Building inclusive smart nations in the digital age

THE concept of the Smart Nation has captivated governments worldwide. The promise of streamlined services, optimised resource allocation, and a more informed citizenry holds undeniable appeal. Among countries at the forefront of this movement is Singapore, recently ranked the smartest city in Asia in the 2024 Smart City Index. The country’s rise as a Smart Nation leader offers valuable insights for governments worldwide.

At the same time, beneath the veneer of success lies a critical question. Can a Smart Nation truly be smart if it leaves a segment of its population behind? If not, what is being done to ensure that their needs will also be taken care of?

Singapore’s story serves as a valuable case study. While the nation boasts impressive strides, a closer examination reveals the complexities of building an inclusive Smart Nation ecosystem, potential challenges of a mobile-first approach, and the importance of context when adopting best practices.

User experience is key

Having a user-friendly platform with a positive user experience is the foundation for encouraging citizens to actively participate in the digital ecosystem. Easy access to information and streamlined service delivery can empower citizens to engage with the government and tap the full potential of the Smart Nation.

Smart Nation Singapore cited an 83 per cent satisfaction rate for government digital services, most of which are digital from end-to-end. This indicates that the government has successfully grown trust among citizens through easy-to-use, seamless and self-service solutions. This progress is echoed in the latest Adobe Global Government Digital Performance and Inclusion (GGDPI) Benchmark report. The research shows that Singapore has improved the quality of the desktop and mobile experience for citizens accessing public services, ranking ahead of others in the region and globally.

To achieve or maintain such a standard, governments must first conduct a deep analysis of the user demographics and their specific pain points – basically, user experience research. For example, are there age groups, socioeconomic segments or disability categories that may find it difficult to use the e-government platforms? Frameworks like the GGDPI provide reference points for government leaders seeking insights into the user experience. They offer an assessment rubric for surveys and focus groups to be conducted with diverse citizen groups to help unearth pain points and areas for improvement. Digital public services must then be designed to rectify these concerns from the outset, even before they are launched for citizens’ use.

Bridging the digital divide

While Singapore has made impressive advances in customer experience, there are other areas, including digital equity and site authority, that have room for improvement. For example, Singapore’s digital equity score of 55 places it behind Asia Pacific and global peers. The score reflects how accessible the digital services are for all users. A focus on addressing these aspects could get Singapore closer to its Smart Nation ambitions. After all, with all the work going into building apps, fragmentation can emerge, and some citizens will be better than others at navigating the digital ecosystem in search of support.

At the same time, we must also acknowledge that it is impossible to resolve all issues from the get-go. There has long been a willingness to reduce the digital divide; however, eliminating the gap altogether remains a utopic desire at this point. Even so, in this age of technology, a well-rounded strategy that caters to diverse needs is paramount to fostering true inclusivity.

The data points from Adobe’s GGDPI Benchmark report paint an interesting picture. On one hand, Singapore’s 70 per cent mobile device usage rate for accessing public e-services highlights the convenience and efficiency of a mobile-first approach. On the other hand, this statistic underscores a potential digital divide. Citizens lacking access to a mobile device or reliable Internet connectivity risk exclusion from crucial government services. For example, an elderly citizen without a smartphone would not be able to access SingPass.

The light at the end of this tunnel is how Singapore has navigated around this divide, by exploring and falling back on more traditional channels. This includes allowing account holders to tag family members to their mobile number to receive the one-time password (OTP) via SMS or to seek help physically through counter services.

As such, a multi-pronged and inclusive approach may still be necessary to bridge the digital divide. This can be done by maintaining robust traditional channels like physical service centres and phone hotlines to ensure that citizens with limited digital literacy can still access important e-services. Moreover, while Singapore’s accessibility of services scored well, the lower digital equity score was attributed to a lack of translation services and readability, indicating the need to also cater to a diverse population with different native languages.

Benchmarking beyond scores

Singapore’s rise in the GGDPI Benchmark from “emerging” to “intermediate” level of maturity validates the importance of continuous improvement.

Firstly, by progressing from “emerging”, Singapore has demonstrated improvements in addressing some of the core foundational elements of a digital government. Secondly, it indicates that the idea of an overnight success is misleading. Thirdly, blindly following the lead of regional or global leaders can also end up being a futile effort.

Context plays a crucial role, and governments must recognise that the social fabric, technological infrastructure, and digital literacy levels of each nation will be unique factors that must be considered when crafting an inclusive Smart Nation strategy. It is by tailoring strategies to address the specific needs and contexts of their citizens that governments can ensure they are on the path towards building a truly inclusive Smart Nation.

Case in point: The recent Online Trust & Safety Forum in Singapore highlighted the nation’s commitment to prevent and tackle online harms. The imperative to develop solutions that detect hate speech and misinformation, alongside its collaboration with Adobe to improve digital content authenticity using provenance technologies, showcases the government’s proactive approach to build a healthy online environment.

Ongoing commitment

At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The inclusive Smart Nation journey requires ongoing commitment and adaptation. Singapore’s impressive trajectory serves as an inspiration, but even leading nations can learn valuable lessons. By critically analysing user experience, tailoring strategies to local contexts, and fostering collaboration across sectors, governments can ensure their Smart Nation vision empowers and engages every citizen, leaving fewer behind in the inevitable digital revolution.

The concept of a Smart Nation is not a destination, but rather a continuous journey. In order to manifest Singapore’s Smart Nation pillars of digital economy, digital government and digital society, we must prioritise and address issues like inclusivity alongside efficiency. Governments can then set out to build a future where technology serves the needs of citizens, fostering a more informed, engaged and equitable society.

The writer is vice-president, Asia, at Adobe