From steering decision-making in times of complexity to stewarding cross-cutting policies and guiding good practices across the public administration, centres of government (CoGs) play an important role in achieving government ambitions. CoGs have recently found themselves under pressure to help navigate increasingly complex policy challenges in an environment characterised by multiple crises, polarisation and declining trust in public institutions. This compendium gathers and shares practices and experiences of CoGs in undertaking their various roles and functions. It describes the mechanisms CoGs use in roles such as bridging the political-administrative interface, stewarding cross-cutting policies, guiding public administration reform, and engaging with citizens and other stakeholders. Finally, it discusses the lessons learnt and key enablers that emerge from the experiences. This compendium serves CoG leaders and government officials who seek to better understand the role of the centre in contributing to better outcomes for citizens and society.
Steering from the Centre of Government in Times of Complexity
Abstract
Executive Summary
In an increasingly complex national and global context, most centres of government (CoGs) now play a pivotal role at the heart of government. In recent years, multiple, consecutive shocks have threatened economic resilience and wellbeing worldwide. Governments need to adopt more advanced practices to build trust and enhance democratic resilience to better address the challenges they face.
Considering this, CoGs can benefit from learning from each other to improve how they operate in this context. This compendium seeks to enable this learning by sharing practices CoGs are using, and lessons learnt. The compendium is underpinned by the 2023 survey of OECD member and partner countries and discussions of the OECD Expert Group on Strategic Decision Making at the Centre of Government.
The CoG is the body, or group of bodies, that advises and supports the highest level of the executive branch of government and council of ministers. Its composition takes a wide variety of forms across the OECD, ranging from a set of bodies located in a single institution to several institutions or units linked directly to the head of the executive. Despite this diversity of composition, there are some common functions across CoGs.
The OECD has recently developed and shared a framework identifying these common functions with members of the informal Expert Group on Strategic Decision Making at the Centre of Government. The framework outlines the roles that CoGs play and their value to government and the public.
The framework is as follows:
CoG as a bridge between the political layer and the public administration, to help interactions between the political and administrative dimensions of government.
1. Bridging the political-administrative interface
CoG as a steward of cross-cutting, complex, and long and short-term issues, to drive collective, cohesive action and impactful public outcomes.
2. Setting the vision, strategic planning and prioritisation
3. Co ordinating and enhancing policy development
4. Driving sound decision-making practices from the centre
5. Monitoring and enhancing performance
CoG as a guide of good public administration practices, to enhance public sector performance and efficiency.
6. Guiding high-performing public administrations from the centre
CoG as a stabiliser against crises and disruptions, to strengthen resilience and agility.
7. Anticipating, preparing for, and managing crises
CoG as a communicator to disseminate accurate information and dispel mis-disinformation, to foster trust in democracy and public institutions.
8. Communicating from the centre
CoG as a system to support the capacity of the CoG in achieving its potential, to ensure the CoG has the right design, structures, powers, resources, and enablers to perform.
9. Building the CoG as a system
The compendium is split into nine chapters linked to each function of the CoG listed above and is written through the experiences of officials working in CoG institutions, roles and functions.
Readers may find it useful to refer to specific chapters relevant to areas of interest in lieu of reading the publication in its entirety.
