“We cannot effectively address problems as they are if institutions don’t reflect the world as it is. Instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem.” – António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
THE NEXT GENERATION OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Shaping our future
Institutions are having a moment of reckoning.
Armed conflicts are at the highest level in decades. Planetary systems are being pushed beyond their limits. Digitalization and artificial intelligence are disrupting our lives with head-spinning speed. And polarization is pervasive, abetted by misinformation that makes it impossible to address concerns on the basis of shared facts.
It’s in times like these that strong and trusted public institutions are needed the most. Yet existing institutions, largely designed when the world was a very different place, are struggling to provide adequate responses. The 2023/24 Human Development Report calls for a rethinking of governance systems to make them more people-centred, inclusive and future-oriented.
We shape our public institutions, and they in turn shape us – our attitudes, behaviours, our sense of what’s possible.
Poorly designed institutions waste precious resources, from finance and time to human potential.
Strong institutions create more choices, multiply our opportunities and unlock the human energy that powers transformation.
UNDP’s Istanbul Innovation Days 2025 will focus on reimagining the next generation of public institutions to provide greater security in our uncertain world. Bringing together changemakers from across the globe, the event aims to turbocharge thinking about how to create these enabling structures, recognizing that achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions is critical to realizing all of the SDGs.
A major part of UNDP’s work with our partners is to ensure governance systems are open, accountable and future-ready. Ahead of the Istanbul Innovation Days, we mapped hundreds of examples of innovation in public institutions, cataloguing a wide range of initiatives showing imagination at work, across several critical themes for this pivotal moment.
The power of shared intelligence
Institutions today have access to more data and expertise than ever before, yet they struggle to translate this into meaningful intelligence for decision making, planning and action. Whether it's raw data, artificial intelligence, professional expertise, or citizen insights and experiences, sharing knowledge sparks innovation to solve big problems. Institutions must find ways to work with knowledge from a variety of sources, and create ways for everyone to contribute and benefit from it.
Smarter together
The UNDP Accelerator Labs report Collective Intelligence for Sustainable Development: Getting Smarter Together sets out how governments and other organizations involved in development are mobilizing shared intelligence to speed up progress on the SDGs. Case studies document practical methods and practices, capturing patterns in their application and impact.
Getting Smarter Together
Flat and flexible
In contrast to traditional hierarchical systems that can be rigid and slow to adjust, flatter organizational structures can foster a culture of continuous adaptation. These flexible frameworks allow for greater collaboration, faster decision-making and increased innovation, as they empower individuals at all levels to contribute ideas and take action. This approach supports more dynamic, responsive and resilient organizations that can better navigate complex and ever-changing environments.
Horizon scanning
To remain relevant and fit for their purpose, organizations must be agile - continually learning and adapting to changes in their operating environments. UNDP’s Signals Spotlight highlights some emerging factors and trends that may be significant to our work in the next 3 to 10 years. The 2024 Spotlight incorporates insights from a network of more than 300 UNDP horizon scanners to reveal the infinite variety of possible futures ahead.
Signals Spotlight 2024
More voices
It’s becoming increasingly important for institutions to be more open to citizens’ voices and inputs, recognizing them as a vital source of contextual knowledge. By tapping into this wealth of grassroots insights, institutions can make more informed, relevant decisions that truly reflect the needs and concerns of the people they serve. Greater citizen participation also builds trust and fosters a sense of ownership, leading to more effective solutions and stronger, more connected communities.
Inclusion solutions
Guide to Community Listening and Engagement for Future-fit Cities UNDP has developed a toolkit for engaging residents in urban transformation. This guide helps cities tackle complex challenges by involving communities in decision-making. It offers practical tools for listening, mapping ecosystems, and collaborating with diverse groups to co-create urban solutions. With step-by-step instructions, it supports municipalities in making community engagement a core part of their work.
Co-creating Urban Transformation
The mesh approach
The next generation of public institutions must bridge the gaps between various levels and sectors of governance by creating connective tissue that can also bring in civil society and the private sector. In contrast to operating in isolated units, this “mesh” approach breaks silos, promotes efficiency and helps create more holistic and cohesive institutions where resources and expertise are shared across different fields and governance tiers, enabling big systems shifts.
Getting institutions unstuck
Development institutions can get stuck in traditional methods and practices not suited to address the compound challenges we face today. UNDP’s Strategic Innovation Unit is shaking up the status quo. See how our system and portfolio approach helps decision makers get unstuck when navigating complexity – from financing real change to making tourism sustainable and reimagining the future of work.
Unstuck Systems
Institutions are having a moment.
The 2024 Nobel Prize for Economics It was awarded to three scholars whose work highlights the crucial role of institutions in shaping our world. Their work demonstrates just how important it is to get institutions right.
Looking at the world today, we might see a lengthy list of challenges. From another perspective, we can see what scholar Yuen Yuen Ang calls ‘polytunity’ – a multitude of opportunities in face of polycrisis. How to take advantage of this polytunity depends largely on the institutions we create.
This is a time to put in place the next generation of public institutions that can help societies navigate the many pressures we now face – and illuminate pathways to a more secure and prosperous future.
“No progress will be made – or sustained – without strong institutions, that are accountable to all rights holders under their care.” – Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
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