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Taking stock of the pandemic response: building human resilience in civil services
Managing COVID-19 has placed huge demands on public and civil servants everywhere. Una O’Brien, leadership coach and former permanent secretary at the UK’s health department, explores what research tells us about strengthening personal and team resilience Every crisis elevates some buzzwords and for me “resilience” will forever be associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The fragile…
There’s no going back: the future of hybrid working in civil services
Research shows that many officials do not want to return to the office full-time after the pandemic. At a recent GGF webinar, experts from across the world discussed how governments are implementing new ways of working and explored risks and opportunities they face. Ben Willis reports “Hybrid working is certainly on the minds of all…
Public trust in government isn’t only essential to service delivery – it restores the public sector too
Opinion: Trust strengthens links with communities, and those bonds help to attract broader talent into public service, writes former New Zealand civil service chief Iain Rennie. After COVID-19, we must seize the opportunity to deepen this connection further Trust in the New Zealand public sector has risen significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March…
Diversity grows sharply among UK senior officials
The UK civil service has seen a sharp rise in the diversity of its senior civil servants over the last year, with rapid growth in the proportion of ethnic minority and disabled officials. Statistics released by the UK Cabinet Office on Monday reveal that 9.1% of senior civil service (SCS) professionals were from an ethnic…
UK officials keen to retain remote working, survey finds
The vast majority of UK civil servants have adapted well to remote working and want to continue working flexibly after the pandemic, according to new research – though there are concerns around collaboration, security and data protection practices. Some 73% of respondents said they can carry out all their responsibilities while working remotely, according to…
US federal employees were resilient during COVID-19 but concerns raised about service delivery
While US federal government employees mostly remained resilient and engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were “meaningful declines” in their assessment of service delivery, according to an annual staff survey. “Despite the unprecedented workplace challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, federal workers adapted quickly to their new realities, continuing to work on behalf of the…
Four trends to watch from the Australian Public Service census
The Australian Public Service Commission published the results of its annual employee census earlier this week. The survey, conducted in October to November 2020, takes the pulse of professionals in the Australian Public Service (APS), questioning them on issues such as skills, productivity, and wellbeing. This year, the government also asked about the changes…
The next diversity frontier: supporting ‘neurominority’ professionals in the civil service
Neurodiverse people have extraordinary skills and are huge assets to their teams. Chartered psychologist Dr Nancy Doyle and business psychologist Uzma Waseem explain how departments can put the right help in place to get the best out of their staff It is now widely recognised that people with ‘neurominority’ profiles – such as attention deficit…
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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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