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UK government to hire chief AI officer
The UK civil service is looking to hire a government chief AI officer for the first time, in a move that builds on a trend to embed the role in public administrations worldwide. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has confirmed to Global Governemnt Forum that the department would begin advertising the role…
Australia appoints new public service commissioner
Gordon de Brouwer has been appointed Australian Public Service commissioner and will start his five-year term on 11 May, the federal government has announced. The economist, academic and public servant of 35 years will replace Peter Woolcott, who steps down after nearly five years in the role. De Brouwer served most recently as secretary for…
New secretary of Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet named
Professor Glyn Davis has been named secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C). His appointment follows the departure of Phil Gaetjens after Labor won the country’s federal election on 21 May. A public policy expert, Davis’ career has spanned both government and academia. He served as commissioner for public sector equity at…
Canada’s former digital chief to lead on government ID verification at US university
Aaron Snow, who stepped down as Canadian Digital Service (CDS) CEO last month, has taken up the role of faculty fellow at Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation. He will lead the center’s State Software Collaborative, which facilitates the cooperative development of software for use by US government agencies and includes work…
Simon Case named as new UK Cabinet secretary
Simon Case is to replace Sir Mark Sedwill as Cabinet secretary and head of the UK civil service, prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Tuesday. In May, Case – a former principal private secretary to PMs David Cameron and Theresa May – was seconded from his job as private secretary to Prince William into the…
UK appoints head of merging foreign and aid departments
Sir Philip Barton has been appointed permanent under-secretary at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Barton will head up the new department, which is to be formed next month after prime minister Boris Johnson announced in June that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DfID) – which manages…
Role of No10 permanent secretary returns after eight-year gap
Simon Case, former principal private secretary to Theresa May and private secretary to Prince William, has been appointed as Number 10 permanent secretary, with responsibility for the implementation and delivery of the UK’s COVID-19 policies. The Spectator – which was edited by current PM Boris Johnson between 1999 and 2005, and retains close links to…
New UK Cabinet Office chief revealed
Alex Chisholm, permanent secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), is to replace Sir John Manzoni as UK Cabinet Office permanent secretary. But in an apparent downgrading of the post, Chisholm will not also take on Manzoni’s title of chief executive of the civil service – instead having the role of…
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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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