The Center of Government, Revisited: A Decade of Global Reforms

Abstract

The institutions and units at the Center of Government (CoG) provide managerial direction and coherence to the complex machinery of government to accelerate the delivery of its priority objectives. In recent years, economic, social, political, and technological transformations have reshaped the functions of the CoG, as well as the tools available to CoG practitioners. For example, the acceleration of multidimensional transformations and disruptions--including pandemics, climate hazards, economic crises, technological developments, and global conflicts--has enhanced the value of anticipatory governance and foresight, cross-ministerial planning and policy design, and real-time performance monitoring and intervention. This publication takes stock of these and other innovations, based on learnings from a decade of reforms, globally and in Latin America and the Caribbean. It presents both an updated conceptual understanding of the work of the CoG and a set of specific routines, instruments, and step-by-step actions that should be considered in the process of strengthening the CoG capacity. It also includes an assessment tool to guide practitioners in identifying the key CoG functions and activities most in need of development or enhancement in their specific context.