Government Trends 2020

What are the most transformational trends in government today?

How is government adapting to the unprecedented changes reshaping our world? As it works toward becoming more integrated and intuitive, here are nine of the most transformative trends in government today.

HOW is government adapting to the unprecedented changes reshaping our world? How can public officials navigate the tech tsunami? What can be done to ensure that democratic government, an institution designed to limit rapid change, can continue to fulfill its mission in the midst of a rapidly changing environment?

We are now entering what the World Economic Forum has termed the Fourth Industrial Revolution. With stunning expected technological advances on the horizon, it could be one of the momentous times in human history, akin to the invention of the printing press, the steam engine, the automobile, and vaccines.

When these innovations took place in the private sector, they reverberated in the public sector as well. Big changes outside government prompted new forms of government, adaptive changes appropriate for the times. We need a similar adaptive response today.

In a world of constant change, governments will need to be more intuitive, to sense and respond to new technology opportunities, social challenges, and citizen needs as they emerge. And to serve citizens well, governments will need to be more integrated. Breaking down silos and seamlessly connecting and streamlining data and process flows are integral to finding new solutions, enhancing security, and creating personalized and engaging citizen experiences. In short, transformation will require uprooting outdated systems and practices and replacing them with new models better suited to the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

The future is arriving in a blur, and we have no crystal ball. But we know that fundamental shifts—as momentous as the shifts of the progressive era—are starting and likely to accelerate in the years to come.

Since our launch nearly three years ago, the Deloitte Center for Government Insights has been researching and writing about the changes coming to government agencies that will fundamentally transform government. Over the course of this time, we have published more than 150 in-depth studies, exploring dozens of topics, ranging from the future of regulation to the impact of blockchain and other emerging technologies in the public sector. This large body of work is informed by the work in the trenches Deloitte does with governments all over the world to solve vexing problems amidst massive constraints. Together with our horizon scanning capabilities, this has given us wide visibility into the major trends and innovations impacting governments around the world.

The Government Trends 2020 report distills our research to focus on nine of the most transformative trends in government today. It is designed to assist government leaders who see the necessity for change and are looking for innovative ideas for the best way forward.