Confident decision-making for better outcomes in government
Civil servants in government make many decisions every day. From policy officials working to develop responsive services that meet users’ needs, to frontline officials who have to make choices on what tax cases to prioritise, the work of government requires the skills to make effective decisions.
This Global Government Forum webinar looked at how governments can build systems that help drive better decision-making – and how civil servants can develop the skills to make – and implement – confident decisions.
This webinar brought together public servants from around the world to discuss how governments are streamlining the way they work to become more nimble. It looked at how governments are building systems that will provide more effective data on public service delivery – boosting effective decision-making and facilitating action.
This session discussed:
- The data practices that are making a difference for decision-makers, and the value that can be unlocked from more timely and accurate data in government.
- The technology and operations that are improving decision-makers’ agility to react to changing and evolving conditions.
- The skills needed to make confident decisions in government.
- The role of AI and AI agents in better decision-making and action-taking.
Panel
Dr Sarah Garner, Head of Data and Insight- One Login, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, United Kingdom
Sarah is the Head of Data and Insights for GOV.UK One Login at the Government Digital Service (GDS), where she leads a team dedicated to leveraging data-driven solutions to enhance user experiences and drive continuous service improvement. Under her leadership, GDS has implemented a comprehensive reporting and insights strategy, including the development of a sophisticated data and analytics platform within the AWS stack.
Before joining GDS, Sarah was the lead for a health data analytics team at the UK Health Security Agency, where she played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. She led a multidisciplinary team in delivering high-quality, real-time analysis of case and hospitalisation rates, providing essential insights for the Chief Medical Officer to guide national interventions and response strategies. Sarah was instrumental in establishing the success measurement framework for the Test and Trace programme, designing processes for data reporting and dashboards used by the Health Secretary and No. 10. She also spearheaded the development of the weekly Test and Trace statistical publication, ensuring transparency and data integrity at the highest levels of government.
With a proven track record in data strategy, analytics, and public sector impact, Sarah continues to drive innovation in digital services, harnessing data to shape better user experiences and inform critical decision-making.
Meagan Collins, (A)Chief, Enterprise Information Management, Corporate Services Sector, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Meagan Collins in the Chief of Information Management within the Corporate Services Sector at Treasury Board Secretariat. Meagan is a dynamic leader in information management, working with her team to bring fresh perspectives and innovative strategies to drive digital transformation. Meagan holds master’s degrees in both Library and Information Science as well as Political Science and has gained valuable expertise in information architecture, data governance, lifecycle management and digitalization initiatives in both the public and private sector.
Răzvan Hoinaru, EU Policy Advisor, Romanian Authority for Digitalisation, Romanian Government, and President of the Romanian AI Technical Committee at the Romanian Standardisation Organisation
Razvan Hoinaru is economist by education, historian by heart and political advisor by vocation. Educated at Sheffield (BA) and Queen Mary University of London (PhD), he worked for the European Parliament in the committees of Economics and Environment, translating technical economic language into policy and vice versa. Similarly, he has been working for the Romanian Government, Authority for Digitalization and the Romanian National Technical Committee on Standardisation. From an academic perspective, Razvan taught financial reporting at QMUL and ASE Bucharest, organised conferences on sustainability, digitalisation, AI and accounting. He has authored about thirty articles and two books.
Jennifer Robinson, Global Public Sector Strategic Advisor, SAS
Working to help governments maximize the use of their data through data integration, data management, and analytics. Her career in software development is complemented by the opportunity to serve as a local elected leader for the last 24 years. Jennifer co-wrote the book A Practical Guide to Analytics for Government and is featured in the book Smart Cities, Smart Future. In addition to writing articles and blogs about data-driven governing, she speaks with government leaders about emerging technologies and how to strategically adopt them.
Webinar chair: Mia Hunt, Moderator, Global Government Forum
Mia has been Editor of globalgovernmentforum.com since 2019. She is a journalist and editor with a background in covering commercial property, having been Market Reports and Supplements Editor at trade title Property Week and Deputy Editor of Shopping Centre magazine, now kq1nown as Retail Destination. She has also undertaken freelance work for several publications including the preview magazine of international trade show, MAPIC, and Tes Global (formerly the Times Educational Supplement) and has produced a white paper on energy efficiency in business for E.ON. Between 2014 and 2016, she was a member of the Revo Customer Experience Committee and an ACE Awards judge.
Mia graduated from Kingston University with a first-class degree in journalism and was part of the team that produced The River newspaper, which won Publication of the Year at the Guardian Student Media Awards in 2010.
