The Feedback Unit, which was under the purview of the Ministry of Community Development, was established on 15 April 1985 as a state mechanism through which people could voice their concerns regarding government policies.[1] The unit’s role was subsequently expanded to that of a forum in which citizens could ask questions, debate on policies, contribute suggestions and participate in decision-making.[2] Government ministries and statutory boards also used the unit as a vehicle to actively obtain public views on various government policies.[3]
Initially, when the Feedback Unit was formed, staff would venture out to solicit feedback directly from the man in the street.[4] By the mid-2000s, avenues through which the government sought to engage the public had increased to include dialogue sessions, straw polls, public forums, focus groups, telephone calls, email messages, faxes, Internet relay chats and the short message service (SMS).[5]
In October 2006, the Feedback Unit was restructured to form REACH (reaching everyone for active citizenry @ home) with the aim of engaging the heartlanders and employing new media to gather a broader range of views.[6]
References
1. Ministry of Community Development. (1985, April 16). Feedback Unit [Press Release]. Retrieved November 22, 2013, from National Archives of Singapore website: http://archivesonline.nas.sg/; Lim, K. C. (1985, April 17), Open line for better decisions. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Leow, J. (1998, June 11). First annual feedback unit meet. The Straits Times, p. 31; Tan, Y. S. (2003, January 10). Timely feedback a fundamental goal. Today, p. 12. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Chiang, Y. P. (1995, December 23). Feedback Unit: Still ticking strongly after all these years. The Straits Times, p. 30. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Former Mr Feedback says thanks to all who helped. (1989, March 29). The Straits Times, p. 15. Retrieved November 16, 2013, from NewspaperSG.
5. Today, 10 Jan 2003, p. 12; A growing network to address a wide range of issues. (1989, February 4). The Straits Times, p. 14; Feedback session with SMEs. (1989, June 2). The Straits Times, p. 45; Chua, M. H. (1998, July 4). More give e-mail feedback. The Straits Times, p. 44; Nirmala, M. (2004, February 26). Hello, is the feedback link breaking up? The Straits Times, p. 23; Moving beyond feedback. (2006, September 3). The Straits Times, p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Tor, C. L. (2006, October 13). Reaching out better. Today, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
The information in this article is valid as at 2011 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.