Transform Gov - the digital government podcast

In this episode, Maeve Kneafsey talks with Paula Lyons, Ass. Secretary and Head of Service Development at the Department of Social Protection, about how her team is redesigning services around life events like having a child, retirement, or bereavement.They discuss:Why DSP’s philosophy is “digital by desire”, not by forceHow citizen trust and data sharing are unlocking connected servicesThe next generation of online welfare and pension servicesA must-listen for anyone shaping digital government and citizen-first transformation.Subscribe now for personal email updates www.digitalgovawards.com01:05 – What motivates Paula to stay in public service10:00 – How “Digital by Desire” became DSP’s guiding principle24:05 – Designing services around real life events29:30 – AI pilots and the future of digital service delivery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland is preparing radical moves to accelerate housing delivery. But what if the real breakthrough doesn’t come from policy — but from technology?In this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey meets Gavin Duffy, Founder & CEO of RealSim, the Irish company building ultra-accurate 3D digital twins of real towns, cities, and infrastructure.Gavin explains how immersive planning tools can speed up decisions, reduce objections, and help councils and agencies build better homes and infrastructure, faster.From Jersey to Fingal and Balbriggan, this is a masterclass in practical digital transformation for public planning and housing delivery.Digital twin Ireland, housing emergency Ireland, planning reform Ireland, public-sector innovation, RealSim, Gavin Duffy, Maeve Kneafsey, Transform Gov, Fingal County Council, Balbriggan regeneration, Jersey planning model, e-planning Ireland, 3D planning tools, Irish housing delivery, local authority innovation.00:00 – Why Ireland’s housing emergency needs new tools04:30 – What RealSim actually does in plain English08:10 – Lessons from Jersey’s planning transformation14:00 – Why Irish planning is still PDF-first18:40 – Balbriggan case study25:00 – How digital twins reduce objections30:40 – What councils need to adopt digital twins35:30 – The future: national digital twin for Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Childhood movement skills — hopping, skipping, throwing, catching — have collapsed globally. But one Irish spin-out is changing that story.Dr Jamie McGann, co-founder of MoveAhead, joins Maeve Kneafsey on Transform Gov to reveal how his Dublin-based team built the world’s largest dataset of children’s movement, and how it’s now driving apps, curricula, and classrooms from Ireland to China.In this award-winning collaboration with Smart D8, MoveAhead helps teachers objectively assess movement, personalise PE through AI, and bring physical literacy back into the heart of education.Learn how Irish innovation can tackle one of the biggest health and education challenges of our time.Listen, share, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts — or watch on YouTube UC8jdqo_NbX6BHmkTynUdWJw.Kinder Joy of Moving, Kinder App, Smart D8, Dublin City University, DCU, Sport Ireland, NCCA, Irish EdTech, Global Child Health, Movement Skills, AI in Education Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can AI make decisions, not just suggestions? Professor Alan Smeaton — DCU researcher, Government AI Advisory Council member and builder of Ireland’s first AI teaching assistant — explains what agentic AI really means and why Estonia is blazing ahead and already using it in classrooms. He tells host Maeve Kneafsey why Ireland can’t afford to wait, how data can save citizens money, and why AI literacy must become a national skill and future economic stability and growth.[00:00] When AI starts to act  [06:00] Teaching the machines that teach us  [13:00] Estonia’s national rollout  [22:00] What is Agentic AI?  [30:00] Why AI literacy matters nowAgentic AI, Artificial Intelligence in Government, Digital Government, Public Sector Transformation, Generative AI, AI Literacy, Alan Smeaton, DCU, AI Advisory Council Ireland, Estonia Digital Government, Ireland eGovernment Awards, Accenture Public Sector, Transform Gov Podcast, Ireland, Europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From leading roles in the London 2012 Olympics to advising governments on next-generation infrastructure, Huda As’ad of Accenture believes we’re entering a new golden age — where AI, data, and digital twins redefine how nations build, maintain, and sustain public infrastructure.In this episode of Transform Gov, she explains how technology can cut waste, enhance safety, and build public trust in delivery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the London Olympics to Ireland’s National Development Plan — Huda As’ad, Managing Director for Capital Projects & Infrastructure at Accenture, shares how data, AI, and digital twins are reshaping how nations build and maintain public assets.Learn how predictive analytics is saving 25% on maintenance costs, how transparency builds trust, and why “fail fast, learn fast” is the new rule for public projects that deliver real outcomes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A conversation with one of the Ireland’s and UK's most influential CIOs on people-first transformation, AI in action, and why governance makes or breaks digital change.Richard Corbridge has led some of the biggest digital transformations in health, government and retail — from Ireland’s HSE and the NHS to Boots, the UK’s Department for Work & Pensions, and now property giant Segro. In this episode, Richard shares what it takes to keep technology people-first, how to make AI deliver real outcomes, and why governance and culture shape the CIO role more than ever. A must-listen for digital leaders navigating transformation in both the public and private sector.Key Topics for CIOsPeople-first digital transformation — why “citizen, patient, customer or colleague” all come first, not the tech.The evolving CIO role — moving from “the basement” to the boardroom, and why CIOs must be catalysts and foundations for change.AI in the public sector — lessons from the UK Dept. of Work & Pensions on using AI to read 24,000 handwritten letters daily and deliver help in 24 hours instead of 4 weeks.Avoiding AI hype — how to stop “AI for AI’s sake” and pick the right problems to solve.Governance that enables speed — why private sector governance delivers faster transformation and what public sector can learn.Agile vs. perfection — “Don’t let great be the enemy of good” in digital deployment.Building digital talent pipelines — attracting and developing IT professionals in public service, and tackling diversity and generational gaps.Cross-sector insights — how lessons from health, retail, government and industry overlap and inform each other.Future vision for public services — joined-up government, once-only data use, and seamless citizen experience.Personal side of leadership — balancing life as CIO with a thousand-strong vinyl collection and a “collector’s mindset.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the National Broadband Plan reached Longford, Danny Lynch and his team turned a rural challenge into a digital revolution. Partnering with Microsoft and Ericsson, they introduced hundreds of schoolchildren to coding, built new digital career pathways, and helped transform Longford into a hub of opportunity. Discover how a small county became a big player in Ireland’s public-sector digital transformation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI in government has shifted from “don’t touch it” to “how fast can we scale it?” In this episode of Transform Gov, host Maeve Kneafsey speaks with Marianne Cassidy of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform about Ireland’s updated AI guidelines—designed not to restrict, but to empower.Discover how cross-functional teams (from HR to legal to CIOs) shaped practical frameworks and decision tools; why real use cases—from Revenue, Agriculture and the HSE—were the turning point; how the IPA is embedding AI into CPD and leadership training; and why trust, GDPR compliance and collaboration are critical to scaling safe, human-centric AI across the public sector.If you work in digital transformation, service design, or policy innovation, this is a must-listen: insights, examples, and lessons you can apply right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maeve Kneafsey talks to Marianne Cassidy (DPER) about Ireland’s Digital Public Service Plan to 2030.Life-event lens: births, social housing, driving, becoming a studentGovernance: hybrid model for cross-department ownershipDesign process: user research, journey mapping, Target Operating ModelsImpact: cutting 40+ steps from the birth journeyTech: “skin-over-legacy” for seamless front-end experienceInclusion: designing for amplified needs via Nimbus Centre partnerships Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 What happens when 31 local authorities decide to act as one? Sabahat Khan, Assistant CEO and CIO of the LGMA, joins Transform Gov to reveal how they're reshaping Ireland’s local government services through design-led, citizen-first digital transformation.From standardising services to building trust and rolling out a national SOC, this is digital reform with teeth. Tune in now for practical insight, big vision, and what it takes to get 31 moving parts working as one.🔗 Listen here or watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@Transformthedigitalgover-123/videos Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the secret to protecting your core services was giving away content on other platforms? And what if public trust hinged on the accessibility of your apps?In Part 2, RTÉ’s Tracey Diamond and Joe Hoban reveal how Ireland’s national broadcaster: Used short-form content to amplify traditional TV and radio Made user experience and accessibility central to rebuilding trust Navigates AI’s promise and pitfalls in public service media Delivers lessons every public sector team should hear🎧 Essential for leaders shaping digital government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RTÉ’s Joe Hoban and Tracey Diamond share how their award-finalist campaign “We’re here to be better, for you” became the start of a new era for public service media.In this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey asks:✔️ Why did RTÉ choose to go public with such a bold message? ✔️ How can public organisations communicate honestly without making things worse? ✔️ What role does digital strategy play in winning back younger audiences? ✔️ How can you create impact on a minimal budget?Watch for practical insights every public sector leader and communications team can use — whether you’re facing a crisis or building public trust from the ground up.Subscribe for more stories of public sector transformation and innovation www.digitalgovawards.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey welcomes Jacky Fox, Global Lead for Accenture’s Security Practice, and Chris Davey, Security Lead for Accenture Ireland. They unpack:The hardest cyber challenges in public services todayWhy legacy IT and shadow cloud matter more than you thinkWinning the human factor: awareness, culture and insider riskHow AI, automation & threat intelligence are reshaping defencePractical, scalable actions any public-sector CIO can takeEssential listening for transformation leaders and tech providers aiming to build cyber trust in government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Callaghan of Partsol explains why Cognitive AI is not just another GenAI tool — it’s a purpose-built engine designed for absolute traceability, source transparency, and auditability.If you're in government, regulation, justice, or compliance — this one’s for you.This episode reveals:*Why “hallucinations” make GenAI risky for public services*How Cognitive AI guarantees evidence-based outputs*Real examples from defence, legal, and government sectors*Why public servants should demand AI that can be cross-examined*How this tech enables decision support without losing controlWhether you're drafting legislation, handling appeals, or working in regulatory environments — this is the kind of AI that works with you, not around you.🎧 Listen now and discover what explainable, defensible AI really looks like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey is joined by Tom Johnson, MD of insight consultancy Trajectory, to explore what the public really thinks about AI — and the answers might surprise you.From rising fears about deepfakes to the surprising number of people who still haven’t heard of generative AI, Tom shares exclusive research tracking public sentiment across the UK. You’ll hear why older adults and women are more cautious, how AI is already shaping public services invisibly, and what 75% of people actually agree on when it comes to regulation.If you work in government, tech, or service design — this episode is a must-listen. Because in the race to implement AI, forgetting public opinion could be the costliest mistake of all.AI public opinion, trust in AI, digital government, AI and public services, Tom Johnson Trajectory, Transform Gov podcast, AI regulation UK, AI and demographics, AI in public sector Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Transform Gov, we explore how Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is rethinking infrastructure management with cutting-edge tech. Stephen Smyth and Gerard O'Dea share how their team is using AI tools like RoadAI and eventually crowdsourced mobile footage to monitor over 1,700km of greenways and footpaths — all with low-cost, scalable tech.From a phone on a bike to a national data strategy, hear how innovation is driving efficiency, sustainability, and smarter public sector planning. Don’t miss their insights on data governance, citizen-generated content, and what's next for smart mobility in Ireland.Subscribe (www.digitalgovawards.com) and listen now to learn how public sector innovation is hitting the road. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Transform Gov, host Maeve Kneafsey continues her conversation with Damien McCallion, Deputy CEO and Chief Technology & Transformation Officer at the HSE, to explore how a national health system is embracing digital — not just with ambition, but with action.Damien shares the inside story of:How over 50,000 staff hours have already been saved through automationWhy the seven-year Electronic Health Record programme is built to survive turbulenceHow AI is now detecting fractures faster than ever in Irish hospitalsWhat lessons every public sector CIO and digital leader can learn from the HSE’s transformation playbookThe secret to embedding a culture of digital safety across massive frontline teamsIf you’re leading change in government — in health, education, justice or beyond — or supplying technology into the public sector, this episode is packed with practical insight, scalable ideas, and real-world results.🎙️ Listen now to discover what’s working — and what’s next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maeve Kneafsey talks with Damien McCallion, Deputy CEO and CTO of the HSE, about what digital transformation really takes — in the middle of complexity, crisis, and culture. From checklists to cloud systems, and from relationship-building to region-wide reform, this is a masterclass for anyone trying to lead change in the public sector.Whether you're in housing, justice, education or health — this one will land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey speaks with Alan Browne, CEO and co-founder of Soarvo, about how their cloud-based geospatial AI platform is helping governments and local authorities turn complex drone, laser, and video data into fast, accurate infrastructure decisions. Alan shares a game-changing case study with National Highways UK, where Soarvo’s AI and augmented reality platform replaced manual road inspections, saving £17 million in one year.You’ll learn:How AI and drone footage can spot road damage before the human eye canWhy user-friendly tools (not engineers-only systems) are the future of geospatial dataHow local authorities can roll out AI pilots for under €10KWhy Soarvo is built to be used by road crews, not just data scientistsThis is practical, affordable digital transformation in action — and it's already reshaping how infrastructure is managed across the UK and Ireland.#TransformGov #AIinGovernment #SmartInfrastructure #GeospatialAI #DigitalGovernment #Soarvo #PublicSectorInnovation #LocalGovTech #AugmentedReality #DroneMapping #SpotifyPodcasts #ApplePodcasts #ChatGPT #RoadMaintenanceAI #NationalHighwaysUK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.