Governments are responsible for carrying out various crucial functions that require a skilled and dedicated public sector workforce. It is up to the government to decide which services should be provided directly by public entities and which should be delivered through partnerships with the private sector or non-profit organisations. As a result, the size and functions of the public sector workforce differ significantly across countries in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. For example, in some countries, the government employs most healthcare providers, educators and emergency response personnel. In contrast, in other countries, these essential roles are mainly fulfilled by employees in private or non-profit organisations. This diverse context highlights the different approaches to service provision and workforce allocation in response to the region's unique socio-economic contexts and citizen expectations.

A workforce with a mix of ages can help ensure the right mix of skills, a diversity of views and approaches, and continuity in the public sector workforce. If one generation dominates the workforce, the public sector may face challenges which differ depending on the age group. Where an older generation predominates, the lack of opportune succession can represent a major challenge for the continuity of policies and services, while if public servants are predominantly from a younger generation, more investment in career development might be needed. Therefore, governments need to ensure an age-diverse workforce, which will help preserve institutional knowledge while also allowing for an orderly turnover in the workforce as older public servants retire. Achieving a balanced age profile in the central government workforce and across different positions may determine how governments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) face current and future challenges, by ensuring a broad range of perspectives and experience, which can lead to more well-rounded and effective decision making.

A diverse workforce is essential for promoting representation and inclusion of underrepresented and vulnerable groups. It strengthens government performance by driving innovation and contributing to tailor services to meet the community's needs. Diversity in the public workforce creates a more inclusive culture that reduces biases and enhances the brainpower, ideas and approaches to identifying and solving problems considering all interests and perspectives. It should consider the participation of people with disabilities as well as gender equality in employment opportunities and in representation at different levels of the administration to allow for a wide plural perspective closer to the needs of these groups both.

Gender equality in politics means both men and women have an equal opportunity to participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives and the lives of others. There is growing evidence that gender-balanced representation in public institutions can foster more inclusive and innovative decision-making processes, and that it is also critical for restoring the health of and trust in democracies. Achieving a gender-balanced representation of the population in parliamentary bodies can strengthen the design of inclusive policies, so that they take into consideration the needs of all groups in society, including women. This representation should also extend to leadership and decision-making positions in the executive to ensure the implementation of policy considers a plurality of needs.

The representation of young people in politics is key to strengthening their democratic engagement and encouraging whole-of-society buy-in to tackle common challenges. Having younger decision makers in parliament, as well as in other public roles more broadly, contributes to developing inclusive policies that consider and promote the interests and needs of younger generations. Younger decision makers can have unique perspectives, skills, experiences and innovative outlooks on problems that can be sometimes overlooked by older politicians. Age diversity among decision makers can also improve civic engagement and political participation among young people, which is crucial since they tend to vote less than older age groups (OECD, 2020). When young people participate in the political process, they can wield significant influence over election outcomes and, consequently, the policies that shape their country’s present and future.