Lee Yi, Systems Engineer, Smart City Technology, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) of Singapore Meet the young public sector officials in the inaugural Young & Official Report 2026. Lee Yi, Systems Engineer, Smart City Technology, Government Technology Agency (GovTech) of Singapore. Image: GovTech Singapore. 1) What does public service mean to you? Can you share more about your role in the public sector? To me, public service means working on consequential problems that are not always easily or naturally solved by the private sector alone. These are often complex, long-term challenges that cut across technology, infrastructure, policy, operations, and people’s everyday lives. What makes public service meaningful is the breadth of its mandate: the work is not only about delivering a product or service, but about improving outcomes for citizens, strengthening trust, and building systems that can serve society fairly and sustainably. I was drawn to the public sector because it offers the opportunity to work on problems at scale, with a direct line of sight to citizen impact. I began my career as a systems engineer, where I worked on building smart estates and applying technology to make our urban environment more responsive, efficient, and liveable. That experience gave me a very tangible appreciation of how digital innovation can translate into better public services, whether through smarter infrastructure, improved operational awareness, or more seamless experiences for residents. I later had the opportunity to support Government Technology Agency (GovTech) Singapore's Chief Executive in some of his public-facing engagements, which gave me a broader view of organisational leadership and transformation. In that role, I supported work that went beyond individual projects to look at how the organisation could strengthen its strategy, performance, and culture of excellence. This helped me understand that innovation in government is not only about adopting new technology. It