Government with the People: A New Formula for Creating Public Value

The white paper proposes a new social contract where governments shift from being mere providers of services to partners in co-creating public value. It emphasizes the role of the state as a data curator and an investor in human potential, leveraging technologies like augmented reality and 'Government as a Platform' (GaaP) to increase agility and trust. The report highlights the need for cross-agency collaboration and institutional innovation to overcome bureaucratic silos and the 'delivery gap' in public services.

• Traditional government models are failing to meet citizen expectations due to slow bureaucracies and a 'delivery gap' between policy goals and actual service delivery.
• The proposed 'government with' model shifts the role of the citizen from a passive consumer of services to a 'value creator-citizen' through co-creation.
• Governments should act as data curators, refining 'crude' data into a social good to improve policy-making and service distribution.
• Augmented Reality (AR) can transform public sector operations by providing real-time, geo-specific data overlays for asset management, public safety, and urban mobility.
• Effective cross-agency collaboration requires an 'ecosystem of institutions' rather than just technological tools like portals or dashboards.
• The 'Government as a Platform' (GaaP) model, as seen in Estonia's X-Road and eID systems, allows for a flexible service layer where various agencies and private entities can develop integrated digital services.
• Governments should evolve into 'investors' in citizen capabilities, prioritizing cradle-to-grave education and providing platforms that allow citizens to succeed at scale.
• The transition to a 'government with' model is currently most prevalent at the municipal and city levels due to closer ties between sectors and citizens.
• The 'Fourth Industrial Revolution' is blurring the lines between physical, digital, and biological spheres, necessitating a fundamental rethink of government architecture and operating models.

APA

World Economic Forum (2017). Government with the People: A New Formula for Creating Public Value. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_White_Paper_Future_of_Government_Council.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Government with the People: A New Formula for Creating Public Value. 2017. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_White_Paper_Future_of_Government_Council.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Government with the People: A New Formula for Creating Public Value |date=February 2017 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_White_Paper_Future_of_Government_Council.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2017government, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Government with the People: A New Formula for Creating Public Value}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_White_Paper_Future_of_Government_Council.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }