The Public Service newbie guide

A curated onboarding view of the main glossary, covering workplace terms and abbreviations you may encounter in the Singapore Public Service.

Learn 72 starter terms, browse 72 essentials, or search all 422. Every item is also searchable in the full glossary.

HR & career

Reporting officer The manager responsible for supervising an officer’s work and providing performance feedback and assessment under the agency’s appraisal arrangements. HR & career
MX Management Executive Scheme HR & career
Posting An officer’s placement into a job, which may be within the same agency or part of a structured move across agencies or sectors. HR & career
AVC Annual Variable Component HR & career
PB Performance Bonus HR & career
360 feedback A feedback exercise drawing perspectives from people who work above, alongside and below a leader to support development against expected competencies. HR & career
Admin Service Administrative Service HR & career
AO Administrative Officer HR & career
ASBP Administrative Specialist Basic Programme HR & career
ASEP Admin Specialist Skills Enhancement Programme HR & career
Attachment A temporary placement in another agency, sector or organisation to gain experience, perspectives or capabilities. HR & career
BDIT Business Digitalisation & Information Technology HR & career
Calibration A process in which managers review proposed assessments together to improve consistency and apply shared standards. HR & career
CDG Competency-Driven Growth HR & career
CEP Currently Estimated Potential HR & career
CFM Career Fitness Movement HR & career
City EXCEL City Executive Leaders Programme HR & career
Clean wage A remuneration approach in which salary components are explicit and there are no hidden perks or unlisted benefits. HR & career Understanding the hierarchy
Counter-signing A second-level review in which another manager checks, comments on or confirms an assessment made by the reporting officer. HR & career
CSS Corporate Support Scheme HR & career
Declaration of non-indebtedness An annual declaration all public officers make regarding indebtedness, alongside an immediate duty to declare excessive unsecured debts or liabilities. HR & career
EDGE Executive Development & Growth Exchange Programme HR & career
EES Employee Engagement Survey HR & career
Emplacement The conversion or placement of a contract public officer into a permanent appointment after the applicable assessment and agency process. HR & career
Estab Informal shorthand for an approved position or the authorised manpower establishment against which a person may be appointed. HR & career
Exigencies of service Operational requirements that take precedence over preferred work arrangements when necessary to maintain effective public-service delivery. HR & career
Farmer An informal label used for a public officer who is not regarded as having entered through the scholar route. HR & career
FCL Family Care Leave HR & career
Financial embarrassment A Public Service conduct concern arising from serious personal indebtedness that may affect an officer's integrity or vulnerability. HR & career
Flexi-load A flexible work arrangement that varies or reduces an officer's workload, commonly through part-time work. HR & career
Flexi-place A flexible work arrangement allowing work from approved locations other than the usual workplace, such as through telecommuting. HR & career
Flexi-time A flexible work arrangement varying when an officer works, such as through staggered starting and ending times. HR & career
FlexiGrow An annual flexible benefit for eligible Civil Service officers to support personal development, health, fitness and well-being. HR & career
FSAP Foreign Service Advanced Programme HR & career
FSBP Foreign Service Basic Programme HR & career
FSMP Foreign Service Management Programme HR & career
FSSP Foreign Service Supervisory Programme HR & career
Gig work A short-term Public Service programme that enables officers to contribute their expertise and experience to cross-agency projects outside their usual role. HR & career Working across agencies
Grievance Handling Procedure A Civil Service procedure for raising workplace concerns for early resolution while maintaining confidentiality. HR & career
GRIT@Gov GRaduate Industry Traineeships @ Gov HR & career
HOTO Hand-Over-Take-Over HR & career
IDP Individual Development Plan HR & career
LCF Leadership Competency Framework HR & career
LD Leadership Development HR & career
Local milestone programme A tiered practitioner-led course designated for Public Service officers at a particular career level within a sector. HR & career
LUGP Leaders in Urban Governance Programme HR & career
MI Merit Increment HR & career
MMF Manpower Management Framework HR & career
MSS Management Support Scheme HR & career
MXS Management Executive Scheme HR & career
NPAA Non-Pensionable Annual Allowance HR & career
OSS Operations Support Scheme HR & career
OTG One Talent Gateway HR & career
P3 Procurement Professional Programme HR & career Procurement & projects
Parent agency An officer's primary agency for employment and career development, including PSLP officers undertaking developmental postings or officers serving on secondment elsewhere. HR & career
PCL Parent Care Leave HR & career
Porosity Public Service shorthand for two-way movement of people, experience and ideas across agencies and between the public, private and people sectors. HR & career
PPTP Pre-Posting Training Programme HR & career
PSLP Public Service Leadership Programme HR & career
PSLP General Phase The exploratory PSLP phase using structured rotations across at least two sectors to build breadth and clarify longer-term career preferences. HR & career
PSLP Sectoral Phase The PSLP phase focused on deepening competencies, networks and leadership experience within a selected Public Service sector. HR & career
Ranking Board A management panel that reviews officers’ performance or readiness comparatively using the agency’s framework and evidence. HR & career
Scheme of service The HR framework covering a category of public officers, including appointment, grades, progression and related employment arrangements. HR & career
Scholar A person awarded a public-sector scholarship, usually with a service bond and a planned route into the sponsoring organisation or Public Service. HR & career
Secondment A time-limited move to another organisation or role, with arrangements for the officer’s employment and eventual transition or return. HR & career
Sectoral Leadership Committee A committee of Permanent Secretaries that identifies leadership talent and oversees officers' development, deployment and progression within a Public Service sector. Understanding the hierarchy HR & career
Service Competency Framework A Public Service framework setting out the skills expected of officers delivering frontline, feedback, hotline and digital services. HR & career
Structured job posting A planned posting across public agencies used to expose aspiring leaders to critical roles, sectors and whole-of-government issues. HR & career
TSS Technical Support Scheme HR & career
Well-being@Gov A Public Service employee-wellness programme offering app-based screening tools, self-care resources, personalised coaching and counselling. HR & career
X-shaped officer PSD shorthand for an officer who combines leadership capability with deep expertise in more than one connected field. HR & career
YIS Years in Service HR & career