Introduction to the
UNDP Global Centre for
Public Service Excellence
Astana, December 2014
Singapore and UNDP
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Partnership since 1960s, successes with econ policy / urban devt.
Rejuvenated partnership since 2011: Joint publication
“Virtuous Cycles: The Singapore Public Service and National
Development”
GCPSE operational since 01/2013
Government of Singapore co-funds programme and seconds staff
10 staff & full time consultants, 2 project consultants
target: 15 (incl. 2 UNDP staff focused on Anti-Corruption)
Our Ambition
 The Global Centre for Public Service Excellence is
UNDP’s catalyst for new thinking, strategy and action in
the area of public service, promoting innovation,
evidence, and collaboration.
Theme
s
Motivation
Leadership
Innovation
Foresight
Evidence Hub
 Distilling academic research and innovative practice
Convening Hub
 Bringing together thinker-practitioners for knowledge
sharing events that inspire new thinking, influence strategy
and provide insights for taking action.
(1) Public Service Post-2015
 PSP-2015 – Restoring the Public Service Ethos (July 2014)
ASEAN focussed event, organised with the Singapore Government
 Public Service Excellence and the Post 2015 Agenda (Nov 2014)
Global Workshop, organised with the Effective Institutions Platform
 to consider the research, evidence and knowledge needs;
 to explore alternative futures, potential opportunities and risks;
 to agree on peer learning priorities (Learning Alliances).
(2) Public Service Innovation Lab
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Social Innovation Camp Asia
Southeast Asia: 7 countries / 8 cities (Sep – Nov 2013)
Regional Summit in Singapore (Nov 2013)
Consultation on the Co-Design of Public Policy and Services (Dec 2013)
(3) foresightXchange
 Multi-country prototyping of methods & tools
 Considers utility and potential linkages of foresight in various public
service environments (at country level)
 Explores how foresight can best help public service to improve
resilience and adaptability
 Asks how to best develop capacities to apply
foresight methodologies in strategic planning
and risk management
 Tonga foresightXchange (07/2014)
 3rd UN Conference on SIDS (09/2014)
 Rwanda foresightXchange (10/2014)
Outlook / What’s ahead?
Convening
 foresightXchange & establishing the hub on Public Service Foresight;
 High-level event on leadership in the public service, connecting the
dots between our various strands of research;
 South-South Learning among peers;
 Joint events with partners (e.g. Astana Civil Service Hub, Asian
Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank,
Commonwealth Local Governance Forum, OECD-DAC)
Outlook / What’s ahead?
Evidence Building
 Increased collaboration with UNDP’s Regional Bureaus through a
joint research initiative (incl. Eastern Europe & CIS)
 use of innovative tools for the continuous analysis of large
volumes of qualitative data & underlying meanings
(contributed by respondents)
 research project will engage civil servants and service users /
citizens in a scanning network around key themes in public
service excellence
 expected outputs: emergent patterns & data analysis provides
insights at country-level and globally
Outlook / What’s ahead?
Networks
 Effective Institutions Platform – GCPSE to take on
Co-Secretariat function with the OECD-DAC:
Interest among institutions in
this region to join the 64 member
platform and to become active
as a member/convener?
 foresight practitioner network – with ADB (Asia),
ECLAC (LAC), EC (European Union), etc.
www.undp.org/publicservice
facebook.com/GCPSE
@UNDPpublicserv
youtube.com/UNDPpublicserv