The next steps for government innovation
Webinar looking ahead to Innovation (March 2025)
The new UK government has pledged to use technology to transform public services. Within days of taking office, a series of changes to the structure of Whitehall were made to bring together the government’s digital and data agencies to create a central hub of digital expertise in government.
However, the previous government had also set out plans to transform public services, with pledges in the Transforming for a digital future policy paper setting out a target to move at least 50 of its top 75 identified services to a ‘great’ standard of service performance by 2025.
But these are just the latest in a number of government innovation and transformation pledges to be published in the UK.
As part of Global Government Forum’s Innovation event programme, this webinar examined how government can learn the lessons from previous transformation efforts to help government become more innovative.
Join this session to discuss:
- How government can upskill civil servants so they can use digital and AI in their frontline work.
- How better technology can unlock better joined-up services.
- How to develop a ‘whole system’ approach to improving services across government.
Panel
Birna Íris Jónsdóttir, CEO, Digital Iceland, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Iceland
Birna Iris joined Digital Iceland as CEO in November 2023. She is an experienced leader in IT and has served as an IT and Digital leader in banking, insurance, health and retail. She holds a B.Sc. Degree in Computer Science, a MBA Degree and a diploma in Positive Psycology. Birna also studied AI as part of a masters degree in Computer Science. As the CEO of Digital Iceland her main vision is to simplify people‘s lives, make public sector processes more efficient and support practical use of data.
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Anna Wong, Director, Digital Talent Development, Office of the Chief Information Officer of Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Anna is currently the Director of Digital Talent Development at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat where she is focused on developing and upskilling digital talent across the Government of Canada. She is passionate about enhancing organizational performance through digital transformation, leadership development, and effective change management. With a strategic, solution-oriented mindset, Anna navigates complex environments and drives large-scale transformations. Her dedication to coaching and developing leaders to level up enables organizations to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
Mikko Mattinen, Director, Finnish Digital Agency, Finland
Mikko Mattinen is currently serving as Director in the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. His professional expertise involves leading digital transformation initiatives in various private and public organizations. He has held Digital Director positions in companies such as Nokia and he also has background in other government administrations such as the Finnish Tax Administration. For the European Commission, he has contributed to numerous TAIEX missions, such as consulting Artificial Intelligence strategies for the Kingdom of Jordan and for the Government of Albania. Mikko holds a EuroMBA degree from Aalto University and a master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Turku.
Richard Laycock, Global Head of Government Payments, Visa Government Solutions, VISA
Richard Laycock is Visa’s head of global government payment solutions, helping government agencies and a global ecosystem of financial intuitions and other partners, to implement digital payment solutions as part of their government innovation agendas. Richard Join Visa in 2022, following seven years as Deputy Director of Digital Payment Services at the UK Department of Work and Pensions. In this role he led one of the world’s largest centralised government payments and accounting systems, paying out over £212bn in pensions and benefits payments to over 20 million UK citizens living domestically or abroad. He has also served in various other executive roles in financial and commerce innovation since the 1990s, enabling him with a unique perspective and voice in that domain.
Webinar chair: Siobhan Benita, Facilitator, Global Government Forum
Siobhan was a senior civil servant in the UK with more than 15 years’ Whitehall experience. She worked in many of major delivery departments, including Transport, Environment, Health and Local Government. She also had senior roles at the heart of government in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, including supporting the then Cabinet Secretary, Lord O’Donnell, to lead work on civil service reform and strategy. Siobhan left to run as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election. She subsequently joined her alma mater, Warwick University, as Chief Strategy Officer of Warwick in London and Co-Director of the Warwick Policy Lab.
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Innovation will take place in London in March 2025. It is free to attend for all public servants. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE.
