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Need for speed: using real-time data to improve government delivery
As governments work to meet citizens’ ever higher expectations of public services, they increasingly need good data fast. At a Mastercard webinar, experts discussed the growing appetite for real-time and near real-time data, how to reap the benefits – and avoid the pitfalls As governments around the world battled to contain the spread of COVID-19,…
Crystal clear: Sir Ian Diamond on using data to profile the pandemic
The UK civil service has transformed its data operations during the pandemic, says Office for National Statistics chief Professor Sir Ian Diamond – web-scraping, integrating datasets, and building partnerships with businesses and foreign governments. And with more analysts and statistics professionals, he tells Matt Ross, it could move even faster “We have seen a rapid…
Common data standards are essential for governments – but so is public trust
Standards and infrastructure are central to improving data-sharing across government, a recent GGF webinar found. But equally important is a less tangible asset: public confidence and engagement. Adam Green reports Data is often described as the oil of the 21st century: a precious resource that can transform the way we live. If this is the…
First build the foundations: Shaida Badiee on governments’ misplaced aid policies
After nearly two decades running the World Bank’s Development Data Group, Shaida Badiee now works to help developing nations improve their data systems. And she has a clear message for donor countries: individual aid projects can be helpful, but the real need is for basic data infrastructure During her long career in strategic data management,…
Survey: centre of government should win new data powers, say UK civil servants
Most UK civil servants want to see the centre of government win new powers to drive departments’ progress on the use of data, outnumbering those opposed by three to one, according to new research. In an online survey about how government could realise the potential of data, civil servants identified a number of priorities including…
Taxing times: SMEs cautious about open banking
The UK government is exploring how technology can streamline tax administration. But HMRC must not add more burden to a community that is already being battered by COVID-19 and Brexit. Ian Hall reports In December last year, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) issued a request for information (RFI) to investigate how it can use SMEs’…
Responsible innovation: how to put data to work in government
At Innovation 2020, a panel of senior leaders from Israel, Germany, Canada and the UK discussed how better management and use of data can support public sector innovation – and identified crucial gaps around standards, training and leadership. Kate Hodge reports “The opportunity is really about responsible innovation: using data in a way that enables…
How governments can harness the power of open data
Publishing datasets can help governments support economic outcomes and be more transparent. But ethics and cybersecurity must be baked into their approach, advised experts at a recent DELL webinar When an organisation in the Dublin Bay area began using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to count local prawn stocks, they built an accurate and…
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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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