To raise awareness of the importance of leadership in the public sector, the National Productivity Secretariat, Sri Lanka, and APO Secretariat organized an online training course on Leadership in Public-sector Organizations, 29 May–1 June. The course aimed to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively navigate the evolving landscape of public service delivery while ensuring productivity. Based on the APO Public-sector Leadership Framework, the course provided a comprehensive roadmap for participants to tackle the challenges associated with delivering efficient public services amid changing circumstances. It was attended by 48 participants from 11 APO member economies.

In the dynamic postpandemic world, public-sector officials must expand their skill sets, strengthen management systems, and enhance performance through new productivity initiatives. Given the multifaceted nature and challenges encountered by public-sector organizations, strong leadership is an essential component to address those issues. The course highlighted the pivotal role of leadership in public-sector organizations while equipping participants with the necessary capabilities to enhance service delivery and productivity performance.

Facilitated by three resource persons, one each from Canada, Spain, and Sri Lanka, the training course comprised discussions and interactive sessions on the requirements of effective leaders, leadership journey models, and key priority areas for the next stage of leadership capacity development. Participants examined issues and challenges impacting public-sector leaders and how to deal with them in their national contexts. The course also helped participants understand how to define or direct strategies and related leadership structures to execute government strategies crucial to achieving higher productivity.