SINGAPORE--Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has selected Watatawa to help it better understand public attitudes towards uniformed service careers. 

The assignment, worth as much as S$500,000 for the first phase, focuses on the MHA’s ‘Home Team’, the group of departments charged with maintaining internal security. These include such units as the Singapore Prison Service, Singapore Police Force, Internal Security Department, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, and Singapore Prison Service.

The MHA is hoping to ultimately improve its careers and scholarships outreach, based on a better understanding of workforce attitudes and interests in uniformed service careers.

Watatawa has been selected to handle a multi-disciplinary programme, after prevailing against four other firms. Of these, one was public affairs consultancy Baldwin Boyle Shand, while the remaining trio were all brand consultancies: Interbrand, Landor and Jorg Dietzel Brand Associates.

Watatawa CEO Bill Rylance confirmed the appointment and scope but declined to elaborate. The new assignment comes amid steady growth at the ‘stakeholder engagement’ firm, which was launched by Rylance in early 2010.