Jacinda Ardern Articles
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‘Machinery of government expert’ becomes New Zealand PM
Incoming New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins has said that the government is currently doing “too much too fast” and has pledged an increased focus on tackling inflation in his first comments since it was announced he would replace Jacinda Ardern. Hipkins, a self-described “machinery of government expert” after his time in government, was the…
New Zealand’s prime minister resigns; Taiwan passes climate bill enshrining promotion of plant-based foods: policy & delivery news in brief
Global Government Forum’s weekly digest of the news you need to know but might have missed. Jacinda Ardern steps down as prime minister of New Zealand citing burnout New Zealand’s prime minister of five and a half years, Jacinda Ardern, announced her resignation on 19 January at the Labour party’s first caucus meeting of the…
Grown-up government: an interview with Iain Rennie, New Zealand’s former state services commissioner
Over four years working as a consultant to governments around the world, former New Zealand civil service chief Iain Rennie has witnessed the global slide towards populism. But in his home country, he tells Mia Hunt, mature political leadership, brave policymaking and continuing public sector reforms have retained the trust between public bodies and the…
New Zealand ministers and top civil servants take pay cut amid corona crisis
New Zealand’s PM, ministers and public service chief executives – the most senior officials in each government department – will take a 20% pay cut for six months, in solidarity with those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The news was announced by the country’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, on Wednesday and welcomed by state services…
New Zealand on the verge of major public service reform
A new bill brought to New Zealand’s parliament is to pave the way for the “most significant change in the public service in 30 years”, enabling government to more effectively address major challenges and better serve citizens, according to the country’s state services minister, Chris Hipkins. Replacing the State Sector Act 1988, the new Public…
World’s first ‘wellbeing budget’ broadens focus from GDP
The New Zealand government announced details of their much-anticipated ’wellbeing budget’ last week, shifting the focus away from economic growth to include quality of life and public wellbeing. Rather than structuring the budget entirely around GDP and financial issues, the wellbeing budget also measures success against a set of human, social, natural and financial metrics,…
New Zealand agencies rapped for CEO pay hikes
Three quangos have been rapped by New Zealand’s public sector pay commissioner for giving their chief executives bigger salary hikes than he advised. The Guardians of NZ Superannuation, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), and Telarc Ltd were named in the Senior Pay Report on state sector chief executives for the 2016-17 financial year, which was…
Populist holds trump card in NZ coalition talks
New Zealanders are set to wait at least two weeks to find out who will form their next government, after Saturday’s general election delivered a hung parliament. Populist Winston Peters emerged as kingmaker after neither National nor Labour, the two largest parties, won an outright majority in the tightly-fought poll. The maverick leader of the…
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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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