Trust is the invisible foundation of modern society.  

It underpins stable financial systems, the rule of law, effective governance, and community cohesion.

Yet across the globe, residents’ trust in government—and in each other—is declining. And people with lower incomes, who could benefit most from public services, are less likely than wealthier residents to trust the government.  

But it doesn’t have to be this way—and in some places it isn't.

While trust is waning across many advanced economies, citizens of some nations still have strong levels of confidence in government. Some countries have even bucked the trend altogether.

The strongest driver of government trust is whether citizens feel they “have a say” in how it functions. Satisfaction with public services and governments’ transparent use of evidence-based policymaking are also associated with high levels of government trust. Financial insecurity and deep income inequality on the other hand are linked with frayed trust in government.

So, what can public sector leaders do to rebuild trust?

1. Put residents at the center of design.

‍Since having a say in how government functions is critical for restoring trust, genuine community engagement—with more listening than talking—must be built into policy initiatives and programs from the start. Designing with residents, not for them, means that residents feel heard and valued, which is crucial to trust building. This happens in two ways:

• Listening to residents’ concerns and feedback builds affective trust—trust based on emotions and relationships.
• Taking action to improve services based on feedback builds cognitive trust—confidence in a government’s competence, integrity, and reliability.

Real-life example: A meal program in the Caribbean expanded rapidly across 115 schools. Its growth was driven by ongoing engagement with students, teachers, and parents, whose feedback shaped the program over time. Similarly, leaders of a school canteen program in Australia engaged school leaders, parents, and health professionals to define what it means to provide healthy meals in schools. Using that feedback, they redesigned and strengthened the program—demonstrating how embedding community engagement and co-design in delivery helps ensure programs are built with, not just for, the people they serve.

2. Focus on delivery—and meaningful, measurable results.

‍Great ideas and ambitious goals only go so far. Governments often get stuck in the planning phase, when real progress depends on investing time, resources, and political capital on implementation.

Tracking measurable outcomes throughout implementation helps leaders see what’s working, what needs improvement, and where resources are being wasted. Clear metrics also promote accountability by showing that decisions are driven by evidence rather than favoritism. They enable leaders to adjust strategies in real time, keeping policies responsive to evolving needs.

Ultimately, transparently tracking data reinforces residents’ confidence that government is effective.

Real-life example: A city government’s police department struggled to assess whether its crisis response program was meeting residents’ needs. The department relied on data from an external provider, but data quality was poor, making it difficult to understand resident demand, response rates, and overall program performance.

To address these gaps, the department defined clear metrics to better assess demand and track response rates, then built a dashboard to consolidate data from sources across the department. This meant leaders could monitor performance directly, and frequently.

The new data enabled regular monthly “stepbacks” to review progress and adjust implementation as needed. Over time, it also demonstrated the need to scale the program to meet demand, proved its cost effectiveness, and ultimately helped secure new budget for expansion.  

Within three years, the department increased the average number of dispatches of mental health responders to residents in crisis by more than 250%. The dashboard and data-driven decision-making approach have since become a model for other local governments and city departments seeking to strengthen performance and accountability.

3. Show quick wins to build momentum.

‍Early results help leaders—especially new leaders or those with an ambitious vision—establish credibility and signal competence to the public. When leaders deliver tangible results early, they prove their ability to turn promises into action. Just as importantly, early wins help leaders establish the political capital needed to tackle more complex or contentious issues later.

Real-life example: Here's how some new governments hit the ground running in their first 100 days:

• A Caribbean government established a free COVID-19 testing and mask distribution program within 90 days of taking office.
• A North American country made significant headway on its pledge to support the arrival of 25,000 Syrian refugees.
• A state government in Southern Africa met 70% of its target to provide title deeds to tenants previously denied ownership rights.
• A Southeast Asian state boosted domestic entrepreneurship by simplifying the process for starting a business.

4. Make progress visible and routine.

‍Communicating results on a regular cadence through storytelling and other qualitative measures brings data to life and connects policy outcomes to real human experiences. Making abstract outcomes tangible, relatable, and memorable helps build broader public support and trust.

Real-life example: While the COVID-19 pandemic decreased trust in elected officials in the U.S. and other countries, Australia and New Zealand saw the opposite during the early months of the pandemic.

In mid-2020, around 80% of Australians and New Zealanders agreed that government was generally trustworthy, and about three-quarters said their government’s pandemic management had increased that trust.  

Visible decision-making and rapid sharing of public health advice and data helped build trust, and people felt the government was competent and acting in their best interest. Daily briefings, science-led messaging, and the release of COVID tracking apps contributed to a sense of clarity and authority.  

Although trust declined as the pandemic dragged on—driven partly by communication breakdowns and reflecting broader global trends—in 2023, Australia and New Zealand still reported higher levels of trust in government than average among advanced economies.

5. Reinforce transparency and accountability.

‍When governments openly share information about decisions, spending, outcomes, and processes, the public can see how and why things are done—and hold leaders and institutions accountable for results. Strengthening the systems, practices, and culture that enable transparency and accountability helps prevent corruption, improve performance, and, in the long run, build public trust.

Real-life example: The New South Wales Premier Implementation Unit (PIU) was established in 2015 to deliver on ambitious goals for improving residents’ quality of life. Each of the 12 priority goals was tied to specific and measurable outcomes the Premier hoped to achieve within five years.  

While state government agencies led program implementation, the PIU was responsible for supporting, monitoring, and reporting progress. The PIU set up new systems to collect and report data in real time, making progress transparent to the public.  

The PIU also developed new strategies for communicating with practitioners and end users to understand how to improve service implementation. The PIU was successful in reaching several goals—some even ahead of schedule—and made significant progress across priorities.

Building Enduring Trust

Restoring faith in government doesn’t happen overnight. But when governments set clear priorities informed by resident needs, follow through on implementation, and demonstrate and communicate results, trust can be restored over time.  

This confidence becomes a catalyst for continued or expanded investment in programs and services that work—and that deliver lasting impact for the people they serve.

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