MDDI’s Response to PQs on GovTech Workforce Transformation

Parliament Sitting on 4 August 2026

Questions for Oral Answer for Parliament Sitting on 4 Aug

19. Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Government was consulted prior to GovTech's decision to proceed with its operating-model transformation and the retrenchment of affected employees on the current timetable; and (b) if so, what the Government's assessment was of the feasibility of phasing the retrenchment over a longer period.

20. Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Government is aware of (i) the age and tenure profile of the 93 retrenched GovTech officers and others placed on retraining pathways (ii) the criteria guiding whether officers were retrained or retrenched (iii) whether such criteria will apply in subsequent phases and (iv) how GovTech will sustain staff morale and projects serving the public during transitions; and (b) if so, what are they.

21. Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information on GovTech’s announced restructuring (a) whether the Ministry has information on (i) the age (ii) seniority (iii) roles (iv) identified skills gaps of the 93 officers who were retrenched (v) why these officers were not deemed transferrable to other agencies (vi) whether the skills gaps and agency needs for future restructuring will be assessed and announced in advance; and (b) if so, what are the details thereof.

22. Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in relation to the first phase of GovTech’s workforce transformation announced on 15 July 2026, whether the Government has information on (i) how many of the 93 retrenched officers were assessed, interviewed and offered vacant roles within GovTech or the Public Service respectively and (ii) whether suitable redeployment and retraining must be exhausted before external recruitment for roles requiring substantially similar capabilities.

23. Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry had (i) anticipated GovTech's shift towards a continuous product ownership model and (ii) directed timely upskilling or career conversion programmes to be implemented to reduce retrenchments; and (b) of the officers affected by the restructuring, whether the Ministry has information on (i) how many have secured new employment and (ii) what career transition and reskilling support has been provided.

24. Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether GovTech’s move from project delivery to product ownership reflects a broader shift in public-sector technology hiring; (b) how the Government's demand for project, vendor-management and product-development roles is expected to change; and (c) what implications these have for the wider technology workforce, including mid-career workers and their retraining pathways.

25. Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information in light of recent GovTech retrenchments (a) whether the Ministry has assessed if Singapore has a sufficient pipeline of talent to support the growing demand for capabilities in digital product management and product ownership across the public and private sectors; and (b) what measures, if any, are being taken with industry and Institutes of Higher Learning to strengthen these capabilities among Singaporeans.

Questions for Oral/ Written Answers for Parliament Sitting on or after 5 Aug

Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Government was consulted on GovTech's restructuring phase, which resulted in 102 officers retained, 110 placed in apprenticeships and 93 retrenched; and (b) if so (i) what role it played in determining that skills gaps prevented further redeployment despite ongoing hiring for technical roles and (ii) how outcomes across all three phases will be assessed.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information (a) whether the Ministry has information on (i) the reasons necessitating the retrenchments at GovTech (ii) the number of affected GovTech employees who were successfully retrained or redeployed and (iii) whether all suitable vacancies within GovTech and the wider public service were considered before employees were retrenched; and (b) if so, what are the details thereof.

Answer

1. Mr Speaker, my reply will address the questions raised by Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh, Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Louis Chua, Mr Andre Low, Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Sharael Taha in today’s Order Paper, as well as the questions filed by Mr David Hoe and Mr Christopher de Souza for a subsequent sitting, as they relate to GovTech’s workforce transformation. If members are satisfied with the reply, they may wish to withdraw their questions after this session.

2. I would first like to acknowledge that this is a difficult transition for the affected officers and their families. With that in mind, let me explain what GovTech has done internally, how we intend to strengthen conviction in our public mission, and how we are continuing to support our officers through this change.

3. The Ministry was consulted on GovTech’s workforce transformation plan and we support it. The transformation will be implemented progressively over two years to give officers time to adjust. GovTech will also incorporate lessons learnt from each phase.

4. The workforce transformation is a necessary part of GovTech’s shift from a one-off project-delivery model to a continuous product-ownership model. GovTech’s workforce will grow because of this shift, but its composition will also need to change.  

5. GovTech officers will need to take greater end-to-end responsibility for the digital products and platforms that the public interact with, while continuing to partner with the industry where vendors bring specialised expertise. Teams that own the products must not only design and build them but must also maintain and improve them continually, to provide more reliable, secure and responsive digital services for our citizens.

6. GovTech is therefore hiring more software engineers, product managers, designers, data specialists, cybersecurity experts, and platform engineers. However, as GovTech builds more products and operates them in-house, it will need fewer officers doing traditional project and vendor management.

7. GovTech anticipated this need to reshape its workforce. For several years, through natural attrition and targeted recruitment, its workforce profile has shifted, but not enough to meet our needs.

8. Therefore, GovTech has also invested heavily in pilots and apprenticeships to retrain existing staff for new roles or to redeploy them.  But there are limits to its pace and scale.  Meanwhile, technology is changing fast, and GovTech must keep up, because  if we fall behind, the quality of our digital products and services for our citizens will suffer.

9. We will retrain and redeploy as many officers as we can, but we cannot avoid having to transition out some officers. We recognise the disruption this causes to the affected officers and their families, and we will support them fully through this process.

10. The first phase will affect 305 GovTech officers. Of these, 102 officers have been retained or redeployed into roles where their skill sets are still required; 110 are being supported through structured job conversion and apprenticeship pathways, and 93 are being retrenched. 

11. In deciding whether to retain, place on apprenticeship pathways or retrench officers, GovTech first assessed the job roles it needed for its future organisational and capability needs. Then, it assessed individual officers based on their competencies, domain expertise, job fit and readiness for the roles required. GovTech also consulted technology leaders in our agencies, including Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Practice Leads, but it took the final workforce decisions centrally.

12. Among the 93 exiting officers, the largest age group is 40 to 49. This age group accounts for 42% of the exiting officers, and also 42% of the 305 affected officers. This age group is therefore not over-represented among the exiting officers. There is no significant difference in tenure between the exiting officers and those on retraining pathways. The exiting officers have served for a median of 5.4 years, compared to a median of 6.0 years for the officers on retraining pathways.

13. As for seniority, two thirds of the affected officers were individual contributors, and one third of them were team leaders.

14. GovTech decided to be upfront in informing the affected officers about the transition plans, to help them evaluate possible redeployment opportunities against other options. 

15. Where there was a suitable pathway, GovTech has retrained and redeployed its officers before considering external recruitment. The apprenticeship pathways provide full salary, structured training and on-the-job learning to support officers in developing capabilities required under GovTech’s future operating model.

16. Where there was no suitable role within GovTech, affected officers were supported in seeking opportunities in the public and private sectors. GovTech is working with the Public Service Division, the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) and the National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC’s) Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to facilitate job matching and referrals. Together, we identified a good mix of more than 300 job opportunities that are relevant to the affected officers’ competencies. Officers interested in these options are currently in the application or interview stages. Affected officers also receive financial and transition support, career guidance and active job-placement assistance.

17. GovTech will take the same approach in subsequent phases. We will strive for clarity on the roles and capabilities required, assess officers fairly against those requirements, retain and retrain where suitable, and support those who are retrenched.

18. The outcomes of the transformation will be assessed across three areas. First, whether officers have been supported through meaningful transition pathways, including retraining, conversion and redeployment where appropriate. Second, whether GovTech has strengthened the capabilities required for its future operating model.  Third, whether GovTech successfully delivers more secure, reliable and effective digital services for Government agencies and citizens.

19. As plans for subsequent phases firm up, GovTech will inform the officers affected of the timelines and the implications for them. GovTech’s leadership will continue to engage officers throughout the transformation and work closely with agencies to ensure that critical projects and public digital services remain supported during the transition.

20. To sustain staff morale, GovTech has conducted town halls and dialogues at the cluster, team and individual levels. We seek to ensure that our staff understand not just what they are building, but why it matters. This fosters a shared sense of purpose and commitment to building technology for public good.

21. For the wider Public Service technology workforce, mid-career professionals in project and vendor management do bring valuable and transferable experience that can serve as useful foundations for product-oriented roles. However, these officers will still need to acquire relevant skills such as agile delivery, user-centred design, cybersecurity, and knowledge of data and cloud technologies.

22. We recognise that technology will continue to evolve, and the skills required of technology professionals will also have to evolve in tandem.

23. The Government is committed to building a strong pipeline of digital tech talent to meet the growing demand for digital capabilities across the public and private sectors. We will continue to support workers, including mid-career professionals, through initiatives such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA’s) TechSkills Accelerator. The Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) will also equip students with product management capabilities through relevant coursework and internships. Within the Public Service, GovTech’s Digital Academy plays a key role in building these capabilities by providing structured learning pathways and programmes on designing and managing products and platforms.

24. We will continue to work with the industry and IHLs to ensure that training opportunities are available for Singaporeans to reskill and upskill to take on roles in growing digital fields, including digital product management and ownership.