As ASEAN continues to anticipate changes due to technological advancement, globalisation, ageing societies, climate change, and greening economy, among others, the civil service sector is evolving along with it. It must be equipped with the necessary capabilities and capacities to administer public resources responsibly and innovatively to meet the increasing needs, challenges, and expectations of the people. According to an OECD-ADB study, ASEAN Member States have implemented digital government strategies to keep up with the rapid digital transformation and disruptive technology and to accelerate the establishment of an agile civil service.  

ASEAN has heightened its cooperation on civil service matters and good governance to support the establishment of a people-oriented, people-centered, and rules-based ASEAN Community. One key achievement of the cooperation was the establishment of the ASEAN Resource Centres (ARC). Over the years, ARC plays an integral role in strengthening cooperation in civil service matters and in providing avenues for capacity building. To complement the ARCs, the ASEAN Network of Public Service Training Institutes was established to enhance the competencies of ASEAN civil services and their capacity to respond to emerging challenges. Further, the ASEAN Resource Centre for ASEAN Pool of Expert on Civil Service is a mechanism that provided information on experts in various fields of the public sector. 

The expansion of civil service cooperation to Dialogue Partners started when ASEAN welcomed China, Japan and Republic of Korea (known together as the Plus Three Countries). Since then, the cooperation has led to the implementation of various efforts in the areas of e-governance, human resource management and development, and public sector productivity, among others.

With increased regional integration and mobility, ASEAN has recognized civil services as a catalyst for enhanced cross-sector and cross-pillar cooperation towards building the ASEAN Community. One strategic activity of the cooperation is the development of the ASEAN Civil Service Talent Management Initiatives. It serves as a medium for information exchange to attract and retain highly qualified civil servants and meet the organisation’s vision and mission through talent management practice, fair remuneration, performance-oriented culture, and work-life balance environment. 

In 2020, ASEAN finalized the ASEAN Guidelines on Public Service Delivery, which is expected to guide the Member States in providing high standard, people-oriented public service through five principles that could drive progress in the region’s public service delivery, notably: accessibility to information, participation, responsiveness, accountability, and non-discrimination and inclusiveness. 

Forward-looking initiatives in the region includes among others: the conduct of studies on civil service modernization in ASEAN and comparative analysis on human resource management; and the development of a framework on preventing ethical issues for leaders, and standard operating procedures in the human resource management system. The completed and ongoing civil service cooperation in ASEAN will ultimately contribute to empowered people, strengthened institutions, and enhanced equitable public service access towards an open, responsive, and adaptive ASEAN community.