The economic transformation of Mexico during the 1980s and 1990s led to a deep transformation of the role of the state in the economy. While Mexico has now become a highly globalised economy, its public management and governance system has had to adapt and modernise in a context of limited fiscal revenues. Significant progress has undoubtedly been made, but improvements have been uneven and advances at the federal level have not always translated into better capacity to design and implement policy across all levels of government. The Pact for Mexico announces a wide range of commitments that will further test the capacity of the public sector to deliver.