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Smart fellows: Kok Ping Soon on leading Singapore’s digital government army
As every digital leader knows, technology is a people issue – and no country has better technology people than Singapore. In his last weeks as a civil servant after five years running the country’s Government Technology Agency, Kok Ping Soon explains his unorthodox approach to workforce development “Often, when we bring high-end technical talent into…
Skills trends shaping workforce development
Earlier this year, Coursera launched the annual Global Skills Report, an in-depth look at the state of skills globally. The Global Skills Report draws data from 100 million learners in more than 100 countries who have used Coursera, a global online learning platform, to develop a new skill during the past year—with the goal of…
White House interns to be paid as US federal government seeks to boost recruitment of future leaders
Interns at the White House will be paid starting in autumn this year, the Biden administration has announced. The decision comes after heads of US agencies eager to draw young talent to the federal government pushed for stronger incentives for college students and new graduates to enrol in the 14-week programme. The White House said…
US federal officials ‘less satisfied at work due to return to the office’
US federal workers reported a dip in both job engagement and satisfaction according to the results of an annual survey, in what the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has put down to a departure from remote working. The 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) showed employee engagement fell by one point, from 72% in 2020,…
‘The war for talent’: APS assistant commissioner warns of challenges in attracting staff
Bringing highly-skilled workers into the Australian Public Service (APS) amid a competitive job market and ongoing crises has felt like a “never-ending journey” with difficulties still to come, Patrick Hetherington, the Australian Public Service Commission’s first assistant commissioner (APSC), has warned. At a virtual event that drew around 26,000 Australian public servants in Victoria this…
We’re all teleworkers now: flexible working policies in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia
As social distancing rules are relaxed, will civil servants be drawn back into the office? Pablo Jimenez Arandia examines the emerging policies on flexible working in four big countries and some ambitious small ones “Employers need to recognise that if they don’t support flexible forms of working, they risk increased employee turnover, reduced employee engagement, and limitations on their ability to attract talent…
Best in class: a more inclusive approach to diversity
To date, the diversity agenda has largely focused on race, gender, sexuality and disability – but it’s just as important that civil service workforces include staff from different social classes, income groups and geographical regions. Adam Branson reports on the various challenges facing the UK, New Zealand and Estonia as they try to make their…
Pilot project launches to get Canadian federal workers back to the office
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has launched a voluntary, pathfinder project to support a return to office work. More than 200 employees in the national capital region, which includes Ottawa, signed up to be part of the small pilot, which started on Tuesday this week and allows workers to return to the office, the…
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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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