Raising public-sector productivity is key to improved citizen satisfaction, enhanced trust in government, increased cost-effectiveness of programs, and better national economic competitiveness. A series of projects and initiatives on this topic has been launched to address the needs of member countries since 2009. The APO Public-sector Productivity Framework was also developed in 2012. Based on this framework, the APO published the Course Manual on Developing Productivity Specialists in the Public Sector, which provides specific guidance and serves as a reference in conducting capability-building and certifying productivity specialists for the public sector.

The APO places great importance on the role of public-sector organizations in national development and competitiveness. For this reason, it organized a training course on the Development of APO-certified Public-sector Productivity Specialists, 6–10 December, in partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines. This course included sessions on the role of the public sector and global trends in improving productivity, public-sector leadership and change management, citizen-centered service, regulatory reform, measuring public-sector productivity, performance management, e-government, and the preparation of individual action plans.

Forty-three participants from 11 APO member countries attended the course, who represented various public-sector organizations. There were six resource persons from Canada, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea, who helped facilitate the workshop and shared their expertise.