Leading Questions

Oct 17 2024 28 ep. 46 mins 5
Leading Questions Podcast artwork

Leading Questions is a podcast about public sector leadership, published by Global Government Forum. Every episode we interview a former senior civil servant and ask them to reflect on key challenges they have faced in their career and what they learned from them. Packed with interesting insights into government, inspiring stories and handy advice, this is leadership in practice.

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How the Government of Canada is making progress on digital transformation

Oct 17 2024 49 mins  
On this episode of Leading Questions LIVE, Siobhan Benita speaks to Dominic Rochon, chief information officer for Canada. They discuss Dominic’s broad mandate, which includes service delivery, security and privacy, as well as his current priorities such as improving digital services, enhancing cybersecurity, and modernising legacy systems. Dominic touches upon Canada’s past t

Leading Questions Live: How to make government work in the age of permacrisis

Oct 10 2024 59 mins  
In this episode of Leading Question, recorded with a live online audience, a panel of Global Government Forum experts delve into the findings of its research into the key characteristics needed for a modern public service. The Making Government Work report identifies five key pillars of a modern civil service, which are: · Strong leadership with mutual respect and alignment bet

US presidential election: what the party platforms say – and what you need to know

Oct 01 2024 45 mins  
In this special edition of Global Government Forum’s Leading Questions podcast, which is based on a GGF webinar held in September, we look at the key issues in the upcoming United States presidential election. Join Siobhan Benita as she discuss the key issues of the campaign with Dr Thomas Gift, the associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on US Politic

How to empower civil servants to deliver government missions, with Dr Dan Honig

Sep 24 2024 55 mins  
In a new episode of Leading Questions, Richard Johnstone, the executive editor of Global Government Forum, interviews Dr Dan Honig, professor of public policy at University College London and Georgetown University, about his new book, Mission Driven Bureaucrats. Subtitled Empowering People To Help Government Do Better, Honig’s book explores how civil servants can be empowered to

UK general election: how to get ready for the next government - BONUS EPISODE

Jun 06 2024 48 mins  
Welcome to this special edition of Leading Questions in which we look at the key issues in the UK general election and how civil servants will be working to get ready for the next government. The general election will be held on 4 July, with parties setting out their vision for the future of the country. That means that right now, civil servants are working on ‘day one’ docum

Flipping the script in government with former Bank of England chief economist – Andy Haldane

Oct 19 2023 47 mins  
In this, the last episode of Leading Questions series 3, Andy Haldane talks about thriving on leading through crisis and the challenges and opportunities “when the old is broken and the new is yet to be forged”. Having spent 32 years at the Bank of England, latterly as chief economist, headed up the UK government’s Levelling Up taskforce, founded the charity Pro Bono Economic

From COVID-19 to Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Estonia’s top public servant Taimar Peterkop's tips for dealing with crises

Sep 07 2023 35 mins  
Estonia’s most senior civil servant, secretary of state Taimar Peterkop, shares his insights into leading through crises. From dealing with a vulnerability in the country’s digital ID system – which involved updating thousands of digital services – to the country’s response to the COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this is an episode packed with lessons o

‘I always knew that my anchor was health’ – Dame Una O’Brien

Aug 10 2023 55 mins  
In this episode of Leading Questions Dame Una O’Brien, who was permanent secretary of the UK Department of Health between 2010 and 2016, joins podcast host Siobhan Benita for a chat about her unconventional route into the civil service, and what she learned along the way. Having been appointed health department permanent secretary just as a coalition government was formed, and re

What government leaders’ greatest challenge will be in the coming years – interview with Israel Pastor Sainz-Pardo

Jun 29 2023 45 mins  
Podcast host Siobhan Benita speaks know-how and knock-backs with the deputy director of learning at Spain’s National Institute of Public Administration. Israel Pastor has more than 20 years’ experience as a senior manager in the Spanish state administration – including stints in the health, environment, finance and justice departments – affording him a broad perspectiv

Getting the best perspective on how government works – and how to improve it, with Iain Rennie

Jun 01 2023 48 mins  
Iain Rennie spent 30 years in the New Zealand Public Service culminating in eight years in the top job – that of state services commissioner. In this episode, Iain tells podcast host Siobhan Benita about talent management reform, his realisations about leadership, his work as a consultant to governments around the world, and why public servants should be mindful of the increasing