Fifteen government officials from the state of Assam, India attended the “Executive Programme on Strategic Planning and Policy Development for Primary Sectors” conducted at the LKY School from 4–8 November 2013.
For an agriculture-dependent state like Assam, intervention through investments, policies and strategies are essential to achieving economic growth and sustainable development.
The programme, led by Prof. Wu Xun and Prof. Eduardo Araral, was designed to expose participants on policymaking process, programme management and strategy development in various sectors. It also provided participants with the fundamental knowledge and techniques in effective policy analysis, design, implementation and evaluation, citing cases of Singapore’s urban renewal, economic development and environmental sustainability policies.
The five-day training programme incorporated a number of site visits around Singapore. Participants visited the Barramundi Asia fish farm at Pulau Semakau to understand the collaboration between both the public and the private sectors in developing sustainable fish farming methods. They also visited the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore to learn Singapore’s policies and programmes to meet food security targets. A visit to the Urban Redevelopment Authority and its interactive gallery exposed the participants to the urban renewal programmes, and the essential role of effective planning policies to support economic and urban development. Lastly, the participants toured the famous Gardens by the Bay, for ideas on developing urban ecotourism and promoting environmental awareness.
Taking valuable lessons from the programme, one participant remarked how Assam could benefit from “[planning] for the state in very systematic way, [like] how Singapore has done. [With] more focus to be given on long-term planning instead of short-term planning; and also in policymaking.” Indeed, lessons from Singapore showed participants that despite the challenge of limited natural resources, a state could demonstrate its capability to develop these fundamental sectors as well as lend their expertise to various agencies like the Government of Assam, to achieve inclusive growth and sustainable development.
*To find out more about LKYSPP Executive Education’s customised and forthcoming open enrolment programmes, visit Executive Education.