Industrydigitalplanforsocialservices

Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024 Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021
ital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024
Table of Contents
Foreword 04
Message 05
Executive Summary 06
Chapter 1: Introduction 10
Chapter 2: Navigating the Digital Roadmap 14
Chapter 3: Improving Organisational Effectiveness 16
Chapter 4: Enhancing Service User Experience 32
Chapter 5: Developing Sector Connectivity 42
Chapter 6: Get Started Today 44
Acknowledgements 50
Appendix 52
02 03
Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024 Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024
Foreword by Message by
Ms Janet Young Mr Masagos Zulkifli
Chairperson Minister for Social and Family Development and
Industry Digital Plan for Social Services Advisory Panel Second Minister for Health
Digitalisation has changed the Over the past few months, NCSS While we are dealing with the and find suitable solutions, as
way we interact at work and in our led numerous workshops and immediate crisis, we need continue well as explore available funding
personal lives. The COVID-19 in-depth interviews – bringing to keep our focus on the longer- and resources, to accelerate your
pandemic has also put a spotlight together SSAs of all sizes and term. In 2020, I challenged the digitalisation plan. I thank the
on the way Social Service from all subsectors – to gather sector and every SSA to make the Advisory Panel, as well as the
Agencies (SSAs) deliver their inputs on their digitalisation leap towards SSA 3.0. It represents various professionals and experts
services – moving much of their aspirations and challenges. Their a sector that constantly seeks ways consulted, for their valuable input
engagements to virtual mode. In voices, and feedback from users to deliver services more effectively to the development of the IDPSS.
spite of challenges in the adoption of social service technology, and efficiently – one that invests
of technology, the sector is also are incorporated into the IDPSS in building up leadership, ensures We know that technology is
presented with opportunities to which is designed for SSAs and good governance with systems constantly evolving. That is why
accelerate its digitalisation journey will be delivered through them. and structures that encourage the IDPSS will be periodically
to improve the service delivery At the heart of it, it aims to build transparency and accountability, refreshed with updates on relevant
“At the heart of it, for the social service users, and in an impactful sector, enabled by “Proper use of and engages its stakeholders to technologies for SSAs to adopt.
the IDPSS aims to tandem with Singapore’s vision as a
Smart Nation and the growth of the
technology, to better empower
service users through person-
technology can ensure that our services continue
to be relevant to meet community
Through IDPSS, you can stay in
touch with the latest trends and
build an impactful digital economy. centred digital services. help us improve needs. developments impacting the sector,
as you strive to achieve your digital
sector enabled As most SSAs shift from a While NCSS and MSF have the way we work To help us get to SSA 3.0, we need aspirations and serve your clients
traditional high-touch service taken the first steps in putting to ride the wave of digitalisation better.
by technology, to delivery to a technology-enabled together a roadmap to guide and maximise the to transform and create social
deliver user-centric service delivery mode, they are
also faced with the difficulty of
digital transformation, it would
take every agency, volunteer and
impact for service innovation. While we are a
high-touch sector, the use of
I strongly encourage every SSA to
go through the IDPSS and apply it
digital services that identifying and implementing individual to support the strategies users.“ technology need not cause us to to your organisation With everyone
these technologies. How do we laid out in the IDPSS. I invite all to lose the personal connection in our working towards the SSA 3.0
empowers service incorporate high-tech with a human join this journey as a community, interactions with our service users. vision, we can collectively bring
users.“ touch to better serve end-users?
How do we work collaboratively
to collectively build upon one
another’s experience and success,
Instead, proper use of technology
can help us improve the way we
our sector to the next level. Let us
build a caring, resilient and inclusive
as a sector and with our partners so that we can continue to learn work and maximise the impact for society together.
to determine service gaps and co- and refine the IDPSS. For those service users. In other words, being
create solutions for better service who have started, explore new more high-tech can allow us to be
delivery? areas listed in the plan, deepen even more high-touch!
your technology expertise, and
To address this, the Industry Digital share your knowledge. For those To provide a structured framework
Plan for Social Services (IDPSS) is who have not, this IDPSS serves to guide SSAs in your digitalisation
developed as a collective effort as a good guide to get started. journey, we have launched the
by National Council of Social Everyone can be an enabler to help Industry Digital Plan for Social
Service (NCSS), Ministry of Social improve the lives of our service Services (IDPSS). This is the first IDP
and Family Development (MSF), users. for the social service sector, and we
the social service sector and an have co-created it in consultation
Advisory Panel to drive medium With this, my team and I have the with the sector, industry partners
term digital transformation within pleasure and honour to present to and technology experts. We believe
the sector. It presents a blueprint you, the IDPSS. I thank everyone it will help SSAs easily assess
for SSAs to assess and accelerate who contributed to make this a your organisation’s level of digital
their digitalisation based on needs, success. adoption, identify priority areas
digital readiness, and aspirations.
04 05
Executive Summary The IDPSS is driven by the following three strategic directions.
The social service sector is helmed by 16,500 social service professionals, over
130,000 volunteers and close to 500 social service agencies (SSAs). It is a multi-
faceted sector, which strives to improve the quality of life of children and youth, 01. Building A Digital
Foundation
families, seniors, caregivers, persons with disabilities or persons with mental health
conditions, as well as persons with rehabilitation and reintegration needs. Build a strong foundation
for efficient and resilient
operations and service delivery
Today, the sector is faced with growing demand and greater complexity in providing
social services, increasingly tech-savvy service users, and a lack of access to
technology for those in need of most support. As a traditionally high-touch sector,
where there is significant interaction between service user and provider, there
is a need to evolve the service delivery model to manage the impact of external
circumstances and meet changing needs of the population.
To this end, technology can play a key role in automating processes, lessening the
effects of disabilities, reducing information-asymmetry between service users,
providers and partners, and making services more accessible to end-users. As a
02. Empowering Service
Users and Delivering
result, technology has started to permeate the sector rapidly and will remain a key
enabler for our workforce in the medium to long term.
User-Centric Digital
Services
While substantial support has been provided through initiatives such as The Increase service users' quality
Invictus Fund (TIF) and Tech-and-Go! Consultancy, there is a need for a structured of life through a person-centred
plan to drive medium-term digitalisation within the sector. The three-year IDPSS is approach
focused on providing systematic guidance on how SSAs can assess and accelerate
their digitalisation to support their transformation journey.
03. Strengthening The

Social Service Digital
Ecosystem
Achieve systemic impact and
change through increased
ecosystem collaborations
06 07
From the three strategic directions, SSAs are guided to advance their digitalisation The IDPSS serves as a guide to help SSAs achieve their digitalisation goals
journey across the following five focus areas: through structured step-by-step guidance in the following areas:
Navigating the Digital
Roadmap
Provide SSAs with a tailored Digital
Secure, Integrated Enhanced Connected Roadmap to move forward in their
Solutions and Service User Community and digitalisation journey
Infrastructure Experience Partnerships
As the first step to uplift the There needs to be a Resources can be better
sector’s digital maturity, SSAs deliberate effort to leverage optimised by tapping into
should adopt foundational technology to enhance collaborations, thereby
solutions that help to
improve organisational
service delivery across
all touchpoints – be it by
enhancing the sustainability
of digitalisation efforts.
Improving Organisational
productivity, thereby increasing access to services Better solutions could also Effectiveness
diverting time savings to via a digital option, or be co-created from such
tasks that more directly improving engagement via partnerships. Strengthen SSAs in 5 focus areas to
impact client outcomes. service delivery technology achieve organisational effectiveness
solutions. using the Digital Roadmap, Foundational
Solutions Guide and Digital Skills Guide
Goal: 80% of SSAs Goal: 80% of services are Goal: 30 digital

adopt three or more tech-enabled collaboration projects in
foundational solutions people, private and public
sectors
Enhancing Service User
Experience
Guide SSAs in adopting technology
Data Proficiency
solutions according to types of services
rendered and user needs
SSAs should work towards being a data-driven organisation to enhance operations and service
planning by having the necessary data strategy and systems in place.
Goal: 30% of SSAs use data to enhance

operations and service planning
Developing Sector
Connectivity
Digital Talent and Leadership
Leverage a suite of technology
platforms and enablers to support
To optimise the value of technology, adoption of solutions must be accompanied by the needed
SSAs in connecting and delivering
literacy and competency, as well as an agile and data-driven culture.
services seamlessly
Goal: 80% of SSAs have staff capable
of using technology
08 09
Chapter 1: Introduction
Social Service Trends
The Social Service sector is constantly being challenged to do more in a rapidly
evolving landscape impacted by shifts in the economy and public health, and
growing demand and complexity of services. An increasing familiarity of service
users with digital services is also changing the way they prefer to interact with
SSAs. The trends highlighted below reflect changes in society and culture,
the major role that digitalisation plays in tackling these shifts to empower the
service user, raise operational efficiency of SSAs, and benefit the wider sector,
and the consideration required from a governance perspective.
Key Trends How SSAs Can Respond

Increasing Demand and Complexity of Social Services • Digitalisation of Social Services will enable efficient and resilient operations and service delivery for the
Service expectations and demands are rising from changing needs associated with Singapore’s sector, improving productivity and enhancing user experiences.
ageing, more diverse and educated population. Pandemics, such as COVID-19, further increase
the complexity of social service delivery.
More Tech-savvy Service Users • Increase use of digital channels and services to meet rising expectations of service users and to
More service users are turning towards the use of digital channels. This increases the enhance accessibility.
expectations for more digital services.
Changing Social Service Workforce • Upskill less tech-savvy employees to raise the digital capability baseline.
Next-gen practitioners with diverse skillsets entering the social service sector workforce are
• Build a digital culture and mindset as part of organisation DNA to increase employees' collaboration on
raising digital capabilities, but at the same time creating tension with the existing workforce.
digital initiatives.
More Data Aggregation • Build proficiency in data to enhance service planning and operations.
Digitalisation leads to increasing data collection that can enhance service delivery and
• Enhance data governance to address key areas of data privacy and protection.
operations, but also raises concerns over data privacy.
Lack of Access to Technology for Those in Need of Most Support • Enable service users to access digital services through developing digital literacy and provision of
Service users who need the most support often lack the technology, connectivity and digital resources.
literacy to access digital social services, which has become a more significant challenge due to
• Collaborate with ecosystem partners and other SSAs to improve digital infrastructure and close the
the impacts of COVID-19.
digital gap.
More Partnerships between Private Sector and Social Services • Proactively partner with the private sector to enhance digital capabilities and leverage ecosystem
Private sector companies are increasingly interested to collaborate with SSAs through corporate partners' platforms for greater digital outreach and service delivery.
social responsibility engagements.
Sources: Social Service Sector Strategic Thrusts, Deloitte Center for the Long View, Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy
10 11
Social Service Goes Digital

Substantial support and direction have been provided to the social service sector
through key initiatives such as the Social Service Sector Strategic Thrusts
(4ST), The Invictus Fund (TIF) and the Beyond COVID-19 Taskforce (BCTF).
These initiatives address the sector challenges as a whole, with digitalisation
strategies and initiatives embedded as a recurring sub-theme. To enable the
SSAs to better cope with the changing landscape and societal expectations,
NCSS has developed the IDPSS to help SSAs put digitalisation and technology
at the core of their work.
Social Back-to- Tech

Bite-size Donate Service iShine Basics Booster
Project Ka-Ching Now! Navigator Cloud
In 2017, In 2020, In 2021, Industry

NCSS developed a 5-year To support the vision of In May 2021, the BCTF guide Digital Plan
roadmap guided by a person- SSA 3.0 and in response to was launched. It provided
centred and holistic approach the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations on how the for Social
to improve the quality of life
for individuals. A key thrust of
NCSS launched the second
tranche of TIF to provide
social service sector can build
resilience and emerge stronger.
Services
the 4ST is to deliver innovative funding to SSAs for the Digital transformation was The IDPSS is conceived to
and sustainable solutions adoption of technology identified as the #1 challenge provide guidance on how
with technology. This led to and transformation of most SSAs faced, with more SSAs can go digital.
the development of several their service delivery and than 56% of SSAs who want
digital initiatives aimed at operation. digitalisation to continue
improving productivity and beyond COVID-19.
user satisfaction.
*To find out more on the digital initiatives, refer to page 52-53
12 13
Chapter 2: Navigating the Digital

Roadmap
Take Your SSA Digital Roadmap Assessment (DRA)
As a first step, SSAs can take the DRA to tailor their own Digital Roadmap to
2| Enhanced Service
guide their digitalisation journey and improve organisational effectiveness
across 5 focus areas:
User Experience
Adopt service delivery technology that enables
Take the SSA Digital Roadmap person-centred and integrated services, and cater
Assessment to determine your to service users’ expectations and needs
progress across the five focus areas!
1| Secure, Integrated
Solutions and 3| Connected Community
and Partnerships
Infrastructure Engage with the social service
community such as volunteers, donors
Implement integrated technology
and ecosystem partners to collaborate,
solutions to enable more efficient
co-create, learn from or gather support
agency operations and robust
on digital initiatives
cybersecurity to protect data
5| Digital Talent
and Leadership 4| Data
Proficiency
Enhance digital skills of the social service Become an insights-driven organisation
workforce and leadership to drive using data and analytics to make
digitalisation efforts informed decisions on future service
delivery and operations planning
14 15
Chapter 3: Improving
Organisational Effectiveness Take a Step Forward!
FOCUS AREA 1
Secure, Integrated Solutions 3 ADVANCED
and Infrastructure 2 INTERMEDIATE A Adopt business

process monitoring
1
What is it? solutions to
FOUNDATION A Integrate new and uncover process
Implement integrated technology solutions to enable more efficient agency existing systems improvement
operations and robust cybersecurity to protect data. opportunities
A Review processes and B Conduct regular
implement foundational cybersecurity, data
Benefits and integration-ready protection and IT
solutions (Refer to the audits
Enhanced Improved Increased next page for more
business information productivity details)
resilience security in operations “We applied for Tech-and-
B Adhere to cybersecurity
and data protection GO! in light of the increase in
baseline requirements online meetings [as a result
of the Covid-19 pandemic]
C Conduct cybersecurity risk, and were able to procure
IT risk and data protection cybersecurity software for
compliance assessments all our employees' computing
devices, thus helping to
“The introduction of The D Develop an IT incident prevent any cybersecurity
Invictus Fund and Tech-and- response and recovery plan
breach that would
GO! was timely in supporting compromise our data.”
AMP’s digital transformation
plans through provision of a Resources for SSAs Ms Rei Tian Foo
Corporate Communications
list of pre-approved vendors. 1. Foundational Solutions Guide (Pg 18)
Youth Outreach Guidance Services
This sped up our selection
2. Digital Skills Guide (Pg 28)
of a solution provider and
identification of our most 3. Support and Funding (Pg 48)
critical IT needs to plug digital • IT Solutions and Integration
gaps within our operations." • Advisory / Consultancy
• Implementation
Ms Shiffa Khumaira • Assessments and Audits
Manager (Fund Raising) • TechUP Friday!
Association of Muslim Professionals
• Training (Funded by SkillsFuture Singapore)
Refer to Appendix for more detailed resources to progress in the digital roadmap
16 17
Foundational Solutions Guide Corporate Systems

Systems that support corporate functions, such as finance, human resources,
IT and procurement
Below are foundational and integration-ready solutions to be
implemented to help you achieve Foundation Stage (Stage 1) for
Focus Area 1: Secure,Integrated Solutions and Infrastructure of Accounting Human
the SSA digital roadmap System Resource
Management
System
Office Productivity Systems
Systems and tools that improve corporate productivity and staff efficiency
Data and Reporting Tools

Office Document Tools that provide data reporting and analysis
Productivity Management
Solutions
Management
Video Collaboration and Funder
Conferencing Tools Reporting
(Automated)
Stakeholder Engagement Systems Cybersecurity

Systems and tools that facilitate stakeholder engagement and management but Solutions and tools that protect systems and data from cyberthreats
are not directly client-facing
Donor Volunteer Identity Firewalls

Management Management and Access
Management
Client / Case Website Centre Antivirus Encryption Virtual Private

Management Management Solutions Tools Networks
(VPNs)
Refer to Appendix for definition of foundational solutions

The list provided above is not exhaustive
18 19
FOCUS AREA 2
Enhanced Service Take a Step Forward!
User Experience
What is it?
3 ADVANCED
Adopt service delivery technology that enables person-centred and

integrated services, and cater to service users’ expectations and needs
2 INTERMEDIATE A Apply human-
centred design
1
methodology to
FOUNDATION A Enhance processes improve service for
Benefits and implement service users
advanced service
A Streamline processes and delivery technology B Collaborate with
Services Targeted Seamless and
implement foundational (Refer to Chapter 4 other SSAs and
are more and tailored integrated service delivery for more details) ecosystem partners
accessible services experience technology (Refer to to deliver integrated
across multiple Chapter 4 for more B Enable a holistic services
details) view of service
touchpoints
users within the
B Capture relevant data on organisation
service users and service
delivery within each C Derive insights
Strengthened Service Impact through Tech-Enabled Training agency programme through analysis of
Simulation and Rehabilitation service user data to
enhance the service
The APSN Centre for Adults prepares user journey
trainees for the workforce through a
comprehensive on-the-job training
curriculum that equips trainees with skills
for open market employment. Limited Resources for SSAs
by conventional training modalities, 1. Service Delivery Technology Guide (Pg 32)
APSN sought to find a solution to 2. Digital Skills Guide (Pg 28)
simulate real-life tasks to deliver
contextualised training. 3. Support and Funding (Pg 48)
• IT Solutions and Integration
Through the NCSS Back-to-Basics • Advisory / Consultancy
Project, APSN found its answer and • Implementation
adopted the BTE PrimusRS functional • Assessments and Audits
rehabilitation system. This digital • TechUP Friday!
enhancement has increased training • Training (Funded by SkillsFuture Singapore)
efficiency and empowered trainees to be
viably employed in the workforce.
A trainee at the APSN Centre for Adults on the BTE PrimusRS

functional rehabilitation system.
20 21
FOCUS AREA 3 Take a Step Forward!

Connected Community
and Partnerships 3 ADVANCED
What is it?
Engage with the social service community such as volunteers, donors and
2 INTERMEDIATE A Connect with other
SSAs with similar use
1
cases and needs to
ecosystem partners to collaborate, co-create, learn from or gather support FOUNDATION explore and develop
A Develop mid-to-long
on digital initiatives term ecosystem new technology
partnerships with solutions
Benefits A Learn from peers and subject commitment from
matter experts in the social partners to devote
service community digitalisation
Enhanced Increased Enhanced resources to an SSA
digitalisation organisation sustainability B Collaborate with Corporates for a specific period
capabilities effectiveness for digitalisation and Institutes of Higher of time
Learning (IHLs) through
and resource through co- efforts
Corporate Social Responsibility
augmentation creation of (CSR) related internships and
initiatives and digitalisation projects
services
C Leverage online platforms of
ecosystem partners to access
digital services, donations,
Corporate Partnerships to Catalyse Digital Transformation payments etc.
In response to New Hope Community
Services (NHCS)'s desire to achieve
Resources for SSAs
wider digital transformation, 1. NCSS Volunteer Resources (Pg 48) 3. Networking & Engagement
volunteers from JP Morgan and Telstra • Corporate Volunteerism Guide • TechUP Friday!
• Partnering Organisations Towards a • Capabilities Circle
Singapore came on board to offer
Lasting Impact on Social Service Users • GatherHere
their skills and expertise.
• Community of Practice (CoP)
2. Central Platforms (Pg 42) • Sector Transformation Mentoring Programme
The collaboration's success in • Social Service Navigator
developing digital solutions to enhance • Social Service Net (SSNet) 4. Support & Funding (Pg 48)
current work processes can be • SG Cares Digital Kampong • Pioneer Group Project
attributed to commitment from all • Innovation Pilot Grant
parties – NHCS holding regular and • Resource Matching
open conversations with its corporate
volunteers, JP Morgan providing project
management expertise and Telstra
Shout Out to Ecosystem Partners
Singapore designing the digital solution. • Offer existing platforms to meet social service needs (e.g. eCommerce platforms for service
delivery, social listening analytics to detect user needs)
JP Morgan volunteers were preparing donated PCs at New • Join networking and engagement events and explore collaboration opportunities on bite-sized
Hope for distribution during the Covid-19 pandemic
and longer-term partnerships with SSAs
Refer to Appendix for more detailed resources to progress in the digital roadmap • Develop and / or run sector-specific digital training programmes for and with SSAs
22 23
FOCUS AREA 4
Data Proficiency Take a Step Forward!
What is it?
3 ADVANCED
2
Become an insights-driven organisation using data and analytics to make
informed decisions on future service delivery and operations planning INTERMEDIATE A Utilise advanced
analytics to enhance
1
Benefits service delivery and
FOUNDATION A Utilise data service planning
discovery /
Better Better Improved visualisation tools to B Support service
informed situation service planning, A Digitise data and derive insights integration and
decision- awareness reduced centralise data repository referrals by sharing
Develop a data data with other
making through data information- B
B Establish agency-wide management plan SSAs and ecosystem
process sharing asymmetry data management partners
policies and procedures
Resources for SSAs

Safeguarded Personal Data through Holistic Data Protection 1. Digital Skills Guide (Pg 28)
2. Support and Funding (Pg 48)
To protect service users’ personal data
• IT Solutions and Integration
and instil trust in their stakeholders, New
• Advisory / Consultancy
Life Community Services (NLCS) decided to
• Implementation
take up the Start Digital Programme.
• Assessments and Audits
• TechUP Friday!
Through this programme, NLCS was able • Training (Funded by SkillsFuture Singapore)
to refine and implement robust personal
data protection policies and practices,
and improve their SOPs to comply with
the Personal Data Protection Act
obligations.
This has helped NLCS to improve the

efficiency and safety of their services
and day-to-day operations, increase its
competitive advantage and build trust
with donors and stakeholders.
24 25
FOCUS AREA 5
Digital Talent Take a Step Forward!
and Leadership
What is it?
3 ADVANCED
Enhance digital skills of the social service workforce and leadership to drive
digitalisation efforts
2 INTERMEDIATE A Build digital-first
culture throughout
1
the organisation
FOUNDATION A Develop a digital
Benefits strategy plan
Positive results Strengthened More A Appoint digital lead and

form IT / digitalisation
through governance engaged workgroup and board
organisational and increased workforce sub-committee
change resiliency
B Acquire workforce digital
skills according to roles
(Refer to the next page
for more details)
Equipping Leaders to Drive Digital Transformation
While adoption of technology to remain Resources for SSAs
digitally ready has been a priority for the
1. Digital Skills Guide (Pg 28)
leadership of Organisation Mondiale Pour
l’Education Prescolaire (OMEP) Singapore, 2. Support and Funding (Pg 48)
they were not sure how best to embark • Tech-and-GO! Capability Building
on their digitalisation journey. • Training (Funded by SkillsFuture Singapore)
A course by Singapore Management

UniversityxAccenture dispelled the
leadership’s apprehension around digital
transformation, highlighting its value
to the organisation. It has since spurred
them to embrace technology to improve
systems and processes, and to leverage
data analysis to better meet client needs
and plan their digital strategy.
Participants at the inaugural SMUxAccenture Managing

Change in the Digital Age course
26 27
Digital Skills Guide

Workforce Digital Skills to Accelerate SSA Digital Transformation
A skilled workforce is key to driving digital transformation. Apart from enabling all
staff with the necessary digital skills to carry out daily tasks and stay in pace with
organisation transformation, digital champions must be equipped with role-specific
skill sets to further digitalisation efforts. Upskill your employees in the necessary
digital skills training topics below and where appropriate match the topics to
assigned roles based on your needs to support your digitalisation journey.
ROLES * DIGITAL SKILLS ROLES CATEGORY * DIGITAL SKILLS
Leadership • Business Analytics for Strategic and Organisational Performance Specialist Business and Project • Business Needs Analysis
• Digital Marketing Strategy Management • Business Requirements Mapping
• Digital Transformation Strategy • Change Management
• Process Improvement and Optimisation
General • Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
• Project Management
• Cybersecurity Awareness
• Data Analytics Data and Analytics • Harnessing the Power of Predictive Analysis
• Data Protection Management • Big Data Analytics
• Digital Learning for Beginners • AI and Machine Learning Awareness
• Digital Payment • Deep Learning and Applications
• Digital Transformation Fundamentals

Digital Strategy and • Digital Transformation Implementation
• Human-Centred Design Fundamentals
Implementation • Digital and Agile Transformation
• Smart Sensors and Integration
• Understanding of Internet of Things Governance and • Cyber Risk Management
Compliance • Cyber and Data Breach Incident
• User Experience Design Fundamentals
Management
Marketing, • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Communications • Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
and Design • Social Media Content Management
• Human-Centred Design
*Not exhaustive
The digital skills listed in this guide are training topics which can be found on the SkillsFuture Website.
Go to SkillsFuture website to look up appropriate courses.
28 29
SSA Digital Roadmap

Summary of 5 Focus Areas
Based on your SSA Digital Roadmap Assessment, your SSA may have checked off
the activities in a non-sequential manner across the 3 stages and 5 Focus Areas.
It is important to note that this digital roadmap is a guide for your digitalisation
journey, and not an inflexible checklist. You should consider the scale, needs and
requirements of your agency in using this roadmap.
3 ADVANCED
2 INTERMEDIATE  Adopt business process monitoring
solutions to uncover process improvements
FOCUS AREAS 1 FOUNDATION  Integrate new and existing systems opportunities
 Conduct regular cybersecurity, data
Secure, Integrated  Review processes and implement foundational and protection and IT audits
Solutions and integration-ready solutions
Infrastructure  Adhere to cybersecurity and data protection baseline
requirements
 Conduct cybersecurity risk, IT risk and data
protection compliance assessments
 Develop an IT incident response and recovery plan
Enhanced Service  Streamline processes and implement foundational  Enhance processes and implement  Apply human-centred design methodology
User Experience service delivery technology advanced service delivery technology to improve service for service users
 Capture relevant data on service users and service  Enable a holistic view of service users within  Collaborate with other SSAs and ecosystem
delivery within each agency programme the organisation partners to deliver integrated services
 Derive insights through analysis of service
user data to enhance the service user journey
Connected  Learn from peers and subject matter experts in the  Develop mid-to-long term ecosystem  Connect with other SSAs with similar use
Community and social service community partnerships with commitment from cases and needs to explore and develop
 Collaborate with Corporates and Institutes of Higher partners to devote digitalisation resources new technology solutions
Partnerships
Learning (IHLs) through CSR-related internships and to an SSA for a specific period of time
digitalisation projects
 Leverage online platforms of ecosystem partners to
access digital services, donations, payments etc
Data  Digitise data and centralise data repository  Utilise data discovery / visualisation tools to  Utilise advanced analytics to enhance
Proficiency  Establish agency-wide data management policies and derive insights service delivery and service planning
procedures  Develop a data management plan  Support service integration and referrals by
sharing data with other SSAs and
ecosystem partners
Digital Talent  Appoint digital lead and form IT / digitalisation Develop a digital strategy plan
  Build digital-first culture throughout the
and Leadership workgroup and board sub-committee organisation
 Acquire workforce digital skills according to roles
30 31
Chapter 4: Enhancing Service

User Experience
Service Delivery Technology Guide Service Delivery Functions
The following serves as a guide for SSAs to explore service delivery Service Delivery Functions are structured based on the objectives
technology to enhance each service user journey. and mode of delivery to address the needs of specific user groups.
Centre-based
& Institution-
based Services
(Healthcare
& Non-
Healthcare)
Disability
Mobile &
Support
Home-based
Services
Services
(Children,
(Healthcare
Youths,
& Non-
Adults &
Healthcare)
Seniors)
Rehabilitation,
Re-integration
and Support
ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER Services (Mental
Health, Addiction
& Reformed
Access to Service Delivery of Service Transition out of Service Offenders)
Solutions to enhance Solutions to enhance direct Solutions to enable seamless
access through support client interventions and communication of service users’
for registration, enable efficient and integrated changing needs, transfer, exit Support Services
appointment scheduling, service delivery or re-entry of services when for Community
identity authentication necessary & Family
and service inquiries Integration
including
Caregivers
32 33
Identify Your Service Rehabilitation, • Support groups

• Rehabilitation and therapy
Reintegration and
Delivery Functions Support Services (Mental
Health, Addiction and
• Counselling and groupwork
• Resources and helplines
• Clinic services
Reformed Offenders) • Vocational training
Service delivery technologies have been grouped under five Service Delivery • Housing support
Functions. Identify the relevant Service Delivery Functions below to explore
suitable technologies to enhance your service delivery. Your agency may fall
under one or more functions.
• Public education and outreach

Support Services for services (including children, youths,
Centre-based and • Healthcare treatment and care support
Community and Family adults and seniors)
Institution-based services for in-house clients (including
Integration including • Wellness and active ageing
children, youths, adults & seniors)
Services (Healthcare Caregivers programmes
• Personal and psychosocial support
and Non-Healthcare) services for in-house clients (including • Family support services
children, youths, adults and seniors) (e.g. Casework, community work,
groupwork)
• Residential care for healthcare and
welfare needs • Caregiver support programme
• Information and referral
• Casework, therapy, counselling
and group work
Disability Support • Early intervention and special needs • Befriending Services (including
Services (Children, education programme across children, youth, seniors)
developmental stage
Youths, Adults • Residential care
• Family violence and prevention (e.g.
Children protective support services,
and Seniors) • Social and community living skills Individual and family protection)
training • Support services for vulnerable and
• Before and after school care at-risk groups (e.g. Youth-at-risks,
• Vocational training fostering services, adult protective
services)
• Job placement and job support
• Assistive / Technology
• Deputyship
"Care Corner is presently exploring an automated and blended triaging system, leveraging
on chatbots, live agents and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), to ensure timely help,
intervention and follow-up for persons seeking help, including but not limited to, mental health and
Mobile and Home- • Healthcare treatment and care counselling, and especially outside of working hours. The automated and blended triaging system in
based Services support services for home-based our roadmap will feature chatbots like the InsightersBOT, along with others in different channels of
clients (including children, youths,
(Healthcare and adults and seniors)
communication such as our website and other social media or chat
Non-Healthcare) • Personal and psychosocial support
platforms, that we expect people seeking help to use. The final form of
services for home-based clients these bots may be different from the current version of InsightersBOT
(including children, youths, adults as we continue to evolve and refine the way we engage help
and seniors) seekers. This is expected to be a model which can be readily
• Rations and meal services for home- adopted by other SSAs."
based clients
• Home-based behavioural intervention Mr Thomas Tan
service Head (IT and Digitalisation)
Care Corner
34 35
Centre-based and Institution-based Disability Support Services

Services (Healthcare and Non-Healthcare) (Children, Youths, Adults and Seniors)
ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER

Access to Service Delivery of Service Transition out of Service Access to Service Delivery of Service Transition out of Service
Payment Solutions Payment Solutions
E-payment, Online payment, Mobile payment E-payment, Online payment, Mobile payment
Tele-Consultation Tele-Consultation
Tele-medicine and Tele-health Case management, Client
engagement and training
User Feedback Solutions
Online survey tools, Community feedback tools User Feedback Solutions
Online survey tools, Community feedback tools
Activities of Daily Living & Rehabilitation Technology Activities of Daily Living &
Robotics, Artificial Reality / Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Rehabilitation Technology
Robotics, Artificial Reality /
Adaptive Technology Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
Augmentative and alternative communication devices,
Computing alternatives Adaptive Technology
Augmentative and alternative communication devices, Computing
Artificial Intelligence Technology and Applications alternatives
Digital mental health apps (e.g. for caregiver and support groups)
Artificial Intelligence Technology and Applications
Chatbots
Appointment booking, E-resources, Service enquiry, Text therapy Chatbots
Appointment booking, E-resources, Service enquiry, Text therapy
Digital Identity-Enabled Solutions
Self check-in and check-out, Enrolment for programmes, Face recognition dispensary Digital Identity-Enabled Solutions
Self check-in and check-out, Enrolment for programmes, Face recognition dispensary
Internet of Things (IoT)-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring Internet of Things (IoT)-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring
IoT-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring, IoT-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring,
Activities and vital signs trackers, Alert and Alarm devices Activities and vital signs trackers, Alert and Alarm devices
Learning Management & Gamification Learning Management & Gamification
Immersive activity engagement tools, and virtual engagement tools Digital learning platforms, Interactive and immersive AR/VR learning tools
Robots for Care, Education, Cleaning Robots for Care, Education,

Robotics for learning and therapy interventions Cleaning
Robotics for learning and
therapy interventions
Service User-Volunteer Matching Solutions
Social Listening Tool
& Sentiment Analytics Social Listening Tool
& Sentiment Analytics
Technologies are non-exhaustive and not illustrated in sequence of adoption. Prioritise adoption of technologies based on organisational needs. Technologies are non-exhaustive and not illustrated in sequence of adoption. Prioritise adoption of technologies based on organisational needs.
Refer to Appendix for definition of technologies. Refer to Appendix for definition of technologies.
Foundational Service Delivery Technology Advanced Service Delivery Technology
36 37
Mobile and Home-based services Rehabilitation, Reintegration and

(Healthcare and Non-Healthcare) Support Services (Mental Health,
Addiction and Reformed Offenders)
ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER

Access to Service Delivery of Service Transition out of Service Access to Service Delivery of Service Transition out of Service
Payment Solutions Payment Solutions
E-payment, Online payment, Mobile payment Online, cashless payment options
Tele-Consultation Tele-Consultation
Tele-medicine and Tele-health E-counselling, Tele-medicine,
Tele-therapy
Online survey tools, Community feedback tools User Feedback Solutions
Adaptive Technology
Augmentative and alternative communication devices, Artificial Intelligence Technology and Applications
Computing alternatives Digital mental health apps (e.g. for caregiver and support groups), Apps for mood tracking,
Self-help digital resources
Chatbots
Digital CBT Programmes, Text Therapy
Chatbots
Appointment booking, E-resources, Service enquiry, Text therapy
Self-registration, Self-scheduling, Sensor technology, Voice-recognition technology
Self-registration, Self-scheduling, Sensor technology, Voice-recognition technology, Self-service resource
allocation (e.g., vending machine- for food ration) Internet of Things (IoT)-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring
Activities and vital signs trackers
Internet of Things (IoT)-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring Learning Management & Gamification
IoT-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring, Digital learning platforms, Counselling gamification
Learning Management & Gamification Service User-Volunteer Matching Solutions

Digital learning platforms, Interactive and immersive AR/VR
learning tools

Technologies are non-exhaustive and not illustrated in sequence of adoption. Prioritise adoption of technologies based on organisational needs. Technologies are non-exhaustive and not illustrated in sequence of adoption. Prioritise adoption of technologies based on organisational needs.
Refer to Appendix for definition of technologies. Refer to Appendix for definition of technologies.
Foundational Service Delivery Technology Advanced Service Delivery Technology
38 39
Support Services for Community and

Family Integration including Caregivers
ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER

Access to Service Delivery of Service Transition out of Service
Payment Solutions
E-payment, Online payment, Mobile payment
Tele-Consultation
Tele-medicine and Tele-health


Digital mental health apps (e.g. for caregiver and support groups)
Chatbots
Text-therapy, e-Resources

Self check-in and check-out, Enrolment for programmes, Face recognition dispensary
Internet of Things (IoT)-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring

Learning Management
& Gamification
Digital learning platforms,
Immersive learning tools,
wellness programmes, social
and recreational activities

Technologies are non-exhaustive and not illustrated in sequence of adoption. Prioritise adoption of technologies based on organisational needs.
Refer to Appendix for definition of technologies.
40 41
Chapter 5: Developing Sector Engage &

Empower
User Feedback
& Data Capture
Connectivity
Service User Community
Public Access Platforms
Social Service Connectivity

that SSAs can use to connect with the community
Social Service Navigator SG Cares Digital Kampong Platform
(To be refreshed in 2022) (To be available in 2023)
The aspiration of a connected sector is one where information flows to where it This one-stop portal by NCSS lets members of public Non-profit organisations can tap on the SG Cares
access information on schemes and services offered Digital Kampong to manage and enhance their digital
is needed, can be accessed legitimately and safely, and provides insights into new by the Government and SSAs. Conversely, this fundraising and volunteer management efforts. Other
allows SSAs to have a gauge of the demand of social developments include an e-Marketplace to enable
opportunities. It will enable targeting of services to meet needs, enhancement services. the matching of collaborative resources to needs and
of resource allocation and planning, and generation of insights to improve as the promote skills, time and location-based volunteerism.
environment evolves and needs change.

Central Platforms
that SSAs can plug into and share data
Benefits of Sector Connectivity Social Service Net (SSNet) One Client View (OneCV)
Convenience of One Holistic View of Resource Optimisation SSAs can benefit from more efficient information Currently being rolled out progressively, this is a
1 Stop Service Access 2 Service Users 3 and Service Planning
sharing across programmes and with government
agencies in SSNet - an integrated case management
platform that pulls data from different agencies’
systems to provide frontline officers with a
system developed by the MSF. comprehensive view of client information and
4 Insights-Driven Delivery 5 Integrated Services

assistance history.
National Platforms & Services

that SSAs can integrate with for seamless experience
National Digital Identity (NDI) PayNow
The National Digital Identity is a digital identity PayNow Corporate enables Entities to pay and receive
platform for Singapore residents and businesses to Singapore Dollar funds instantaneously by linking
transact digitally with the Government and private their Unique Entity Number (UEN) issued in Singapore
sector conveniently and securely. It includes SingPass, to their Singapore bank account, or by scanning the
SingPass Mobile and MyInfo. PayNow QR code.
Common Data Application

Standards and Program Interface Secured Data
Data Exchange (API)-Driven
Seamless & Insights &

Co-created Analytics for
Services Planning &
Innovation
Social Service Government
Agencies Agencies
The effort to create common platforms and exchange data is ongoing. SSAs
can already tap on some of them, while other initiatives will be rolled out in
a phased manner. Aside from systems and data, it is important for SSAs and
ecosystem partners to come together to share good ideas and best practices,
explore collaborations, and pilot person-centred services.
42 43
Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024
Chapter 6: Get Started Today
Get Started Today in 3 Simple Steps!
1|Are you ready?

Find out how you can tailor your
own Digital Roadmap to move
forward in your digitalisation
journey by completing the SSA
Digital Roadmap Assessment.
Scan the QR code now!
2| What can Follow your own Digital Roadmap to

you do? transform in 5 Focus Areas to improve
organisation effectiveness,
supported by the Foundational
Solutions Guide and Digital
Skills Guide.
3| Where Access the NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub

can you for information on digital solutions and
funding programmes.
get help?
Refer to the subsequent Resource Pages for
more details on existing tools and resources
to help you in digitalising your organisation.
44 45
46 47
SSA Resources
For SSAs For Service Users
Tech-and-GO! Hub (NCSS) Access to Hardware and

• SSA Digital Roadmap Assessment Connectivity (IMDA)
• Start Digital for pre-scoped solutions • Enable IT Programme
• Go Digital for large scale customised • Home Access Programme
solutions • Neu PC Plus And Inspire Fund
• Pre-scoped Technical Advisory / • iNSPIRE Fund
Consultancy for digital solutions,
• Mobile Access for Seniors
cybersecurity and data protection
Cybersecurity and Data Protection Access to Social Services (NCSS)

Guidelines • Social Service Navigator
• Be Safe Online Handbook (CSA)
Digital Literacy Upskilling
• Data Protection Advisory Guidelines for the
Programmes (IMDA)
Social Service Sector (PDPC)
• Digital for Life Programme
Manpower Support Scheme (NCSS) • Enable IT Programme
• Sun Ray Programme • Intergen IT Bootcamp
• Seniors Go Digital
Training and Capability Building - Silver Infocomm Junctions
• Leadership Development Programme
(NCSS) Digital Skills Programmes
• MySkillsFuture (SSG) • Seniors Go Digital (IMDA)
• Social Service Institute (SSI) - Silver Digital Creators
- People’s Association Senior Academy’s
• Social Innovation Starter Kit (NCSS) ‘Seniors for Smart Nation’ Programme
• SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace
Volunteer Resources (NCSS)
• Corporate Volunteerism Guide Tech Assistance (IMDA)
• Partnering Organisations Towards a Lasting • Tech Connect
Impact on Social Service Users
• Volunteer Management System - Selection
and Implementation Roadmap (VMS-SIR)
48 49
Acknowledgements
Advisory Panel Members NCSS would like to thank the following partners for their invaluable
contribution to the Industry Digital Plan for Social Services
Ms Janet Young Mr Lew Chuen Hong SSA Partners

Chairperson Member Action For AIDS (Singapore) Heartware Network Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association
Managing Director and Head Chief Executive ALIFE Ltd Home Nursing Foundation Singapore Association for Counselling
(Group Channels & Digitalisation), UOB Infocomm Media Development Authority Alive Community Network HOPE Worldwide (Singapore) Singapore Buddhist Welfare Services
Board Member, NCSS AMKFSC Community Services Ltd I Love Children Singapore Cancer Society
Mr Richard Koh Asian Venture Philanthropy Network Limited Industrial and Services Co-operative Singapore Children's Society
Ms Ang Boon Min Association For Persons With Special Needs Society Limited Singapore Council Of Women's Organisations
Member Jia Ying Community Services Society
Member Chief Technology Officer
Association Of Muslim Professionals Singapore Indian Development Association
Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support Ltd Kheng Chiu Loke Tin Kee Home (SINDA)
Chief Executive Officer Microsoft Singapore
Bartley Community Care Services Lakeside Family Services Singapore Planned Families Association
Singapore Children’s Society
Bethesda CARE Centre Law Society Pro Bono Services Society for WINGS
Mr Robert Chew Bless Community Services Ling Kwang Home for Senior Citizens Society of Sheng Hong Welfare Services
Mr Lawrence Ang
Member Blossom Seeds Limited Lions Befrienders Service Association Society for the Promotion of Attention Deficit
Member Managing Partner Bone Marrow Donor Programme, The (Singapore) Hyperactivity Disorder Research
Founder & Director iGlobe Partners Boys' Town Lions Community Service Foundation and Knowledge
Landz Consulting Vice President, NCSS Brain Tumour Society (Singapore) Limited
(Singapore) SPD
Tech Advisory Council Member, Singapore Pools Care Corner Singapore Ltd
Loving Heart Multi-Service Centre (Jurong) Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore)
Metropolitan Young Men's Christian St Luke's ElderCare Ltd
Caring Fleet Services Limited
Mr Seah Chin Siong Association Of Singapore St. John's Home For Elderly Persons
Dr Lee Tung Jean Catholic Family Life Limited
Member Centre For Seniors
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled SUN-DAC
Member President & Chief Executive Officer Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore
of Singapore (MINDS) The Community Justice Centre Limited
1 Deputy Secretary Singapore Institute of Management Montfort Care The Food Bank Singapore Ltd
Christian Outreach to the Handicapped
Ministry of Social and Family Development Chairman, National Volunteer Morning Star Community Services Ltd The Ray of Hope Initiative Limited
Clarity Singapore Limited
and Philanthropy Centre Muhammadiyah Welfare Home The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund
Club HEAL
New Hope Community Services Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities Limited
Counselling and Care Centre
New Life Community Services Thye Hua Kwan Nursing Home Ltd
Credit Counselling Singapore
Organisation Mondiale Pour l’Education TOUCH Community Services Limited
Daughters of Tomorrow Limited Prescolaire Singapore
Trybe Limited
Down Syndrome Association (Singapore) O'Joy Limited
United Indian Muslim Association
Eurasian Association, The PAVE
WE CARE Community Services Limited
Federation of Youth Clubs, Singapore Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (PPIS)
Wicare Support Group
Fei Yue Community Services Ramakrishna Mission, The
XiSer CareServe
Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Realm of Tranquility
Youth Guidance Outreach Services
Social Support and Training (FAST) RSVP Singapore The Organisation
Young Men's Christian Association
Gerontological Society of Senior Volunteers
Of Singapore
HCSA Community Services Sathya Sai Social Service (Singapore)
Ecosystem Partners
Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) Lenovo Singapore
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Ngee Ann Polytechnic
ASCAN Marketing Services Pte Ltd Republic Polytechnic
CrimsonLogic Pte Ltd SEA Group
DBS Bank Singtel
Engineering Good ST Engineering
IBM Visa
50 51
Appendix: Digital Initiatives

Apart from key initiatives such as the Social Service Sector Strategic Thrusts
(4ST), The Invictus Fund (TIF) and the Beyond COVID-19 Taskforce (BCTF),
the following digital initiatives have been rolled out over 2017 to 2021 to help
SSAs put digitalisation and technology at the core of their work.
Initiatives Background Info Initiatives Background Info

Bite-size Projects Bite-size Project aims to identify processes to be re-designed and/or automated, Back-to-Basics Back-to-Basics aims to support professionals currently in the sector to serve
to enhance productivity and improve service delivery with the help of appointed clients better and faster, through targeted funding for Speech Therapists,
consultants. Six pre-determined categories were made available, namely: Client Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists, Social Workers (SW) and Youth
Empowerment, Community Resources, Device or Technology Enabler, Financial Workers (YW). The multi-year project comprises a fully-funded consultancy,
Processes, Process Improvement, and Utilisation of Space. 36 projects with 33 and technology adoption subsidies. It aims to increase existing professionals’
SSAs were carried out through this initiative. capacity and capability by streamlining processes, redesigning jobs and
technology adoption, to free up time for serving more clients instead of handling
administrative tasks. The professionals can have higher job satisfaction and
Ka-Ching Ka-Ching was developed by NCSS appointed consultant, Empact, in collaboration
perform upgraded functions that better use their professional skills and
with fifteen SSAs of different profiles serving various sub-sectors. It is a donation
knowledge.
tracking tool that automates and streamlines back-end donation tracking
processes to reduce duplication of work. Through Ka-Ching, agencies can better
track and process donations thanks to the smart tool that reduces duplicate data Tech Booster Tech Booster aims to ramp up adoption of ready technologies for manpower-
entries and generates more accurate donation reports. Agencies can also offer intensive programmes at Adult Disability Homes, Day Activity Centres, Welfare
that special touch to their donors by creating customisable receipts and thank Homes and Voluntary Children's Homes. The initiative enables existing care
you letters. A total of 61 agencies benefitted from the project with average 49% workers to provide better service to more clients in shorter time, raise staff
of productivity gains. morale and retention, and increase client centricity. Care worker's roles can
also be upgraded to attract more Singaporeans to take up these jobs. Ready
DonateNow! A fully-funded initiative by NCSS to help SSAs automate their donation collection technologies include products and services, such as video analytics solutions that
process. This allows the agencies to harness the power and convenience can predict behaviour, intelligent monitoring sensors, robotic technology with
of technology to increase productivity through 1-For-1 Matching, fully funded human-like cleaning robots, and an AI-enabled assistant with voice recognition
workshops and exclusive discounts from technology vendors. A total of technology. These innovative solutions can reduce up to 30% time spent by care
70 agencies benefitted from the project and achieved average 84% of workers.
productivity gains.
Tech-and-GO! Tech-and-GO! is a one-stop tech hub to support SSAs on their digitalisation
journey. This initiative includes funding to defray the cost of technology adoption
Social Service The Social Service Navigator is an ongoing effort to gather data on social services of systems and solutions, as well as support through advisory and consultancy.
Navigator in Singapore. It aims to help social service professionals and the public to identify Agencies can search for suitable IT solutions by tapping on pre-scoped IT
relevant services to meet needs, potential service gaps and partners solutions that have been assessed to be effective and affordable. The advisory
for collaboration. and consultancy offering can also guide SSAs on what digitalisation project or
resources are most suitable, relevant technology that are out there in the market,
and on how to start a digitalisation project.
iShine Cloud iShine Cloud Limited is a charity set up by Singapore Pools and supported by
the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) to provide other charities with an
affordable and integrated suite of charity-specific solutions via a secure cloud-
based IT platform. Leveraging on the IT infrastructure as well as resources from
Singapore Pools, iShine Cloud aims to improve the productivity, governance and
efficiency of operations of charities, thus enabling them to focus on serving their
beneficiaries better. iShine Cloud services are open to any charities regardless of
their sector and size.
52 53
Appendix: Foundational Solutions

Definitions
Technology Name Technology Description Technology Name Technology Description
Accounting A system that helps the organisation collect, store and process financial
System information and produce informational reports for management decisions. Firewalls A software that helps protect the backend infrastructure from potential
It helps organisations automate manual accounting tasks and provide a security threats through the consolidation of an organisation's multiple
consolidated overview of the financial activities. security and networking functionals.
Antivirus A software used to safeguard individual users' machines from malware,

Solutions cyber threats and suspicious activities.
Human A system that integrates various aspects of manpower and resources
Resource planning, training, succession planning and staff headcount to streamline
Management processes for a comprehensive overview of the profile, performance, job
System scope, schedule of all employees in an organisation.
Centre A system to automate and simplify centre operations such as temperature taking,
Management attendance taking, client progress tracking, communication with caregivers /
families about client’s progress, etc. It can also be integrated with Finance and HR Identity Technologies such as single sign-on systems, two-factor authentication,
system for end-to-end automation.
and Access multifactor authentication, and user access control to critical information
Management within organisations, securely store identity and profile data, and provide data
governance functions.
Client / Case A system to record, monitor and analyse the processing of clients’ cases.
Management The system provides a complete view of client cases, ensure effective
collaboration and enhances visibility and reporting. Management Tools used to generate reports from datasets to make business decisions, and
and Funder monitor the progress of different business segments.
Reporting
Collaboration Solutions that can help staff work remotely but still collaborate actively both (Automated)
Tools within the team. Essential documents are organised and stored within the
same platform, thus making the search and retrieval of information much Office An enterprise suite of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools,
more efficient. Staff can also share and work on the same documents Productivity software and products.
together via the platform. Solutions
Video A software that enables online communication for audio meetings, video
Document Provides a centralised platform to capture, track, manage, store and retrieve
Conferencing meetings, and seminars, with built-in features such as chat, screen sharing,
Management electronic documents (e.g. PDFs, word processing files) in a systematic and
and recording.
secured approach. It facilitates the ease of access and sharing of real-time
information within an organisation and collaboration with external parties in
a systematic approach. Virtual A service that creates a safe, encrypted online connection by extending a
Private private network across a public network allows users to securely send and
Networks receive data across the internet.
Donor A system with a database of donor information, tracks donations, (VPNs)
Management communicates and maximises relationships with donors. The system provides
a complete view of donor information, ensure effective collaboration and Volunteer A system to store volunteer information, and recruit, schedule, manage and
enhances visibility and reporting. Management communicate with volunteers. The system provides a complete view of volunteer
information, ensure effective collaboration and enhances visibility and reporting.
Encryption A tool to secure digital data using one or more mathematical techniques and a
Tools password or "key" used to decrypt the information. Website A set of related web pages located under a single domain name.
54 55
Appendix: Service Delivery

Technology Definitions
Technology Name Technology Description Examples Technology Name Technology Description Examples
Activities of • Solutions to help service users on personal • AR / VR Technology Digital • Digital Identity-Enabled Solutions that • Enrolment for programmes
Daily Living & care (hygiene and grooming), physical • Electronic Mobility Aids Identity- help to create, manage, and verify digital • Face recognition dispensary
Rehabilitation functions (feeding, dressing, toileting), • Digital tools for Health Management Enabled identities for all service users to ensure a • Self check-in and check-out
Technology functional mobility (access and transferring), e.g. Mobile Medication Apps, Solutions smooth and seamless service experience • Self-registration
community integration, communication and SMART Medication Systems • Self-scheduling
social interaction, home maintenance • Self-service resource allocation
• Sensor technology
• Voice-recognition technology
Artificial • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology • Digital mental health apps
Intelligence and Applications generate better • Digital health apps
(AI) insights to deliver service in a prompt, • Virtual counselling apps IoT-Enabled • IoT-Enabled health monitoring and assistive • Location tracking devices
Technology accurate and effective manner through • Virtual support groups Client Safety systems to support aging-in-place and • Alarm systems and alert device
and optimised processes and integrated & Incidence tracking for persons with dementia and/or • IoT-Enabled health and wellness
Applications systems Monitoring disability tracking monitoring apps
• Solutions that help to monitor, alert and track • Activities and vital signs trackers
service users in their daily functions such as • Sound recognition for emergency
tracking the movement of the service user, monitoring, smart building, and
Assistive • Assistive and Adaptive technology help • Augmentative & alternative
surveillance
and people with disabilities improve their communication devices alerting caregivers for assistance or capturing
• Motion and behavioural analytics
Adaptive functional abilities by compensating for • Computing alternatives the activities and vital signs of service user
Technology their disabilities or augment their remaining • Home modifications e.g. SMART
abilities. These technologies are designed Home Control, Voice Command
with the aim to help them perform their Systems Learning • Learning systems that comprise digital • Counselling gamification
daily activities with as much ease and • Technologies for feeding issues Management solutions like interactive tools, software • Digital learning platforms
independence as possible • Technologies for visually and
& applications and platforms to promote • Immersive activity
Gamification collaborative peer-to-peer learning engagement tools
hearing impaired
• Vehicular modifications through engaging learning activities, • Interactive and immersive
games and educational programs based AR / VR learning tools
on service users’ needs • Social and recreational
• Solutions that help in the administration, activities
Chatbots • Chatbots placed on web pages to address • Appointment scheduling or
basic customer support inquiries at any booking bots tracking, documentation, reporting and • Virtual engagement tools
time of day • Customer support chatbots automation and delivery of educational • Wellness programmes
• Chatbots leverage AI and machine learning • e-Resources and training courses based on service-
to understand the fundamentals behind a • Hybrid models users’ needs
company's product or service • Keyword recognition-based
chatbots
• Machine learning chatbots Payment • E-payment, Online payment, Cashless • Contactless payment
• Menu/button-based chatbots Solutions payment technologies • E-wallet
• Rule-based chatbots • Integrated Point-of-Sale (POS)
• Text-therapy • Mobile payment
• Voice bots • Peer-to-peer funds transfer
• SGQR payment
56 57
Appendix: Service Delivery Appendix: Resources to Progress

Technology Definitions in the Digital Roadmap
Technology Name Technology Description Examples Steps Resources and Tactics
Robots
for Care,
• Social robots can launch the educational app,
take attendance and temperature, engage
• Autonomous Cleaning Robots
• Automatic Guided Vehicles
Secure, Integrated Solutions and Infrastructure
Education, users through singing, storytelling and dance • Robotics for learning and therapy 1a Review processes and i Complete SSA Digital Roadmap Assessment to identify current gaps
Cleaning to enhance educational settings. Autonomous interventions implement foundational • Refer to Foundational Solutions Guide [Chapter 3]
Cleaning Robots to support new hygiene • Social and Personal Robots and integration-ready ii Undergo human-centred design training under the Digital Skills Guide [Chapter 3]
standards and reduce the risk of disease solutions
transmission etc. iii Review and streamline current processes based on business needs and priorities
• Automatic Guided Vehicles that use computer iv Identify and evaluate relevant technology solutions and vendors
technology to navigate through facilities to v Measure and track user satisfaction for all solutions implemented
deliver products and items within the facility vi Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
from single to multiple floor buildings e.g. meals • Technical advisory/consultancy
delivery with residential facility • Digital solutions
• Personal robots that can support care delivery • Funding support
• TechUP Friday! Tech Demo
through the delivery of items, monitoring within
the facility or telecommunication purpose
1b Adhere to cybersecurity i Develop cybersecurity, data protection and IT security policies that comply with
and data protection established guidelines, by leveraging on sample templates by NCSS
Service User- • Matching Caregivers / Volunteers to suitable • Facilitates volunteer recruitment baseline requirements ii Refer to respective guidelines
Volunteer service users based on their skillsets, from application to onboarding • Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore (CSA) Website
Matching availability and preferences for prompt and • Manage volunteer retention and • Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) Website
Solutions effective support engagement
iii Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
• Volunteer scheduling for
• Cybersecurity Consultancy
rostering and allocation of
• Data Protection Consultancy
volunteer tasks • Cybersecurity solutions
• Funding support
Social • Social listening tool refers to analysing the • Brand monitoring
Listening conversations and trends happening around • Customer support analysis 1c Conduct cybersecurity, i Ensure cybersecurity, data and IT risks are included in the agency's Enterprise Risk
Tool and your organisation and the industry as a whole • Customer feedback analysis data and IT risk Management (ERM) framework
Sentiments • Market research assessments ii Conduct regular risk assessments to identify gaps and corresponding mitigating
Analytics • Sentiment Analytics uses natural language
processing, text analysis, computational • Social Listening Tools measures
linguistics, and biometrics to systematically • Social media monitoring iii Implement mitigating actions
identify, extract, quantify, and study affective • Visual Feedback Tools
• Voice of the Customer Tools (VoC) iv Conduct testing to ensure effectiveness and compliance
states and subjective information
v Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
• Technical advisory/consultancy
• Cybersecurity Consultancy
Tele- • Remote consultation and / or interactions • Tele-medicine
• Data Protection Consultancy
Consultation between a social service worker and service • Tele-health
• Cybersecurity solutions
user to provide diagnostic or therapeutic • Tele-rehab • Funding support
advice through electronic means • Video consultation augmented
with wearables
User • User Feedback software creates • Community Feedback tools

Feedback online surveys for data collection, • Digital Focus Groups
Solutions reporting and decision-making • Online Survey Tools
• Online Review Tools
• User Testing Tools
Foundation Intermediate Advanced

58 59
Appendix: Resources to Progress

in the Digital Roadmap
Steps Resources and Tactics Steps Resources and Tactics
Secure, Integrated Solutions and Infrastructure Enhanced Service User Experience

1d Develop an IT incident i Set up an IT incident response and recovery team and define roles and 1a Streamline processes i Develop a clear understanding of what service users value and link it to the goals for
response and recovery responsibilities and implement streamlining processes
plan ii Define what constitutes a data incident (e.g. Malware, phishing, distributed denial of foundational service ii Identify suitable foundational service user technologies in the Service Delivery
service, ransomware, data breach and corruption) delivery technology Technology Guide [Chapter 4] to streamline or automate processes in line with
iii Define IT incident response and assessment procedures to contain breach what service users value throughout the service user journey
iv Develop matrix to assess risk and impact of data incident iii Undergo human-centred design training under the Digital Skills Guide [Chapter 3]
v Define IT incident reporting procedures iv Upskill the digital literacy of service users and caregivers by referring them to Digital
Literacy Upskilling Programmes [Chapter 6] so that they can access digital social
vi Evaluate response to incident and review actions taken to prevent further data services
incidents
v Measure and track user satisfaction for all solutions implemented
vii Develop a IT inventory map, data flow diagram and risk assessment report for the
IT incident response and recovery plan vi Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
viii Attend cyber and data incident breach management training under the • Digital solutions
Digital Skills Guide [Chapter 3] • Funding support
2a Integrate new i Identify benefits of integration e.g. productivity increase, fewer errors, data
and existing systems consistency 1b Capture relevant data i Capture relevant holistic data of service users
ii Prioritise need and implement integration solutions on service users and ii Capture data pertaining to the delivery of services over time
service delivery within
iii Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]: iii Organise a service user’s data into a holistic view so that SSA staff can use it to
each agency programme
• Technical advisory/consultancy better plan and deliver services to the service user
• Digital solutions
• Funding support
2a Enhance processes and i Identify suitable advanced service user technologies in the Service Delivery
implement advanced Technology Guide [Chapter 4] to streamline or automate processes in line with
service delivery technology what service users value throughout the service user journey
2b Conduct regular i Assess current level of cybersecurity and data protection compliance and identify
ii Measure and track user satisfaction for all solutions implemented
cybersecurity, data compliance gaps
protection and IT audits iii Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
ii Review encryption and cybersecurity management tools on all devices
iii Review access management controls and policies to set up-to-date user access • Digital solutions
privileges • Funding support
iv Assess third-party risk management and compliance efforts • TechUP Friday! Tech Demo
v Engage vendors to perform regular audits on their IT systems
2b Enable a holistic view i Assign dedicated employees to capture, consolidate, analyse and share service user
of service users data in a structured manner across the SSA organisation
3a Adopt business i Identify important business processes that are candidates for continuous within the organisation
process monitoring improvement efforts ii Ensure that systems and processes consider the various programme touchpoints
solutions to uncover with the service users
ii Define intermediate and outcome metrics that will measure the efficiency
process improvements of these processes iii Consolidate all programme-related data for each service user within the organisation
opportunities by leveraging data from various programme touchpoints
iii Adopt a business process monitoring tool/solution that can easily and consistently
monitor the performance of these processes to identify successes and problems 2c Derive insights through i Analyse data collected in 1b / 2b to generate insights for better service delivery and
iv Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]: analysis of service user planning, e.g. some service delivery methods might yield better outcomes for service
• Technical advisory/consultancy data to enhance the users in certain circumstances
• Digital solutions service user journey
• Funding support

60 61

Enhanced Service User Experience Connected Community and Partnerships

3a Apply human-centred i Apply techniques such as personas/archetype definition and service journey 1a Learn from peers and i Submit stories and receive inspiration on digitalisation opportunities via user-friendly
design methodology to mapping to understand the needs of the service users subject matter experts web-based storytelling platforms, virtual live platforms and Central Social Service
improve service for service ii Apply techniques such as ethnographic research to understand the real problems in the social service Platforms [Chapter 5] e.g., Giving.SG, SG Cares Digital Kampong
users and gaps community ii Join Capabilities Circles to upskill and journey together in the digitalisation process,
iii Apply techniques and tools such as brainstorming, concept development, mock-ups, with members serving as digital guides or digital companions
wireframes to generate ideas for solution iii Participate in GatherHere to discuss challenges relating to digitalisation
iv Apply prototyping and usability testing approaches to iteratively get to the desired
solution 1b Collaborate with i Tap on ecosystem partners' advanced digitalisation knowledge, resources,
Corporates and Institutes capabilities, tools and digital platforms to uplift the SSA’s digitalisation journey
of Higher Learning via IT Skilled Volunteerism
3b Collaborate with other i Network with ecosystem players (e.g., Capabilities Circles, GatherHere, Giving.sg)
(IHLs) through CSR- • Explore requirements with NCSS and receive support to be matched with suitable
SSAs and ecosystem and exchange ideas on digitalisation opportunities
related internships and ecosystem partners
partners to deliver ii Identify SSAs delivering complementary services via Central Social Service digitalisation projects • Partner with ecosystem partners for 1-on-1 digitalisation support and capability
integrated services Platforms [Chapter 5] (e.g. Social Service Navigator) and develop referral pathways building
to integrate services
1c Leverage online platforms i Leverage on Central Social Service Platforms [Chapter 5] e.g., SG Cares Digital
of ecosystem partners Kampong to enlist volunteers to support digitalisation efforts and capability building
to access digital services, ii Leverage on Central Social Service Platforms [Chapter 5] by adopting IT systems
donations, payments etc. that enable data integration features such as registration via SingPass and PayNow
transactions.
iii If there is interest to integrate SSA's systems directly to Central Social Service
Platforms [Chapter 5], refer to the SingPass Developer page or reach out to the
SingPass engagement team for more information
iv Register for PayNow Corporate with your chosen bank provider by providing your
organisation's UEN and following the relevant set up instructions
2a Develop mid-to-long term i Receive support from NCSS to set up mid-to-long term digitalisation partnerships,
ecosystem partnerships internships, or work secondments e.g., via IT Skilled Volunteerism where NCSS will
with commitment from match corporates who are interested to offer their IT expertise to SSAs
partners to devote • Explore requirements with NCSS and receive support to be matched with suitable
digitalisation resources to ecosystem partners
an SSA for a specific period • Partner with ecosystem partners for 1-on-1 digitalisation support, capability
of time building and workforce augmentation
3a Connect with other SSAs i Gather fellow SSA companions for your digital journey through a mixture of offline
with similar use cases and online conversations in small targeted groups e.g., via Capabilities Circles and
and needs to explore and GatherHere
develop new technology ii Partner with other SSAs for digitalisation support, capability building, and
solutions co-development of SSA digital solutions with technology providers

62 63

Data Proficiency Data Proficiency

1a Digitise data and centralise i Digitise hardcopy documents using scanning and Optical Character Recognition 3a Utilise advanced analytics i Understand the service delivery process, define the timeline and concrete
data repository technology to enhance service delivery performance indicators
ii Centralise and organise data with proper data structures and taxonomy to facilitate and service planning ii Obtain, explore and clean relevant data for service delivery from relevant data
subsequent analysis sources (e.g. databases, APIs, open data etc.), and ensure compliance with data
privacy regulations
1b Establish agency-wide i Define data management policies and procedures across enterprise and digital iii Utilise machine learning algorithms to derive at in-depth insights including impacted
data management policies data streams (e.g. social media, sensors, video), in relation to collection, storage, past trends and predict future trends in relation to service planning and delivery
and procedures organisation and distribution
iv Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
• Technical Advisory
2a Utilise data discovery / i Clarify goals for use of data to inform data collection, storage and analysis, and • Data Analytics Solutions Funding
visualisation tools to derive accompanying change management
insights ii Embed data capabilities within organisation by encouraging staff to attend data 3b Support service integration i Connect with other complementary SSAs and ecosystem partners where there are
upskilling courses under the Digital Skills Guide [Chapter 3] and SSA Resources and referrals by sharing service delivery synergies
[Chapter 6] data with other SSAs and ii Onboard to Central Social Service Platforms [Chapter 5] (e.g., One Client View
iii Provide access to data sets within your organisation, inter-SSA and ecosystem ecosystem partners (OneCV), Social Service Net (SSNet)) to share data on service users and facilitate
partners, subject to data protection policy. Use techniques such as data masking, referrals to relevant services
tokenisation, aggregation where necessary
iii Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations
iv Enrich datasets and build visualisations to explore and communicate findings on
service delivery
v Harness data to gain insights into service user outcomes and service operations,
increase responsiveness, tailor services and better plan for the future
vi Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
2b Develop a data strategy i Obtain approvals and implement the data strategy
plan • Socialise data strategy plan with agency leadership and staff, and explore value
proposition for initiatives
• Implement initiatives (e.g. build a data management team, assign governance
roles)
ii Define the data strategy roadmap
• Define how data will help the agency meet its goals
• Plan for data management, including collection, storage, organisation and
distribution
• Identify datasets to be collected and point of origination
• Define initiatives for data strategy and establish a roadmap and milestones
• Define change management plan to support roll-out of data strategy
ii Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:

64 65
Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024

Steps Resources and Tactics
Digital Talent and Leadership

1a Appoint digital lead and i Identify capabilities / competencies of Digital Leaders who can help orchestrate the
form IT / digitalisation digital transformation journey and drive fundamental business transformations
workgroup and board ii Formally appoint Digital Lead and/or Digitalisation sub-committee with Terms of
sub-committee Reference
1b Acquire workforce digital i Leadership / management to lead by example in carrying out digital upskilling
skills according to roles initiatives, e.g.
• Allocate time on their schedules to get themselves digitally upskilled
• Share their experience and digital upskilling stories
• Ensure managers allocate time for staff to get digitally upskilled
• Track and measure staff's digital upskilling progress regularly
• Facilitate continuous learning and digital upskilling within the organisation
ii Undergo suitable Digital Skills training under the Digital Skills Guide [Chapter 3]
according to job roles
iii Participate in available learning forums (e.g. TechUP Friday! Webinars, Capabilities
Circle)
2a Develop a digital i Define the digital strategy roadmap and change management plan
strategy plan • Define digitalisation vision for the agency
• Define initiatives for digital strategy and establish a roadmap and milestones
for digital transformation
• Define change management plan to support roll-out of digital strategy
ii Obtain approvals and implement the digital strategy
• Socialise data strategy plan with agency leadership and staff, and explore
financial justification for initiatives
• Implement initiatives (e.g. build a data management team, assign governance
roles)
iii Contact NCSS Tech-and-GO! Hub [Chapter 6]:
3a Build digital-first i Identify and encourage employees who can be change agents or ‘digital
culture throughout the ambassadors’
organisation ii Shift the focus from outcomes and traditional KPIs that can create resistance to
culture transformation (e.g. reward implementation of digitalisation ideas)
iii Translate the broader digital vision into compelling and tangible organisation
outcomes that employees can relate to, and feel accountable for
iv Leverage social networks to connect the bottom and top of the organisation
v Commit to employees to help them retool and reskill, and organise training for staff
on digital transformation
vi Pilot digital projects, and provide incentives for digital and innovative projects
66 67
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE
170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02 Singapore 279621 | Tel: 6210 2500 | Fax: 6468 1012 | ncss.gov.sg

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Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024 Industry Digital Plan for Social Services 2021

ital Plan for Social Services 2021 – 2024

03. Strengthening The

Goal: 80% of SSAs Goal: 80% of services are Goal: 30 digital

Goal: 30% of SSAs use data to enhance

Key Trends How SSAs Can Respond

Social Service Goes Digital

Social Back-to- Tech

In 2017, In 2020, In 2021, Industry

Chapter 2: Navigating the Digital

and Infrastructure 2 INTERMEDIATE A Adopt business

Foundational Solutions Guide Corporate Systems

Data and Reporting Tools

Stakeholder Engagement Systems Cybersecurity

Donor Volunteer Identity Firewalls

Client / Case Website Centre Antivirus Encryption Virtual Private

Refer to Appendix for definition of foundational solutions

Adopt service delivery technology that enables person-centred and

A trainee at the APSN Centre for Adults on the BTE PrimusRS

FOCUS AREA 3 Take a Step Forward!

Resources for SSAs

This has helped NLCS to improve the

Positive results Strengthened More A Appoint digital lead and

A course by Singapore Management

Participants at the inaugural SMUxAccenture Managing

Digital Skills Guide

ROLES * DIGITAL SKILLS ROLES CATEGORY * DIGITAL SKILLS

• Data Protection Management • Big Data Analytics

• Digital Learning for Beginners • AI and Machine Learning Awareness

• Digital Payment • Deep Learning and Applications

• Digital Transformation Fundamentals

Marketing, • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

SSA Digital Roadmap

Chapter 4: Enhancing Service

Identify Your Service Rehabilitation, • Support groups

• Public education and outreach

Centre-based and Institution-based Disability Support Services

ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER

Robots for Care, Education, Cleaning Robots for Care, Education,

Mobile and Home-based services Rehabilitation, Reintegration and

ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER

Learning Management & Gamification Service User-Volunteer Matching Solutions

Social Listening Tool

Support Services for Community and

ENTER ENGAGE EMPOWER

User Feedback Solutions

Artificial Intelligence Technology and Applications

Digital Identity-Enabled Solutions

Internet of Things (IoT)-Enabled Health and Wellness Monitoring

Service User-Volunteer Matching Solutions

Social Listening Tool

Chapter 5: Developing Sector Engage &

Public Access Platforms

Social Service Connectivity

environment evolves and needs change.

4 Insights-Driven Delivery 5 Integrated Services

National Platforms & Services

Common Data Application

Seamless & Insights &

Chapter 6: Get Started Today

Get Started Today in 3 Simple Steps!

1|Are you ready?

2| What can Follow your own Digital Roadmap to