# 47 community stakeholders recognised for efforts to enhance their neighbourhoods - **Source:** Ministry of National Development - **Published:** 2024-09-22T16:00:00.000Z - **Author:** Ministry of National Development - **Original:** https://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/view/47-community-stakeholders-recognised-for-efforts-to-enhance-their-neighbourhoods - **Topics:** Commercial & Industrial, Government & Policy, Investment & Capital Markets ## Featured rationale Improved neighbourly sentiment and stronger community participation may enhance estate liveability, potentially supporting resident satisfaction and more direct resolution of municipal issues. ## AI summary Neighbour-relationship satisfaction rose from 69% to 81% in the 2023–2024 Graciousness Survey, as MSO recognised 47 community stakeholders on 21 September 2024. ## Original article On 21 September 2024, the Municipal Services Office (MSO) recognised 47 community stakeholders for their active contributions in improving the living environment in their neighbourhoods. These community stakeholders, part of MSO’s OneService Kakis (OSK) network, were presented with a certificate of appreciation by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs at the annual OneService Kakis Appreciation Event. MSO’s OneService Kakis network The OSK network was set up in 2021 to cultivate an informed and active pool of community stakeholders to address municipal issues. Today, MSO has about 3,700 “kakis” in the OSK network. This year, 47 “kakis” were recognised for supporting or participating in MSO’s engagement initiatives (refer to Annex A for the list of initiatives). Some also led ground-up projects in their neighbourhood with the support of MSO’s Love Our ‘Hood Fund. They come from different segments of the community, including residents, grassroots leaders, non-profit organisations and teachers. For example, Mr Johny Tan, Chairman of Boon Lay Zone D Residents’ Network, led a project, HeARTland Kindness Mural, to address municipal issues such as corridor clutter, littering at void decks and obstruction of pathways. The project involved painting wall murals around the neighbourhood to promote considerate behaviours among residents. Residents from the neighbourhood were also invited to bond and paint these murals together with the artist. Johny also organised tours for around 100 residents to view the murals. The project was completed in March 2024. One of the wall murals painted as part of HeARTland Kindness Mural Temasek Polytechnic (TP) was also one of the community stakeholders recognised for its involvement in Project Code R.E.D. (Research, Engage, Deploy). The TP students had collaborated with MSO to develop solutions to municipal issues as part of their coursework, providing them with real world learning opportunities through these partnerships. Some of these student-led projects incorporated Behavioural Insights (BI) to nudge behavioural change that effectively addressed municipal issues. For example, one of the projects involved students applying behavioural insights to encourage basketball court users to cease noisy activities by closing time. By piloting the different messages in Bishan basketball courts, students found that explicit messages highlighting the desired behaviours led to more users vacating the courts before closing time. Mockup of digital countdown clock proposed by TP students Graciousness Survey: Satisfaction with neighbourly behaviours has increased The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) has been a key partner in MSO’s efforts to address municipal issues. Since 2021, SKM has worked with MSO to conduct its annual Graciousness Survey[1], measuring residents’ sentiments on social norms related to neighbour noise, second-hand smoke and cleanliness in common areas. The findings from the Graciousness Survey 2023-2024 showed an increase in satisfaction with neighbourly behaviours, with 81 per cent of respondents expressing satisfaction with their relationships with neighbours, up from 69 per cent from the previous year. The most significant improvement was seen among the younger respondents aged 25 – 44 years. Respondents cited more positive experiences across neighbourly behaviours that were deemed important to them. Behaviours such as neighbours willing to offer or accept small acts of help from each other as well as reducing unintentional noise and informing neighbours in advance of potential noise-producing activities were perceived to have increased compared to the previous year. More residents were willing to resolve issues directly with their neighbours, rather than to resort to seeking assistance from official avenues. Refer to Annex B for more findings from the survey. In addition to the survey, SKM also collaborated with MSO and other agencies such as HDB on public education campaigns to promote pro-social norms, including norms developed by the Community Advisory Panel on Neighbourhood Noise, as well as partnerships with various Town Councils, People’s Association and grassroots organisations to support community-led initiatives. Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs, commended the OSKs for their contributions. She said, “Social norms evolve all the time. With close collaboration between the Government and the community, we can encourage norms that promote greater harmony and cohesion in the neighbourhood, and support efforts to maintain a pleasant living environment for all. I thank our OneService Kakis for stepping forward to lead positive change from the ground up. We hope to empower and inspire more changemakers to impact the community.” Issued By : Municipal Services Office (MSO) Date : 21 September 2024 ANNEX A LIST OF MSO’S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES S/N Name Description 1 Love Our ‘Hood Initiative (LOHI) LOHI empowers residents to address municipal issues and build community spirit. Through the initiative, participants investigate municipal issues in the neighbourhood, consult subject matter experts, and network and develop proposals with other participants. Participants would receive support and funding via MSO’s Love Our 'Hood Fund for the implementation of the solution ideated through LOHI. The initiative was piloted in 3 constituencies - Mountbatten, Pioneer and Bukit Gombak in 2021-2022. MSO subsequently expanded LOHI to all constituencies and adopted a thematic approach tackling common municipal issues such as illegal parking, neighbourhood noise, cluttered corridors, and pet dog issues in 2023-2024. 2 Love Our ‘Hood Youth Challenge MSO and National Youth Council jointly organise, fund and mentor youths (aged 15-35) to pilot innovative municipal projects. It offers up to $10,000 for each youth team to implement creative solutions that improve the living environment. MSO has supported a total of 23 projects involving close to 120 youths under Youth Challenge, since it started in 2018. The initiative is held every two years since 2023. 3 Adopt A ‘Hood Initiative MSO partners secondary schools, where they "adopt" nearby areas to implement improvement municipal projects. MSO supports the schools through Love Our 'Hood Fund and other resources such as educational materials and data. MSO has supported a total of 5 Adopt A ‘Hood initiatives by Dunman High School and Broadrick Secondary School since 2022. 4 Project Code R.E.D (Research, Engage, Deploy) MSO collaborates with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) through Project Code R.E.D to support students in developing projects that address municipal issues. MSO offers funding support to IHLs for approved projects related to challenge statements. The funding amount may vary, with a maximum of $10,000 per challenge statement available. MSO has supported a total of 27 projects under Project Code R.E.D. since its inception in 2018, involving IHL partners Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University (SMU), Temasek Polytechnic (TP), Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP). 5 Love Our ‘Hood Fund The Love Our ‘Hood Fund supports ground-up initiatives or projects that improve the living environment and/or foster a sense of community within the neighbourhood. MSO and Our Singapore Fund jointly fund up to 80% of ground-up projects addressing municipal issues, capped at $20,000 per project. As of Sep 2024, MSO has supported 15 such projects. ANNEX B SINGAPORE KINDNESS MOVEMENT GRACIOUSESS SURVEY 2023-2024: KEY FINDINGS ON THE STATE OF NEIGHBOURLINESS State of Neighbourliness Overall satisfaction on relationships with neighbours has increased from last year, with more than 4 in 5 satisfied with their relationship with neighbours. 2022-2023 2023-2024 Satisfied 69% 81% Neighbourly aspirations Across different neighbourly behaviours, the most often cited as “important” were: Not smoking in common areas, or near windows, balconies or other areas Playing their part to keep common spaces clean and tidy Keeping noise levels down, especially during quiet hours Satisfaction with Neighbourly Behaviours Satisfaction with neighbourly behaviours has significantly increased. The largest improvements came from offering help to each other, or being considerate when it comes to noise. 2022-2023 2023-2024 Neighbours willing to offer / accept small acts of help from each other 36% 59% Reducing unintentional noise (by using door stoppers, furniture slides) 30% 50% Informing neighbours in advance if carrying out activities that may produce noise 36% 56% Not smoking in common areas, or near windows, balconies or other areas 33% 47% Playing their part to keep common spaces clean and tidy 36% 49% Keeping noise levels down, especially during quiet hours 34% 47% Room for Improvement While experiences were more positive compared to 2023, respondents felt there was room to improve on the following behaviours: Not smoking in common areas, or near windows, balconies or other areas Keeping noise levels down, especially during quiet hours Resolving Neighbourly Inconveniences When it comes to neighbourly inconveniences, there were fewer who claimed to have encountered disturbances compared to 2023. Among those who did, they were more likely to attempt casual forms of resolution than seek official avenues. 2022-2023 2023-2024 Did not encounter neighbourly disturbances 28% 36% Approached neighbours directly to find out ways to resolve neighbourly inconveniences or disturbances 33% 39% Sought help from official avenues to resolve neighbourly inconveniences or disturbances 28% 34% Tried mediation at the Community Mediation Centre if neighbourly inconveniences or disturbances could not be self-resolved 22% 30% Informing Neighbours in advance about noise-producing activities More claimed to have informed neighbours of noisy activities compared to the past year. 2022-2023 2023-2024 Informed neighbours in advance of noisy activities 62% 71% ## Chinese translation > Translation model: grok_cli ### 47名社区利益相关方因改善邻里环境获表彰 2024年9月21日，市政事务署（MSO）表彰了47名积极改善邻里生活环境的社区利益相关方。这些社区利益相关方属于MSO的OneService Kakis（OSK）网络成员，在年度OneService Kakis表彰活动上，由国家发展部兼外交部高级政务次长沈颖颁发感谢状。 MSO的OneService Kakis网络 OSK网络于2021年设立，旨在培养一支知情且积极的社区利益相关方队伍，共同应对市政问题。目前，MSO的OSK网络约有3,700名“kakis”。 今年，47名“kakis”因支持或参与MSO的参与计划（倡议清单见附件A）而获表彰。部分人士还在MSO“爱护我们的邻里基金”（Love Our ‘Hood Fund）支持下，在邻里主导自下而上项目。他们来自社区不同群体，包括居民、基层领袖、非营利组织与教师。 例如，文礼D区居民网络主席Johny Tan主导“HeARTland Kindness Mural”项目，以应对走廊杂物堆积、底层公共空间乱丢垃圾与通道受阻等市政问题。该项目在邻里周边绘制壁画，倡导居民互相体谅。邻里居民也受邀与艺术家一起参与绘制，增进邻里情谊。Johny还组织约100名居民参观壁画。项目于2024年3月完成。 作为HeARTland Kindness Mural项目一部分绘制的其中一幅壁画 淡马锡理工学院（TP）也因参与Project Code R.E.D.（Research, Engage, Deploy，研究、参与、部署）项目而获表彰。TP学生与MSO合作，将解决市政问题作为课程作业的一部分，通过这些伙伴关系获得真实世界学习机会。部分学生主导项目融入行为洞察（BI），以推动行为改变，有效应对市政问题。例如，其中一个项目中，学生运用行为洞察鼓励篮球场使用者在结束时间停止嘈杂活动。通过在碧山篮球场试点不同提示信息，学生发现明确标示期望行为的信息，更能促使使用者在结束时间前离开球场。 TP学生提出的数字倒计时时钟模型 文明礼仪调查：对邻里行为的满意度有所上升 新加坡礼貌运动（SKM）一直是MSO应对市政问题的重要伙伴。自2021年起，SKM与MSO合作开展年度文明礼仪调查[1]，衡量居民对邻里噪音、二手烟及公共区域清洁等社会规范的看法。 2023—2024年文明礼仪调查结果显示，居民对邻里行为的满意度有所上升，81%受访者对与邻居的关系表示满意，高于上一年的69%。改善最显著的是25至44岁较年轻受访者。 受访者表示，在他们认为重要的邻里行为方面，正面体验有所增加。例如邻居愿意互相提供或接受小帮助，以及减少无意噪音、提前告知可能产生噪音的活动等行为，被认为较上一年有所改善。更多居民愿意直接与邻居解决问题，而非诉诸官方渠道。更多调查结果见附件B。 除调查外，SKM还与MSO及建屋发展局（HDB）等机构合作开展公众教育活动，推广亲社会规范，包括邻里噪音社区咨询小组制定的规范，并与各市镇理事会、人民协会及基层组织合作，支持社区主导倡议。 国家发展部兼外交部高级政务次长沈颖赞扬OSK的贡献。她说：“社会规范一直在演变。通过政府与社区紧密协作，我们可以鼓励促进邻里和谐与凝聚力的规范，并支持维护宜居生活环境的努力。我感谢我们的OneService Kakis挺身而出，自下而上引领正向改变。我们希望赋能并激励更多变革者影响社区。” 发布机构：市政事务署（MSO） 日期：2024年9月21日 附件A MSO社区参与计划清单 序号 名称 说明 1 爱护我们的邻里倡议（LOHI） LOHI赋能居民应对市政问题并凝聚社区精神。通过该倡议，参与者调查邻里市政问题，咨询专家，并与其他参与者交流、制定方案。参与者可通过MSO“爱护我们的邻里基金”获得支持与资助，落实经LOHI构思的解决方案。 该倡议于2021—2022年在麦波申、先驱与武吉甘柏3个选区试点。MSO随后将LOHI扩展至所有选区，并于2023—2024年采用主题方式，应对非法停车、邻里噪音、走廊杂物与宠物狗问题等常见市政议题。 2 爱护我们的邻里青年挑战 MSO与国家青年理事会联合组织、资助并辅导青年（15—35岁）试点创新市政项目。每个青年团队最高可获10,000元资助，以落实改善生活环境的创意方案。 自2018年启动以来，MSO已通过青年挑战支持共23个项目，涉及近120名青年。该倡议自2023年起每两年举办一次。 3 认养邻里倡议 MSO与中学合作，由学校“认养”附近区域并实施改善市政项目。MSO通过“爱护我们的邻里基金”及其他资源（如教育材料与数据）支持学校。 自2022年以来，MSO已支持德明政府中学与博理中学共5项认养邻里倡议。 4 Project Code R.E.D（Research, Engage, Deploy，研究、参与、部署） MSO通过Project Code R.E.D与高等学府（IHLs）合作，支持学生开发应对市政问题的项目。MSO为获批、与挑战课题相关的项目向高等学府提供资助。资助额可能不同，每项挑战课题最高10,000元。 自2018年启动以来，MSO已支持共27个Project Code R.E.D项目，合作高等学府包括新加坡科技设计大学（SUTD）、新加坡国立大学（NUS）、新加坡管理大学（SMU）、淡马锡理工学院（TP）、义安理工学院（NP）与南洋理工学院（NYP）。 5 爱护我们的邻里基金 “爱护我们的邻里基金”支持改善生活环境和/或增强邻里社区意识的自下而上倡议或项目。MSO与我们的新加坡基金共同资助最多80%的市政问题相关自下而上项目，每项最高20,000元。 截至2024年9月，MSO已支持15个此类项目。 附件B 新加坡礼貌运动2023—2024年文明礼仪调查：邻里关系状况主要发现 邻里关系状况 与邻居关系的整体满意度较去年上升，超过五分之四受访者对与邻居的关系表示满意。 2022-2023 2023-2024 满意 69% 81% 邻里期望 在不同邻里行为中，最常被列为“重要”的是： 不在公共区域，或窗户、阳台或其他区域附近吸烟 尽一份力保持公共空间清洁整齐 降低噪音水平，尤其在安静时段 对邻里行为的满意度 对邻里行为的满意度显著上升。改善最大的是互相提供帮助，以及在噪音方面体谅他人。 2022-2023 2023-2024 邻居愿意互相提供/接受小帮助 36% 59% 减少无意噪音（使用门挡、家具滑垫等） 30% 50% 若进行可能产生噪音的活动，提前告知邻居 36% 56% 不在公共区域，或窗户、阳台或其他区域附近吸烟 33% 47% 尽一份力保持公共空间清洁整齐 36% 49% 降低噪音水平，尤其在安静时段 34% 47% 仍有改进空间 尽管体验较2023年更为正面，受访者仍认为以下行为有改进空间： 不在公共区域，或窗户、阳台或其他区域附近吸烟 降低噪音水平，尤其在安静时段 解决邻里不便 在邻里不便方面，声称遇到干扰的人数较2023年减少。在确实遇到的人中，他们更倾向于尝试非正式解决，而非寻求官方渠道。 2022-2023 2023-2024 未遇到邻里干扰 28% 36% 直接与邻居沟通，寻找解决邻里不便或干扰的方法 33% 39% 寻求官方渠道协助解决邻里不便或干扰 28% 34% 若邻里不便或干扰无法自行解决，尝试在社区调解中心进行调解 22% 30% 提前告知邻居可能产生噪音的活动 较上一年，更多人表示会提前告知邻居有噪音活动。 2022-2023 2023-2024 提前告知邻居有噪音活动 62% 71%