In the face of an uncertain future, civil servants must equip themselves with new skills, experiences and dynamic attitudes to pave the way for new aspirations and drive transformation across various fields, Acting Permanent Secretary (Civil Service Governance) at the Prime Minister’s Office Pengiran Haji Raffizanna bin Pengiran Haji Razali said as the guest of honour at the Civil Service Institute (IPA) Customer Day yesterday.
This year’s theme is ‘Public Service Transformation through Capability Building’.
He emphasised, “We are aware that we are currently facing numerous challenges and obstacles. However, there are still many new areas to explore. Most importantly, we must understand what needs to be learned, including effective learning methods, readiness to repeat the learning process, courage to explore new areas and commitment to continuous learning to achieve greater career excellence.”
Pengiran Haji Raffizanna explained that transformation is not merely about adopting new systems but also involves empowering individuals to lead change, foster innovation, and enhance excellence.
He said, “This aligns with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam‘s titah during the 31st Civil Service Day 2024, where His Majesty stated that innovation within the civil service is not limited to introducing new systems but also involves changing ways of thinking and working. This is fundamental to transformation in public service, which requires a comprehensive change in how we work and interact with the society.”
Citing His Majesty’s titah during the 30th Civil Service Day 2023, he reiterated the importance of capacity and competency building for civil servants, focusing on essential skills, knowledge, and values. “Transformation is not a spontaneous process. It requires careful planning aligned with the desired goals, with capability building at its core. Investment in raising capabilities is crucial, and priority must be given to building civil servants’ capacity to ensure the civil service remains relevant and sustainable,” he added.
The failure in this area, he cautioned, could lead to weaknesses in addressing current challenges, meeting public expectations, and implementing necessary reforms. Based on the Future of Jobs 2025 report by the World Economic Forum, he noted that critical skills for 2025 include analytical thinking, resilience, leadership, creativity, continuous learning and technological expertise, including artificial intelligence (AI).
He also highlighted that AI skills, big data, and cybersecurity will become increasingly important for governments by 2030. In response, His Majesty’s Government, through IPA, remains committed to ensuring training programmes meet current needs and standards.
“The programmes are aligned with Brunei Vision 2035, particularly in the context of civil service transformation. They are designed based on learning needs analysis and engagement sessions with ministries and departments, while also considering current trends. Alhamdulillah, since becoming a full-fledged training institution in 1993, IPA has achieved significant milestones towards becoming a centre of excellence in learning and development for an excellent civil service,” he shared.
Pengiran Haji Raffizanna revealed that Brunei Darussalam, through IPA, will host the ASEAN Network of Public Service Training Institutes (PSTI) from 2025 to 2026. This aims to encourage cooperation and the exchange of expertise in capacity building among ASEAN member countries, contributing to civil service transformation across the region.
He also mentioned IPA’s recent membership in the ASEAN-China Academies on Governance and Public Administration network, which strengthens cooperation in leadership programmes, research and expertise exchange. Leadership programmes have been carried out annually through collaboration with INTAN Malaysia, CSC Singapore, and others.
These include the Leadership Development Programme, Second Echelon Civil Service Leadership Programme, and the Executive Leadership Programme with Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, United Arab Emirates; Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore; and Chandler Institute of Governance.
Looking forward, he expressed optimism that IPA’s learning programmes for 2025/2026 will achieve their goals of developing civil servants’ competencies and contributing to organisational excellence.
He also launched IPA’s Learning and Development Programme Directory for the financial year 2025/2026. The directory offers 58 competency-based programmes, covering leadership, information and cmmunication technology (ICT), innovation, communication, management, human resources, and customer service, along with certification, signature, and flagship programmes.
Notably, 48 per cent of the programmes focus on innovation and ICT, with participation open to civil servants, private sector employees, and government-linked companies (GLCs). The Customer Day event aimed to raise awareness and enhance knowledge of IPA’s learning programmes and services. It also featured a special talk on innovation and AI by International Advisory Board member of the Brunei Economic Development Board and Director of Mission Holdings, Singapore Loo Yau Soon. – James Kon
