To create a pro-consumer and pro-business infocomm environment, IDA formulates infocomm-related policies, standards, codes of practice and advisory guidelines aimed at leveling the playing field for infocomm service providers and empowering consumers and businesses with more choices.

IDA plays an active role in developing Singapore’s pool of globally-competitive infocomm talent and an infocomm-savvy workforce. We are also focused on driving consumer education initiatives, ensuring digital inclusion and supporting the effective use of infocomm in community outreach efforts.

Overview

IDA drives the growth, competitiveness and innovation of Singapore’s infocomm industry by nurturing local infocomm enterprises and supporting them in their internationalisation efforts. We also seek to inject greater vibrancy into the infocomm ecosystem by attracting world-class global infocomm MNCs and startups to hub in Singapore.

Social Service Sector ICT Master Plan

The Social Service Sector faces challenges in greater demand for skilled manpower, the need for more prevalent data in service planning, as well as demand from clients on better and more effective service delivery. In addressing these challenges, the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is acknowledged as a key enabler to achieve productivity gains and service delivery improvements.

As part of the effort to drive productivity and service improvements, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), together with Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) have embarked on a five-year (FY2012 to FY2016) Social Service Sector ICT Master Plan, or SS2016 in short, to enable the government and social service providers to deliver coordinated and integrated social services through the adoption of ICT.

The vision of the Social Service Sector is to "Inspire responsible individuals to live a life of dignity and purpose in an inclusive society, where they are empowered and are able to achieve self-sustenance." In order to accomplish this, SS2016 aims to raise the ICT capability of some 400 social service providers, and equip about 10,000 social service personnel with more ICT tools to drive productivity and innovation in the next five years. It will jump-start the ICT eco-system for agencies that have not begun their ICT journey, and raise the level of ICT capability and usage for those that have already embraced ICT in their operations.

The three key strategies of SS2016 are:

Strategy 1 - Create an integrated client-centric environment: This strategy aims to provide an environment to enable social service professionals to deliver connected, seamless and accessible social services to the clients. Its aim is to ensure that clients receive timely and effective end-to-end assistance.
Strategy 2 - Streamline and simplify information management: This strategy seeks to enhance the collection, sharing and use of information within the sector so as to facilitate strategic and operational planning of social services.
Strategy 3 – Innovative use and adoption of ICT to build sector capability: This strategy seeks to enhance the effectiveness and capability of the social service sector through the use of ICT as an enabler to maximise productivity and improve service delivery.

The Social Service Sector comprises five sub-sectors namely: