AY21/22 Annual Report

impacT Annual Report

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Our utmost gratitude to:

Prof Tan Poh Lin Deputy Secretary Aaron Maniam Research for Impact Tembusu College

for working closely with us to make our programmes possible.

Welcomed Diving In

In this letter, I hope to reflect with you on impacT’s past year – a crucial, formative one that has shaped this beloved organisation, its community, and beyond.

Here in impacT, we don’t just wade – we dive. Nothing testifies to this more than how it all began: A spur-of-the-moment decision by the founding team to try something new. Today, we have blossomed into a core team of 20-something youth anchoring a larger community of almost 300 students, bonded by the common yearning to shape our world for the better through the levers of public policy and social impact.

Together with leaders from wonderful organisations like the Prime Minister’s Office, National Council of Social Services, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and Research for Impact, we are proud to have brought you a slew of fruitful events and projects in line with our mission to nurture the next generation of public policy and social impact leaders. Our logo consisting of a brain, a heart that dwells within, and a young shoot sprouting upwards, exemplifies this mission and the inspiration behind our programmes. As youth with energy and curiosity but relatively little experience, there is much that we have yet to know. impacT hopes to bridge this gap in understanding with curated workshops that focus on providing intellectual and theoretical grounding, taught by industry professionals who have the requisite knowledge and experience to inform and inspire. Crucially, our programmes – such as the recent Public Leaders of Tomorrow course and our Summer Boot Camp – intentionally reflect the people, public and private sectors working in synergy to make an impactful difference in our world. This ‘brain’ must be accompanied –indeed, compelled – by the ‘heart’, where inclusiveness, empathy and generosity drive our decisions as leaders, which we take seriously here in impacT with a focus on individual talent development and community. We are further cognizant that exposure to the public policy and social impact space is only one step on the path to becoming effective leaders, where application of ideas and skills are only as good as their execution. Projects like Lacuna (our upcoming publication), the impacT Podcast and our regular events and curriculum push us to implement, try and fail. Here, where the brain, heart, and growth from exposure and experience converge, we strive to find leaders ready for the unconventional and abstract questions that the future must hold.

Learning to swim

Our journey has been one marked by deep waters and much flailing – unglamorous but necessary baptisms of fire that have forged our leadership’s zeal and united our team. However, learning to swim in such currents is only possible with the support and investment of leaders who have come before. Thank you to our Staff Advisor Dr Tan Poh Lin for taking the leap to come along with us on this journey. We would also like to thank Deputy Secretary Aaron Maniam, CEO Dr Joanne Yoong, Minister Desmond Lee and Mr Juanhe Tan, as well as the many industry professionals who believed in us enough to share their wisdom, time and opportunities. We hope to continue the trail of fire you have blazed ahead of us! Additionally, thank you to Tembusu College, Dr Joon Chuah and the numerous Professors and friends who dared to bank on this scrappy group of students –we are immensely proud that impacT’s roots are planted in Tembusu soil, which for us was truly the home of possibilities. I must also take this time to acknowledge and give our heartfelt thanks to the leaders of tomorrow who have brought impacT’s mission to life. To our founding EXCO Edward, Evelyn, Danielle, Voon, and the impacT team: your dynamism, entrepreneurship, humility, tenacity, and – of course – friendship, has steadied the sampan in more ways than one.

Raw Brave Bobl

impacT was never envisioned as a final destination, but simply as a pitstop where one may sharpen their tools, gain new ones and find company in doing things differently. Should you choose to row your boat through impacT’s waters, we hope you will find something in these pages that resonates with your values, convictions and ideals. As we have experienced, may your journey too be raw, brave and bold. How else will we impacT our world?

petting

Tan Vice-President (Admin & Partnerships)

Petrina

All the photos taken were legal at the point of capture฀

Who we are

Our People

An organisation founded in Tembusu College, impacT is currently based in the heart of NUS University Town, where student life is dynamic and enterprising. As a student-run organisation kickstarted by a group of like-minded friends who sought to learn more and do more to make an impact, impacT hopes to provide the wider NUS student population access to the resources and opportunities available through our programmes, networks and community.

Our Mission

To nurture the next generation of leaders in public policy and social impact.

To achieve such a mission, we aim to provide targeted workshops, career and internship support, relevant project experience, internal development objectives and more.

Our Vision

To become the preeminent student-run organisation for youths who aspire to create public and social impact.

We believe that the world deserves and needs more leaders who have strong ethical, intellectual, and practical foundations to tackle ever more urgent and complex problems. We hope to inspire and empower some of them.

Our Values

Curiosity

It is essential to be curious, to desire to learn ever more - to challenge oneself and discover more, and to ultimately improve.

The motivation to willingly volunteer one’s abilities and resources for the benefit of others, including the other impacT members. It is key to developing a strong community, and one that gives generously.

Inclusiveness

To extend benefits and opportunities to as many members and students as possible.

Entrepreneurship

Creative problem-solving and strong initiative are key to achieving something extraordinary, to try where others have failed or have not ventured.

Excellence

To hold impacT’s and members’ work to standards of which they would be proud of; to matter more than the average organisation.

Our Programmes

The vision and mission of impacT is lived out through key public-facing programmes which aim to provide exposure to the public and social impact space, and challenge students who seek growth. These include:

Public Leadership Course (Workshops and Forums)

A main offering of impacT, the public leadership course takes place every Semester and consists of a series of workshops and forums. With a curriculum curated for the sustained learning of students invested in the public policy and/or the social impact space, the course primarily aims to provide participants:

•A broader understanding of the ecosystem of players in the public policy/social impact space

•Development of leadership and cognitive skills in the public policy/social impact space.

Each session in the course builds on each other such that participants experience cohesive and consistent acquiring of knowledge and growth throughout the course period. WIth the workshops exclusive to students who sign up and forums open to the NUS public, the course is designed to target the development of a number of committed individuals, while allowing for open exposure at forums.

Summer Boot Camp

impacT’s Summer Boot Camp is a flagship event that takes place every Summer break. An intensive multi-day event, the Summer Boot Camp aims to:

•Provide participants exposure to the public policy and social impact sectors through engagement with industry professionals

•Spark possible internship and career opportunities for participants upon interaction with industry professionals

•Challenge participants to learn and apply industry-relevant critical thinking skills

•Serve as a platform to meet like-minded and passionate youths

Our Programmes

Podcast

Conceived as a valuable archive containing the wisdom of professionals in the public policy & social impact space. Filmed, recorded and produced by the impacT Podcast Team, each episode aims to make accessible to the average student advice and experience from professionals advocating social impact. Generally, the content of episodes include insights about working in the field, candid sharing by the professionals on their personal experiences, and practical advice on how to break into or rise in the industry.

Articles and Journals

Writing and the communication of ideas is a skill essential to the public service and any form of leadership. As a Special Project in impacT, the Articles and Journals Team is made up of writers and editors who produce:

•Short-form Articles and Op-eds, released periodically over an extended period

•Long-form Journal Articles, which are compiled and published together.

These content pieces not only add to the wealth of knowledge available to students, but also serve as platforms where impacT members and students hone their writing and ideation skills under the guidance of a dedicated Faculty Advisor.

I am honored to serve as advisor to this highly energetic and resourceful leadership team! Despite the CCA being so new, the team has already managed to secure links to key government and industry leaders, including MND Minister Desmond Lee and Research for Impact CEO Joanne Yoong. These connections show the resourcefulness and fearlessness of the impacT team which has already produced tangible benefits for the growing membership.

Prof Tan Poh Lin Assistant Professor PHD Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

What impacT has provided me goes simply beyond opportunities - it's the belief that something should be done, something can be done, and most crucially that we can be the ones to do it. My exposure to the ideas and organisations in the public policy sphere have snowballed into an internship at the Centre for Liveable Cities, Ministry of National Development.

While my trajectory is very much in its infancy, I am glad to have been helped by impacT in making my first steps.

Voon Outgoing Vice-President (Events)

impacT has provided me with the necessary skillsets needed to land my first internship at Research for Impact Singapore, in spite of having no prior experience in the industry. Event workshops conducted taught me how to use the MECE framework and the LOGIC model, helping me to structure my thoughts. It has been a very pleasant experience!

“ “

Public Leaders of Tomorrow

Complexity

Planned with the guidance of Deputy Secretary (DS) Aaron Maniam from the Ministry of Communication and Information (MCI), the Public Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT) course spanned January to March 2022, enriching 40 course participants with an in-depth understanding of the challenges that define ur world.

This iteration of PLOT surrounded the core challenge of Complexity, a state defined by flux, lack of identifiable cause-and-effect relationships, and the predominance of emergent phenomena - events that are both incredibly difficult to predict and manage without unintended consequences.

The first session thus served as an introduction - and the mindsets and toolkits that future leaders would need to possess. In the free-flowing seminar, DS Aaron drew on the probe, sense, respond heuristic put forth in the Cynefin framework.

Public Leaders of Tomorrow: Social Interventions in Singapore

Scholars and practitioners of government often speak of how policy and delivery of public services are be increasingly co-created, agile, dynamic and iterative. It was a privilege to live and breathe these ideas in co-creating “Public Leaders of Tomorrow” with the intrepid impacT team: we explored issues new and old, experimented and pivoted our approaches in real time as we learned from and with one another.

Aaron Maniam Deputy Perm Secretary

In addressing such thorny, complex issues, he shared the importance of experimentation and multi-disciplinary perspectives in addressing complex issues.

Finally, we concluded that Complexity need not necessarily be a negative thing. Complex adaptive systems are indeed difficult to predict and cater for, but with the right conditions, prove to be remarkably resilient.

Social Interventions in Singapore

On the balmy Saturday morning of 5th February, PLOT held its first forum on social interventions, with guests from the People, Private and Public sectors. Represented respectively by Mr. Martin Tan from the Majurity Trust, Mr. Kevin Tan from Tri-Sector Associates, and Mr. Julius Lim, Director of Socio-Economic Policy from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

(Top Left, Bottom Left, Above) Deputy Secretary Aaron Manian in the second workshop on Complexity in Foreign Policies; Odele asking a question on the Forum on Social Interventions in Singapore; A group of students working together to present their idea to the panel in the Forum on Foreign Policies

Following the notion of a new social contract put forth by Baroness Shafik Minouche (one of the introductory concepts set for the forum), the panel discussed how Singapore can move more towards a bottom-up approach allowing for greater flexibility, responsiveness, and cooperation between all three sectors. Or to put it in the broader context of the course, how to harness the nascent complexity in Singapore’s communities to tackle the complex problems that arise.

Perhaps the most thought-provoking takeaways were the personal insights each panellist had towards the craft and practice of making change. Mr. Julius Lim shared with the audience the dedication in the face of danger and adversity that marked his experience in the Police Force. Mr. Martin Tan impressed upon us the importance of viewing mistakes - even the costliest ones - as opportunities to learn and grow. Last but not least, Mr. Kevin Tan showed that making a difference can mean much more than volunteering, and that the energy and expertise of the market could be harnessed for much more than profit.

Deputy Secretary Aaron Maniam on Complexities in Foreign Policies

Foreign Policy

For the penultimate session of PLOT, participants spent the morning engaged in small group discussions and learning from guests over how small-state diplomacy functions in the complex international scene. We were graced by Mr. Ian Mak, Director of the Economic Regulation Division at MCI, Ms. Philomena Aw, Director of Geo-Strategic Policy and Social Resilience at PMO (both of whom started off as Foreign Service Officers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Estonian Ambassador to Singapore, Mr. Priit Turk.

The revamped forum format was designed for maximum comfort and interaction, and to kick things off, Mr. Ian Mak introduced the concept of Space to the participants via a rapid-fire round of Wordle. For small nations like Singapore and Estonia, the need to make space for national interests was of the imperative, and the key way to achieve this was to advance respect for international organisations, and the rule of law that they represent. Both Estonia and Singapore for instance have played active roles in regional blocs like ASEAN and the European Union.

Beyond this, it was interesting to note both countries’ understanding of portraying excellence on the international stage, and that diplomacy was not just the domain of the foreign service, but a matter that affects the entire nation. It was also this that underscored the importance of an inclusive, polycentric, and global International Service introduced in earlier sessions by DS Aaron, originally put forth by Anne-Marie Slaughter.

Ms. Philomena Aw, Mr. Ian Mak and Ambassador Priit Turk in Public Leaders of Tomorrow: Foreign Policy

My participation in PLOT has been an enriching one, for it has allowed me to broaden my perspectives in public policy, in particular diplomatic strategies and social interventions. Deputy Secretary Aaron Maniam shared with us many concepts that are increasingly salient going forward. PLOT was also a great platform for networking and allowed for authentic learning through hearing the insights of distinguished guests. More importantly, it was through PLOT’s dialogue session that I first knew of The Majurity Trust and the great work they were doing in the social sector, and this sparked my interest to apply for an internship with TMT, where I am currently serving as a Philanthropic Intern and having a fulfilling experience during my summer break.

Kenneth PLOT Participant

Summer Boot camp

On the 24th and 25th of July 2021, impacT held its inaugural Summer Boot Camp! The first of its kind in Singapore, impacT’s Summer Boot Camp sought to provide participants unique exposure to the policy and social impact sectors through carefully curated activities that focused on knowledge transfer and engagement with key industry players. Over the 2 days, our 30 undergraduate participants were immersed in policy analysis workshops, engaged with public policy and social impact professionals, and even tried their hand at ideating solutions on the issue of youth mental health!

Anchored by Dr. Joanne Yoong of Research for Impact Singapore, the workshops aimed to equip students with key frameworks for policy analysis such as Bardach’s Eightfold Path to Policy and Stakeholder Mapping. These frameworks proved key as the Boot Camp progressed, providing participants clarity and structure in problem analysis and brainstorming of solutions for the impacT Challenge organised in conjunction with The Majurity Trust. Participants were certainly challenged, pushed and stretched as they raced against the clock to produce targeted and actionable community-led solutions for the topic of youth mental health in less than 24 hours. The students then presented their ideas to judges Mr Leon Lim from The Majurity Trust, Dr Joanne Yoong and Dr Suan Ee Ong from Research for Impact Singapore, with the winning group walking away with $200 worth of Grab vouchers!

(Before, Above) Summer Bootcamp 2022

As an invited speaker, I found the impacT bootcamp an inspiring and educational experience for both participants and instructors. I was blown away by the energy, enthusiasm and preparation of the participants, the quality of their work, and their commitment towards discovering their own paths to social impacT

“ “

Dr Joanne Yoong Founder, Research for Impact

Workshops & Dialogues

Throughout the semester, impacT invited industry professionals to speak about their area of expertise. These informative talks included the considerations professionals make when writing and producing policy, where participants were not only exposed to different policy areas, but also picked up some important concepts when it came to creating feasible solutions for social issues. Our semester opened with a session by Dr Joanne Yoong who took us through a re-examination of conventional policies through the lens of behavioural insights, where a deep and honest understanding of human behaviour could be harnessed to make more effective policies. Ms Gayle Amul’s session on tobacco and alcohol policy in Southeast Asia built upon those behavioural concepts and applied them in the specific policymaking area of social vices.

Dr James Crabtree from The International Institute of Strategic Studies with students from impacT

We then closed our semester with a session on foreign policy, graciously conducted by Mr James Crabtree who spent time with our students to share about his career as a journalist, and now as the Executive Director of the British think-tank. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) which provides policy-relevant research on military, geopolitical and geo-economic developments.

Dr Joanne Yoong from Research for Impact with students from impacT

Meeting Minister Desmond Lee

On 26th October 2021, the impacT team was personally invited to a tour of the Ministry of National Development (MND) and an engagement session with Minister Desmond Lee. We were treated to a view of the Singapore skyline from the top of the MND building as Minister Desmond shared with us firsthand some exciting developments his team had been working on. He revealed visionary plans to redevelop Singapore’s business district for the future, where urban rejuvenation of our densely populated island aimed to make better use of Singapore’s land, while ensuring that the growing challenge of inequality is sufficiently addressed. The plan included building HDB flats in the Central Business District (CBD) area, such as the offering of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats in Rochor that was subsequently made public only days after our meeting!

Minister Desmond Lee with (L-R) Shawn, Voon, Edward, Evelyn

During our interaction session, the impacT team also had the valued opportunity to field questions to Minister Desmond about issues they were concerned about, and engaged him with their queries on working in the public sector - all of which Minister Desmond answered jovially and with grace. :-)

Minister Desmond Lee with (L-R) Boyu, Petrina, Danielle and Yasmin

Minister Desmond Lee with (L-R) Yirui, Monalissa, Isabelle, Shimin

Podcasts

From July 2021 onwards, the impacT Podcast Team has been busy sourcing, researching, interviewing and producing interviews with luminaries, all of whom are pioneering leaders in their own unique sphere of Singapore’s social impact space. Our first guest was Dr Joanne Yoong, a world-renowned behavioural economist who conveyed the importance of scientific thinking even in nonprofit public and social sector work. She is also one of impacT’s first supporters and a strong advocate for our success - and to her we owe the utmost gratitude!

The impacT podcast team: Boyu, Ajinkya, Voon

Our second episode is with Dr Prakash Kannan, Chief Economist and head of Total Portfolio Management at GIC Private Limited, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. He gave us insight into key issues on impact investing and how even large organizations like the GIC can play a part in such an area. Last but not least, we also interviewed Ms Anita Fam, President of the National Council of Social Services. She shared with us the future of Singapore’s social sector and stressed the fact that all of us can find a way to harness our skills for the common good. All episodes can be found on the Tembusu College YouTube channel!

Our podcast director Voon, teaching Yirui the ropes of podcasting

Lacuna

This semester, work on Lacuna, our new special project, commenced.

What is Lacuna?

Lacuna is impacT’s flagship publication by undergraduates for undergraduates on public policy and social impact issues. The publication will primarily collect academic works by students and provide a platform to showcase analytical takes on pertinent social topics along with relevant public policies.

The story behind the name 'Lacuna'...

From the long list of potential names our team's collective brainstorming effort produced, we had two strong contenders. We finally decided on the name 'Lacuna' proposed by our member Shimin because we thought it aligned well with what our publication aimed to do. A lacuna is a gap or an unfilled space, commonly used in the context of missing research or insights on the topic. We want our publication to bring out and discuss issues that may be in the lacuna. It is our hope that Lacuna will be the one to inspire others to research and act on policy and social issues to eventually create their own impact in the world.

What makes Lacuna different from other publications?

A highlight of Lacuna’s production process is the heavier involvement of its editors to not only curate a selection of articles but also actively contribute to the final product. Encouraging the editorial team to actively participate in the writing process, Lacuna empowers our writers to engage in two-way discussions, albeit within the team, for a more diverse perspective in our published analytical pieces. These will hopefully spur a greater community awareness and engagement in public policy discussions to solve our litany of social issues for a better-shared future.

Although our project was off to a shaky start and it is still a work in progress, our team has grown much from our experience. We have learned much from each other and enjoyed the process. Do look forward to our publication coming soon!

impacT to me is a chamber of endless opportunities, many of which have allowed me to broaden my horizons and grow much more as an individual. The exco’s unparalleled hard work in organising and securing various workshops and dialogues have greatly allowed me to better understand public policy and social impact, especially within the realm of Singapore. More specifically, impacT’s dialogue engagement with Minister Desmond Lee greatly opened my eyes to the manner in which Singapore’s housing landscape is shaped and how many stakeholders play a part in influencing the decision making process of a policy. This dialogue sparked and facilitated my interest in taking up an internship with the Ministry of National Development, to which I am currently undertaking!

Yasmin Member, Publications & Publicity Team

Guest speakers

Guest Speakers

Minister Desmond Lee

Minister for National Development Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration

Dr. Joanne Yoong

Founder and CEO Research for Impact Singapore

Mr. Tan Juanhe

Senior Assistant Deirector, Housing (Policy) Ministry of National Development

Dr. Prakash Kannan

Managing Director, Chief Economist Head of Total Portfolio Management Government of Singapore Investment Corporation

Industry & Information, MCI

Mr. Leon Lim

Director, Tangent & Research The Majurity Trust

Ms. Gayle Amul, MSC Advisor & Chief Communications Officer

Mr. James Crabtree Executive Director Internal Institute for Strategic Studies

Ms. Anita Fam President National Council of Social Service Chairman, Assisi Hospice

Ms. Genine Loo Assistant Director, Strategy & Governance DesignSingapore Council

Dr. Suan Ee Ong Senior Advisor Research for Impact Singapore

Ms. Philomena Aw Deputy Director Strategy Group Prime Minister’s Office

Mr. Martin Tan

Ambasador Priit Turk

CEO, Majurity Trust Co-Founder, Halogen Foundation

Estonian Ambassador to Singapore

Mr. Julius Lim Director Socio-Economic Policy & Policy Analytics Prime Minister’s Office

Mr. Ian Mak Director Economic Regulation Division Ministry of Communications & Information

Mr. Kevin Tan Founder Tri-Sector Associates

Members of the team

Edward LimPetrina Tan

Evelyn Lee Voon Jung

PresidentVice-President (Admin & Partnerships) Vice-President (Content) Vice-President (Events) Podcast Director

Danielle See Kulkarni Ajinkya Ajit

Vice-President (Publicity) Podcast

Content & Publicity

Shawn Lee

Isabelle Mak

Zhou Yirui

Nur Yasmin Binte Zulkifli Content & Publicity Content & Admin

Publicity External Relations

Hubert Quek Tong Xuan

Tan Yi Hong Julian

Lim Jing Xuan

Paranjape Indraneel Rajeev Content Content & Admin Events Podcast & Admin

Angela Ang

Amanda LauOdele Pang Content & Events Publicity & Events

Shimin Cai Content & Events Admin