Rebuilding Public Trust Through Inclusive, Human-Centered Policy 

Drawing on her experience as Ecuador’s former Minister for the Coordination of Social Development, Cecilia emphasized the importance of proximity and listening in policymaking. “One of the most important things was to engage citizens into building policies or programs and to actually own programs,” she explained. She highlighted Ecuador’s political instability at the time, when the country had experienced eight different presidents within a decade.   

“With the government that I had the privilege to work [in] as a minister, we were trying to rebuild trust in the public service and really create this idea that public services can be the best services and the best option for citizens,” she said.

For Cecilia, rebuilding trust begins with understanding citizens’ realities. “The first step is to listen: What are those tensions and realities that citizens are facing?" she pondered. She elaborated on a government-led initiative known as the “moving cabinet” visits, sharing that “on Fridays, we held formal cabinet meetings that lasted the entire day, from 8:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening...These meetings were dedicated to addressing important matters that required reporting to the President or collective decision-making across ministries. In the evenings, we would always attend a cultural event organized by the host town to welcome and honor the public servants visiting that week.”

Saturdays began early with a cycling route at 5:30 a.m., which was open to anyone who wished to join the President. “I never missed it, it was a unique opportunity to connect with the President in an informal setting and engage with citizens in the rhythm of their everyday lives,” she recalled.

While the President gave a weekly televised address, ministers - including Cecilia - met directly with citizens to help address unresolved concerns. “It was an effective way to spot gaps and hear the community’s needs firsthand,” she said. The visits usually ended with lunch alongside local residents, with some ministers staying on to continue discussions.

Such hands-on governance broke down traditional government silos across sectors like health, education, and housing, fostering cross-ministerial collaboration and public trust.

The session also highlighted the perspectives of long-serving public officials navigating the intricacies of community trust and participation. Gerard Hargreaves, who has served in local government for over 15 years as an elected Councilor in London, emphasized the importance of inclusive approaches in public leadership.

“It is important to leave decision-making to the communities concerned, and for leaders to adopt a more proactive and imaginative approach in engaging local communities,” he shared.

However, Gerard also noted that inclusive processes often surface diverse and conflicting viewpoints. Reflecting on efforts to redesign a local park, he explained how competing interests emerged. For example, some community members supported ball games in shared spaces, while others preferred quieter recreational areas. Such experiences demonstrate the need for balance: “The final decisions should be made based on the input of the organizations involved in the decision-making process,” he noted.

For Gerard, if decision makers are to relinquish control, they must also rethink how they lead. Inclusive governance requires both thoughtful engagement and clarity about where responsibility ultimately lies.

Cecilia emphasized the role of education in cultivating inclusive mindsets: “Something needs to happen in the educational perspective on building more resilience in people’s perspective to inclusion, diversity, and solidarity.”   

Her personal cycling journey to Salzburg - an act she described as leadership “walking the talk” - symbolized her belief in modeling sustainable, healthy behaviors: “I do think that bicycles are a great solution to many problems in the world because they are environmentally friendly, they promote healthy lifestyles, and they also create a lot of social cohesion.”

Building on these principles, the insights from this discussion delivered a clear message: Rebuilding public trust requires leaders to be physically, socially, and emotionally closer to their communities. Whether through Ecuador’s moving cabinet or London’s community-centered policymaking, these case studies illustrate the power of governance built with citizens and not just for citizens. The session underscored that adaptive leadership balances empathy with authority and inclusion with direction, qualities essential for the future of public leadership.