In a perfect world, government services deliver on time and under budget. But in reality, that’s rarely—if ever—the case. For many governments, whether at the local, regional, or federal level, public sector services function as expected, albeit with a few bureaucratic hoops to jump through. In other cases, however, these services simply fail to perform—brought down by natural disasters, political turmoil, economic downturns, corruption, incompetence, and myriad other challenges.
Because of this, public sector reform isn’t just desirable—it’s often a necessity.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council defines public sector reform as “…deliberate changes to the structures and processes of public sector organizations with the objective of getting them to run better. Structural change may include merging or splitting public sector organizations, while process change may include redesigning systems, setting quality standards, and focusing on capacity building.”
But how do these reforms take place—and who helps make them happen?
Typically, reform is supported by strategic partners. As defined by PwC, a strategic partnership “involves some shape of formal agreement between two (a bilateral partnership) or more (a network partnership) parties that have agreed to share finance, skills, information and/or other resources in the pursuit of common goals.”
In this article, we’ll explore the role of strategic partners in public sector reform, the dos and don’ts of effective collaboration, and real-world examples of how partnerships have helped governments move from crisis to resilience.
The Role of Strategic Partners – What Expertise Do They Provide?
The principal objective of government is to govern—“to control and direct the public business of a country, city, or group of people,” as the Cambridge Dictionary puts it. Yet governing doesn’t always mean having every area of expertise in-house. This is where strategic partners come in.
Strategic partners—whether consultants, private firms, think tanks, NGOs, or academic institutions—act as catalysts for reform. They bring specialized knowledge and external perspectives that can complement government policy and strengthen implementation.
Digital transformation of government services is just one area where strategic partnerships can benefit public reform.
For instance, as governments modernize and digitize public services, partners provide the technical know-how to build new networks, manage cybersecurity, transfer data, and redesign organizational processes. They help avoid “reinventing the wheel” by benchmarking performance against international best practices and identifying proven models for success.
However, not all strategic partnerships are created equal. In contexts where trust in government is fragile—especially where corruption or inefficiency has taken root—citizens must be assured that partners are driven by the public good, not just by profit. The difference often lies in how partnerships are structured and managed.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Selecting Strategic Partners for Public Reform
Building successful partnerships requires more than signing a contract—it demands clarity, trust, and shared purpose. Governments that get it right treat partners as collaborators rather than vendors, ensuring reforms are sustainable and aligned with the public interest. Missteps, however, are common. Overreliance on consultants, weak communication, or a lack of accountability can quickly erode even the most promising initiatives.
The Don’ts
- Don’t outsource core policy decisions or democratic accountability.
Outsourcing core policy decisions risks weakening the very foundation of governance. When elected officials delegate critical choices to external actors, they dilute public oversight and blur responsibility for outcomes—eroding trust and legitimacy in the reform process.
- Don’t rely on partners for short-term optics rather than sustainable change.
Quick wins may look good politically, but they rarely last. Without embedding reforms into institutional structures and local capacity, progress often unravels once partners exit—leaving governments no stronger than before. - Don’t ignore the local context.
Reforms that look effective on paper can fail in practice when they overlook local realities. Imported solutions that clash with culture, capacity, or institutions risk inefficiency, resistance, and eventual collapse. - Don’t treat partners as procurement contracts rather than strategic relationships.
Reducing collaboration to a transaction limits innovation and shared ownership. Genuine partnerships are built on co-creation and trust—adapting to changing needs and delivering long-term public value.
The Do’s
- Set clear, measurable goals and accountability frameworks.
Clear goals create alignment and transparency. They help both sides define success, track progress, and ensure everyone is accountable for outcomes—not just activities. - Build genuine knowledge transfer—not dependency.
The best partnerships leave governments stronger than before. When expertise and tools are shared openly, institutions build internal capacity and reduce long-term reliance on external consultants. - Engage civil servants early to secure buy-in and ensure continuity.
Those who will implement reforms should help design them. Early engagement fosters ownership and continuity, ensuring progress persists even as partners or administrations change. - Prioritize transparency to build public trust.
Open communication about objectives, costs, and results reduces skepticism and reinforces confidence. Transparency transforms partnerships from backroom deals into visible engines of progress. - Align partnership objectives with long-term policy goals.
Short-term projects should serve long-term missions. Alignment keeps reforms coherent, focused on national priorities, and resilient to shifting political winds.
Case Study: Rwanda — Delivering Resilience by Drone
When Rwanda’s Ministry of Health realized that life-saving blood often took hours to reach remote hospitals, it sought a new kind of partnership. In 2016, the government partnered with Zipline, a private drone logistics company, to pilot an on-demand delivery system that could overcome the country’s mountainous terrain. The Ministry set the policy direction and clinical standards, while Zipline managed operations and technology.
The results were transformative. A 2022 study published in The Lancet Global Health found that drone deliveries improved response times by an average of 79 minutes compared to road transport and reduced wasted blood by two-thirds. Within a few years, the service scaled nationally—reaching hundreds of facilities and demonstrating how innovation partnerships can reimagine public service delivery during a crisis.
Rwanda’s experience underscores the power of strategic partnerships built on shared accountability, measurable outcomes, and trust. The government retained policy control and data ownership, while its private partner brought agility and engineering expertise. Together, they transformed a chronic logistics bottleneck into one of Africa’s most resilient medical delivery systems.
Partners as Multipliers, Not Replacements
Strategic partners are not a substitute for strong public institutions—they are multipliers of capability. When managed wisely, partnerships infuse government systems with objectivity, innovation, and agility that can be difficult to cultivate internally. The best collaborations don’t displace public servants; they equip them with new tools, perspectives, and data to deliver better outcomes.
Resilient governance emerges when in-house expertise and external insight work in tandem—combining the legitimacy and accountability of the public sector with the creativity and efficiency of strategic partners. In an era defined by uncertainty and disruption, the goal is not just to react faster to crises, but to anticipate change—building governments that learn, adapt, and lead with foresight.
