Responsive government

The world has changed dramatically. In order to face these emerging challenges, in every country the Civil Service must rapidly respond.

In the past few years we’ve seen civil service departments and teams demonstrate their ability to respond to significant changes quickly and imaginatively, be it shifting citizen demands, national and international political shifts, and wider societal and technological disruption.

Where once it was claimed that change would take too long, the COVID-19 pandemic mobilised action and reinvigorated the public sector with a vital and renewed sense of purpose. Having witnessed what the public sector is capable of, we wanted to explore how well equipped the civil service is to seize this renewed imperative to maintain the posture and pace of delivery.

In partnership with Global Government Forum, we spoke with 867 civil servants across nine countries to explore their perceived adaptability and identify best practice. Our research sets the baseline for how the civil service is positioned to adapt in a world where the most responsive governments will be best positioned to succeed.

9

countries surveyed: UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia.

72%

of respondents agreed that their organisation excels at learning and responding rapidly to meet evolving citizen and end-user needs.

46%

of UK civil servants agreed they have the ability to hire new talent to support change.