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‘Radical incrementalism’: new APS commissioner details 10-year reform agenda
Priorities for reform of the Australian Public Service (APS) will include a focus on people, behaviours and strengthening laws and institutions to ensure that the APS can sustain delivering and achieving outcomes for the Australian government. In his first public speech in the role, recently appointed APS commissioner, Gordon de Brouwer, stated that “everything in…
Australia’s defence department sets 50% recruitment target for women in STEM
Australia’s Department of Defence is working towards doubling the number of women hired through science, technology, engineering and mathematics recruitment programmes. The 50% target announced last week will apply to the STEM Cadetship Program and the research and innovation pathway of the Defence Graduate Program, which currently have a women’s participation rate of 25%. “Increasing…
Exclusive: majority of civil servants crave better training opportunities, global survey finds
Just over a third of civil and public servants (36.3%) are satisfied with the training options available to them and only 40.7% of managers feel they have sufficient training budgets to develop their teams, according to the results of a Global Government Forum survey. The survey also found that the vast majority of respondents…
Australian federal agencies told to expect capability reviews as government steps up reform plan
Australia’s minister for finance and the public service Katy Gallagher has told agencies to expect independent capability reviews as the government pushes ahead with its public service reform plan. The announcement came in conjunction with Labor’s first budget, delivered last week, in which the government made clear its intention to scrutinise agencies’ performance. In her…
‘A very curious own goal’: UK ministers criticised for civil service fast stream pause
The UK government’s move to pause its civil service graduate recruitment scheme represents “a curious own goal” that will have management consultants “rubbing their hands that they don’t have to compete with the civil service anymore”, a former department permanent secretary has said. Dame Una O’Brien, who led the Department of Health between 2010 to…
AI intelligence: equipping public and civil service leaders with the skills to embrace emerging technologies
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data technologies may still be in their infancy but there is no doubt they will loom large in the years and decades to come. Karen Day looks into the importance of building civil service capability to ensure the opportunities are taken advantage of and the pitfalls avoided – and at…
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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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