Public service is not merely for those who work for the government, but we all need to be public servants or be at the service of those in need. It is a national, moral and spiritual responsibility. The holy scriptures say our care for others is the measure of our greatness and we need to be willing to bear the burdens of others. As the golden rule says, “Do unto others what you wish they would do unto you,” while helping those who are in need and especially the millions caught up in the poverty trap, collectively our public service would mean a pro-active and effective involvement in resolving issues such as poverty alleviation and the battle against climate change.   

These and related reflections come to mind as we mark the United Nations Public Service Day which was formally celebrated on Wednesday June 23. Public service and active involvement in vital areas of it are not just for a day or one year but should continue throughout our lives. Then we will be responsible citizens effectively involved in the sustainable, eco-friendly development of our country.   

Unfortunately most of those in the highest places of public service—government leaders, members of parliament, provincial or local council members—seldom set a good example to the people. Often many of them indulge in self-service and partisan politics working for the benefit of themselves and the party with the common good of the country coming in the third or fourth place. Worse still, most of the politicians are known to be involved in large scale corruption where they rob the people’s money and hide it in secret bank accounts. Though it may be a cliché we need to repeat the warning that while power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is why we seldom see in party politics people who are committed to the noble values of integrity, honesty and sacrificial service to the people especially those caught up in the poverty trap.  

In a statement to mark the public service day the UN says the last decade brought about a digital revolution that changed the way we live, work, and govern. Technology and data driven innovations have increased the pace of our daily life, opened up information and elevated civil society voices and changed how we solve problems, design policy and deliver services. In parallel, governments find themselves under resource pressures and increasing public demands, having to do much more, with less. The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic was a force multiplier to these trends, introducing remote work in government, digital service delivery, virtual service teams, and even new portfolios.   

Every country needs to re-think the structure and operating model of its civil service as we enter the third decade of the 21st century. The next era will see fundamental changes in how public servants are hired, trained, and retained. We will see more technology being leveraged to make better decisions, monitor performance, and deliver service, and there will be a need for the private sector, and wider society, to play a bigger role in all aspect of creating public value. The future public service needs to be more agile, tech-savvy, data-driven, and human-centric. These are core elements to build future readiness, ensure inclusive policies and responsive services, to reduce inequalities and to raise trust in government, the UN says.   

For the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to be achieved, effective delivery of public services is needed, including the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. If not contained, the pandemic will jeopardize meeting the 2030 deadline, by diverting resources from development efforts to crisis response. The public servant sits at the heart of ensuring effective response to the crisis, whether as a frontline worker in healthcare, or in devising strategies and plans to mitigate its impact, according to the UN.   

One of the world’s greatest statesmen Mahatma Gandhi has said the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.