Civil Service AI Buildathon: Service Excellence For Citizens

The Civil Service AI Buildathon: Service Excellence for Citizens was successfully conducted on 5, 6 and 8 August 2026 at Dewan An-Najah, Institut Perkhidmatan Awam (IPA), bringing together civil servants in a practical and collaborative program focused on harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance public service delivery and create greater value for citizens. The three-day buildathon equipped participants with the skills to clearly frame public service challenges from the perspective of citizens and service users, apply AI-centric design thinking to develop practical solution concepts, and use AI tools responsibly for ideation, research, prototyping and communication.

Through hands-on activities and collaborative problem-solving, participants developed simple prototypes and concept pitches that articulated the problem, target users, proposed AI-enabled solutions and their expected impact. The program also strengthened participants’ ability to present public service improvement ideas in a clear and structured manner while encouraging them to consider possible next steps, including further refinement, pilot scoping and continuation beyond the buildathon. This initiative reflects the commitment of the public service to fostering innovation and responsible adoption of emerging technologies to support more efficient, responsive and citizen-centred public services.