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Getting Married – Anytime, Any Day
Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports
Singapore

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
Gone were the days when couples had to form long queues outside ROM, to register for marriage on an auspicious date. Neither do they have to beat the peak-hour crowd to get registered within office hours on weekdays.

Today, all couples register their marriage online. They no longer need to queue overnight just to secure a date for solemnisation. It is an achievement to see couples walking into the ROM anytime, any day - be it weekday, weekend or Public Holiday - to tie their knots.

ROM takes a step further in delivering customer-friendly services by offering more options to couples. Besides ROM premises, couples and their families can also enjoy having the solemnisation ceremony at their own venues (e.g. private club, restaurants, hotels).

ROM had seen a 10-fold increase in number of couples who married outside ROM premises over the past 10 years. This is indeed win-win situation for our customers (i.e. couples), partners (i.e. volunteering community) as well as ROM.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
18 August 2000
ROM launched a series of on-line transactions, which included e-Search on Applications, e-Search on Records, e-Application for Extracts; and more significantly, e-Booking a marriage date. With e-Booking, couples can secure an auspicious date for marriage, at a click of the mouse.

22 June 2001
ROM became a probable first amongst marriage registries in the world to launch e-Filing Notice of Marriage. The e-Filing offered couples the convenience of a one-stop service as well as world-wide access.

May 2005
The ROM’s solemnisation rooms were outsourced to a private operator. Solemnisation can take place 7 days a week, including Public Holidays

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Background
Couples used to form long queues outside ROM, eager to register for marriage on an auspicious date. Couples were also unable to get married in ROM after office hours, on a weekend or a Public Holiday. It was also a common bugbear among couples that they had to hold their solemnisation strictly on ROM premises.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
Priorities and Purpose
How could the registry make this joyous occasion a more pleasant one without having couples to beat the crowd under the sun just to book a choice date to register their marriage? The ROM decided to look at ways in improving its business processes, in order to make marriage registration a hassle-less affair, hence delighting our customers.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
Strategies
In the process of making changes to provide customer-centric services, ROM had to review its business processes and identify those services that could be made available online. ROM officers also had to play an active role in educating public on the convenience of filing their marriages online.

Besides making its services available 24/7, ROM also looked at best-sourcing the management of its solemnisation rooms. This would overcome the constraints imposed by longer operating hours and manpower shortage.

There was also a need for ROM to strategise ways to reach out and engage the community in solemnising the newly-wed couples.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Changes
Today, all couples register their marriage online. They no longer queue overnight just to secure a date for solemnisation. It is an achievement to see couples walking into the ROM anytime, any day - be it weekday, weekend or Public Holiday - to tie their knots.

ROM continually ensures that our customers’ diverse needs are met. Couples are now offered solemnisation package options ranging from basic to premium. ROM also engaged volunteer community partners in rendering their services in solemnising these couples.

While many couples and their families celebrate the special moment at ROM premises, others enjoy having the solemnisation ceremony at their own venues (e.g. private club, restaurants, hotels). There had been a 10-fold increase in number of couples who married outside ROM premises over the past 10 years. This is indeed win-win situation for our customers (i.e. couples), partners (i.e. volunteering community) as well as ROM.

Having making significant breakthroughs in providing excellent service, and having shed 10 per cent of its manpower, ROM is not resting on its laurels. It is now looking forward to a more vibrant ROM, e-Marriage Licences and best-sourcing to continue its Service Excellence journey beyond its 6 consecutive years of ISO certification.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The ROM’s efforts in streamlining business processes and moving its services online dovetail with the larger initiative to make most government services online. Citizens can now enjoy the convenience and ease of carrying out transactions with the Government on 24/7.

In order to make ROM’s solemnisation venues available during weekend and Public Holiday, it compared the cost of managing the venues in-house against the cost of having private sector vendor provide the services. Hence, to avoid high overhead costs, ROM decided to introduce `best-sourcing’ to the management of its solemnisation rooms. This practice is also encouraged across public service in areas where private sector can deliver the services more economically and efficiently than the public agency itself.
(117 words)

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
In the process of making solemnisation rooms available 7 days a week, ROM had to tackle thorny issues such as safeguarding office security as well as managing high overheads associated with longer operation hours. Would ROM need to roster their staff to work on weekends and even Public Holidays? Would it then need to employ more staff? These and more questions were topmost in the mind of ROM when faced with the challenge of providing more customer-centric services.

Eventually, the outcome was accomplished without the need for ROM’s manpower to staff the office or counters. ROM partitioned off the office areas and beefed up security in the affected areas. Entrances to secured office areas were installed with security keypad, and entry was only accessible to staff with the security code. The implementation of reinforced security was necessary, given that ROM staff would not be in office when ROM premises were made open to the public.

ROM challenged its own paradigm and looked at best-sourcing of the booking of its solemnisation rooms during weekends and Public Holidays. This move made ROM more accessible to couples. Couples can now have their marriages solemnised in ROM, 7 days a week. The best-sourcing move had indeed helped ROM achieve its objective of delighting customers, in an efficient and cost-effective way.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Chua Chee Kah
Title:   Manager  
Telephone/ Fax:  
Institution's / Project's Website:  
E-mail:   chua_chee_kah@mcys.gov.sg  
Address:   510 Thomson Road #17-03 SLF Building
Postal Code:   298135
City:  
State/Province:  
Country:   Singapore

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