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Letter from Ottawa: a new year begins quietly, but much lies ahead
2024 has begun relatively quietly in Canada but the ripples of the past couple of years are still being felt. It will be a year for public servants to put on their bifocals, says Michael Wernick – working on near-term pressures, but trying to look to the horizon By now we should have learned the…
Integrity under threat: civil service ethics in the era of populism
Populism left an indelible mark on the 2010s, and its hold in democracies remains strong. During a Global Government Forum webinar, experts discussed how civil servants can maintain legitimacy at a time of rising populism Ethical standards and the rule of law can be seen by populist presidents and prime ministers as barriers to progress…
Brazil launches national AI strategy
Brazil has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, which aims to balance ethical use of the technology while boosting research and innovation in the sector. Following a public consultation, which ran from December 2019 to March 2020, the strategy sets out six objectives. These include to: develop ethical principles that guide responsible use of…
Ministers must be challenged on misleading statements, says former cabinet secretary
Former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell today expressed frustration with ministers who make false statements or skew statistics, a trend he says is eroding public trust in government. Speaking at an online evidence session for the Committee for Standards in Public Life (CSPL) this afternoon, O’Donnell said there should be more emphasis on “calling out” ministers…
Emotion recognition tech fundamentally flawed, says human rights charity
Emerging AI-based emotion recognition technologies are “untenable” under international human rights law, and developing, designing or sharing such tech should be banned, a recent report has argued. The study, which focused on the growing use of emotion recognition technologies by state and corporate bodies in China, was published in January this year by Article 19,…
OECD report highlights ethical risks around use of algorithms
Governments around the world are experimenting with the use of data-driven algorithms to develop policy, but the technique raises new ethical risks and challenges, according to a new report on innovation by an OECD body. The conclusion is included in the Innovation in Government Global Trends 2019 report, released by the Observatory of Public Sector…
Strict new anti-graft code for European commissioners
The president of the European Commission has tightened up the code of conduct for its officials, in a bid to raise ethical standards and police the border between lobbyists and commission officials. Jean-Claude Juncker announced the new code, which is subject to approval by the European Parliament, in his 2017 State of the Union address…
Canada: civil service head calls for officials’ integrity after harassment complaints
The head of the Canadian civil service has called for civil servants’ integrity after a staff survey found that almost one in five officials said they were harassed on the job mainly by co-workers or bosses. The triennial public service (civil service in Canadian language) employee survey was released by Treasury Board in February this year…
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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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