Leading Questions

Governments around the world are all faced with meeting skills gaps and talent challenges. Many services require digitally-savvy public servants to help deliver more citizen-focused services, while there is also a need for leadership and management skills to allow government to become more risk-smart and innovative. This Government Transformed podcast, supported by knowledge partner Skillsoft, looked at how governments can assess the skills they need; how they are working to quicken recruitment in key digital skills; and how artificial intelligence developments will change the skills that civil servants need.Join host Richard Johnstone and representatives from the governments of Belgium, Canada, South Africa and knowledge partner Skillsoft as we also discuss how governments can benchmark skills and performance, and how they are working to do more with less.This podcast is based on a Global Government Forum webinar, How to get the right skills mix for modern, digital government, held on 8 July and supported by knowledge partner Skillsoft.Click here to find out more about Global Government Forum’s training and development programmes.Read Global Government Forum’s Making Government Work report, which reveals five pillars of a modern civil service. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Civil servants in government make many decisions every day. From policy officials working to develop responsive services that meet users’ needs, to frontline officials who have to make choices on what tax cases to prioritise, the work of government requires the skills to make effective decisions.This Global Government Forum webinar looked at how governments can build systems that help drive better decision-making – and how civil servants can develop the skills to make – and implement – confident decisions.This webinar brought together public servants from around the world to discuss how governments are streamlining the way they work to become more nimble. It looked at how governments are building systems that will provide more effective data on public service delivery – boosting effective decision-making and facilitating action.This session discussed:The data practices that are making a difference for decision-makers, and the value that can be unlocked from more timely and accurate data in government.The technology and operations that are improving decision-makers’ agility to react to changing and evolving conditions.The skills needed to make confident decisions in government.The role of AI and AI agents in better decision-making and action-taking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, the executive editor of Global Government Forum Richard Johnstone chats to Joe Hill, the policy director of the think-tank Re:state about his recent essay, Everythingism.There’s a link to Joe’s essay at the bottom of these notes, but Everythingism is what Joe Hill describes as the belief in government that “every proposal, project or policy is a means for promoting every national objective, all at the same time”.In this episode, Richard and Joe dig into exactly what Everythingism means, how it manifests in policymaking, and the impact that it can have in government.  According to Hill, Everythingism emerges from the denial or avoidance of trade-offs in government – and argues this denial is one of the contributors to the widely-felt frustration with the pace of change in government.Also worth noting for listeners is that Richard spoke to Joe before the think-tank announced its name change to Re:state from Reform.We hope you enjoy this podcast, and please do share with anyone who would like it. And to hear more from public service experts and analysts, subscribe to Leading Questions wherever you get your podcasts.Read Joe’s essay here: Everythingism: an essay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The threat that public sector organisations face from fraud is growing. In an era when technological advancements are rapidly transforming the landscape, public sector organisations face unprecedented challenges in combating fraud.According to a survey of public servants undertaken by SAS, all public sector agencies surveyed are currently experiencing some form of fraud and expect to see an increase in at least one type of fraud over the next 5 years.Fraud is also having an impact on public finances. In the UK, chancellor Rachel Reeves has set out a crackdown on fraud in the welfare system, with a focus on saving £4.3bn by the end of the decade, while the International Public Sector Fraud Forum has published a revised framework that sets out key principles and processes for conducting fraud loss measurement exercises to better quantify the cost of fraud – and measure savings.The importance of unlocking these savings is demonstrated by the SAS research, which identified that tackling fraud, waste and abuse could release savings equivalent to around 16% of their government’s budget.This webinar session examined the scale and extent of the fraud challenge that governments around the world face – and how to tackle it.The session brought together public servants to discuss:The trends in the type of fraud threats that governments face now – and will face in future.How governments are tackling the threats they face now – and preparing for the threats that are on the horizon.The role for AI and analytics in tackling the fraud challenges that government face – and how these technologies can be embedded in current working practices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The race is on, both within and among governments, to develop and implement artificial intelligence (AI) tools for greater productivity better public services.But the race cannot be run, let alone won, without systems changes and cultural reinvigoration among department workforces. Deploying AI technology at scale will mean changing delivery systems, long-term staff training and fluid yet secure and ethical data sharing within organisations. This webinar, supported by GGF’s knowledge partners SAS, discussed how to make AI work for government.Speakers discussed ways to develop use cases, including business cases, for AI that demonstrate how it can be deployed in the most effective way. They also discussed the building blocks for making AI work, as well as recommendations on the AI tools and media that panellists themselves find useful.The ‘How to deploy artificial intelligence in government: a step-by-step guide’ webinar was originally held on 13 March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governments around the world are focused on how to make the most of artificial intelligence in the way they work – and the government of Canada, which in March launched the first AI strategy for the federal public service, is no different.In this episode, three public servants from across the Canadian government spoke about the challenges that come with deploying AI to create more efficient public services and unlocking economic growth.Specifically, they discussed the challenge of garnering trust – both of Canadian citizens and the public servants they work with – on AI projects.This conversation looked at how organisations within the Canadian government are seeking to strengthen responsible AI management practices and unlock the potential of the technology to make better decisions.The speakers discussed how the government can set AI assurance standards to apply to organisations across the public and private sector, and how individual public sector organisations can work to build confidence in the use of AI, as well as how international collaboration can be strengthened to tackle AI risks across borders.This podcast is based on a webinar Building trust in AI to help government deploy it, held on 13 May. Find out more about the session and watch it in full here.AccelerateGOV – Global Government Forum’s public service transformation event – co-hosted by the Government of Canada returns on December 9th 2025. Register your interest now for the conference, which will set oput how public servants can meet the new Governemnt of Canada’s priorities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the UK, the government is focused on harnessing the potential of digital and data to unlock better, more responsive and effective services.In a recent conversation hosted by Global Government Forum, government data experts discussed the role, opportunities and challenges of using data and AI to deliver on its five missions. Those five missions include: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, making streets safer, breaking down barriers to opportunity, and finally, building an NHS fit for the future.In this podcast, you will hear from government data leaders on how data insights can be used to achieve these goals, as well as how to drive the changes that mission-led government requires.The challenges that organisations faced were also discussed, including foundational data constraints, and the limitations of legacy systems, funding and digital skills.Listen to find out from government leaders how data can help drive the government’s missions.This podcast is based on a webinar Real time insight for missions: how to measure progress on the government’s priorities, held on 6 May. Find out more about the session and watch it in full here.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special podcast with our knowledge partner EY, former UK civil servant Siobhan Benita speaks to Catherine Friday, EY’s Global and Asia Pacific Government and Infrastructure Industry Leader, about the urgency of governments getting to grips with risk in the age of permacrisis.From external factors, such as finance and people, to external issues like geopolitics and climate change, EY has identified the top 10 risks that will impact governments throughout 2025.In this conversation, Catherine discusses these challenges and unpacks the steps governments must take to meet them.The top 10 risks for the government and public sector in 2025 report that Catherine refers to in this discussion can be downloaded here or alternatively listened to as audio by searching for "top 10 risks for government" on your favorite podcast platform.In addition, we invite you to check out EY’s Risk Radar mini-series, available to listen to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Podbean. This six-episode mini-series explores macro trends across the top risks, offering insights and practical strategies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK government has set out a new National Procurement Policy Statement that will focus on ensuring that public procurement can support the government’s five national missions of boosting economic growth, building green energy, tackling crime, breaking down barriers to opportunity and build an NHS fit for the future.The podcast, based on a Global Government Forum webinar held on 4 March, sets out what the new rules, in the policy statement and the Procurement Act 2023, will mean for what public authorities will want to buy, and how they will do it.Listen to this podcast to discuss the key elements of the new UK procurement approach will mean across the public sector – and beyond. Find out more about the webinar on its dedicated webpage, and download the slides from the session here.Find out about Global Government Forum’s upcoming webinars.Global Government Forum’s Innovation 2025 conference will bring together government innovators from around the world in London on 25-26 March 2025, including in public procurement. Find out more and register to attend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governments need to better join-up policy development with operational delivery to ensure they can meet the growing challenges they face – but such collaboration can be difficult to implement in practice.In this podcast, experts from the UK, Estonia and Brazil share best practice on harnessing people-powered insight in policymaking, examining how governments are working to understand citizens’ lived experiences and to turn their ideas into public services that really work.Co-creation isn’t always easy. It often requires the building of trust between a range of stakeholders with competing interests – even bitter contentions – but as we hear, with the right approach, government teams can identify areas of consensus amongst a diversity of perspectives.Showcasing a paradigm shift from designing for citizens to with citizens, the experts give a range of examples of successful innovations: ones that helped iron out Brexit trade issues in a high-charged environment, led to inclusive budget design at local government level, and empowered children to help their families understand what state benefits they might be eligible for.This human-centred approach to policy design and implementation takes much experimentation, testing and learning as well as upfront investment in time and money – but as we find out, the benefits can be huge.This podcast is based on a webinar held on 11 February. Find out more about the speakers on the webinar page: Crowding in innovation: how to open up policy development to people-powered insight, and view GGF’s upcoming webinars to register to join future conversations.Global Government Forum’s Innovation 2025 conference will bring together government innovators from around the world in London on 25-26 March 2025. Find out more and register to attend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the UK general election, Labour has formed a government with a large majority – and with a focus on delivering five national missions. These are: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower; take back our streets by halving serious violent crime; breaking down barriers to opportunity; and building an NHS fit for the future. Focusing on delivering these long-term missions requires, according to prime minister Keir Starmer, requires a different approach to government. It requires departments to work together outside traditional silos, as well as with regional and local government, and businesses and unions, How, then, will Labour change government to deliver these missions? This podcast, the fourth in Global Government Forum’s How Government Works series and based on a webinar held on 14 November, discusses the changes that Labour is making in government to drive progress on these missions, as well as other changes in how government is structured that can deliver on its priorities. The session also touched on what the Budget reveals about the government’s priorities for the next year and beyond. This episode was recorded before prime minister Sir Keir Starmer set out the milestones for the government’s missions in a speech on 30 November, and before Sir Chris Wormald was named as the UK’s cabinet secretary and head of the civil service with a mission to “change the way government serves this country”. These updates will be discussed in the next webinar in GGF’s How Government Work series, taking place on 4 March. And find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this third instalment of Global Government Forum’s How Government Works podcast series – which provides a guide to the UK’s corridors of power – we examine the scope of operations, activities and processes that are involved in the delivery of new policy initiatives. This episode explores the policymaking processes: what gets prioritised for legislation and how it is scrutinised and passed, and how does it move to delivery both in the public and private sectors. This is the third in a series of podcasts from Global Government Forum setting out how government works, and was based on a webinar held on 13 September 2024.  Keep your eyes on your podcast feed for more episodes from Global Government Forum’s How Government Works series.  Register for the next webinar in GGF’s How Government Work series, providing more information on the government’s missions and what they mean in areas like procurement, taking place on 4 March.And find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second instalment of Global Government Forum’s How Government Works podcast series – which provides a guide to the UK’s corridors of power – we examine governance, regulation and culture of Whitehall and Westminster. Organisational cultures are key to how any operation functions, and this episode looks at everything from the civil service and ministerial codes, to ethics advisors and independent standards committees, and onto parliamentary scrutiny of the government. This is the second in a series of podcasts from Global Government Forum setting out how government works, and was based on a webinar held on 23 August 2024.  Register for the next webinar in GGF’s How Government Work series, providing more information on the government’s missions and what they mean in areas like procurement, taking place on 4 March.And find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Understanding how Whitehall and Westminster work can be a daunting challenge. Even those who have been interacting professionally with government for many years can find some of the practices, procedures, conventions and relationships complicated to navigate.This first podcast in Global Government Forum’s How Government Works series provides easy-to-digest information on who does what, and how, in government.Listen to this episode to get a simple summary of everything from constitutional frameworks to the organisational structures and interactions, and onto operational procedures, people and power. The session also looked at how to interact with these institutions and people in the most appropriate and effective ways.This is the first in a series of podcasts from Global Government Forum setting out how government works, and was based on a webinar held on 12 July 2024. At the time of recording, Simon Case was the UK government cabinet secretary, prior to his departure in December 2024.Find out more about how the UK government and its international peers are dealing the challenges they face at Global Government Forum’s Innovation conference on 25-26 March 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US presidential election is the most consequential taking place in the ‘year of democracy’. This special episode of Global Government Forum’s Leading Questions podcast, taken from a webinar held on 19 November, looks at what public servants will be doing to prepare for the incoming presidential team led by President Donald Trump.In this podcast, webinar chair Siobhan Benita discusses the work that civil servants will be undertaking for the government transition with Jason Briefel, non-attorney partner and director of government and public affairs, Shaw Bransford & Roth, and Richard Johnstone, executive editor, Global Government Forum.Listen to this podcast to hear insight on what civil servants will be doing to prepare for a new president, the process of a presidential transition, and what the Department of Government Efficiency means for government.The conversation covers:What the election result reveals about the public's priorities for government - particularly around trends like tackling inflation and immigration.How the result fits into international electoral trends.What happens in a government transition.How civil servants will be preparing for implementing Trump's priorities - introducing tariffs, deportation of illegal immigrants, reducing government spending.Key appointments that are made so far.Mentioned in this episode:Japan looks to learn from Elon Musk’s US government efficiency programmeRead the US CIO study mentioned in this report Register now for Government Service Delivery – the new name for GovernmentDXOver the two days of May 13 – 14, 2025, the Government Service Delivery event program unites global digital government leaders to explore tech-driven innovation for delivering high-quality public services for customers. This event will include an exclusive series of roundtables and an open conference – find out more here and register your interest Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Leading Questions LIVE, Siobhan Benita speaks to Dominic Rochon, chief information officer for Canada.They discuss Dominic’s broad mandate, which includes service delivery, security and privacy, as well as his current priorities such as improving digital services, enhancing cybersecurity, and modernising legacy systems. Dominic touches upon Canada’s past technological failures and controversies, and stresses the role of collaboration, both within government and with provincial governments and the private sector, to bring public services into a new era of human-centred service design. The conversation also covers how to professionalise the digital workforce and implement more agile procurement practices to keep pace with technological advancements.“In the financial world…chief financial officers have to get certifications and have to keep those certifications up to date,” Rochon said. “In the federal government, that is not the case for the digital world. I'd like to explore how we get to that, particularly given how fast technology is evolving.”He highlights how such an approach is particularly needed if government is to make the most of artificial intelligence, for example.This episode also previews AccelerateGOV, Global Government Forum’s annual conference held in Ottawa, where digital leaders from around the world gather to discuss how governments can overcome challenges to realise the opportunities of digital transformation.Listen to the podcast in full to hear about how Dominic is leading the way to making digital transformation happen.Public servants can register free to attend  AccelerateGOV,  taking place at the Shaw Centre on 21 October. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Leading Question, recorded with a live online audience, a panel of Global Government Forum experts delve into the findings of its research into the key characteristics needed for a modern public service. The Making Government Work report identifies five key pillars of a modern civil service, which are:·       Strong leadership with mutual respect and alignment between ministers and senior officials·       Building a highly skilled, inclusive and thriving public sector workforce.·       Fostering an agile, digital, and risk-taking culture focused on delivery.·       Implementing working structures that transcend organisational silos.·       Cultivating a service trusted by its users and the public.The report is the culmination of interviews with 12 senior civil service leaders from around the world, and comes in response to requests from leaders at Global Government Forum’s annual Global Government Summit for a comprehensive “blueprint” for government that could consolidate and expand key knowledge shared over the past decade.In the conversation, report authors Richard Johnstone, Siobhan Benita and Lord Gus O’Donnell discuss the elements of each of these pillars, setting out the findings from this unique research. Listen now for an unprecedented primer on the key issues that governments around the world are facing. For civil servants looking to understand how to cultivate a service trusted by individual users and the public at large, this discussion is essential listening.Read our Making Government Work report here.Thank you to the leaders who took part in this study:·       Glyn Davis, secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australia·       Donna Cadogan, head, public service, Barbados·       John Hannaford, clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet, Canada·       Taimar Peterkop, state secretary, Estonia·       Henrik Haapajärvi, former state secretary to the prime minister, Finland·       Claire Landais, secretary general of the government, France·       Haryomo Dwi Putranto, acting chair, Indonesian National Civil Service Agency, Indonesia·       John Callinan, secretary general of Department of Taoiseach and Government, Ireland·       Folasade Yemi-Esan, head of the civil service of the Federation, Nigeria (retired 14 August)·       Leo Yip, head of civil service and permanent secretary (Prime Minister’s Office), Singapore·       Simon Case, cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, United Kingdom·       Dustin Brown, deputy assistant director for Management, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, United States (at time of interview). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of Global Government Forum’s Leading Questions podcast, which is based on a GGF webinar held in September, we look at the key issues in the upcoming United States presidential election.Join Siobhan Benita as she discusses the key issues of the campaign with Dr Thomas Gift, the associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on US Politics (CUSP) at UCL, and Kevin R. Kosar, a resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.Listen to this podcast to find out the key issues shaping the campaign, the policy priorities being set out by the parties, and the early actions that the next president will likely take. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a new episode of Leading Questions, Richard Johnstone, the executive editor of Global Government Forum, interviews Dr Dan Honig, professor of public policy at University College London and Georgetown University, about his new book, Mission Driven Bureaucrats. Subtitled Empowering People To Help Government Do Better, Honig’s book explores how civil servants can be empowered to drive better government performance. Honig argues that many public sector organisations are too focused on compliance – what he describes as an attempt to keep those who might want to do ill from doing it. Such as approach wears down public servants, leaving those who are driven to make a difference frustrated by the obstacles and compliance rules they face. This highly topical interview comes as the new UK government aims to focus government on five key missions, and provides insight on both how to realise progress on what Honig calls these grand missions, as well as using missions as a means to clearly state public service purposes – be that fighting fires or providing care, or being the best internal auditor. Honig says that empowering civil servants is vital to achieving all these missions, giving civil servants both autonomy and support as a team to deliver. Listen in full to hear about how to make mission delivery happen in government – from strategies to drive change like implementing ‘green tape rules’ to the role of leadership. If you have questions about how to make mission-driven change happen in government, please contact richard.johnstone@globalgovernmentforum.com – and we will ask Dan for his tips of adopting a mission approach in government. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this special edition of Leading Questions in which we look at the key issues in the UK general election and how civil servants will be working to get ready for the next government.The general election will be held on 4 July, with parties setting out their vision for the future of the country.That means that right now, civil servants are working on ‘day one’ documents for new ministers who will be appointed after votes are cast. These briefings will highlight the key issues that the next government will have to deal with, and set out the path to implement key policies.Richard Johnstone, the executive editor of Global Government Forum, Leading Questions podcast host Siobhan Benita and the former Director General, Government Digital Service Kevin Cunnington, discuss the policy battleground in this election; the issues the next prime minister will inherit – whoever they are – and what will be happening in Whitehall right now as officials observe the campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.