Leading Questions

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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

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 programme Read the US CIO study mentioned in this report Register now for Government Service Delivery – the new name for GovernmentDX Over 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

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.

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).

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 discuss 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. The early actions that the next president will likely take.

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 an 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 on five key missions. Honig provides insight on how to realise progress on what he calls these grand missions, as well as using missions as a means to clearly state public service purposes – be that fighting fires, 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. And 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 on adopting a mission approach in government. Mentioned in this conversation: Find out more about Dan's book: Mission Driven Bureaucrats: Empowering People To Help Government Do Better Making Government Work: Exclusive Global Government Forum research reveals five pillars of a modern civil service History has been made, paving the way for major public service reform in South Africa

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. As this is a very topical conversation, recorded earlier this week, and we wanted to share this with you on this feed – we hope you enjoy.

In this, the last episode of Leading Questions series 3, Andy Haldane talks about thriving on leading through crisis and the challenges and opportunities “when the old is broken and the new is yet to be forged”. Having spent 32 years at the Bank of England, latterly as chief economist, headed up the UK government's Levelling Up taskforce, founded the charity Pro Bono Economics, and spent the last two years as chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts, Andy has a range of roles and experiences to draw on. Yet though he has been very honest publicly about his organisations' successes and failures over the years, he hasn't divulged much about his own leadership style and motivations – until now. The man once named amongst the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine has seen his fair share of crises – not least, during his time at the Bank of England, the global financial crisis of 2008, the European debt crisis, Black Wednesday, and the COVID-19 pandemic. “Looking back over those 32 years, it was hallmarked or perhaps pockmarked by crises. They always come along, don't they? But we seem to have had a particularly virulent sequence over the last 15 years plus,” he says. It is fortunate, then, that Andy is energised by the opportunity to drive big, system-wide change. Motivated by his belief that the most effective and durable way of making change is to engage as broad a base of stakeholders as possible, Andy describes the importance of listening to those not often given a voice. Indeed, speaking to people for whom the economy was not working proved to be “one of the most valuable sources of intelligence I could have had”. He also speaks of his tendency to be publicly honest about the things that have gone wrong and to suggest ideas radically different from the status quo; his concern that civil servants do not have “a long enough window of relative tranquillity to build their sea defences against whatever the next tsunami might be”; and of the importance of having an “optimistic, non-fatalistic mindset”. This fascinating episode is a window into the motivations of a man in the business of “establishing next practice rather than best practice thinking”, of considering what's around the corner, and of “instilling a sense of belief about what's possible”.

Estonia's most senior civil servant, secretary of state Taimar Peterkop, shares his insights into leading through crises.   From dealing with a vulnerability in the country's digital ID system – which involved updating thousands of digital services – to the country's response to the COVID pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this is an episode packed with lessons on what to do when government is faced with emergency.   Taimar's main learning from the digital ID crisis was the importance of building relationships with the private sector, academia and civil society – so that they can be called upon when the government lacks the internal capabilities to deal with crises on its own.   “You need all the different players in these situations to talk the same talk and to have the same message: ‘This is the problem, this is the solution, and don't worry',” Taimar says.   Through clear and consistent communication with citizens, the Information System Authority, which led the work to secure the IDs and which Taimar headed up at the time, managed not only to retain trust in the digital ID system but to actually increase it. Indeed, following the incident, use of the cards actually began to rise.   When COVID hit, by which time Taimar had been appointed secretary of state, he took the lessons from that crisis and applied it to his leadership through the pandemic, not least in looking after the wellbeing of public servants, many of whom were having to work 16-hour days. He brought in mental health advisers and gave officials who had done exceptionally well gifts to boost morale.  Also describing his part in moving management of the pandemic response from the health department to the prime minister's office and establishing a COVID taskforce; Estonia's readiness for Russia's invasion of Ukraine; his background as a lawyer and technologist; and why he has decided to work for two years in his second term rather than the usual five, this is a not-to-miss episode for any public servant interested in how government can prepare in the era of permacrisis.  

In this episode of Leading Questions Dame Una O'Brien, who was permanent secretary of the UK Department of Health between 2010 and 2016, joins podcast host Siobhan Benita for a chat about her unconventional route into the civil service, and what she learned along the way. Having been appointed health department permanent secretary just as a coalition government was formed, and responsible for implementing sweeping and controversial healthcare reforms, Una was right in the thick of it – being scrutinised before a parliamentary committee no less than 28 times.   It was a “bumpy” ride, she admits, but one she was absolutely ready for – not least because a breadth of experience acquired outside the civil service in her 20s stood her in good stead for the challenges to come. The daughter of Irish immigrants who were “firm believers in giving back”, with a love of history and having received teaching on the British Constitution, Una decided to pursue a career in either politics or the civil service. She soon realised she wasn't cut out for the misogynistic political environment in the UK at the time – “I wasn't prepared to fight that fight”, she says, acknowledging that other women had “much more moral courage than I did”. So, when viral meningitis struck leading to months in hospital, Una re-evaluated her career path, and after 10 years in politics and parliamentary and academic research, moved into the health sector and later the civil service Fast Stream, landing first in the Department of Health. Though she went on spend time at the Cabinet Office and transport department, she always returned to health. As she describes, the experience prior to joining the civil service that had “the most profound effect on me” in the decades afterwards, was the three years she spent working to set up a hospice and care centre for people with AIDS and HIV “right in the white heat of the controversy about that disease, as it started to really hit communities in London in the late 1980s”. She saw first-hand the people who were on the receiving end of poor care and discrimination and who felt excluded from public services – something that “gave health a centrepiece in my inner world” and spurred her on in subsequent work. She shares the part she played in the Bristol/Kennedy Inquiry into the deaths of babies after heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and an inquiry into poor care at a hospital in Staffordshire. The latter led her to the “deeply hurtful” realisation that her department's responses to letters from patients' families lacked empathy and that troubling patterns of substandard care had been missed – leading to reform of the department's handling of letters from the public. Having risen up the ranks – Una spent time as the health department's director general of policy and strategy – she was appointed permanent secretary exactly 20 years to the day since she joined the civil service. She describes vividly the vision she had while waiting to go into the interview room of all the women who had supported her in the past standing behind her, willing her to succeed, and thinking “I can't let you down”. Also touching on her current work as a career and leadership coach, insights into working with ministers, and the skills needed in this new world of hybrid work, this is an episode packed with personal reflections from a leader whose motivations never wavered.

Podcast host Siobhan Benita speaks know-how and knock-backs with the deputy director of learning at Spain's National Institute of Public Administration.   Israel Pastor has more than 20 years' experience as a senior manager in the Spanish state administration – including stints in the health, environment, finance and justice departments – affording him a broad perspective on leadership and what it takes to make the organisation you're in charge of better.     Having studied hard to get through a rigorous selection process whereby people with no prior professional experience can become an executive member of the civil service – entering at grade 26 of 30 – Israel found himself leading a team in an unfamiliar organisation whilst still in his 20s.      He advises others who find themselves faced with such a baptism of fire, to “find your references, your mirrors and your mentors” and to have the humility to learn from less senior colleagues.   Entering any new high-ranking position requires vision, the ability to connect disparate projects and programmes, and the resources “in your backpack” to make improvements, he says. And as listeners will find out, it is these capabilities, along with a focus on shining a spotlight on the work of his teams and being attentive to colleagues' needs, that epitomise his leadership style.   Also describing his current work leading the civil service's learning and development programme, Israel shares his view on what leaders' greatest challenge will be in the coming years and how to overcome it, and touches on much more besides: on frank discussions with political bosses; pushing back against the stereotype of the lazy civil servant; overcoming stress; the importance of institutional communication; and remaining faithful to your public service calling.   Don't miss this episode featuring a man who has been determined from a young age to be the best public servant he could be.  

Iain Rennie spent 30 years in the New Zealand Public Service culminating in eight years in the top job – that of state services commissioner. In this episode, Iain tells podcast host Siobhan Benita about talent management reform, his realisations about leadership, his work as a consultant to governments around the world, and why public servants should be mindful of the increasingly diverse perspectives of citizens.   Realising that great leaders in the New Zealand Public Service often reached their potential “despite the system” rather than because of it, Iain's focus in his latter years in the top job was on devising and implementing a more systematic way of identifying and nurturing talent and “empowering people with a sense of possibility”. He credits this and subsequent work with women now accounting for more than 50% of senior executive roles – but there is “unfinished business” he says, particularly around ethnic representation. Now working with civil and public services around the world to improve their effectiveness, he describes what looking at governments from the outside in, as well as the inside out, has meant for his perspectives. And he also looks back on the lessons from COVID – particularly that governments “failed pretty spectacularly” when it came to wellness – and his belief that the frames put around government response to major shocks are too narrow. Also sharing his thoughts on waning public trust and the rise of mis- and disinformation, and the promise of technology to change public services for good, this is an episode packed with the kind of wisdom that comes only through decades of hard work, experience and reflection. 

This special episode of Leading Questions shares the results from the 2023 Responsive Government Survey. Report author Richard Johnstone shares the headlines from the research, while contributors to the report - Grete Kvernland-Berg, the managing partner and country head for Norway at PA Consulting Group; Alexander Evans OBE, professor of practice in Public Policy at London School of Economics and former strategy director in the Cabinet Office in the United Kingdom; and Michael Wernick, the Jarislowsky chair of public sector management at the University of Ottawa, and former cabinet secretary in the Canadian government – share their thoughts on what success looks like for public services in the era of permacrisis.  

In the first of our Leading Questions podcasts to feature an American federal government leader, Noreen Hecmanczuk reflects on a long and diverse career which has seen her serve in the White House twice.   She took her first job in Washington D.C in the early 1990s – inspired by her WW2 veteran uncle – and hasn't looked back.    The senior adviser on strategic engagements and communications to the US federal CIO, Noreen is right at the heart of government. But having worked at nine agencies and for six administrations – and in a range of roles from strategic communications to stakeholder engagement, HR to technology – she has a very well-rounded perspective on government operations.   From volunteering to take notes at meetings of foods standards executives in the midst of a deadly E coli outbreak to a particularly sobering moment whilst at the Department of Labor, Noreen has always shown a dedication to understanding her colleagues' needs and how she might help meet them.   And she has kept two quotes front of mind: Teddy Roosevelt's “Do what you can with what you have, where you are”, and her boss Clare Martorana's motto that “people support what they helped create”.   Also covering improving citizens' interactions with government through technology, why leaders shouldn't confuse their role with that of a subject matter expert, the particulars of the American system and much more besides, this is an episode brimming with insight from a public servant whose work always comes back to one thing: resolutely serving the American people as best she can.  

Phindile Baleni was appointed secretary to South Africa's cabinet and director general of the presidency – the first woman in the country's history to hold these roles – amid the pandemic in April 2021. It's a good thing she likes a challenge. With a background in maths and law, she joined the public service in 1994 just as South Africa was transitioning from the old apartheid regime to a new democratic order. Working in provincial government before moving to national, Phindile's career has been akin to “navigating an obstacle course”, not least on account of her race and gender. From a magistrate describing her as a “little girl” and refusing to address her in the courtroom to coming up against lawyers in the public service who excluded her by speaking Afrikaans, Phindile has faced discrimination with strength and grace – sometimes working to educate bigots and when necessary “fighting fire with fire”. She says she has always had people “who have known what I'm capable of who troubleshooted on my behalf” but it is principally her self-confidence – built by her parents from a young age – that has helped to pull her through. She is, she says, “motivated by struggle”. Using her experiences and leadership prowess to support others – Phindile subscribes to the idea popular in Africa that “a star shines because the other star gives you the light for you to shine” – she has worked to help talented colleagues get over crises of confidence, pushing them out of their comfort zones so that they can achieve their best.  In this first episode of the new series of Leading Questions, Phindile also describes the “harrowing” experience of transforming a public service built on apartheid – to serve four million of a population of 54 million – into a democratic system capable of serving all South Africans. From an “eclectic” leader who comes across as humble and unassuming, this is a lesson in quiet unshakable strength, resilience and never giving up. 

To mark International Women's Day, we bring you a special edition podcast in which two top civil servants discuss their experiences as women in government, their public service's journey towards gender parity in the highest ranks, and what more needs to be done to break down the barriers women face on their way to the top. Sarah Paquet, director and chief executive of FINTRAC Canada, has won awards in recognition of her commitment to advancing gender diversity and inclusion, while Zukiswa Mqolomba, deputy chairperson of South Africa's Public Service Commission, wasted no time challenging the country's patriarchal society upon being appointed to her latest role last year. Both vocal advocates for women leaders and their contribution towards creating fairer societies, in this podcast – which pulls together the best bits from our recent women leaders webinar – Zukiswa and Sarah discuss everything from imposter syndrome and confronting microaggressions in the workplace, to parental leave policies and whether hybrid working helps or hinders women professionally, and much more besides.

In this bonus podcast in the Leading Questions feed, GGF executive editor Richard Johnstone and GGF event moderator Siobhan Benita set out the top trends affecting government in 2023, setting out insight on key topics including economy and finance, sustainability, resilience, digital government and transformation. Listen now to get the inside track on what governments will be working on in 2023.

“It really was an adventure. But I was ready for it.” Gertrud Ingestad – now director general for human resources and security at the European Commission – had been a language teacher in her native Sweden for 13 years before she decided to take a leap into the unknown. Joining the Commission (the “friendly monster”) as a translator in 1995, Gertrud rose up the ranks, holding a variety of roles in different units, from head of training, to resources director, to information systems and interoperability solutions chief. Now approaching retirement after 27 years at the Commission, in this episode Gertrud looks back at a career she describes as a “series of banana skins”. Having started in her latest role as HR chief on 16 March 2020, the first day of lockdown in Belgium, she and her team have been responsible for negotiating a new work model for a hugely complex organisation for which in-person collaborative work is a core value and with the complicating factor that most of its employees have special conditions under expat status that means they must work primarily from Brussels. As such, Gertrud is eminently well-placed to share lessons valuable for anyone navigating the post-pandemic world of hybrid work. Also touching on experiencing burnout, being alert to cultural sensitivities, the growing importance of managers' people skills, and why authenticity is key, this not-to-be-missed episode is full to the brim with wisdom from a woman who proves that being an introvert and an effective leader are not mutually exclusive. 

“You don't really understand your own system until you compare it with someone else's.”   Professor Colin Talbot took an unconventional route into academia, having spent time in the private sector before landing his first university job. A seasoned researcher and author who specialises in public services and public management reform, Colin has also worked as a consultant for public sector organisations – allowing him insight into the true operating nature of public bodies and not just the ‘party line' he is usually fed in his research work.   In this episode – a departure from our usual focus on public service leaders' career challenges and highlights – Colin takes a look back at the UK's public management changes under New Labour, compares the UK governance system with that of other countries, and explains what he sees as the pitfalls of the country's heavy reliance on central government, including mistakes made during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Peppered with ample context, insights, and examples of what he believes the UK has got wrong – and right – in this podcast Colin puts forward his key messages with verve: that strengthening and empowering local government and encouraging civil servants to spend time in frontline delivery roles are vital if public services are to be improved.    An absorbing listen, those seeking to understand public management challenges and how to overcome them will not be disappointed.  

“Talent comes in every shape, colour, size and we have to be able to tap into that.” Yazmine Laroche had a varied 30-year career in the Canadian public service, rising to become public service accessibility chief and the first person with a visible disability to be appointed deputy minister in the bureaucracy's history.   In this episode – recorded shortly after she retired from the public service in June – Yazmine gives an extremely honest and compelling account of the obstacles she faced in her career. From accepting a job she felt ill qualified for and was told she would hate to striving to improve the working lives of public servants with disabilities after decades of minimising her own, Yazmine has not shied away from challenge. And all in the name of one thing – her resolute commitment to public service. A hugely experienced and astute leader who believes her time as a public servant has made her a better person, Yazmine shares her hard-won advice for aspiring leaders, speaks of the “tremendous importance of allyship”, and explains why failing to create representative teams could lead to “terrible outcomes”. One not to miss.  

“Any kind of meaningful career is going to experience setbacks and defeats. That doesn't mean it wasn't a successful career.” Michael Wernick spent nearly four decades in the Canadian public service, rising to become the country's most senior official before his retirement in 2019. In this episode he reflects on some of the many lessons of his long and varied career, its supreme highs and its crushing lows.   Drawing on his experiences as a white city-dweller at the helm of what is now known as the department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs to the three years spent as clerk of the Privy Council of Canada and secretary to the cabinet, Michael is open about the public service's strengths and its failings.   Touching on the systemic racism in government processes, why he has a problem with the notion of ‘speaking truth to power' while simultaneously advocating candour, and why his vision for the public service is akin to the moving staircases in Harry Potter's Hogwarts, this is a valuable listen for anyone interested in the inner workings of government.

“You should never pick me for any job which is business as usual… I am my best or worst, depending on your point of view, when dealing with change.” From helping to establish the UK Department for International Development (DfID) after its separation from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to managing a prisons crisis as justice department permanent secretary, Suma Chakrabarti has never been afraid to take on big, complex challenges. Quite the opposite – the opportunity to create change is, he says, what energises him. In this episode, Suma reflects on his long career in the UK civil service – which also included stints in the Cabinet Office and Treasury – and his time as president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Discussing his decision to leave the civil service because he was at loggerheads with the minister, why he thinks the merger of DfID and the Foreign Office is a mistake, the future of work, his advice to ambitious civil servants, and much more besides, Suma reveals himself as a bold, astute, and empathetic leader with a truckload of lessons to share.

I'm really kind of glad I didn't know all the rules because if I'd stuck to the rules, we would never have done it.” Stephanie Foster had been in defence for 23 years when she volunteered to take responsibility for a floundering AUS$1bn stimulus package for local government. Despite facing public criticism over the scheme that she feared might end her career, she says breaking the rules – albeit unknowingly – helped her team deliver 1,000 projects across Australia. Now deputy secretary governance, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and head of reform for the Australian Public Service, Stephanie also talks of the mighty challenge of delivering the Foster Report in response to an alleged sexual assault in Parliament House, against a politically-charged backdrop and under intense media scrutiny. Looking back at her long career, what's clear is that she has become a leader formed of the qualities she admired in her mentors – one who isn't afraid to be afraid, and who is perfectly imperfect.

“You have to flex your leadership and you don't really know how to do that until you've really understood the culture of the organisation.” Minouche Shafik was the youngest ever vice president of the World Bank. In 2008, she became permanent secretary of the Department for International Development (Dfid), before moving to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as deputy managing director in 2011 only to find her new boss engulfed in scandal. From there, she became the deputy governor at the Bank of England and is currently director of the London School of Economics. Minouche draws on her vast experience to reflect on her own leadership style, her belief in servant leadership and her passion for promoting diversity. She also explores the challenges associated with leading decentralised organisations like Dfid, the beauty of an independent civil service and why a small gesture from Christine Lagarde has stuck with her for many years.

“GCHQ is an example for the rest of the public service… here is a case where civil servants have made technology sing.” In 1996 David Omand faced his first major leadership challenge: he had become the director of GCHQ and was charged with continuing the intelligence agency's post-Cold War programme of technological transformation and reform. In this episode David discusses his experience of being “the young man sent from London to destroy the organisation”, the overlooked concept of followership and the importance of having a narrative. He also explores his time as permanent secretary of the Home Office, reflecting on why he put so much store by safe spaces, how a life-threatening diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma changed his approach to work, and becoming the UK's first Security and Intelligence Coordinator.

“The idea that in any sense I planned my career is completely wrong.” Lord Gus O'Donnell's long career in the civil service started in 1979 in the Treasury and included stints as a diplomat in Washington, press secretary to prime minister John Major and Cabinet Secretary, head of the civil service and permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office under three prime ministers – Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron. In this episode he discusses what it was like to work with four very different leaders, at very different points in their premierships, and with very different styles. He also reflects on his own leadership development, how he remained calm in a crisis and why he regrets feeling irreplaceable. There are plenty of insights on the civil service too – with comparisons between the private sector, his drive to instil pride and why he always told people that if they want to get on, they should get out, get different experiences... and then come back.

“The worst piece of leadership advice I got was: ‘be an authentic leader.'” Of course be true to yourself and your values, says Ciaran Martin CB, professor of practice in the management of public organisations at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government. “The bit I interpreted wrongly, which made it the worst piece of advice, was to just act yourself at work,” he adds. In this episode, Ciaran reflects on his long civil service career including stints at the Cabinet Office, GCHQ and latterly as the founding chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre. He considers the switch from central government into the intelligence agency; why “monolithic” leadership dictats from Whitehall were useless when working with technical specialists; the experience of publicly fronting the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack; and whether Northcote-Trevelyan still holds.

“I have used the term over the years of ‘having running away money'. That doesn't mean having a stash of savings, but it does mean all the time thinking to yourself, ‘If this job doesn't work, if I can't stand this a moment longer… what would I do?'” Dame Helen Ghosh enjoyed a long career in the civil service, becoming permanent secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2004 and then the Home Office in 2011. She then led the National Trust before becoming master of Balliol College, Oxford in 2018. In this episode Helen discusses the importance of embedding in and understanding what different organisations expect from a leader, drawing on her extensive experience of taking the helm in very different environments. She also considers the role of the civil service in serving the government of the day, and shares insights into her own hinterland and where she draws resilience from, as well as female leadership, dealing with public scrutiny and being open to the fact you may have made a mistake. If you would like to suggest an interviewee for the show, or tell us what you think, you can get in touch by emailing ggfeditor@gmail.com. If you are enjoying the show, we would really appreciate it if you could share it widely and give us a rating. Your host was Siobhan Benita. Kate Hodge edited the episode, and it was produced by James Ede.

“On the one hand, the cabinet minister has to understand that nature of the civil service role and the role of the permanent secretary as a leader alongside you… “But I think the permanent secretary also has to respect that the cabinet minister is not necessarily someone to be shaped in content or style to the previous way of doing things.” In this special episode, Sir David Bell and Ed Balls explore the minister-permanent secretary relationship. The two joined forces in 2007 at what was the Department for Children, Schools and Families – David as permanent secretary and Ed as secretary of state. They discuss first impressions and how they built a coherent team and vision together based on chemistry, trust, and openness, with plenty of fun thrown in there too. But it wasn't all plain sailing. The department faced a series of crises including SATs results, payments of Educational Maintenance Grants and the tragedy of Baby P. Both Ed and David talk about how they worked together in a crisis, and personally managed the pressure. If you would like to suggest an interviewee for the show, or tell us what you think, you can get in touch by emailing ggfeditor@gmail.com. If you are enjoying the show, we would really appreciate it if you could share it widely and give us a rating. Your host was Siobhan Benita. Kate Hodge edited the episode, and it was produced by James Ede.

“Did I feel equipped to become a permanent secretary? I thought I was, but I was very quickly disabused of the notion.” In this episode Sir Peter Housden reflects candidly on his first permanent secretary role at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. He talks about how he prepared in all the wrong ways, what he learned from the experience and the coping strategies that kept him going. In 2010 he put his lessons into practice when he moved to become the permanent secretary of Scotland. Here he explores how different the environment was, trust between civil service and ministers, public service reform, the Scottish Independence referendum and how good habits can save you. If you would like to suggest an interviewee for the show, or tell us what you think, you can get in touch by emailing ggfeditor@gmail.com. If you are enjoying the show, we would really appreciate it if you could share it widely and give us a rating. Your host was Siobhan Benita. Kate Hodge edited the episode, and it was produced by James Ede.