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Australian Public Service publishes AI roadmap
The Australian Public Service (APS) has set out in a new plan how it intends to maximise artificial intelligence to deliver better services for citizens. The government said the roadmap, entitled AI Plan for the Australian Public Service, would “improve the AI maturity of the public sector” with the aim of producing “faster, more consistent…
Australia sets out standards for government AI alongside new collaboration tool
Australia’s Digital Transformation Agency has published an AI technical standard for the government, along with ‘GovAI’, a platform designed to foster collaborative use of the technology across departments. The new technical standard – launched on 31 July – sets out technical requirements for AI systems across their full lifecycle, from initial design through to monitoring…
APS gender pay gap beats wider public sector
The Australian Public Service (APS) has a gender pay gap of 5.7% – a figure that is lower than the wider public sector, and significantly lower than the private sector. The latest available data, covering 2023, was published last week by Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). It shows that the APS total remuneration gender…
Women’s Network news round-up: From gender bias in AI to Australia’s new equality strategy
It’s been a busy month for women-focused and gender equality news. Here we pull together a selection of articles from the last few weeks, including an interview on gender bias in AI and how to tackle it; the Scottish Parliament’s guide to improving equal participation and inclusion of women in parliaments around the world; anger…
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…
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…
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…
Australian public servants granted ‘right to disconnect’ but with exceptions, says minister
Officials working for Australia’s federal government will have the ‘right to disconnect’ in six months’ time, unless their contract explicitly states otherwise, minister for the public service Katy Gallagher has confirmed. The right to disconnect bill – which was passed by the Australian Senate earlier this month and covers the national workforce – gives employees…
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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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