KDI School has been officially listed as a funder of the Global Survey of Public Servants (GSPS), a landmark international research initiative led by the World Bank. This recognition highlights KDI School’s commitment to advancing global standards in public administration through rigorous, data-driven research and international collaboration. The GSPS, launched in 2020, is the world’s largest and most comprehensive comparative survey of public servants, collecting systematic, experience-based data to provide unique insights into the realities of government workforces around the world. With over 1.3 million responses from more than 1,300 government institutions across 23 countries, the GSPS enables cross-national comparisons based on four core dimensions: motivation for public service, organizational culture, performance and accountability, and integrity and corruption.

Funders of Surveys

(Source: https://www.globalsurveyofpublicservants.org/global-survey-team)

What sets the GSPS apart is its focus on first-hand input from public servants, complementing and enhancing traditional governance metrics that rely heavily on expert opinion. The survey is structured to support not only academic research but also practical application in policymaking and administrative reform. Backed by a global consortium of research institutions, including Stanford University, University College London (UCL), and the University of Nottingham, the GSPS represents a credible and collaborative international effort to understand and improve public sector systems. The data is publicly available through the official GSPS website and is already being utilized in countries across the globe to inform government reform efforts and assess human resource management practices.

Examples of GSPS Impacts

(Source: https://www.globalsurveyofpublicservants.org/about)

The GSPS’s academic value has been affirmed through publication in top-tier journals such as Public Administration Review (Vol. 83, No. 4, 2023), where survey data was analyzed to compare variables such as perceptions of performance pay, promotion systems, corruption, and job satisfaction across countries. Case studies included in the GSPS-related publications illustrate the practical application of the data: in Romania, differences between online and in-person responses were analyzed to improve survey methodologies; in Albania, recruitment processes and salary competitiveness were examined to support HR policy reform; in Croatia, issues such as wage gaps and perceived fairness in hiring were investigated to assess systemic challenges; and in Chile, Romania, and Estonia, data on job satisfaction and promotion criteria by years of service helped to evaluate changes in recruitment and retention systems.

The World Bank’s Governance Global Practice uses GSPS data to evaluate administrative capacity and recommend reform priorities, making it a key resource for institutions pursuing evidence-based improvements in governance. The survey design has undergone rigorous academic validation, and its standardized modules ensure comparability and reliability across national contexts. KDI School’s participation as a funder reinforces its leadership in public policy research and global cooperation. By supporting GSPS, KDI School contributes to a high-impact global public good that promotes transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in government, in line with its mission to foster innovative, research-based solutions for public sector challenges worldwide.