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Global Government Forum’s weekly roundup on public service intelligence
In this edition:
Government urged to ’embrace AI or miss the most exciting time to govern’
The British government could miss a historic opportunity if it remains too cautious on AI, according to a paper from the Tony Blair Institute.
The report, published on May 20 – just before Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a general election in the UK on July 4 – concluded that “if properly harnessed”, AI could announce “the moment most exciting and the most creative way to govern.”
The report said that while business leaders face the choice “to invest in AI capabilities or risk perishing,” the choice for governments “often seems less stark.” The authors point out, however, that governments with a “leaning toward caution” could set nations down “a perilous path” leading to “failure in modernization, reform and results.”
The analysis estimates that the UK government could save up to £40 billion ($31.4 billion) each year by using AI technology “as it currently exists”, while the deployment of AI could also “repair the relationship between government and citizens” by “putting public services on a new footing and unlocking greater prosperity.”
“The public service suffers from significant delays and long waits for services, a demoralized and unproductive workforce, and a lack of long-term thinking as policymakers lurch from crisis to crisis ”, says the report.
“The adoption of AI in the public sector is a matter of strategic priority above all else. The UK cannot get caught up in old debates when the real problem is AI.
Read GGF’s latest AI Monitor: Protecting elections against deepfakes, France will use AI to simplify public services, and more
NCSC steps up support for those at high risk of cyberattacks ahead of elections
Political candidates, election officials and others at high risk of being targeted online during the upcoming UK general election have had access to unprecedented new support from UK cyber experts to help them boost their security digital.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) – part of GCHQ – has announced a new cyber defense service aimed at preventing individuals from falling victim to spear phishing, malware attacks and other cyber threats.
The new Personal Internet Protection service provides an additional layer of security on personal devices by warning users if they attempt to visit a domain that NCSC knows to be malicious and blocking outbound traffic to those domains.
The opt-in service, launched ahead of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the UK general election, follows government announcements in recent months of attempts by Russian intelligence services and actors affiliated with the Chinese state to carry out malicious activities targeting British institutions and individuals. including parliamentarians.
Jonathon Ellison, NCSC Director for National Resilience and Future Technologies, stressed that individuals who play an important role in our democracy “present an attractive target for cyber actors seeking to disrupt or undermine our open and free society”, adding: “That is why the NCSC has stepped up its support for those most more at risk of being victims of violence. targeted online to ensure they can better protect their accounts and devices from attacks.
Elison urged eligible people to register for NCSC services and follow its advice on strengthening defenses.
Read GGF’s latest digital and data monitor: The story of the UK Digital Academy, why good decisions follow good data, and more
Australian Public Service chiefs urged to focus on trust and autonomy in hybrid working
Australian Public Service (APS) leaders have been urged to focus on how to use hybrid working arrangements to build trust and autonomy within the service.
In an academic paper examining whether the use of return-to-power mandates can prevent proximity bias, authors Sue Williamson, Uma Jogulu, Judy Lundy and Helen Taylor presented results from 20 focus groups and small group interviews with more of 80 APS senior managers, middle managers and supervisors from 37 agencies on the benefits and challenges of hybrid work.
The article reveals that hybrid working is now an integrated mainstream practice, and continues to be popular, with more than half of employees reporting working from home or outside the office in 2023.
The analysis highlights that managers must seize opportunities to change the way teams work together by having open conversations about what trust and autonomy should look like.
In particular, the authors argue that APS should prioritize performance over productivity, as well as develop management approaches adapted to the increasing autonomy of working from home.
In the study, one manager said his team had “greater ownership of the work, it gives them their agency back,” but the researchers also found that lack of trust still affects how managers relate to each other. occupy a hybrid team.
The researchers also highlighted that the majority of managers say there has been no notable change in how and where tasks are accomplished in their organization, largely due to tools enabling virtual work. This is different from other industries, where research shows that collaboration and team-building tasks are done in the office, and deep thinking work is done at home. However, in the APS, tasks are performed regardless of location, suggesting that the civil service is flexible and has adapted to hybrid working. It also opens up the possibility of experimenting with different working methods that are not yet fully utilized.
The study recommends that public service managers provide their teams with high levels of flexibility and autonomy, and openly discuss what autonomy and trust look like in a hybrid work environment.
“Hybrid working offers the opportunity to change the way teams work together, the way individuals maximize their presence in the office or at home, the way workflows are managed and the way performance is measured” , a summary of the research, published on the Institute of Public Administration Australia website. , concluded.
“APS agencies are examining the lessons of recent years, innovating and looking toward the future of work. New experiments on working methods could continue to yield positive results.”
Access the authors’ new report on hybrid work in the Australian Journal of Public Administration
Read the latest GGF management and workforce report: Top US official defends teleworking policy – while Canadian government wants civil servants in the office three days a week
Singapore research highlights need for clear climate communication
Most Singaporeans are familiar with the concept of net zero, but only 15%, according to a recent survey, were aware of the national 2050 target.
When provided with information about the Singapore target, 65% of respondents expressed support for the target and a further 17% said they favored a more ambitious timetable.
THE studywhich surveyed more than 2,000 Singapore residents, was carried out by the Lloyds Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk (IPUR) at the National University of Singapore, the Lee Kuan Yew Center for Innovative Cities at the University of Technology and Design of Singapore, and the Environmental Behavioral Sciences and Economics Research Unit of the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment.
More than half of those surveyed said they wanted to know more about what the government is doing to achieve carbon neutrality and how they can help.
Dr Olivia Jensen, deputy director of IPUR and author of the report, said: “The study demonstrated that Singaporeans want more information on how to reduce their carbon footprint.
“Now, the research community needs to strengthen the evidence base on Singapore residents’ personal carbon emissions to ensure that the advice given to people is based on science. We also need to design ways to communicate climate information effectively without overwhelming people or undermining their willingness to act.
Respondents consider public transportation, reducing single-use plastics, recycling and appliance choices to have the greatest impact on carbon emissions. Reducing meat consumption, reducing air travel and increasing air conditioning temperatures were ranked lower in terms of perceived impact. However, studies show that switching to a plant-based diet and reducing or avoiding air travel are among the high-impact actions individuals can take.
Lim Tuang Liang, Singapore Government Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “Every individual plays a central role in propelling Singapore towards our national net zero emissions goal, which complements government and business efforts.
“As the study shows, Singaporeans are already involved and taking many environmentally friendly measures. But there are opportunities for more of us to further reduce our carbon footprint through our lifestyle choices, in a way that is aligned with social and environmental values.
Read the latest GGF Sustainability Monitor: How AI could accelerate carbon neutrality, Poland boosts climate education, and more
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