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Australian Public Service to tap talent outside Canberra
The Australian Public Service Commission is developing a strategy that would reduce the need for government employees to work in the capital, as part of its mission to become a model employer. The focus instead would be on having the “right people in the right places”, a spokesperson for the Commission (APSC) said. The APS…
Responding to rising threats: heading off cyberattacks in the era of the perma-crisis
At a Global Government Forum webinar, Mia Hunt heard public sector experts explore the trend for more frequent and serious cyberattacks – exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine – touching on ransomware, civil service skills gaps, government intervention, and the need for public-private partnership The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an explosion in…
Australian Public Service Commission launches new workforce strategy
The Australian Public Service Commission published a five-year workforce development strategy today, which aims to strengthen the public service’s capacity to respond to short- and long-term challenges. Delivering for tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025 responds to a review published in 2019, which concluded that the service was “ill-prepared to grasp the opportunities of the future”.…
Opinion: Ministerial errors have undermined the UK’s pandemic response
The latest Whitehall Monitor report reveals just how badly ministers have handled the COVID-19 crisis, failing in key areas such as procurement and working with local authorities, argues Richard Vize The annual analysis of Whitehall by think tank the Institute for Government reveals how the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been repeatedly undermined by…
Australia forms cross-public sector digital panel to boost COVID-19 response
The Australian government has formed a group of ministers drawn from federal and state administrations to strengthen tech-based services and businesses, supporting work to address COVID-19. The senior officials – who will map the digital economy policies and support services needed to accelerate the digitisation and resilience of businesses in response to COVID-19 – met…
Driving digital: the challenge of building tech skills – and the solutions
Competing with businesses to recruit in tech jobs markets, many governments struggle to develop the capabilities for digital delivery. At the Government Digital Summit, senior leaders from 16 countries swapped notes on how they’re creating the workforces required to transform services. Matt Ross reports “One engineer, Marina, saved the government US$14m and two and a…
Audit finds huge cyber skills gaps at US Department of Homeland Security
Officials at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lack the data to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their cyber personnel and are more than two years late in delivering a promised workforce strategy, an internal watchdog has found. An audit by the Homeland Security inspector general found that the department has fallen behind…
From bitter experience: Lord O’Donnell on the next recession
The world economy is in trouble, former UK Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell told the 2019 Global Government Summit, and governments must become more effective – repairing their economies, and reshaping public services around prevention rather than reaction. Matt Ross reports “We’re going to have a global recession,” said Lord O’Donnell. “I’ve no idea when: we’re…
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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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