What will shape the future of the public sector in Victoria? The State Services Authority’s project – The Future of the Public Sector in 2025 – is an exploration of the key trends and drivers that will shape the future ways in which Victorians live and work. It asks the question what if? – what if the long economic boom comes to an end? – what if there is a shift in geopolitical power? – what if our social identity centres increasingly on the individual or on the community? – what if...?

The future is undoubtedly uncertain and unpredictable. There is no single clear path from the present to the future. Rather, the future of the public sector will be determined by a complex array of interconnected drivers. The ways in which these drivers might be expected to play out varies from the predictable (population ageing) to the unforseeable (natural disaster).

An agile and adaptive Victorian public sector is critical to effective policy development and program delivery. While the public sector can influence some elements in its operating environment, it also needs to be able to meet the challenges and respond to the opportunities presented by internal and external change.

This report sets out the State Services Authority’s exploration of key issues affecting the future of the public sector.