Despite different economic and social profiles, there is one common feature that all countries on earth have — a governing bureaucracy. Stemming from the idea that bureaus, or desks in an office, can be the source of administrative power, governments all over the world oversee a myriad of laws and regulations to govern all facets of life and economic activity. This is the essence of this industry division. And in a changing world — think advances in genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, or electric vehicles — it is important as to how governments, judiciaries and enforcement and protection bodies respond. Even the military and diplomatic sub-sectors of this industry are not immune from the change that is happening. And that is what this article is about — change. What could happen at an individual level (careers) and at an organisation level (government). It is a futurist’s take on how things might pan out over the next 10 years or so.
Specifically, though, the future of this industry is viewed through the lens of climate change and computerisation. For these are the two global megatrends that are shaping much of the world as we know it. There are other global megatrends, in areas such as society and demographics (eg as yet unclear long term trends as a result of the pandemic), but their influence on the public administration and safety industry is not as…
