Public sector communication now decides whether reforms earn trust

Trust has become the public sector’s scarcest resource: across 33 OECD countries, more people report low or no trust in their national government (43%) than high or moderately high trust (40%), and only 39% judge communication about policy reforms adequate (OECD). The scale is structural — over 250,000 EU public authorities spend €2.5 trillion a year through procurement — and the digital transition risks widening the gap, with 54% of low-income citizens expecting to be left behind by generative AI (Edelman). Communication is no longer a support function; it is infrastructure. VA helps public sector leaders govern communication investment with procurement-grade rigour — transparent partners, measurable outcomes, accountable budgets.