Read the article below and answer ALL questions in this section.

COVID-19 presented most of the world with a test: Could work as we know it continue in a virtual environment? This grand experiment has changed the way many, including the public sector, think about remote work. The forced shift toward a distributed and highly virtualized model demonstrates that most people can accomplish work efficiently, effectively, and comfortably even while working remotely.

As employees in the public and private sectors continue to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations may be undergoing a transition that they cannot easily reverse. Workflows will likely have to adapt, and workforces may settle into a different kind of life balance. When it's safe to return to the office, employees may not be returning to the same work. Some may find that the nature of their jobs, and expectations about their roles, have changed.

More than just a short-term inconvenience, remote work may be the first step in a long-term transformation, which COVID-19 has just accelerated. Location liberation and the ability to work from anywhere are here now, and they're altering most aspects of how we work, where we work, and what we need to work effectively and collaboratively.

Insert Source: Location liberation: Adaptive workplaces in government. https://www2.deloitte.com/za/en/insights/industry/public-sector/government-trends/2021/location-liberation-adaptiveworkplaces-government.html

QUESTION 1 (30 Marks)

From the extract, there has been a rapid acceleration of the virtual environment, including the public sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Critically examine key strategies that consultants can adeptly utilize to navigate and support virtual public sector organizations as they strive to achieve their goals and deliver high-quality services to the citizens they serve.

QUESTION 2 (30 Marks) "...remote work may be the first step in a long-term transformation, which COVID-19 has just accelerated...." Discuss this phrase in the context of virtual organizations operating within the public sector.