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Australian tax agency to implement audit report’s recommendations on AI governance
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has agreed to join up its automation and AI strategies, clarify communication around accountability, and review risk controls, following an audit on AI governance at the organisation. The ATO agreed “in full” to all seven recommendations in the report by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), which comes as the…
Report finds Australian Public Service making ‘significant’ progress on gender equality
The Australian Public Service (APS) has made “significant gains” towards gender equality but there is still more to do, according to a new report. The interim evaluation covers two years since the publication of the APS 2021-2026 Gender Equality Strategy in December 2021. The strategy, launched under the previous Coalition government, aims to promote gender…
From power shifts to productivity: Public service trends in 2024
After another busy year for public servants, we round up some of Global Government Forum’s top news stories and features from the last 12 months, highlighting the trends, challenges and opportunities facing civil services around the globe. A historic year of elections 2024 was the biggest year in modern history for elections around the globe.…
Australian Public Service to release digital workforce plan in 2025
The Australian Public Service (APS) plans to release a strategy next year for attracting and retaining digital talent in the government workforce. Speaking after the publication of the APS’s 2024 reform update earlier this month, Katy Gallagher, Australia’s minister for finance, women and the public service, said that the strategy would contain a comprehensive plan…
Australian government workers save an hour a day in large generative AI trial
Australian public servants who took part in a six-month trial of generative AI reported that it saved them an average of an hour a day. The trial made Microsoft 365 Copilot, a generative AI chatbot, available to 7,600 staff across more than 60 government agencies, and is thought to be one of the largest by…
Public service jobs ‘front and centre’ in Australian election contest, says minister
Investment in the government workforce is critical to delivering high-quality public services and proposed job cuts by the opposition Coalition would “devastate communities nationwide” and “cripple essential services”, Australia’s minister for the public service Katy Gallagher said this week. Public service jobs and services are “shaping up to be front and centre of the upcoming…
Call for Australia to ‘science the sh*t’ out of climate change
Australia needs to “science the shit out of” climate change and reimagine the country’s future to reduce carbon emissions, according to experts speaking at a recent event. Assistant climate change and energy minister Josh Wilson urged Australia to shift away from being a top exporter of iron ore, coal and gas. “We shouldn’t limit ourselves…
News in brief: UK government offers training for new ministers, Australia’s Net Zero Economy Authority passes Senate, and more
Global Government Forum’s weekly roundup of public service news In this edition: UK government offers training to new ministers Incoming UK government ministers have been receiving training for the first time as they take up their posts following the election. The sessions were instituted by the government to provide support to new ministers on how…
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Discover independent research reports, surveys and in-depth studies from Global Government Forum and knowledge partners, exploring the most important issues facing governments and the public sector. Our research provides practical insights and evidence-based recommendations for senior civil servants, policymakers and public sector leaders. Our reports combine exclusive survey data, expert analysis and interviews with government leaders from around the world to help public sector organisations improve performance, inform policy and deliver better outcomes for citizens.
Empowering Public Servants to Make Confident, Informed Decisions with Data and AI
Governments around the world are working hard to extract – and act upon – the insights held in their vast data stores, and to embrace AI and the promise it holds for innovation and transformation. At the same time, economic pressures and constrained budgets are compelling public servants to do more with fewer resources, while governments are called to respond quickly and effectively to complex challenges.
Against this backdrop, data and AI can help those working in government both to streamline their workflows and make fast, informed decisions. This in turn drives efficiency and can unlock productivity gains – and ultimately lead to improved performance and better services for citizens.
Global Government Forum surveyed over 600 civil servants worldwide to understand how data and AI are being used in government decision-making and where there are further challenges and opportunities.
Read this report for insight into how governments are using data and AI in decision-making today and the potential for the future; the major challenges to using data and AI in decision-making and how to overcome them; and how AI agents can be used in decision-making.
The report includes examples of data and AI in decision-making from countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Singapore, the US, and more.
(Published September 2025)
Making Government Work: Five Pillars of a Modern, Effective Civil Service
Around the world, governments are dealing with substantial challenges – from economic stagnation to the transition to net zero, military conflicts and cyber threats. Governments are also grappling with shifting geopolitics and the rise of populism – and all of these factors are set against the emergence of new technologies, including generative AI, which have the potential to fundamentally transform every aspect of society, but which also pose huge ethical, security and regulatory questions for the public sector.
The Making Government Work: Five pillars of a modern, effective civil service report was undertaken to help identify the key characteristics needed in a modern public service, with priorities ranging across leadership, digital service delivery, workforce development, cross-departmental integration, and citizen trust.
This report has been covered by publications around the world including the Financial Times, BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, Ottawa Citizen, Fed Manager, the Mandarin and the i newspaper.
(Published August 2024)
The Future of the Finance Ministry
From setting tax rates and financial regulations that create the ground rules for national economies, to allocating – and tracking – spending for public services, finance ministries occupy an essential role at the centre of government. Geopolitical crises have reinforced the importance of finance ministries, as they tackle both immediate shocks and long-term trends such as ageing populations, the digital transition, and the impact of moves to net zero.
Against this backdrop, this global research explores what the future finance ministry looks like and how to prepare for it.
Based on interviews with 10 senior leaders from finance ministries – led by John McCarthy, chief economist in Ireland’s Department of Finance, working with Ian Hall, editor, Global Government Finance, and Richard Johnstone, executive editor, Global Government Forum – the study identifies four key themes: the evolving role of the finance ministry in response to uncertainty; the shift to more flexible finance systems that support outcomes; digital transformation and the growth of AI; and the battle for talent and trust.
(Published May 2026)
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