departmental silos Articles
NEED MINI SPONSOR LOGO
‘Don’t let forever climbing hurdles leave you unhappy’: five minutes with the UK Food Standards Agency’s Julie Pierce
The agency’s director of openness, data and digital, and Wales, tells GGF about engineering your career to do more of what you love, her desire to see technocrats at the top of government departments, and the artificial construct of departmental silos What drew you to a career in the civil service? It is tasked to…
Finance and governance are not the gatekeepers of innovation
At a recent event, senior leaders discussed how governance and processes can support new thinking. While siloes can be problematic, COVID has shown that collaboration is key. Adam Branson reports “Finance and governance are sometimes seen as the enemy, the gatekeeper or the judge of people who are just trying to get something solved,” said…
Public leaders share their top priorities for civil service reform
From training to remuneration and culture change, senior officials from across the world discuss what’s on their agenda for change over the coming year This year was no ordinary year, with the public health crisis and economic havoc wreaked by COVID-19. So we wanted to understand what reforms senior leaders from governments are focusing on…
End short-term thinking and focus on delivery, civil service reform panel told
The UK civil service must look beyond policymaking to focus on implementation and delivery, former senior political advisers told an influential panel examining civil service reform last week. Jonathan Powell, chief of staff to Prime Minister Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007, told the online evidence session: “One of the big frustrations of the first…
India embarks on landmark civil service capacity-building reform
The Indian government has unveiled a major reform programme that will radically reshape the way civil servants are trained and developed and create what the country’s home minister described as a “new work culture”. The Union Cabinet, the supreme decision-making body in India, approved the reform programme – called ‘Mission Karmayogi’ or the National Programme for…
2020 vision: how data can paint a picture of the pandemic
Around the world, governments are struggling to respond to this novel, fast-moving and catastrophic pandemic. At a recent GGF webinar, an international panel explored how data can reveal COVID’s behaviour and its impact on societies and economies – enabling public servants to combat the disease and protect their citizens. Natalie Leal reports Until we develop…
departmental silos Events, Conferences & Summits - In-Person
departmental silos Webinars
departmental silos Research
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)
departmental silos Training Courses
Partnerships
Partner with us to connect with senior government leaders, policymakers, public sector professionals and the organisations shaping the future of AI in public services.
Our partnership opportunities are designed to facilitate meaningful collaboration, knowledge sharing and engagement across the public sector. Whether you are a government department, local authority, public body or industry organisation, we help you share expertise, showcase innovation and contribute to the responsible adoption of AI across public services.
Join the departmental silos Community
Be part of the growing community shaping the future of AI across government and the public sector.
Sign up to receive the latest AI news, research, events, webinars and practical insights from GGF and our partners. You'll be the first to hear about new reports, conferences, networking opportunities and thought leadership from government and industry experts.
Latest News
