When deciding on his career path, Dominic was looking for a profession in which he could leverage data and technology to drive more effective problem-solving. Dominic applied for the Ministry of National Development (MND) EDGE Scholarship as it allowed him to pursue his passion during his studies and career.

“MND oversees policies that directly impact the lives of all Singaporeans through public housing, urban planning, infrastructure, greenery and more. This motivated me to pursue the MND scholarship as I was confident it would allow me to do meaningful work, with benefits that would be felt by all, including my family and friends,” he shared.

The MND EDGE Scholarship programme is a talent development initiative jointly undertaken by MND and its key statutory boards, namely Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Housing & Development Board (HDB), National Parks Board (NParks), and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

The MND EDGE Scholarship opened doors for Dominic to study overseas in both France and the United States, where he learnt how to think and adapt, and honed his technical skills in data analytics and computer science.

“Studying abroad has allowed me to interact and learn from people from different backgrounds with diverse life experiences. This has widened my worldview and made me more empathetic,” he reflected.

Dominic’s academic background has been instrumental in preparing him for his career with MND. His Master’s Degree in Computational Analysis in Public Policy, which comprises a double degree in Computer Science and Public Policy, provided him with the necessary skills to handle challenges at work.

“It prepared me by providing me with not only the technical skills but also hands-on experience when it comes to working with complex public policy related datasets,” he explained.

Enhancing Efficiency Through Date-Driven Insights

In his current role as an Assistant Director in Analytics at the Municipal Services Office (MSO), Dominic uses his skillsets to help streamline the coordination and delivery of municipal services to meet the needs of residents more efficiently and effectively.

“Across the municipal services sector, MSO, along with other government agencies and Town Councils, receives more than 1.5 million pieces of feedback annually. Some may think that this means Singaporeans like complaining but actually, each case is an important data point that we can harness insights from!” he shared.

Leveraging advanced machine learning models, Dominic and his team analyse historical data to identify trends on recurring issues and predict future feedback volumes. This proactive approach helps to improve resource allocation and planning, enabling government agencies to address residents’ needs more efficiently.

Passionate about promoting the effective use of data at work, Dominic develops customised dashboards tailored to the requirements of different workstreams to provide his colleagues with tools to harness data-driven insights more efficiently.

“The dashboards provide my colleagues with easy access to relevant data for them to track the efficacy of their various initiatives and also to identify hotspots which require more of their attention,” he explained. In addition to his work in analytics, Dominic is also part of the team behind Kaki, the OneService Chatbot. This AI-powered chatbot allows users to report municipal feedback more intuitively on channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram.

In addition to his work in analytics, Dominic is also part of the team behind Kaki, the OneService Chatbot. This AIpowered chatbot allows users to report municipal feedback more intuitively on channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram.

“I work with colleagues from GovTech’s Virtual Intelligent Chat Assistant (VICA) and Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) teams to improve Kaki by rolling out new features and improving the AI brain behind it, which automatically routes cases for you to the right agency or Town Council. This automated workflow allows them to work on it as soon as possible,” he elaborated.

Finding Fulfilment at Work

Dominic enjoys his days at MND. He finds deep fulfilment in his role, where he works closely with various teams on initiatives that deliver tangible benefits to residents.

He also appreciates the enriching opportunities he has been given at MND.

“As scholars, there are opportunities to further develop ourselves, gain exposure and work with different teams. This gives us more exposure and allows us to learn about other areas of MND’s work. For example, I was part of MND’s delegation to Seoul for the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum last year; I also took part in a project looking at the future of the Council for Estate Agencies!” he said.

For aspiring students and scholars who are considering a career at MND, Dominic advises them to take the dive into new experiences.