COVID-19 Shows Urgency of Next Gen Workforce (Contributed)
Source: Gov Tech Published: June 1, 2020
Before the COVID-19 crisis forced businesses of all stripes to accelerate their digital agenda, the public sector was already behind the innovation curve. The needs of citizens, communities, and employees are in constant flux, as digital technology transforms in real time the way citizens access information, connect with each other, and live their lives. COVID-19 has put the public sector’s laggard status into sharper relief, underscoring the urgency for government agencies to modernize operations to work smarter, recruit and retain better talent and respond faster to an ever-changing and often unpredictable world.
Especially in this moment, all eyes have been fixed on government with hopes it can move quickly to solve these problems at scale and under increasing pressure. What would have been an unprecedented challenge in the best-case scenario has been made even more difficult to manage, hampered by the public sector’s reputation for outdated technology systems, slow processes, and rigid hierarchical structures. And with a workplace environment that lags far behind private firms in terms of innovation and collaboration, concerns persist about the sector’s ability to attract and retain the right talent in order to rise to the challenge.
However, there have been glimmers of hope in this regard, as the sector has shown some uncharacteristic agility in responding to the issue. For instance, the use of the Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accelerated approvals of tests and drugs. Swift development and implementation allowed $2 trillion of relief spending to get out the door in a matter of weeks.
But the crisis has revealed just how much the public sector is lagging behind with technology and its impact on business continuity, specifically how quickly it can transition to a remote work culture. Its famously outdated working environments make it difficult for the public-sector workforce to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. Furthermore, the lack of continuity and alignment to goals, and collaboration across departments and regions, make things even more difficult to manage when working remotely. Mastering this model and fully operationalizing a next-gen workforce in a post-COVID work environment is the new standard, and the public sector will need to leverage the momentum they’ve created and carry the lessons learned forward.