Config 2024: How pigeons led to emergency room optimizations

Summary

Zul from Singapore shares his journey from tech to government, highlighting the transformational impact of Open Government Products (OGP). OGP, functioning like a startup within the Singapore government, has revolutionized public services through innovative apps, including a COVID-19 vaccination appointment system and a parking app, enhancing efficiency and citizen engagement. Zul emphasizes the importance of a 'Citizens First' culture, autonomy in small skilled teams, and a relentless focus on impactful outcomes, showcasing how OGP's model has delivered 30 significant products over five years, improving lives and setting a precedent for public tech innovation.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker, Zul, from Singapore, works for an organization called Open Government Products (OGP), aiming to change the perception that governments build poor products.
• 🛠️ OGP functions like a startup within the Singapore government, with a mission to build effective and inclusive products, starting with experimentation, demonstrating success, and propagating the practices.
• 💉 A notable product developed by OGP is an appointment app for COVID-19 vaccinations, which helped achieve a 96% vaccination rate among the eligible population in Singapore.
• 🅿️ Another product is a parking app that replaced the inconvenient system of paper coupons, offering a digital solution for roadside parking payments and refunds.
• 🏥 OGP also built an enterprise patient management system for public hospitals in Singapore, saving $85 million by developing it in-house with a small team.
• 🚀 OGP has delivered over 30 products in 5 years, showcasing the potential for government entities to innovate and create impactful solutions.
• 🔍 The health appointment system began with identifying the inconvenience of getting vaccinated and addressing it through a user-centered design approach.
• 📈 Through iterative testing and learning, OGP increased the conversion rate of the health appointment system significantly, demonstrating the effectiveness of their approach.
• 🤝 OGP's success is attributed to creating a culture where citizens are prioritized, giving autonomy to small, skilled teams, and being obsessed with delivering impact.
• 📊 OGP is transparent about their performance, sharing detailed report cards that include metrics and costs, which helps keep teams accountable and focused on impact.
• 🌱 OGP's culture includes initiatives like 'Heaton', a month dedicated to exploring new ideas and solving problems, leading to innovative solutions like a language simplification app for seniors.

Q & A

What is the primary mission of Open Government Products (OGP) in Singapore?

The primary mission of OGP is to change the perception that governments are known for building terrible products by experimenting with new practices, demonstrating their effectiveness, and propagating them to the rest of the government and potentially to governments around the world.

How did OGP address the challenge of low vaccination rates for certain vaccines in Singapore?

OGP addressed the challenge by building a clinic app to display availability and a patient app for the public to book appointments, making the process of getting vaccinated more convenient and accessible.

What was the initial reaction to the health appointment system launched by OGP?

The initial reaction was not as positive as expected. The team set a target of 50,000 appointments by the end of the year, but after the first month, they only had 50 appointments, indicating a need for a different approach.

How did OGP improve the effectiveness of their health appointment system?

OGP improved the system by conducting numerous experiments, such as using SMS instead of physical mail, testing different tones of voice in messages, and finding the optimal time to send SMS for higher conversion rates.

What is the significance of the 'Hecaton' that OGP conducts every January?

The 'Hecaton' is a month-long innovation sprint where OGP stops all critical work to focus on new ideas and solutions. It has been instrumental in generating impactful projects and fostering a culture of innovation within the government.

How does OGP ensure that its products are citizen-centric?

OGP ensures citizen-centricity by creating a culture where citizens are always first, engaging with them directly, and making design decisions that prioritize the needs and convenience of citizens over other considerations.

What is the role of the policy officer within an OGP team?

The policy officer, embedded within an OGP team, has deep government experience and connections. They help navigate bureaucracy, unblock the team when stuck, and can even rewrite policy papers to remove boundaries and enable the team to deliver impactful products.

How does OGP maintain transparency and accountability in its operations?

OGP maintains transparency and accountability by publishing a report card that displays key metrics, costs, and the impact of each product. This report card is also used as part of the performance review process.

What impact has OGP had on the government's approach to technology and cost management?

OGP has influenced the government by setting a benchmark for cost-effectiveness and product quality. Their transparency helps government officers evaluate vendor proposals and demand better value for money.

How has OGP grown since its inception in 2020?

OGP has grown from 40 people in 2020 to 190 people, delivering 30 great products over 5 years with a focus on creating a citizen-first culture, giving autonomy, and being obsessed with delivering impact.

What is the broader vision that OGP hopes to inspire in others?

OGP hopes to inspire a broader vision where the brightest minds work on solving the most important problems, building technology for public good, and considering the impact of their work on families, communities, and society.