GovTech and Tableau renew partnership to deepen data skills in Singapore’s public service

Singapore, 7 July 2020 - Tableau Software, the leading analytics platform, has renewed its agreement with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) to train and deepen public officers’ capabilities in data analytics and visualisation. The Memorandum of Intent (MOI), signed on 7 July 2020, will empower more public officers to understand and make use of data, transform the public sector’s operations with data-driven decisions and accelerate the country’s digitalisation movement, in line with the country’s Smart Nation initiative.

“We are pleased to once again partner with Tableau to deepen our public officers’ capabilities in data analytics and visualisation. This collaboration will support us in building a digitally-ready and data-literate workforce to transform public service delivery. These skills could not have been more timely for the public service as we focus our efforts to help businesses and citizens tide over the global pandemic and accelerate the recovery of the Singapore economy,” said Mr. Kok Ping Soon, Chief Executive, GovTech.

Tableau has been working with GovTech since 2017 to upskill public officers and deepen visual analytics capabilities within the public service. To-date, thousands of public officers have been trained with visual analytics skills through Tableau. Under the new agreement, Tableau and GovTech will engage in knowledge sharing of resources, industry best practices and tools to continue strengthening the abilities of public officers within the government. Public agencies will also have access to updated Tableau content, learning resources and subject matter experts.

This builds on Tableau’s existing efforts to support the government’s push for digital transformation. As part of the ongoing partnership, Tableau organises Communities of Practice for analytics leaders in the government, where directors and program leads discuss and share best practices and their vision for data analytics. Tableau also actively shares content assets to build the public sector’s knowledge base.

In addition, Tableau has been a key partner of GovTech’s annual Data Arcade Tournament (DAT). This marquee event – a public sector visual analytics competition – connects data science enthusiasts and practitioners from across the government, to showcase the importance of visual analytics and encourage more effective use of data in their work. To train public officers’ data science capabilities, Tableau has conducted workshops to help them better understand their data via interactive visualisation tools and uncover deeper insights. At DAT 2019, the number of teams who participated using Tableau almost doubled to over 100. Officers were able to put the skills learned to the test in a Live Hackathon, with the team from Land Transport Authority eventually winning in the Tableau track.

“Our partnership with GovTech over the last three years has made an impact on public officers’ data literacy and ultimately, the ability to deliver better services for citizens by leveraging a data-driven approach. Data continues to be central to Singapore’s Smart Nation vision, and GovTech recognises the importance of building a data literate workforce to achieve this,” said JY Pook, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Tableau. “We are thrilled to renew our partnership with GovTech to further deepen data expertise across the government. In doing so, we can help public officers navigate the novel challenges of today and sustain Singapore’s global competitiveness in the long run through the implementation of data-driven solutions.”

Tableau continues to demonstrate its long-standing commitment to the public sector, in helping to further the government’s goal of creating a competent workforce equipped and skilled in data analytics. Tableau’s annual Public Sector Day sees hundreds of public officers attend for a day of thought leadership and sharing, where passionate industry practitioners and partners, including GovTech, share their journeys in building a data-driven organisation and engage in knowledge exchange with Tableau.

About Tableau
Tableau helps people see and understand data. Tableau’s self-service analytics platform empowers people of any skill level to work with data. From individuals and non-profits to government agencies and the Fortune 500, tens of thousands of customers around the world use Tableau to get rapid insights and make impactful, data-driven decisions. See how Tableau can help you by downloading the free trial at www.tableau.com/trial.

About Government Technology Agency
The Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) is the lead agency driving Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative and public sector digital transformation. As the Centre of Excellence for Infocomm Technology and Smart Systems (ICT & SS), GovTech develops the Singapore Government’s capabilities in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, Application Development, Sensors & IoT, Digital Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity.

GovTech supports public agencies to manage enterprise IT operations and develop new digital products for citizens and businesses. GovTech is the public sector lead for cybersecurity, and oversees key government ICT infrastructure, as well as regulates ICT procurement, data protection and security in the public sector. GovTech is a Statutory Board under the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) in the Prime Minister’s Office.