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UK to map underground utilities under geospatial data strategy
The UK government has published a strategy setting out how geospatial data will “drive innovation and boost the economy” over the next five years. Geospatial data is a subset of location data which allows information to be collected with associated time and place. It has wide-ranging potential applications, from tracking COVID-19 outbreaks to predicting major…
Oxford University launches global corona policy tracker
The University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government has created a tool that tracks and compares government policy responses to the coronavirus crisis worldwide. The aim of the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) is to help researchers, decision-makers and citizens explore how governments are responding to the crisis, understand the factors behind different…
Public sector in Cambodia to be linked digitally with other countries
Cambodia’s public sector is to be digitally linked with other countries in a new initiative launched by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The Cambodian programme is the latest of a number of UNDP Accelerator Labs schemes being rolled out in Africa, South America, Asia and Eastern Europe. The aim is to bring together grassroots ideas…
Spain gathers anonymised phone tracking data to shape public services
The Spanish Institute of Statistics (INE) is using location data from millions of mobile phones to gain insights into citizens’ movements. The aim is to enable government to better manage public services such as transportation and healthcare, and to improve infrastructure. To access the data, the INE reached an agreement with the three largest phone…
Canada launches data governance standardisation initiative
Experts from government, industry and civil society have established a ‘Canadian Data Governance Standardization Collaborative’ with the aim of developing a data standards roadmap. Its work “could be incredibly illuminating, not just for Canada but for our partners internationally,” Canada’s chief statistician, Anil Arora, told Global Government Forum. The group will, he explained, help organisations…
US bill proposes personal liability for company executives over data misuse
US Democrats are championing a bill which, if passed, would make it a criminal offence for company bosses to lie to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about privacy practices. The Mind Your Own Business Act would give the FTC, which is responsible for privacy protections, the power to impose jail sentences of up to 20…
Bill seeks to protect US federal scientists from political influence
A US committee has advanced a bill to protect federal scientists and their research from political interference. The Scientific Integrity Act – which the House Science, Space and Technology Committee approved by 25 votes to six on 17 October – aims to protect science, the scientific process, and the communication of science from politics,…
Former CIO warns that Canada lacks the ‘building blocks’ of digital economy
Alex Benay, Canada’s former chief information officer, has warned that officials are not making sufficient progress on digital identity, which he argues is the cornerstone of a digital economy. Speaking with Global Government Forum, Benay – who announced his departure from government in August, and has since joined Artificial Intelligence firm MindBridge Ai as…
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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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