Change Management In Government Agencies

🚨 Huge AI policy news for the Australian public service! The Government has just released its Australian Public Service (APS) AI Plan 2025, a major blueprint for how the APS will use artificial intelligence to deliver better, faster services for Australians. This is a practical plan that moves beyond ambition to focus on execution. It’s about ensuring the APS has the tools and the judgement to use AI responsibly, with AI leaders embedded in agencies to drive adoption. The plan rests on three pillars: 1️⃣ Trust: transparency, ethics and governance 2️⃣ People: capability building and engagement 3️⃣ Tools: access, infrastructure and support Key initiatives: 💡 GovAI – secure, onshore generative AI platforms 📜 A strengthened Responsible AI Policy, with mandatory AI strategies, impact assessments and accountable officers and a register for use cases 🧩 Chief AI Officers to drive safe, coordinated adoption 🤝 Supplier obligations – requirements that suppliers declare and take responsibility for AI use 🧠 Mandatory AI literacy and leadership training across the entire public service ☁️ A new whole-of-government cloud policy to unlock AI’s potential securely This is a major statement of intent from the Government: agencies are expected to lean in, not sit back on AI. My thoughts: 📄 Responsible AI policy overhaul coming: The current policy was fairly light. Expect an update by year’s end to embed clearer accountability, risk management and governance expectations. 🔨 Use-case-level governance: I’ve long argued that AI governance works best at the use-case level, not the system level. The Government agrees. The approach appoints accountable officers for use cases, which is the kind of granularity needed for real accountability. 👀 Central oversight: An AI Review Committee will scrutinise higher-risk use cases. This creates a feedback loop that allows lessons, failures and fixes to be shared across government rather than buried in individual agencies. It’s a smart step toward building consistency and collective trust. 💪 Massive capability uplift: Every public servant will receive foundational AI literacy training and rightly so. An AI tool is only as good as the hands it’s in, and training must cover responsible use AND effective use. 📡 Trust through communication. The plan directly acknowledges Australia’s trust gap on AI and puts communication and engagement at the core. 📶 A new benchmark for industry. A whole-of-government AI governance framework like this could very well become the de facto standard for everyone doing business with government and beyond. Requirements will inevitably flow through supply chains. Big picture: the aim is to boost service delivery, policy outcomes and productivity while fostering public trust. That’s the right balance: adopt AI boldly, but govern it deeply. Make no mistake, this is a big step for responsible AI in the APS. #AI #AIGovernance #ResponsibleAI #ArtificialIntelligence #TrustworthyAI

If a ₹5 biscuit can tell us everything, why can’t a ₹100 crore road? I recently came across this thought-provoking visual-and it struck a chord. In fact, I’ve seen something similar already implemented on several PWD roads in Kerala, where boards display the cost, contractor, and responsible engineers involved in a public works project. That’s transparency. That’s accountability. And that’s exactly what we need nationwide. Why this matters: A ₹5 Parle-G biscuit packet gives you: Manufacturer Batch number License details Expiry date A ₹100 crore road? Often no clue who built it, how much it cost, or who's accountable for its failure. Imagine if every road had: A QR code on a board at regular intervals Scannable info on: Name of the contractor Date of completion Cost incurred Responsible government department Supervising engineers and ministers This is not a futuristic dream-it’s a reality in progressive states like Kerala. So why not scale it across India? As per Kerala PWD's 2023 circular, all major road works must display: Project name Contractor details Total sanctioned cost Start and end dates Contact number for grievance redressal These boards are common on NH, SH, and PMGSY roads in the state. A suggestion for India: Let’s treat public infrastructure like public information. Taxpayer money deserves traceability-whether it’s for a bridge, a hospital, or a highway. Let’s build roads you can drive on and trust. #Transparency #Accountability #GoodGovernance #KeralaModel #PublicInfrastructure #DigitalIndia #RoadSafety #NHAI #PMGSY #TaxpayerMoney #LinkedInIndia #IndiaDeservesBetter #QRcodeInitiative

The Rise of the Autonomous Enterprise for Government... For decades, government modernization has focused on digitizing forms, automating workflows, and moving systems to the cloud. Those investments were necessary. But they were only the foundation. The next phase of transformation is the rise of the Autonomous Enterprise for Government. Across government, agencies face the same challenge: increasing demands for services, workforce constraints, growing regulatory complexity, and pressure to do more with limited resources. AI is creating an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how administrative and mission-support work gets done. The first generation of AI focused on chatbots and individual agents. The next generation is Agentic Applications: systems that combine AI agents, enterprise data, business processes, and governed execution into a single experience focused on delivering outcomes. Instead of employees searching through policies, regulations, and procedures, Agentic Applications continuously monitor signals, identify issues, perform analysis, recommend actions, and execute approved work. A staffing challenge is identified before it impacts mission delivery. A procurement bottleneck is surfaced and resolved before it delays a critical program. A compliance risk is detected and remediated before it becomes an audit finding. This is the shift from systems of record, to systems of engagement, to systems of outcomes. The value is no longer measured by how many forms are digitized, dashboards are created, or agents are deployed. The value is measured by outcomes achieved: faster hiring, improved mission readiness, reduced compliance risk, accelerated procurement cycles, better workforce planning, and higher-quality citizen services. The goal isn’t replacing public servants. It’s allowing them to focus on judgment, leadership, and mission execution while Agentic Applications handle analysis, coordination, and routine operational work at scale. The future of government modernization isn’t simply digital government. It’s the Autonomous Enterprise for Government, powered by Agentic Applications and measured by outcomes.

If a ₹5 biscuit can tell you exactly when and where it was made, why can’t a ₹100 crore road? Every packaged product we buy carries details — manufacturer, batch number, production date, expiry date, and even a helpline. But when it comes to public infrastructure worth crores of taxpayer money, transparency often disappears. Imagine a system where every new road had a simple QR code that revealed: ✅ Who built it ✅ Total project cost ✅ Timeline & warranty details ✅ Names of responsible officials This is not just about technology — it’s about accountability. Taxpayer money deserves the same transparency as any consumer product. When information is accessible, accountability follows. When accountability follows, quality improves. Public infrastructure should be traceable, just like your food packet. #Accountability #Governance #PublicInfrastructure #Transparency #Innovation #TaxpayerMoney

🚀 Now publicly available 🚀 The Data Innovation Toolkit! And Repository! (✍️ coauthored with Maria Claudia Bodino, Nathan da Silva Carvalho, Marcelo Cogo, and Arianna Dafne Fini Storchi, and commissioned by the Digital Innovation Lab (iLab) of DG DIGIT at the European Commission) 👉 Despite the growing awareness about the value of data to address societal issues, the excitement around AI, and the potential for transformative insights, many organizations struggle to translate data into actionable strategies and meaningful innovations. 🔹 How can those working in the public interest better leverage data for the public good? 🔹 What practical resources can help navigate data innovation challenges? To bridge these gaps, we developed a practical and easy-to-use toolkit designed to support decision makers and public leaders managing data-driven initiatives. 🛠️ What’s inside the first version of the Digital Innovation Toolkit (105 pages)? 👉A repository of educational materials and best practices from the public sector, academia, NGOs, and think tanks. 👉 Practical resources to enhance data innovation efforts, including: ✅Checklists to ensure key aspects of data initiatives are properly assessed. ✅Interactive exercises to engage teams and build essential data skills. ✅Canvas models for structured planning and brainstorming. ✅Workshop templates to facilitate collaboration, ideation, and problem-solving. 🔍 How was the toolkit developed? 📚 Repository: Curated literature review and a user-friendly interface for easy access. 🎤 Interviews & Workshops: Direct engagement with public sector professionals to refine relevance. 🚀 Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Iterative development of an initial set of tools. 🧪 Usability Tests & Pilots: Ensuring functionality and user-friendliness. This is just the beginning! We’re excited to continue refining and expanding this toolkit to support data innovation across public administrations. 🔗 Check it out and let us know your thoughts: 💻 Data Innovation Toolkit: https://lnkd.in/e68kqmZn 💻 Data Innovation Repository: https://lnkd.in/eU-vZqdC #DataInnovation #PublicSector #DigitalTransformation #OpenData #AIforGood #GovTech #DataForPublicGood

What if you could replace nearly 2000 government websites with a single one? Most people would say it's impossible. In 2010, Tom Loosemore proved them wrong. The UK government's online presence was a disaster. Nearly 2000 websites, each designed differently, using different technology, serving different departments' internal convenience rather than citizens' actual needs. It cost hundreds of millions to maintain and it barely worked. Tom had spent years in digital transformation at the BBC, Channel 4 and OFCOM. He understood something Whitehall didn't. The problem wasn't technology. It was that government designed services around its own bureaucracy, not around people trying to use them. When Martha Lane Fox asked him to help draft her influential report on digital government, Tom saw an opportunity. But he also knew the challenge was immense. The civil service culture was fundamentally opposed to user centred design. Departments protected their territory fiercely. The idea that multidisciplinary teams should work together in the same place was revolutionary. In 2010, Tom co-founded the Government Digital Service with Mike Bracken and Ben Terrett. They had top cover from Minister Francis Maude, but faced tissue rejection from almost everywhere else. The breakthrough came with GOV .UK. Tom led the alpha version, delivered in just 12 weeks for £261,000. A boundary pushing prototype built by an in house team working in an open and agile way placing user needs at the core. The established IT suppliers said it would never scale. Departments said citizens wouldn't accept a single website. The resistance was fierce. They were spectacularly wrong. GOV .UK replaced those 2000 websites, received over 3 billion visits, and won the UK's top design award in 2013. More importantly, it raised the UK from 8th to 1st in the UN e-government rankings. Tom's approach became the model. The US, Australia, Canada and Singapore all copied it, establishing their own digital transformation units based on what GDS achieved. In 2012, Tom wrote the UK Government Digital Strategy. He led digital transformation across DWP, Treasury and ONS. He proved that even massive, bureaucratic institutions could deliver services designed around users, not internal convenience. Tom's journey teaches a powerful lesson. The biggest transformations don't come from working within broken systems. They come from building proof that a better way actually works, then using that proof to change everything. When you face institutional resistance to change, ask yourself… Can you build a working prototype that makes the old way look obsolete? #DigitalTransformation #PublicSector #GovUK

📢 Empowering Public Sector Leadership : A Competency Framework for AI Integration in India The Launch of the Competency Framework for AI for Public Sector Officials marks a significant step toward equipping public sector officials in India with the essential knowledge and skills to engage effectively with AI technologies. #IndiaAI launched the Competency Framework for AI for Public Sector Officials on March 6th, 2025, at the official launch of the #AIKosha & AI Compute Portal, enabling India's Research and Innovation Ecosystem. The Need for a Competency Framework India's public sector plays a critical role in leveraging AI to drive developmental and economic goals. However, as highlighted by the AI Readiness Index 2023 and the World Bank GovTech Maturity Index 2022, substantial skill gaps exist, particularly in low-income nations and the South and Central Asia regions. To bridge this divide, a structured competency framework is necessary to enhance AI literacy, identify skill deficiencies, and foster AI adoption in government services. ➜ Goals and Objectives ▪️ Provide a foundational understanding of AI, including its core functionalities and limitations. ▪️ Define behavioral, functional, and domain-specific competencies required for public sector officials. ▪️ Enhance awareness of emerging AI technologies and their implications for government services. ▪️ Identify opportunities to integrate AI for improved efficiency and service delivery. ▪️ Enable informed policymaking and regulatory oversight. ▪️ Develop targeted training and capacity-building programs. ▪️ Establish a structured approach to career progression and performance evaluation within government roles. ➜ What’s Inside the Report ▪️ Chapter 1: Laying the Groundwork: AI’s Role and Challenges in Public Sector Transformation ▪️ Chapter 2: Demystifying AI: A Primer for Public Officials ▪️ Chapter 3: The Artificial Intelligence Competency Framework for Public Sector Officials ▪️ Chapter 4: Behavioral Competencies ▪️ Chapter 5: Functional competencies ▪️ Chapter 6: Domain competencies 🚀 The Competency Framework for AI for Public Sector Officials is a crucial initiative in India's AI journey. By defining structured learning pathways and competency benchmarks, the framework ensures that public sector officials are well-equipped to harness AI's transformative potential, fostering innovation, efficiency, and ethical AI governance in public administration.  #AI #India

"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩, 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳." It’s an unspoken agreement in workplaces everywhere. Are you unknowingly igniting resistance instead of sparking change? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱
 At City Hospital (a pseudonym used to protect confidentiality), the CEO, “Juliette Garnier” (also a pseudonym), believed decisive action would save the day. Faced with a funding crisis, she enforced a 10% budget cut across departments. Her intent? Keep the hospital afloat. The result? Chaos. Her leadership team froze in silence, employees raged in the corridors, and nurses threatened a strike over unsafe working conditions. Garnier had unknowingly stepped into what I call The 𝙋𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣: * 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 = 𝗘𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 * 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 = 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 The harder you push, the harder people push back. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
 Resistance isn’t about rejecting change. It’s about rejecting the way change is imposed. When people feel ignored, undervalued, or strong-armed, their silence or anger signals mistrust and resentment. The more forceful the push, the stronger the resistance grows. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻
 Garnier recognised the pattern and shifted her approach. Instead of enforcing change, she invited her team to co-create solutions. Within weeks, the same employees who had resisted her became her strongest allies, crafting a plan that cut costs without compromising care. The strike was called off, and trust was restored. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 
Leaders who force change light fires that burn bridges. Those who nudge—inviting collaboration and listening deeply—build lasting trust and sustainable results. Are you lighting fires or building bridges? Would love to hear your views: What strategies have worked for you to overcome resistance and inspire collaboration? 📚 For a systemic lens to creating lasting change, explore the ideas in my book, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠.

I am pleased to share the release of a new OECD Tax and Development case study highlighting the impact of the technical assistance and capacity-building that Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) has provided to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) since 2018. #TIWB support included: ✅ two capacity-building programmes to strengthen the tax audit skills of MIRA officials, with a focus on targeted audits of MNEs’ related-party transactions in the tourism and hospitality sectors; ✅ a criminal tax investigation (CI) programme delivered through a hands-on, “learning-by-doing” approach, designed to enhance the country’s capacity to detect, investigate, and prosecute tax crimes. The two capacity-building programmes on transfer pricing audits resulted in USD 4.5 million in additional taxes collected. All 10 complex tax crime investigations supported under the TIWB-CI programme were successfully concluded, yielding USD 5.4 million in recovered taxes by the end of the programme. TIWB’s unique approach to capacity-building and knowledge sharing has played a critical role in helping a young tax administration like MIRA develop strong expertise in both transfer pricing and criminal tax investigation. Access the case study to discover all the insights ➡️ https://bit.ly/4ivuUNK (also available in French: https://bit.ly/4p4pCex  and Spanish: https://bit.ly/4oji06G) #tax4dev #Maldives

Have you seen the newly released U.S. Department of Labor AI framework for workforce development? In my latest article, I took a moment to break the new policy down into bite-sized points and included source links to save you some time. It's easy to overlook federal AI guidance, especially when the pace of AI innovation surpasses the pace of general AI understanding. But if you care about workforce modernization, artificial intelligence policy, or long-term business growth, this one deserves your attention. Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor issued Training and Employment Guidance Notice 07-25 outlining how AI should be integrated into federally funded workforce systems. This is not a theoretical conversation anymore. The World Economic Forum reports that 44 percent of core job skills are expected to change within five years. McKinsey & Company’s 2025 State of AI survey shows that 65 percent of organizations are already using generative AI in at least one function. When employer operations shift, workforce systems must follow. Here is what this federal AI framework signals for leaders: 🔹 Workforce modernization is moving from digitization to intelligence. Labor market analysis, job matching, and service delivery are expected to integrate AI with oversight. 🔹 Governance is not optional. Transparency, documentation, and compliance are embedded in the guidance. 🔹 Public and private sectors are converging. Agencies will look for partners who understand both AI capability and regulatory expectations. If you operate in education, workforce development, HR tech, national economic strategy, or business growth and modernization, this affects you. The most strategic leaders I know do not wait for headlines to force adjustment. They study policy signals early and position accordingly. How is your organization preparing for AI integration inside public workforce systems? If this perspective is useful, let's connect ~Dr. Kiesha King and subscribe to my newsletter for more on education strategy, AI workforce modernization, leadership and sustainable business growth. Disclaimer: All views are my own and do not represent the views of my employer or any affiliated organization.