Modernising public sector skills in an era of rapid change

The global public sector stands at a critical crossroads.

As governments accelerate digital transformation and grapple with the imperatives of sustainability and inclusion, the capabilities of civil servants, particularly those in public finance, must evolve at a matching pace.

With over 67,000 public sector members and students worldwide, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is at the forefront of this challenge.

Through its research, qualification updates and policy guidance, ACCA provides a blueprint for how public institutions can not only cope with rapid change, but lead through it.

Overall, ACCA has over three quarters of a million members and future members worldwide.

ACCA’s global talent trends: High AI optimism, low confidence

Insights from ACCA’s Global Talent Trends (GTT) 2025 survey reveals a compelling paradox that while there is high optimism about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in the sector, there remains a deep-seated concern over individual preparedness.

Now in its third year, with over 10,000 individual respondents from 175 countries it is the largest annual talent survey of accountancy and finance professionals across the world.

Half of all respondents (50 per cent) voiced concerns about not currently developing the skills required for the future workplace. This sentiment is acute when it comes to technology.

Despite the widespread acceptance that AI will be the most valuable skill moving forward, a significant number of professionals are hesitant, with 38 per cent suggesting they are not confident in their current knowledge of AI.

For public sector leaders, these findings highlight a widening skills gap.

While public finance professionals are inherently motivated and driven by the public good, the survey data highlights concern about their readiness in areas vital to modern governance, including AI literacy, sustainability and digital competency.

As George Thomson from ACCA’s Asia Pacific Public Affairs team notes: “Skills needs are changing fast, and our ASEAN Recommendations show how governments can move together to build the next generation of public-sector talent”.

The survey revealed a systemic flaw in addressing this need, with fewer than one-third of the respondents (32 per cent) indicating that their organisation is currently providing opportunities to learn AI-related skills.

Compounded by 44 per cent who cited insufficient training opportunities as a key barrier, this highlights a clear challenge for government talent pipelines.

To successfully adopt new technologies, governments must urgently rethink how they develop and empower their existing talent base. The urgency to modernise skills is now non-negotiable.

To subscribe to the GovInsider bulletin, click here.

Reimagining the professional standard

The role of the accountant has transformed dramatically.

Digital tools and data analytics have shifted the profession from meticulous bookkeeping to strategic advising, with public finance professionals expected to interpret complex data, offer forward-looking insights and uphold robust governance.

In response to this shift, ACCA has redesigned its qualification to structurally embed key competencies throughout the learning journey. These updates explicitly focus on areas such as digital, AI, data, ethics and sustainability.

The new qualification directly addresses the pain points surfaced in the survey, which is to produce the skillsets that governments increasingly rely on.

These include the ability to interpret complex data responsibly, ensure robust governance around AI adoption, and apply ethical judgments to technological challenges.

“The qualification redesign will support civil servants understanding of how to utilise the abundance of data available to them effectively and accurately to allow them to make relevant accounting judgments.

“Including not just building confidence in the technical aspects of data, digital and technology, but also understanding the importance to consider, the source of the data, its reliability and any ethical concerns in reporting the data,” Ally Gilbert from ACCA’s Professional Qualifications team explained.

From individual capability to systemic action

Equipping an individual civil servant with a future-ready qualification is only one half of the solution.

For the public sector to achieve systemic capability uplift, this individual action must be supported and enabled by cohesive, government-level policy.

ACCA’s new policy recommendations titled “Navigating a changed world: ACCA recommendations for ASEAN” offer actionable guidance designed to help ASEAN governments stay competitive in a fast-changing global economy.

The framework seeks to bridge the immediate talent needs identified in the survey to a regional, government-facing agenda.

The policy paper highlights key areas for coordinated government focus, including public financial management, the digital transition, and the implementation of robust sustainability reporting standards.

The public sector gains the most when talent development, supported by modern qualifications, aligns with cohesive government-level strategies.

This integrated approach, where policy creates the pathway for more qualified and confident professionals, allows public finance leaders to navigate disruption and drive sustainable growth for their nations with assurance and clarity.