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Opinion: Fixing Labour’s communications missteps
Since winning the general election in July, the Labour party has faced challenges in transitioning from opposition to government. Alastair McCapra, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, sets out why some minor public relations hiccups have become full-blown rows – and how to fix it By the end of the recent Labour…
Third edition of Civil Service Data Challenge opens for entries
The UK Civil Service Data Challenge, which aims to identify ways that government can improve how it uses data to deliver public services, has opened for entries for 2023-24. Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart has launched the third iteration of the initiative, highlighting that it has delivered tangible benefits for the public in the last…
UK cabinet secretary salutes COVID data heroes and discusses potential of AI at Public Service Data Live
“There were many public service heroes in COVID, but I always make sure that statisticians and our data experts get a shout out,” Simon Case, the UK’s cabinet secretary has said. Speaking at Public Service Data Live, a one-day government data conference held in London on Thursday organised by Global Government Forum and hosted by…
UK government risk register sets out 89 serious threats to national security and safety
The UK has set out the top threats the country faces, as part of what a senior civil servant said was an effort to provide a “comprehensive understanding of the risks” the government is tackling. The new National Risk Register has named 89 specific risks including disruption to energy supplies, malicious uses of drones to disrupt…
UK government accused of ‘civil service bashing’ in remote working row
A UK civil service union accused some government ministers of indulging in “civil service bashing” while another warned of industrial action, after a war of words was sparked this week about civil servants’ return to the office. The flurry of stories in the UK media began when an unnamed senior government minister told the Daily Mail newspaper that civil servants should lose pay if they remained working from home. “If people aren’t going into work, they don’t deserve the…
UK Home Office launches new digital strategy
The Home Office is to establish a more “flexible and collective” approach to digital transformation – including consolidating its technology products and becoming more data-driven – in a three-year strategy that marks a major departure for the UK government department. Launched earlier this week by Simon Bourne, the Home Office’s chief digital, data and technology…
An iconoclast in Number 10: Dominic Cummings returns to government
The last time Dominic Cummings worked in government, fireworks flew as he clashed with officials in the education department. Having masterminded the Vote Leave campaign, he’s now returning to a key post in Number 10 – bringing with him a radical agenda for civil service reform Boris Johnson, the UK’s new prime minister, has appointed…
Government communications ‘struggling’ to keep up in digital age, says new report
Rapid technological change and growing distrust of political elites are creating “unprecedented difficulties” for government communications functions in their work supporting public policy, according to a new report by advertising and PR giant WPP. ‘The Leaders’ Report’, a global survey of government communications leaders published this week by WPP’s Government and Public Sector Practice, paints…
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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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