All posts by Liz Heron

About Liz Heron

Liz Heron is a journalist based in London. She worked on daily newspapers for more than 16 years as an education correspondent, section editor and general news reporter. She was Education Editor of the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and has contributed to a wide range of British media including The Independent, The Guardian and the BBC.

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  ‘No analogue jobs’: building cross-government digital capability

  The COVID-19 pandemic created huge demand for digital skills within governments, accelerating an existing global trend. But building a government-wide digital profession is no simple matter. At a recent GGF

  • Posted November 8, 2021
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  Necessity is the mother of innovation: turning burning platforms into launchpads for reform

  In the face of the pandemic, civil servants have taken big risks to protect their populations – short-circuiting established processes to launch innovative services and transform working practices. At a

  • Posted September 20, 2021
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  Japan launches Digital Agency

  The Japanese government has launched a new Digital Agency to spearhead the development of online public service delivery and integrate IT systems across departments and agencies. The agency, which began

  • Posted September 8, 2021
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  Afghan exit will fuel terrorism worldwide, says former UK cabinet secretary

  The withdrawal of NATO-led troops from Afghanistan was “an act of strategic self-harm” that will fuel terrorism, former UK national security adviser Mark Sedwill has warned. The move has strengthened

  • Posted September 7, 2021
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  US launches Digital Corps to attract young talent

  The US government has launched a new fellowship programme for aspiring IT professionals that aims to develop a new generation of tech leaders for the federal public service. The programme

  • Posted September 6, 2021
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  New US office to protect health from climate threats

  The US federal government has set up a new office to tackle the impact of climate change on public health across the country. The Office of Climate Change and Health

  • Posted September 5, 2021
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  Australian data watchdog calls for greater vigilance against cybercrime

  The Australian Information Commissioner has urged public servants and other professionals who handle personal information to improve their defences against ransomware attacks and impersonation fraud. Angelene Falk made the call

  • Posted September 2, 2021
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  Biden promises feds a 2.7% pay rise next year

  Plans to increase the pay of US federal civilian employees by an average of 2.7% in 2022 have been formally presented to Congress by President Joe Biden. In a letter

  • Posted September 1, 2021
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  Ireland’s top civil servant made ambassador to UK

  The Irish government’s most senior civil servant has been appointed as ambassador to the UK, in a move widely regarded as an attempt to strengthen ties between the two countries

  • Posted August 30, 2021
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  Aye of the needle: overcoming vaccine hesitancy

  To end the pandemic, governments must persuade the vast majority of adults to get vaccinated – but apathy, health fears and conspiracy theories are holding down vaccination rates. Liz Heron

  • Posted August 26, 2021
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