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Johnson forges ahead with civil service shake-up
UK prime minister Boris Johnson is moving policy advisers out of Downing Street and into the Cabinet Office as part of wider plans to ensure that No 10, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office work together more closely. From September, the Downing Street policy unit and its director Munira Mirza will be based in the…
UK Cabinet secretary ousted as fears grow over politicisation of the civil service
Sir Mark Sedwill, who has served as Cabinet secretary and head of the UK civil service since 2018, and national security adviser (NSA) since 2017, is to stand down in September as part of a major Whitehall shake-up orchestrated by the PM’s chief aide Dominic Cummings and minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove. The…
Inquiry pulls out lessons from Northern Ireland’s energy scheme scandal
Northern Ireland’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme – whose botched handling led to the three-year collapse of the region’s administration – was a “project too far” for the NI Executive and “should never have been adopted”, according to an independent inquiry. The inquiry, which was established in 2017, ruled out corrupt or malicious activity as…
Cummings extends grip over special advisers with central recruitment
UK PM Boris Johnson and his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, are shaking up the way ministerial aides are appointed, in what is seen as yet another move towards central control. In the latest of a series of events involving the hiring and firing of special advisers (or ‘spads’) a dedicated website, spadjobs.uk, has been launched…
UK PM’s chief adviser ‘getting in the way’ of good government, says union chief
The behaviour of UK PM Boris Johnson’s chief adviser is harming departments’ ability to deliver the government’s objectives, FDA general secretary Dave Penman has told Global Government Forum. “What’s been happening isn’t about better government or even more efficient government. This is all about control, and it’s getting in the way,” he said yesterday. In…
Northern Ireland’s biggest party broke the law in appointing special advisers, inquiry hears
Northern Ireland’s leading loyalist party routinely broke the law in how it appointed ministerial special advisors, a public inquiry has heard. The inquiry was set up last year to examine the non-domestic renewable heating incentive (RHI) scheme, which offered financial incentives for businesses to use renewable fuels to generate heat. Flaws in the system caused…
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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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