Building a Cohort of Agile, Visionary Public Sector Leaders for Sri Lanka’s Sustainable Development
Recognising the indispensable role of a robust public sector in achieving national development goals, Citra, Sri Lanka’s pioneering Social Innovation Lab, established as a joint initiative between the Prime Minister’s Office and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, together with the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA), recently hosted the fifth “Citra Fellowship Executive Programme 2026”. This unique, experiential learning initiative is specially curated to empower senior public sector officials with the skills, mindset, and tools needed to deliver innovative, efficient, and future-ready public services.
This year’s programme, held from 22 to 27 March welcomed a diverse cohort of public sector officials, including Additional Secretaries, Directors General (DGs) and Senior Assistant Secretaries from a range of Ministry portfolios. The programme was designed to address the evolving needs of the public sector, equipping participants to become agile, visionary leaders supporting Sri Lanka’s sustainable development ambitions. The week-long programme was facilitated by Citra Lab and international experts, with valuable support from UNDP’s Governance and Public Goods and Services (GPGS) team through the FutureGov initiative, funded by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund under the UN Peace and Development Fund. These officials, widely regarded as the next generation of public sector leaders, are poised to play a critical role in advancing Sri Lanka’s sustainable development goals.
Commenting on the programme’s emphasis on innovative thinking, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Pradeep Saputhanthri remarked, “The Fellowship Programme is expected to contribute towards building a more responsive, innovative, and results-oriented public sector. By investing in the continuous development of senior officials, we seek to further strengthen institutional capacity to support national development priorities and improve service delivery to citizens.”
The Citra Fellowship Executive Programme is structured in three progressive stages:
- Stage 1: A residential five-day workshop crafted to build a future-fit public service, facilitated by Citra Lab
- Stage 2: Guided implementation of learning outcomes via a small-scale project over a three-month period, ranging from streamlining existing processes to redesigning workflows for greater efficiency.
- Stage 3: A recap session focusing on sharing experiences, addressing challenges, celebrating successes, and charting a path forward for enhanced public service delivery.
Reflecting on the timeliness and impact of such programmes, Ms. Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka, commented, “UNDP is proud to join hands with the Prime Minister’s Office through our joint initiative – the Citra Lab, and support the advancement of Sri Lanka’s public sector transformation. Drawing on our deep well of global and regional expertise, we know that equipping public sector leaders with the knowledge, skills, and networks is a catalytic investment for driving innovation and sustainable development in times of uncertainty and fast changes. I have interacted with inspiring and impressive graduates of the previous four cohorts across the public sector institutions, and this stands as a testament to the success of the programme in bringing about meaningful change. Together, we are building a more agile, future-ready public service that will continue to deliver lasting impacts for all Sri Lankans and the world.”
Commenting on their experience at this year’s Citra Fellowship Programme, P.P.S Rohana De Silva, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Mass Media noted, “I was particularly impressed by the design thinking approach. In our day-to-day work, we are constantly faced with new problems and are expected to analyse them and find solutions. What stood out to me was how design thinking goes beyond that, helping us unpack the underlying issues behind a problem, manage them more effectively, and prioritise what to address first to achieve better results. This depth of thinking was the most compelling part of the workshop for me.”
Beyond equipping participants with cutting-edge skills and exposing them to international best practices, the Citra Fellowship Executive Programme was also designed to foster a transformative mindset among Sri Lanka’s public sector leaders. By inspiring them to become champions of innovation, especially during the nation’s post-recovery phase, the programme empowers officials to drive lasting change and elevate the quality and impact of public service across the country.
