“Whole of Government Approach” for Performance Improvement in the Public Sector

In the past when societal problems were less complex and speed of information flows less fast, governments worldwide could survive by pigeonholing problems. This no longer works in the modern society. Efforts to address complex problems such as waste management, terrorism, drug abuse, quality education and public health, etc. can no longer be contained within departmental boundaries. Fragmented and uncoordinated handling of public issues often attracts more criticisms than the issue itself. Many governments today have adopted thematic planning to address complex issues with limited resources leading to the ‘whole of government approach’ in formulating vision, development plans and achieving fast results.