The latest report from the 2024 Public Sector Strategy Network Annual Foresight Retreat focuses on how governments are addressing the permanent polycrisis
The current global landscape is marked by a permanent polycrisis where climate change, geopolitical tensions, economic challenges, mass migration, and technological disruptions intersect, creating continuous and multifaceted crises. These complex issues impact the future of education, work, health, and even the fundamental structure of the state itself. Governments must now navigate these overlapping crises while addressing long-term challenges. How are citizens' expectations of the public, private, and civil sectors evolving in such a context? How should local and national governments balance their roles? What skills and ideas do public servants need to design resilient and adaptive policies? What opportunities for transformative policy and leadership emerge in this new normal?
The 2024 Annual Strategic Foresight Retreat of the Public Sector Strategy Network, held at Hartwell House in the United Kingdom, enabled senior public sector leaders to speak openly among peers about major disruptive forces confronting governments. This year's retreat focused on developing strategies to navigate the permanent polycrisis, leveraging behavioral insights, strategic foresight, and innovative governance. Fellows compared experiences in off-the-record conversations, discussing how their respective institutions address these complex challenges and sharing concrete lessons to enhance their leadership structures and public service resilience.
This report provides an overview of the retreat, capturing common themes and critical highlights. It encapsulates the diverse discussions and insights from the event, which centered on addressing the permanent polycrisis by utilizing behavioral insights, strategic foresight, and pioneering governance approaches.
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The Public Sector Strategy Network equips governments to tackle complex challenges through improved foresight, innovation and implementation. Co-created with senior leaders from around the world, it is building a mutually-supportive coalition of individuals and institutions on the frontline of digital, financial and societal disruption, promoting effective public leadership and strategic communication.
The annual invitation-only retreat is organized by Salzburg Global Seminar and supported by the Office of Development Affairs, Government of Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Apolitical.
