People's Association refreshes mission & vision, developing new Community Portal with GovTech

The People's Association (PA) is developing a digital Community Portal to engage and facilitate community bonding and interaction.

New digital Community Portal

The portal aims to create a greater sense of connection amongst residents to their local community and encourage residents to participate in community activities, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, who is also the PA Deputy Chairman, said at the PA Community Seminar 2024 on Sep. 29.

The app will include features such as a community news feed to keep residents informed, a platform to sign up for community activities, volunteering and micro-job opportunities, information on local community resources such as facilities and services, and personalised broadcasting functions using push notifications and bulletin boards.

This is part of a wider initiative to foster community connectedness using technology, and is a collaboration between the PA and GovTech.

A few parts of the portal have been piloted, said Tong, and features such as micro-job opportunities and broadcasting functions were well received.

GRL@PA mobile app

Tong also announced the launch of the GRL@PA mobile app, an accompaniment to the GRL@PA Internet portal.

The app intends to make volunteering for grassroots leaders a seamless and easy experience.

Some features of the app include a personal dashboard to keep track of upcoming events and latest updates, a library with the latest government policies and information on better practices to learn and engage residents better.

Refreshed mission and vision

The initiatives reflect a shift in how PA engages and partners a new generation of Singaporeans.

While the core mission of building social cohesion remains unchanged, the PA sought to expand community participation and building in a society that has become more self-sufficient, with more people interacting with one another online.

The refreshed vision and mission were decided after engaging over 10,000 stakeholders of all ages and backgrounds, through surveys and focus group discussions.

From these engagements, the PA gathered that people have the desire to contribute to their community instead of being "consumers" of PA's events and activities.

"We wanted to capture this shift of expanding community participation simply and clearly in our vision," Tong said.

As such, the PA's refreshed mission – "To spark and nurture community participation for a caring and united Singapore" – reflects the association's aim to build a community of connectedness and unity.

The refreshed vision – "A nation that cares for our community" – emphasises the importance of community in nation building during both peacetimes and in times of crisis.

Top photo via Edwin Tong/Facebook