(#3) Symbiotic Governments | Decluttering governments through Mission Clusters

The realization of a symbiotic government requires multiple components. Although conceptualizing missions?is a?vital piece of the puzzle, just as importantly, we need to design a way for translating how these missions come together and scale. This article will elaborate on how Mission Clusters?can be the vehicle for deploying and scaling missions successfully.

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There have been many standalone missions. We are witnessing the EU move to a missions-thinking approach through their multi-billion Euro funding instrument, Horizon Europe. Beginning from 2021, they aim to deliver solutions for some of the greatest challenges facing our world. They have already announced five mission areas, with each mission mandated to solve a pressing dilemma in society, within a certain time frame and budget.

What’s missing is a concerted effort to shift the whole of government to missions-thinking. Scaling such a mindset enables symbiotic governments, and the mechanism by which to scale is Mission Clusters. These clusters are a culmination of missions webbed together based on a shared purpose.

Designing Mission Clusters

Cluster Segments

Each mission cluster is comprised of a countless number of missions. When designing mission clusters, it is vital to take into consideration the specific themes under which these various missions can align, to allow for more coherence and collaboration. These themes are classified as 'segments'. For example, the ‘Missions for Wellbeing’ cluster would contain the segments of 'modern medicine', 'alternative medicine', and 'holistic health'. Although individual in principle, each of these segments is interdependent, with specific sub-components playing off of one another.

As the Mission Cluster evolves, it is necessary to constantly reflect on the full matrix of the segments, to ensure execution on mandates is aligned, and any additional missions incorporated are affiliated in some way. For instance, if AI advances enough to be legally considered a 'person', then the ‘Missions for Wellbeing’ cluster should be able to absorb this change by either creating a new segment dedicated to the wellness of 'digital-beings', or merge the needs of these new 'digital-beings' into an existing segment (i.e. wholistic medicine) and tweaking (one or multiple) mission objectives and indicators.

"Words Have Meaning, Names Have Power"

Cluster Titles

The title of each Mission Cluster should be determined based on the versatility of the clusters' overarching purpose. It should also be broad enough to allow for flexibility to modify and innovate given future needs.

For example, the ‘Missions for Knowledge’ cluster was not defined as ‘Missions for?Education’. Education is limited to the systematic instruction for receiving and providing knowledge. Alternatively, the cluster is responsible for growing and exploring all the various components linked to the intellectual process of acquiring and sharing new skills and knowledge, whether it be through experiences, studying or teaching. This broader directive warrants a title more relevant to its mandate.

It is also important to recognize that the titles allocated for each of the Mission Clusters greatly influences the 'segments' which sit within the Cluster, and the type of missions being designed to achieve the mandates of the Clusters.

Cluster Agility

With needs and objectives evolving over time, a?symbiotic government?should be intuitive and perceptive of trends and transformations to remain relevant, responsive and ready. Which is why the set of segments within a Mission Cluster should not bound to the rigid sectors of today.

The set of segments in the ‘Missions for Foundations’ cluster are not bound to the standard sectors of 'transport' or 'urban development'. Instead, they are categorized as 'Spatial Design' and 'Movement', to allow for a quick and smooth transition as the needs of the time alter.

We see potential for underwater and floating cities, which have different infrastructural needs, therefore countries should begin planning and strategizing from now. One approach would be to launch missions like ‘establishing by 2035 a permanent underwater compound, hosting a minimum of 15 people, for the advancement of underwater habitats’. Such a mission would not easily fit into today’s category of ‘urban development’ given its very different mandates, but can easily mesh into the segment of ‘Spatial Design’, as the segment is fluid in its definition.

Just as importantly, agility requires stability when it comes to measuring success. Therefore, progress of a Cluster will be assessed based on the successful execution of the individual missions. Every mission will be allocated specific indicators by which the objectives can be measured, and assessments can be made for further improvement. It is important to keep in mind that these measurements need to be defined from a long-term perspective, and not viewed from a weekly, monthly, or quarterly evaluation. This helps to ensure we do not suffocate the mission with short-term aspirations.

As mentioned at the start of this article, realizing a symbiotic government requires multiple interdependent components and systems. Government as a whole is mandated to achieve these missions, leveraging the expertise available across all mission clusters, as well as government leaders. As always, your input, feedback and point of views are welcome, across concepts from this article, or the articles which follow in this series, around CoCreators and leadership for the 21st century .