Govt portal allows you to fill up surveys for cash

SINGAPORE - Almost every day over the past year, Boon Kee has logged in to crowdsourcing site CrowdTaskSG to fill in surveys on topics such as the user-friendliness of government websites.

The government portal allows the 49-year-old, who declined to give his full name and occupation, to collect virtual coins in exchange for filling in questionnaires from various government agencies. These coins can be redeemed for cash through a Nets QR code.

Between Jan 1 and Nov 8, Boon Kee logged in on 302 days and completed 87 surveys. He reckons this has saved him about S$6 at the supermarket.

But the cash reward is not what keeps him logging in every other day.

"The payment is just a token of appreciation," he said. "I believe that my input will definitely help to shape and improve the government sites."

Boon Kee feels that, unlike other sites that offer payment for completing surveys, the CrowdTaskSG portal, which is run by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), is more meaningful, given that the topics it covers affect Singaporeans, and it gives them a platform to provide feedback.

Some of the surveys he has done involve navigating websites of local attractions to see how easy it is to find information, buy tickets and create memberships, so he can provide feedback on how user-friendly these sites are.

"Everyone will have their own opinion about what is best and want improvement. I just give my honest opinion," said Boon Kee, who added that each survey takes him up to 10 minutes.

After creating an account, users can do several "tasks" that involve surveys and forms. At present, the surveys range from topics about having children to volunteering to mental health.

The reward for each survey ranges from 10 to 50 virtual coins, with 1,000 of these coins equating to S$1.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, GovTech said Singapore citizens and permanent residents could sign up to CrowdTaskSG from September 2022. Users must be above 18 and have a Singpass account.

The portal currently has more than 18,000 active users.

It allows more than 70 government agencies to tap citizens' insights, expertise and feedback, a GovTech spokesman said.

To date, government agencies have received more than 20,000 insights from Singapore citizens through the surveys and forms on CrowdTaskSG.

"This helps government agencies develop policies, products and processes with citizens' insights in consideration. It also provides a platform for citizens to express their insights and feedback on topics they believe in passionately," said the GovTech spokesman.

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On Nov 7, the Government announced the Great Budget Meal Hunt, which allows people to submit information about meals priced between S$3 and S$3.50 to CrowdTaskSG to help others locate cheap meals.

Other government initiatives that the platform has been used for include SG Translate Together, which allows citizens to vet and proofread translations and provide feedback to improve translated materials, and FluGoWhere, which allows users to improve the accuracy of information on the opening hours and addresses of Public Health Preparedness Clinics.

On Nov 17, the Scam Public Education Quiz was launched on CrowdTaskSG. The quiz tests participants on their ability to identify signs of scams and teaches them how to keep their Singpass account safe, among other things.

GovTech said it will continue to explore new and relevant ways of collaboration between government agencies and citizens through crowdsourcing.

"We strongly believe that citizens want to contribute, so we welcome feedback or suggestions from the public on the types of crowdsourced collaboration they wish to participate in," said the spokesman.

Citizens can provide feedback on the portal at go.gov.sg/ctsgfeedback

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.