Sabrina Akram, Manager (Service Transformation & Planning), ServiceSG, Public Service Division (PSD), Singapore

1) What does public service mean to you? Can you share more about your role in the public sector?

Public service to me has always been about shaping the Singapore we want collectively, and delivering good outcomes for our nation.

Though I am one voice, I seek to bring that voice into our systems, policies and processes, so that we collectively strive to be a more effective state and one where all of us find meaning, value and purpose.

My role is in Public Sector Transformation, particularly in examining how we could transform government service delivery, especially in the digital space, so that Singaporeans and residents of Singapore can enjoy frictionless interactions with the government, and have more time for what truly matters to them.

2) Tell us about a project you championed. What impact did it have on the community?

When I first joined the Service Transformation and Planning team at ServiceSG, PSD, I was tasked with looking at the legacy planning, end-of-life and death service journey.

One project I championed was unifying legacy planning narratives across government and introducing more user-centric resources to encourage citizens to plan ahead, and lower the stigma associated with it.

This included the Plan Your Legacy Today brochure as well as a “What’s your legacy planning style” interactive quiz.

I also piloted a model to scale across the Public Service of organising legacy planning interventions as an employer, through online webinars, and event-based concepts (certifying Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) on-site, conversational games to start reflecting on these issues, partnership with external stakeholders for workshop activities) that met positive reception from our officers.

Through these initiatives, we have seen greater uptake of legacy planning, including amongst younger individuals, and reduced stigma when talking about legacy planning.

3) As a young professional, how has your unique background or perspective allowed you to identify a solution that others in your organisation might have overlooked?

As someone earlier in my career, I have the good fortune of carrying less scar tissue.

Often in policy making, hurdles to implementation could be legacy systems, habitual practices or even simply time – whether the system (which includes humans) is ready for the change yet.

Many good ideas aren't absent. They're just sitting in a drawer, waiting for the right moment or the right champion.

As a younger officer, I haven't lived through major roadblocks that might make someone hesitant to try again, and that's genuinely our asset.

I also make it a point to stay plugged into what's happening outside the public sector and constantly imagine what future possibilities could look like.

Still, the single biggest strength remains being able to build a strong, evidence-based case. That's ultimately what earns you the room to push boundaries.

4) What is your personal strategy for maintaining your creative energy when faced with bureaucracy?

I’ve never seen bureaucracy as a bad thing, nor a friction point.

It’s a necessary step and way we structure ourselves to enable all that we do, and all the responsibilities and accountabilities we balance.

My personal motto has always been – if I try and if I raise it, then my conscience is clear that I’ve made the effort to do what I joined for – to make a difference and create value, no matter its scale.

My M.O. has always been to exercise empathy – both to the users and to the system.

It’s easier to navigate change and test waters when you understand the elements that make up the system and what motivates it, and why it stands the way it does.

There are always good reasons behind our whys, even if they can become dated, and developing an appreciation for all these, before pitching the change, makes you an ally rather than an adversary! 

5) If you had just one area to invest in to accelerate transformation in the public sector (regulation, technology, talent, etc.), which one would you choose and why?

Regulation! Honestly, we’ve got great tech, and our tech advancement makes feasibility of ideas an achievable feat.

We’ve also got amazing people here!

What often trips up large, complex organisations is the regulatory aspects of governance, since those are the greatest enablers to implementing ideas and tech but shifting principles is a monumental task requiring the examination of key assumptions and imagination of future possibilities. 

6) What is your greatest ambition as you grow in your public service career?

My greatest ambition is to always leave Singapore, even in incremental steps, better than it was yesterday.

I’ve always believed that putting in the effort to go through a difficult task now that can then make future iterations easier is always the best way to do things.

If we don’t do it because it is difficult, then who will and when?

7) What is a “universal value” that connects everyone in your department – from interns to directors – and how do you use that to drive collaboration?

It’s our mission.

In the public service, it has always been easy to reach out to another colleague, even if it’s a cold call, explain why I am doing what I am doing and see if there are opportunities to connect.

We are all bonded by our mission to serve, and serve excellently to become a first and world-class public service.

8) What is the best piece of advice you’ve got for the next generation of public servants?

Honour tradition, learn from experience (not limited to your own), exceed expectations and expand into possibilities unchained by existing structures.

p.s. If decoding that is difficult – that’s probably intentional. You’ll chart your own journey, and you’ll be shaped by your own realities.

What you need to be armed with is a strong compass and clear principles that guide you! If you’d like to find out my personal ones, hit me up!

9) What is a myth you wish to debunk about young public servants?

Perhaps that we’re just keeping the engine running, or that bureaucracy has quietly extinguished any appetite for change.

The peers I know all carry the same fiery passion for innovation. In fact, we’re tenacious innovators, since we've chosen the harder path of innovating within existing (complex) systems rather than building from a blank slate. 

That constraint makes it challenging and makes you sharper. You learn to build a case, find your allies, and pick your moments. The fire is very much alive — we've just learned to work with the wind rather than against it.

10) Write a letter to your future self in 2035. Please keep it within 200 words.

Dear 2035 Sabrina,

The world’s gotten even more unhinged huh?

Proud of you for keeping your sanity despite that, and for always exploring how Singapore continues to not only have its place in the world, but prove that we can model practices others can learn from and aim towards.

Can’t believe the team and you pulled off that massive transformation effort (since there were so many foundational pieces to sort out and partners to get onboard) – as a small city-state Singapore 
was well-placed to make digital service delivery more seamless, more connected, and significantly better at the experience layer.

Keep guiding the young ones too – they’ll benefit from your wisdom as they chart their own paths forward.

We’ll keep nudging them along, but they’ll be the one trailblazing for us tomorrow.

Hope you’re still churning out quotes that are foundational strategic building blocks to our transformation efforts, and guiding principles for our team – e.g. “If something originates from 
government, users shouldn’t have to provide it.”

Best
2026 Sabrina