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THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENTS HAS EVOLVED IN THE 21ST CENTURY
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Virtual communities play an increasing role in public policy decision-making and delivery. |
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Economic, geopolitical and technological systems as well as populations are in a constant state of flux. |
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Public institutions struggle to keep pace with increasing complexity, limited resources, and pressure to resolve issues beyond their reach. |
THE NEW SYNTHESIS: REDEFINING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEEN GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY
Evolving public administration for the 21st century
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Integrating past 30 years of reform and experience with current practice. |
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Towards an open and adaptive system of governance — government transforms society and is likewise transformed by it, expanding overall capacity to achieve public outcomes. |
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Role of public organisations is to increase public value and move up the value chain (in terms of public policy results and civic results) at a lower overall cost for society. |
Public policy results
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Not just economic growth indicators, but also quality of life, satisfaction and wellness. |
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Multi-dimensional, giving a measure of a society’s direction and progress.
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Civic results
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Societies with self-reliant individuals, resilient groups and civic spirit are more conducive to collective action for the public good. |
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This confers a significant comparative advantage. |
CAPACITIES NEEDED TO THRIVE IN AN EXPANDED PUBLIC SPACE
Emergence function
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Patterns arise out of multiple interactions, emerging from today’s complex situations. |
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Capacity to anticipate, adapt, course correct and shape emergent solutions, through building capabilities in anticipation, exploration and innovation. |
Resilience function
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Social capacity to absorb shock and change, yet continue to function or even thrive. |
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Governments do not create resilience in society, but they can nurture it. |
Performance function
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Maximising collective capacity for better results by working across boundaries, through cooperation, co-production and co-creation. |
Compliance function
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Strong institutions matter — including social norms, values and standards, as well as traditional institutions. |
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Institutions contribute to social order and stability, provide legitimacy for the exercise of power, give shape to policy decision-making, and build trust between the government, its people and its society. |
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However, institutions must be able to adapt and re-invent themselves so as to co-evolve with society. |
Mme. Jocelyne Bourgon is President Emeritus at the Canada School of Public Service, and Senior Visiting Fellow at the Civil Service College (CSC), Singapore. She previously served as Deputy Minister in a number of departments in the Public Service of Canada (1989–1994), Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet (1994–1999), and President of the Canadian Centre for Management Development (1999–2003). She is also an active international speaker, participating in various international events to advance public service reforms.
This summary, based on the CSC lecture on "Governance in an Expanding Public Space" which she presented on 24 October 2011, was summarised by Noel Bay, Research Associate at the Centre for Governance and Leadership, CSC.
For a more detailed discussion of The New Synthesis framework, see Mme. Bourgon's article "The New Synthesis: Preparing Government for the Challenges of the 21st Century" in ETHOS Issue 10, Oct 2011: http://www.cscollege.gov.sg/ethos.