……Read full article on Mothership - News
News Singapore
One-stop lifestyle app dedicated to making life in Singapore a breeze!
English
简体中文
Alice tanhai ping 01/04/2026
早上好啊goodmorning
Reply