Foreword
"Building effective, inclusive, and accountable institutions has long been central to the development agenda—but today, it is more urgent than ever. Citizens worldwide expect governments to deliver services efficiently, equitably, and with the highest standards of integrity and accountability. When these expectations are met, societies thrive, private sectors grow, and jobs are created. In an era of declining trust in public institutions, enhancing public sector workforce performance is not just a priority; it is a decisive step toward driving meaningful change and unlocking shared prosperity.
In today’s rapidly evolving global context, the skills, motivation, and integrity of the world’s 400 million public sector workers—both those on the front lines serving communities and the administrators managing resources and operations—is key for effective and efficient governments. Drawing on an extensive evidence base of academic research and original data, including unique surveys and cross-national indicators compiled by the World Bank’s Bureaucracy Lab, this report proposes a framework for understanding and improving workforce performance. The analysis focuses on three key drivers: the wage bill (how governments hire and compensate staff), management practices (how workers are motivated and developed), and digital technologies (how innovation transforms the workplace).
The report has several important findings. Governments in low- and middle-income countries are understaffed compared to high-income countries, and the staff that they do have are poorly skilled, in part because of a lack of merit and transparency in recruitment. While government jobs tend to offer better pay and benefits—the public sector wages are, on average 9 percent higher compared to the formal private sector—weaknesses in pay structures result in weak incentives for workers to perform. Reforming pay structures, monitoring wage competitiveness, and ensuring merit-based hiring are urgent measures for a more efficient and equitable workforce.
The report also investigates the pivotal role of management practices in motivating public servants, promoting integrity, and encouraging collaboration. It advocates for a balanced approach that combines accountability with empowerment, recognizing the intrinsic motivation of public sector workers to serve the public good. Strengthening performance evaluations; supporting women’s career advancement (women constitute 50 percent of clerical roles in the public sector but only 34 percent of managerial positions); promoting community engagement; and protecting whistleblowers to empower workers to act with integrity are among the recommended strategies to raise productivity and restore trust.
Digital technology emerges as both a catalyst and a challenge. Governments have made substantial investments in management information systems but often underuse these tools for strategic workforce planning and evidence-based decision-making. Digital skills, both basic ones in the use of workplace software and advanced ones to take advantage of the rapidly changing digital technologies, are lacking in governments. Providing foundational digital training, creating specialized career paths for technology specialists, and fostering a culture of innovation are essential to harness the full potential of these systems.
This report offers practical guidance for policymakers, administrators, and development partners, including both “quick wins” and longer-term reforms, such as eliminating ghost workers and improving recruitment processes; advancing pay equity; and adopting mission-driven management strategies. By prioritizing these areas and adapting to changing needs, governments can transform their workforce into engines of progress, trust, and resilience."
https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/public-workforce-performance-and-prosperity?deliveryName=DM275385