Changes and opportunities ahead for governments in the Middle East

12 February, 2015 - Across the world, the gap between citizen expectations, and government’s ability to meet them, has never been greater. To close this gap traditional government models need to change radically, but how? This topic formed the focus of a Deloitte Gov2020 strategic planning workshop delivered during the Government Summit 2015 “Leading Government Services” which took place from February 9-11 in Dubai and drew attendance from representatives of 50 governments from around the world. The international summit, which was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, is the only global platform dedicated to the improvement and enhancement of government services and related opportunities.

Deloitte’s Gov2020 strategic planning workshop was designed to engage participants in a series of interactive activities that encouraged them to think strategically about the future trends for government, to consider how this impacts the current trajectory and their organization, and to reflect on how these trends should shape approaches to technology, service delivery and workforce transformation within government.

The Deloitte summit provided the occasion for the official launch of the Deloitte Gov2020 initiative that includes a rich online resource of analysis, video and creative visualizations about the future of government, drawn from hundreds of interviews with leading experts from around the world. The online platform features 39 drivers that will influence the way government operates and serves its citizens, 194 trends that represent the shifts that are likely or at least possible by 2020, as well as videos depicting major new developments - from the future of government work to the impact of 3D printing. It also includes infographics illustrating new capabilities like digital age transportation and a sensor- enabled world.

“The purpose of the Gov2020 initiative is to support leaders from all sectors in making sense of the rapidly changing demographic, societal, economic, and technological trends shaping our future,” said Abdelhamid Suboh, Consulting Partner and Public Sector Leader for Deloitte in the Middle East. “Effectively responding to the drivers of change and shifting needs of citizens will challenge virtually every process, system and structure of government, and taking a proactive approach is therefore imperative, especially in a region such as the Middle East where measurable benefits for society can help underpin and reinforce stability.”

During the Government Summit 2015, Paul McMillan, Deloitte Global’s public sector leader, led a workshop on future trends for governments. A second workshop entitled “A 360 Degree View of What Makes an Exponential Impact” was also led by Larry Keeley, President and co-founder of Doblin Inc, a unit of Deloitte Consulting LLP. During the session, Keeley presented a comprehensive framework on where to innovate in order to have a big impact or breakthrough and discussed how it can be implemented in governments to deliver better services.

During the Summit, Deloitte also launched its report Gov2020: A Journey into the Future of Government. The report identifies the drivers that will influence governments differently, and the seven major trends that have the potential to reshape government - in many cases from the outside - and transform the public sector. These seven major trends or “mega shifts” are identified as:

• Government as an enabler instead of a solution provider
  A big increase in public-private partnerships
• Made-for-me service delivery
  A shift towards more personalized services with more mobile delivery
• Distributed governance
  Greater engagement of citizens in government functions and legislation
• Data-smart government
  Analytics and predictive modeling enabling greater focus on prevention rather than reaction

• Alternative forms of government funding
  Harnessing technology to fund services and infrastructure
• Just-in-time civil service
  Radical changes in the public sector’s talent model
• A new basis for national prosperity
  More holistic measures of societal progress and well-being

The report concludes that in 2020, the most agile governments will openly embrace the new possibilities of technology and civic engagement as they reposition to affect better outcomes, but even less agile governments will eventually be forced to change from outside drivers.

“Looking ahead we expect to see greater collaboration between non-profit, corporate and government entities, while citizens will also be more engaged in civic work and policy, with more accurate measurement of how public sector policies and programs are impacting society,” said Suboh.

About Deloitte

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Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte’s more than 200,000 professionals are committed to becoming the standard of excellence.

About Deloitte & Touche (M.E.)

Deloitte & Touche (M.E.) is a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) and is the first Arab professional services firm established in the Middle East region with uninterrupted presence since 1926.

Deloitte is among the region’s leading professional services firms, providing audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through 26 offices in 15 countries with more than 3,000 partners, directors and staff. It is a Tier 1 Tax advisor in the GCC region since 2010 (according to the International Tax Review World Tax Rankings). It has received numerous awards in the last few years which include Best Employer in the Middle East, best consulting firm, and the Middle East Training & Development Excellence Award by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).