Will More Departments Solve the Problem—or Create More Problems?
When organisations face challenges, the immediate response is often to create another department, section or institution. While this may appear decisive, additional structures do not automatically produce better results. In many cases, they create duplication, bureaucracy and confusion over accountability.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority offers a different lesson. Its success comes from integrating transport services, using technology and designing systems around the customer. Through one digital platform and the unified nol card, people can access and pay for multiple transport services conveniently. The focus is not simply on expanding departments, but on connecting services and improving the customer journey. Dubai RTA Singapore follows a similar approach through LifeSG, which brings more than 100 government services together on one platform.
Citizens do not need to understand which department is responsible; they simply access the support they need. LifeSG Before establishing another institution, leaders should ask: Is the real problem a lack of structure—or poor coordination, unclear accountability and ineffective execution?
Strong public service is not measured by the number of institutions created, but by how simply, quickly and effectively citizens are served.