Why XD Thinking Matters for the Global Public Sector Network

Why XD Thinking Matters for the Global Public Sector

Public sector organisations across the world are facing structural challenges that can no longer be solved by incremental reform. Budgets are tightening, infrastructure backlogs are growing, and regulatory obligations are becoming more complex. Citizens, meanwhile, expect digital services that are transparent, reliable and fast. Despite decades of effort and billions of dollars invested in transformation, too many projects still fail. Studies of public sector IT programs show higher rates of cost overruns and delivery failures than in almost any other sector (Flyvbjerg et al., 2025).

XD Thinking™ offers a way to change this trajectory. It is a governance-first framework that aligns people, processes and systems with outcomes. Rather than treating technology procurement or cultural change as the driver of reform, it focuses on outcomes, accountability and delivery. By anchoring transformation to contracts and data standards, it provides governments with tools that are measurable, enforceable and scalable.

Outcomes, not Activity

A recurring weakness in government transformation is the tendency to invest in systems or strategies without a clear definition of the outcomes being pursued. This results in duplication, siloed solutions and limited impact on citizens. XD Thinking reframes this by insisting on clarity of purpose. Every project or system must be able to answer the question: why do anything at all? This disciplines agencies to focus on outcomes rather than activities.

Carbon and Accountability

Climate commitments add urgency to this approach. Governments have pledged to meet net zero targets, yet very few have the capacity to measure embodied or operational carbon across their asset portfolios. Without digitisation there is no reliable baseline, and without a baseline there can be no accountability.

The problem is compounded by the limitations of current tools. Most 3D BIM models are created for construction, not for the operational life of assets where most emissions occur. Legacy infrastructure is often documented only in PDFs or spreadsheets, leaving governments unable to produce a trusted carbon ledger.

XD Thinking addresses this by linking BIM and digital twin technology with asset management standards such as ISO 55000 and ESG frameworks. It turns models into living tools that support operations, carbon accounting and lifecycle management for decades beyond construction.

A Ten-Dimensional Framework

The framework maps transformation across ten dimensions, beginning with digital models of assets and schedules, and extending through ESG, facilities, risk and lean accountability, to modular and adaptive futures. This structure enables leaders in finance, planning, IT and operations to share a common language and benchmark their maturity. It also provides a readiness scorecard, identifying where governments are advanced and where they face the highest risks.

 Global Lessons

International experience demonstrates the need for this kind of systemic approach. In the United Kingdom, NEC contracts shifted project delivery from adversarial to collaborative models, significantly reducing disputes and overruns. Singapore has shown how digital twins can integrate planning, housing and transport into a single national platform. Nordic countries are demonstrating the value of modular delivery in social housing, embedding ESG outcomes while reducing cost and delivery time. Canada’s procurement reforms emphasise outcomes and risk sharing rather than lowest-cost tenders, leading to greater delivery confidence.

XD Thinking brings these lessons together in a coherent model that can be adapted to different jurisdictions, avoiding the trap of reinventing the wheel.

Relevance for the Public Sector Network

For PSN members, the value of XD Thinking lies in its ability to provide a shared framework for discussion and benchmarking. Whether at the level of a city authority, a national department or an international agency, the 10D lens creates comparability. It allows leaders to assess readiness, share lessons and identify opportunities for collaboration across borders.

The Public Sector Network exists to help governments connect and innovate. Embedding a framework like XD Thinking into those conversations can help shift them from theory to practice. It offers not just ideas but a structured approach to delivery, linking contracts, governance and data with the real-world outcomes that matter most to citizens.

Conclusion

Governments cannot afford another decade of failed transformations. The fiscal pressures are too great, the carbon commitments too urgent, and citizen expectations too high. What is needed is a framework that makes transformation accountable, measurable and globally relevant.

XD Thinking provides that framework. For the Public Sector Network, it represents an opportunity to bring together international leaders around a common approach that can adapt across contexts and drive outcomes where they are most needed.