PCPPA 2: Citizen Engagement and Public Communications 11th Run

15 Jul 2025 To 17 Jul 2025

(15 and 17 July 2025, 2 Days Programme)

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

(Singapore Time)

About The Programme

The world has seen a turn of events that have allowed governments to realise that public engagement is becoming ever more important and essential in the policy space.

This programme aims to provide you with relevant and practical skills to address issues found within citizen engagement and public communications. The programme has a focus on exploring communication and engagement strategies that are designed to address policy campaigns, crisis management, and policy communications to the public.

*This is one of three short courses within the Professional Certificate in Public Policy and Administration (PCPPA). It is not compulsory to attend all three PCPPA short courses unless you are working towards a Professional Certificate.

Please note that the maximum class size is 40 participants. Acceptance is on a first come first serve basis and registration will close once we hit a full class.

Brochure

Learning Outcomes

Understand the context of the public/society and the citizen, and its relation to the public sector.
Understand issues that arise with regards to citizen engagement.
Learn and apply important practical knowledge in public communications, across various contexts such as crisis management, campaigns etc. in specific contexts.

Target Audience

Policy officers, analysts, practitioners who are developing or implementing public policy, particularly in the area of citizen engagement and/or behaviour change.
Individuals who wish to deepen their understanding and skills in strategic communications to deliver effective policy outcomes
Current or aspiring individuals who wish to enter consultancy work in the areas of Public Affairs, Public Relations and Government Relations.

Programme Format

This programme will include approximately 4 hours of pre-recorded lectures.
Pre-recorded lectures will be released two weeks before the live session and you may watch them at your own flexibility.
Attendance for all Zoom sessions is compulsory.
Maximum class size of 40 people.
There will be a reflection exercise to be completed at the end of the course.
In order to complete the course, you are required to watch all pre-recorded videos, attend at least 80% of the online class, and submit the evaluation and reflection exercise at the end of the course.
Do note that if you fail to complete the course, you will be liable for bearing the full course fee.
At the end of this short course, you will be conferred a Certificate of Completion. Upon completion of all 3 PCPPA short courses, you will be conferred a Professional Certificate on top of the Certificate of Completion.

Key Topics

1. Communications and Human Behaviour

Understanding what behavioural insights are and how to apply them effectively in communication
Uncover key cognitive biases that may impair our everyday decision-making
Learn how to establish the most effective context for communication (ie. the appropriate setting, time)
Learn how to both craft and deliver a compelling message tailored for your target audience

2. Human-Centered Service Design

Learn how to apply key design thinking concepts to public policy issues
Acquaint yourself with the 6-step schematic process of Design Thinking
Apply these principles and concepts to craft effective solutions to different scenarios
Learn how extreme experiences can stretch your thinking and challenge your assumptions
Learn how to build rapport with your interviewee and use interviews as a means of understanding their behaviours
Learn how to create immersive experiences that help you better empathise with others’ perspectives

3. Managing Diversity in Singapore

Understand the complexities of diversity in Singapore, including racial and linguistic differences
Learn and analyse various governmental policies to preserve social order
Understand how Singapore’s 4 main languages influence education, culture and social norms
Learn how Singapore’s main religions serve as both instruments and objects of policymaking in Singapore

4. Media, Public Opinion and Public Policy

Identifying policy problems as wicked problems
Understanding the issues and challenges with social media
Learn the methods of understanding public opinion and how to communicate policies effectively to the public

Enrol In This
Programme Now

Application Deadline: 1 July 2024

APPLY NOW

Programme Dates and Time

Online Zoom Session will be on 15 and 17 July 2025 mornings and afternoons.

*Please note that timings are in SGT and are subject to changes.

Programme Fees

	Full Programme Fee (excl GST)	After 70% Subsidy (incl GST)	Additional ETS/MCES Funding ^*	After ETS/MCES Funding (incl GST)
Singaporean/Singapore PR	1900	621.30	380	241.30
International/ Others	1900	N.A	N.A	N.A

* 20% of the full programme fee excl GST

ETS (Enhanced Training Support for SMEs) – SMEs may enjoy subsidies of up to 90% of the course fees when they sponsor their employees to attend SSG supported courses.
MCES (Mid-career Enhanced Subsidy) – Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above may enjoy subsidies of up to 90% of course fees.
Do note that if you fail to complete the course, you will be liable for bearing the full course fee.
For more funding information, please refer to this website: https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/funding-individuals.
Subject to prevailing Terms and Conditions

Contact

Executive Education Department
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore
469C Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259772

Email:lkysppoe@nus.edu.sg

KENNETH PAUL TAN, Professor, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University

Kenneth Paul TAN is an academic all-rounder, (1) who has interdisciplinary expertise in Political Science, Public Management, Policy Studies, Sociology, Urban Studies, Cultural Studies, and Film and Media Studies, applied in a multi-dimensional, qualitative, interpretive, and critical analysis of Singapore as a developmental state and a global city; (2) who has won several prestigious teaching awards recognizing a scholarly and innovative approach to interdisciplinary, socially transformative, and highly interactive teaching and learning, combining the best of liberal arts and professional modes of education; and (3) who, as a seasoned academic leader with deep experience in institution-building, served in the senior leadership team that was able to transform a young public policy school into a world-leading institution within just a few years. Kenneth Paul TAN is a tenured Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, which hired him under its Talent100 initiative in February 2021. He teaches and conducts interdisciplinary research within and across the Academy of Film, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Government and International Studies. He is a member of the Global Communication and Power Research Cluster. He is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong. Previously, he was a tenured Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School). He was Vice Dean of the LKY School during the most rapid and critical years of its growth and served in its senior leadership team for almost a decade. Prior to that, he taught concurrently at the NUS Political Science Department (where he was Assistant Head) and the University Scholars Programme, the university's pioneering and cutting-edge liberal arts programme. He has received numerous teaching awards over the years, including NUS's most prestigious Outstanding Educator Award. He was elected Chair of the university's Teaching Academy.

CAROL SOON, Senior Research Fellow at Institute of Policy Studies

Dr Carol Soon is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies where she heads the Society and Culture Department. She has a PhD in Communications and New Media from the National University of Singapore. Her research interests are in false information, digital literacy and inclusion, media regulation, new media and activism, and public engagement and deliberation. She has published her research in books and peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Asian Journal of Communication and Public Integrity. She worked with the Ministry of Health in 2017 on Singapore’s first Citizens’ Jury and is currently working with various government agencies on engaging citizens in co-creating policy solutions. Carol is also Associate Director of the Asia Journalism Fellowship which is supported by Temasek Foundation. She is the Vice Chair of Singapore’s Media Literacy Council and a member of the Industry Advisory Panel for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. She sits on the Civil Service College-Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth Partnerships and Engagement Experts Panel. Carol has taught courses at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the University Scholars Programme at NUS. In 2015, Carol received the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Research Excellence Award. She was also a recipient of the Australian Endeavour Award in 2012. Prior to joining academia, she worked in the corporate sector where she developed communication campaigns for profit and non-profit organisations. Carol is currently a volunteer mentor with Advisory SG and Voices of Asia.

NUS LKY