Government Transformed

In the third episode of this podcast series, Richard Johnstone, Nicholas Gruen, and Dan Corry discuss the evolution of government's role in technology regulation – and what it mean to truly embrace technology for digital engagement, collaboration, and transparency.

In this conversation, they discuss the potential identified in the 2009 Government 2.0 report on the potential for digital engagement, collaboration, and transparency in government – and whether governments have been able to realise this potential.

In this conversation, Gruen discusses the reasons behind slow progress, which include risk aversion in public service, and a lack of leadership.

Listen to this conversation to hear:

The importance – and challenges – of data linkages in government to improve services.
The benefits of transparency in policy making – and how it can help.
The need for transparency as AI is used more in government service delivery – and how to implement it.

Finally, DO NOT MISS your chance to be among the stellar list of delegates and speakers at GGF's flagship UK event, Innovation 2026.
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The second episode of Global Government Forum’s Government Transformed 2.0 podcast discusses the changing nature of public goods in the digital age – and what governments must do to maximise their benefits.

The series comprises conversations that look at the story of digital transformation in government over the last 15 years, and this second discusses the evolution of public goods in the digital age.

In this episode, host Richard Johnstone, regular contributor Nicholas Gruen and guest David Halpern, discuss what now counts as public goods in the digital age – and how they can be harnessed for public policy ends.

In this conversation Gruen – an Australian economist and government innovation thought leader – and Halpern – president emeritus and former chief executive of the UK's Behavioural Insights Team, and now director of The Downing Battcock Institute – discuss the public goods of the digital era.

This discussion explores how digital platforms like Wikipedia and Google have become public goods of opportunity, providing free access and generating significant value, and how governments can support and leverage these digital public goods.

They also discuss the potential for government to act as a benevolent wholesaler, providing information to help citizens make informed decisions and improve market functioning.
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Welcome to Government Transformed 2.0, a podcast series by Global Government Forum.

In this series, Richard Johnstone, the executive editor at Global Government Forum and Australian economist Nicholas Gruen look at the story of the history of government transformation, and what lies ahead.

In conversations with a public service experts, Richard and Nicholas will reflect on the work of internationally acclaimed Government 2.0 taskforce in Australia, which in 2010 set out a landmark vision for how the work of government could be transformed by technology.

These conversations will look at how much progress has been made in making the most of digital to transform the work of government.

This first episode rewinds the clock back to 2010, when Nicholas chaired the Government 2.0 Taskforce. This first episode will look discuss what Government 2.0 was: its guiding principles, its findings, how well it has stood the test of time, and what about it could use a systems update.

Joining us for this episode are Laura Gilbert, visiting professor in practice at the school of public policy at the London School of Economics, and senior director of AI and Head of the AI for Government program at the Tony Blair Institute, and Tom Burton, journalist and former government editor at The Australian Financial Review.

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Welcome to Government Transformed 2.0, a new podcast series in which Global Government Forum and leading Australian economist and government innovation thought leader Nicholas Gruen to help unpick the story of digital transformation in government over the last 15 years.

Across give episodes, this series will outline the opportunities that have been realised from digital transformation in government.

The conversations will reflect on the Australian government’s internationally acclaimed Government 2.0 Taskforce – chaired by Nicholas – which in 2009 examined the potential of the digital revolution to boost collaboration between government and citizens, and how this could produce better public services and stronger communities.

Now, Nicholas and experts from across the public policy landscape will reflect on what the report contained, where it set out a blueprint for digital government, how much was achieved, and what its lessons are now.

Each episode discusses the opportunities governments must seize in an age where data and digital capabilities open the door to better public services everywhere.

This series will be published on GGF’s Government Transformed podcast feed.

Subscribe to Government Transformed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Acast, or wherever you get your podcast.
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The UK government has set the directive for a “complete rewiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reform”. It says that a “digital revolution” will underpin the move to a more “agile, effective and active state”, focused on delivering its missions: growing the economy, an NHS fit for the future, safer streets, opportunity for all, and making Britain a clean energy superpower. It is also essential to simplifying how citizens interact with government to access more joined-up services.

A new Global Government Forum study – which was led by Lord Gus O’Donnell and based on in-depth interviews with 12 UK permanent secretaries – pinpoints the barriers and enablers to transformation in government, with a particular emphasis on the role of digital technologies and data, and identifies four priority areas as key opportunities to accelerate change.

In this podcast, Lord O’Donnell sets out the findings of the report with former senior civil servant and GGF’s global event and webinar chairperson, Siobhan Benita, along with their guests Yatin Mahandru, vice president, head of public sector and health, Cognizant UK & Ireland, and Faye Holt, director, UK public sector, Amazon Web Services – whose organisations were knowledge partners for the report.

Together, they discuss the key findings from the interviews with permanent secretaries, covering:

The role of leadership in driving change.
How to build capacity in government for digital transformation.
How to unlock the power of data and AI.

Listen to this episode to get insights from government leaders on the opportunity for government transformation – and unique reflections from the experts featured in this podcast on how to make change happen.

Read the Rewiring the State report here.

This podcast is based on a Global Government Forum webinar, held on 4 November.


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