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‘Digital is not a cost centre’: Five minutes with Richard Corbridge, chief digital and information officer at the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions
Richard Corbridge, chief digital and information officer at the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions, discusses digital as an investment, increasing professional recognition for CIOs, and more. This is part of a ‘Five minutes’ series featuring speakers from the Global Government Forum Innovation conference (London, 19-20 March). At the event, Corbridge will participate in a session on innovative…
Estonia calls for tech innovators to collaborate on new government services
The Estonian government is granting tech-driven organisations and entrepreneurs access to its technological resources on the proviso that it can have free use of any resulting tools and services. It says it is looking to collaborate with start-ups, big business, governments, researchers, and entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world via its Digital Testbed Framework. Participants…
US government urged to spend $25bn a year on AI or risk falling behind
Congress and the White House should work together to increase annual federal spending on artificial intelligence (AI) research and development to US$25bn (€19.2bn), according to a national security think tank. This is one of a number of recommendations set out in a report – entitled The American AI Century: A Blueprint for Action – from…
Australia’s approach to FOI breaches spirit of federal law, says former information chief
The Australian government’s approach to Freedom of Information (FOI) is undermining transparency and breaching the spirit of federal law, according to the country’s former information officer, John McMillan. McMillan was referring, in comments reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, to the government’s failure to appoint three statutory commissioners – an omission that, he says, contravenes…
Canada’s digital chief Alex Benay quits government
Alex Benay has announced he will step down as Canada’s chief information officer next month to “take on new challenge” at tech start-up MindBridge. “It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing my departure from the Government of Canada,” he said on Wednesday in a statement posted on social media, describing his time as…
Colin MacDonald, CIO for the government of New Zealand: Exclusive Interview
New Zealand’s government chief information officer, Colin MacDonald, explains to Winnie Agbonlahor the digital innovations that prompted the OECD to make him chair of its e-leaders summit The OECD’s e-leaders’ meeting brings together some of the world’s most senior digital government officials – and its new chair is New Zealand’s government chief information officer, Colin…
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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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