What is Everythingism, and how does it affect the way that governments work?
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
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41:29
Understanding the fraud risk in the public sector – and how to tackle it
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.
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58:04
How to deploy artificial intelligence in government: a step-by-step guide
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.
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1:15:35
UK data leaders on delivering the government missions
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.
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1:06:15
Building trust in AI to help government deploy it
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.
Leading Questions is a podcast about public sector leadership, published by Global Government Forum.
Every episode we interview a former senior civil servant and ask them to reflect on key challenges they have faced in their career and what they learned from them.
Packed with interesting insights into government, inspiring stories and handy advice, this is leadership in practice.
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