In an increasingly interconnected world where crises can happen in minutes, government leaders are grappling with a fundamental question: How do we build resilience for the unexpected?
In a workshop hosted by InnovateUS, Daniel Chenok, Executive Director of the IBM Center for The Business of Government explored this challenge through the lens of "Future-Ready Government" - a multi-year global initiative designed to help public agencies prepare for and respond to an expanding array of shocks.
Drawing from 15 years of federal government experience, including his role as head of technology policy and budget at the Office of Management and Budget, Chenok shared insights from a four-year research initiative that has convened government, industry, academic, and civil society leaders across six continents.
Understanding Future Shocks
Chenok began the session by defining the concept of “future shocks,” or events with severely disruptive consequences.
From climate-driven emergencies and cybersecurity threats to economic volatility and rapid technological advancements, governments are under pressure to adapt quickly while continuing to deliver essential services.
This is where the Future Shocks Initiative comes in. The project emerged following the COVID-19 pandemic, with the understanding that similar large-scale disruptions will continue to challenge governments at all levels.
Convening leaders, practitioners, and innovators across sectors, this initiative is designed to equip state and public agencies with the strategies, tools, and partnerships they need to thrive in an era of rapid change.
“This initiative is about moving government from being reactive to being proactively prepared,” Chenok said. “We want to give leaders the tools to not just withstand shocks, but to adapt and come out stronger on the other side.”
Learning From Success: Real-World Case Studies
The Future-Ready Government initiative involves documenting and sharing success stories from agencies that have effectively implemented resilience strategies. The research team developed these case studies through a challenge grant methodology, actively soliciting examples from governments worldwide.
"We actually ask people all over the country and around the world: Give us examples of where governments are really doing a good job developing future-ready strategies, and using technology and AI, and developing the kinds of governance processes that we talked about," Chenok said.
From Rotterdam’s innovative supply chain strategies to Helsinki’s climate adaptation plans, and from Rome’s cross-agency defense collaborations to the Baltimore Port’s rapid recovery after a major bridge collapse, Chenok highlighted several real-world models of resilience that other governments can replicate.
Cross-Domain Learning: Breaking Down Silos
One of the most striking findings from the research was the lack of cross-domain collaboration between different crisis response communities. Cybersecurity experts wanted to learn from supply chain resilience strategies, while climate adaptation specialists sought insights from emergency management professionals.
"We learned from the cybersecurity experts that they really wanted to know when the supply chain community gets together and thinks about how they think about setting up a resilient supply chain category and set of relationships and business modalities," Chenok noted.
This insight led to identifying capabilities for governments to build more holistic resilience strategies.
Seven Core Capabilities for Future Readiness
The workshop emphasized that building future readiness doesn't require massive upfront investments or complete system overhauls. Based on the research findings, Chenok outlined seven capabilities that enable government resilience:
-
Foresight and proactivity: Moving beyond reactive responses, governments can leverage scenario planning and predictive analytics to get ahead of threats
-
AI-Enabled response systems: Artificial intelligence can serve not just as an analytical tool, but can enable real-time response capabilities based on prior experience and data
-
Resilient technology platforms: Cloud computing and zero-trust cybersecurity architectures provide the flexibility needed during crises
-
Cross-boundary collaboration: Building relationships before crises hit is crucial
-
Cross-sector partnerships: Develop reserve capabilities and alliance structures that can be activated quickly during emergencies
-
Resilient procurement practices: Embed resilience incentives into procurement processes, including outcome-based contracting that rewards innovation and adaptability
-
Skilled and agile workforce: Recruit government employees who understand emerging technologies and can work in agile, risk-taking environments
"Resilience isn't a one-time project," Chenok said. "It's about building governance structures so that you don't lose the capability as a government,"
Key Lessons for Government Leaders
Despite growing urgency, government leaders acknowledged the real obstacles agencies face, such as limited budgets, siloed systems, and competing political priorities.
Chenok urged agencies to start small and scale over time:
“You don’t need to redesign your entire system overnight,” he said. “Pick one challenge, build a pilot, measure success, and use that momentum to expand. That’s how resilience takes root.”
Several overarching themes emerged from the research for government leaders of these agencies:
-
Prevent capability loss: After crises end, institutional knowledge and collaborative structures often dissolve. Ensure the lessons learned from these situations are embedded into your way of working moving forward
-
Avoid complacency: Periods of calm should be used to strengthen capabilities, not reduce them. Survey research revealed that maintaining readiness during quiet periods is essential.
-
Embrace cross-sector innovation: The most effective solutions often come from applying lessons learned in one domain to challenges in another.
Looking Ahead
The Future-Ready Government initiative continues to evolve, with ongoing case studies documenting successful implementations and new interactive capabilities, including simulations and design thinking sessions. All research is available free of charge at businessofgovernment.org.
For government leaders seeking to build resilience in their organizations, the message is clear: the question is not whether another major shock will occur, but whether your organization will be ready when it does. The tools, frameworks, and partnerships needed to respond effectively must be built during times of calm, not in the heat of crisis.
Watch the workshop recording here.
