How government agencies manage resilience and agility

How government agencies compare to other industries

Our analysis shows that government agencies are broadly comparable to other industries in their level of confidence in their ability to realize business resilience and agility, even with broad and significant differences between agencies in the private and public sectors.

Respondents (both leadership and staff) expressed a medium level of confidence in their agency’s resilience and agility, with about 47% considering their agency to be strong or very strong. At the same time, 35% consider their agencies to be weak or very weak. So, while there are more leaders and employees who feel that their companies are resilient and agile, there is a significant proportion who hold the opposite opinion.

Similar gaps exist in other industries. For example, in the education sector, 45% consider their agencies to be strong or very strong, and 29% consider their agencies to have weak resilience and agility. This is hopeful news for those in government. It means that they aren’t starting from a point of weakness, and they can build on what they already have in place to develop more resilient and agile methods of working.

Attributes driving resilience and agility in government

Our analysis identified the 10 most important attributes driving resilience and agility within government agencies:

1. Voice-of-customer (i.e., voice-of-constituent) processes and tools so the agency can understand how constituents feel about the agency and how their needs are changing
2. Dedicated people, processes and tools gathering intelligence to identify threats and opportunities
3. Documented and shared risk tolerance
4. Organization and governance that enables resilience and agility
5. Openness to change, allowing the agency to expedite service
6. Ongoing collection of data analytics on products and services
7. Clear vision set by leadership and followed by employees
8. Measures in place to mitigate cybersecurity risks
9. Voice-of-employee processes and tools to respond to the changing needs of the workforce
10. Sufficient resources to try new methods and technologies to improve workflow

Government agencies have four attributes that are most leveraged: Business intelligence, documented risk tolerance, governance and organization, and openness to change. At the same time, agencies have underleveraged voice-of-customer processes and product analytics (over 50% of respondents are actively leveraging these drivers). 

It should come as no surprise that government agencies are strong when it comes to documenting processes and following established protocols. Additionally, it’s encouraging that they also show openness to change.

It’s worth noting that “voice of customer” means something very different to a government agency than it does to a company in the private sector. However dissatisfied someone might be with the Department of Motor Vehicles, for example, there’s no competitor they can switch their allegiance to. They can express their preferences through voting, but this has only an indirect effect and may not be reflected until the following budget cycle.

Under these circumstances, voice-of-customer processes aren’t less important, but more: Market forces aren’t present to push the company in the direction that customers (i.e., constituents, citizens and voters) want, so they need to develop other methods of receiving and incorporating feedback. The same goes for product analytics: Customers can’t “vote with their wallets,” so agencies need to actively solicit feedback if they want to improve their performance.

This suggests at least one clear area for government agencies to focus on: Seeing and responding to feedback from the people they serve.

Overcoming barriers to resilience and agility

• People — neglecting to see them as the challenge and solution: Recognizing the critical role of people is crucial for government agencies to develop resilience and agility. Neglecting their potential hampers the agency's ability to respond effectively. By fostering a culture of collaboration and empowerment, agencies can unlock the problem-solving abilities of their workforce and build a resilient organization.
• Technology — treating it as the solution, rather than the foundation: While technology is essential, agencies must understand that it alone can't drive transformation. Viewing technology as a foundational enabler, aligned with organizational goals and processes, is vital. Adequate training and support for employees in utilizing technology effectively will enhance resilience and agility.
• Alignment — failing to balance compliance with autonomy: Resilience and agility require finding the right balance between compliance and autonomy. Excessive constraints can stifle innovation. Establishing a flexible framework that allows for autonomous decision-making within defined boundaries empowers employees, fostering agility while ensuring accountability and transparency.
• Goals — bouncing back but not forward: Resilience focuses on rebounding, but true agility involves proactive approaches. Government agencies often excel at restoration but struggle to anticipate future challenges. Shifting from reactive to proactive by actively scanning the horizon, engaging in scenario planning and investing in innovative solutions is crucial. Setting goals that prioritize both short-term recovery and long-term adaptability enhances agility.

When it comes to overcoming barriers to resilience and agility, government agencies face unique challenges. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less able than the public sector to make themselves resilient and agile. Indeed, as our analysis has shown, many government agencies are already on strong footing in terms of developing resilient, agile processes.