Over the next 10–15 years, more than 1 billion young people in developing countries will reach working age. If we don’t act now, there won’t be enough jobs for all of them. From delivering quality education and healthcare to building roads, maintaining sound public finances, and creating an environment where businesses can grow and thrive, public sector workers play a critical role in a country’s development outcomes and creating. Creating more and better jobs requires effective governments.

The World Bank Group’s Public Workforce Performance and Prosperity global report brings novel data analytics to the study of public administration and focuses on how to make the world’s 400 million public sector workers more effective in performing their core government functions. The findings of the report were presented at a special event organized by the World Bank Group Institute for Economic Development, in partnership with the Research Center for European Analytics and Policy at LUISS University.

Arturo Herrera, Global Director for Governance at the World Bank Group, and Zahid Hasnain, Lead Governance Specialist and lead author of the report, sat down to discuss the report’s findings. Read the interview transcript and watch the full discussion below.

Editor’s note: The transcription has been edited for clarity and length.

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In Cristian's words, the experience "has been much easier for me because I grew up in the countryside, and the connection and familiarity with the people generates a lot of trust when entering the territory."

Cristian started as a local facilitator, then was promoted to technical support professional, and is now the lead professional in the restoration process in the Charras Boquerón area in the department of Guaviare. For Cristian, "It has been a wonderful and enriching experience, as it has allowed me to gain experience, improve my professional skills and be able to contribute both to the objectives and goals of the project and to the restoration."

Under this mechanism, the technical and administrative capacity remains in the territory. The project is enriched by experts who have knowledge of the local context and enjoy the trust of the communities. In total since 2016, 2,822 people have been hired to join the project team. The modalities of recruitment and remuneration are adjusted to the nature of each role and responsibility, but thanks to the project, the supply and capacity in the local labor market has increased, as well as income sources for the communities.

This strategy has also expanded opportunities for women, recognizing their distinct roles in biodiversity conservation. Of the total number of people employed, almost a third have been women. They have become an example for others in the region, as mentioned by Maria de los Ángeles Cadena Tovar, local facilitator for the implementation of the management plan of the Miraflores Picachos Park. "This project has allowed women in the area to also feel supported because before it was mostly men the first to be hired for field work with long walks. Right now, seeing that women are hired for these tasks and that we can do them, gives more personal security to women in the area. They realize that nothing is impossible, that everything in life can be done."

Arturo Herrera: Let me ask one final question. The report provides a wealth of new evidence that will be valuable for researchers. But beyond its analytical contribution, perhaps even more important is how governments can use these findings to improve performance.

Can you share some examples of how governments and the World Bank Group are already putting this evidence into practice?

Zahid Hasnain: One area that will become increasingly important is wage bill sustainability, particularly as many client countries face debt distress. The report offers several practical lessons.

• First, governments should focus less on reducing employment and more on pay reform. Many low-income countries are already understaffed, and public sector employment provides important economic opportunities, especially for women. Large-scale staffing cuts can therefore have significant social and economic consequences. Instead, governments should address structural weaknesses in pay systems, which often create inequities and reduce motivation. Reforming compensation can improve both fiscal sustainability and workforce performance.
• A second priority is what we call human resource management for domestic revenue mobilization. Strengthening the workforce in revenue authorities can help countries raise more revenue and ease fiscal pressures. Revenue agencies are labor-intensive organizations, yet many remain understaffed—particularly when it comes to specialized technical skills.
• A third priority is expanding merit-based recruitment, including greater use of competitive examinations and transparent hiring processes.
• Finally, governments need to invest in digital skills—providing foundational training for all civil servants while also building specialized digital expertise across government to help harness emerging technologies such as AI.

Arturo Herrera: Zahid, thank you very much. I hope our audience has enjoyed this conversation, and I encourage everyone to take a look at the report.

Related

• Public Workforce Performance and Prosperity
• Public Workforce Performance and Prosperity: Data Charts
• Governance
• More and Better Jobs: The Surest Path Out of Poverty