Public Sector Future
Public Sector Future is a podcast about using digital approaches in the public sector to deliver better outcomes. We share stories of public servants driving change and learn from their experiences.
Episode 68: Data Foundations to Better Serve Canadians: Platforms, Literacy and Responsible AI
Ima Okonny is the Chief Data Officer at Employment and Social Development Canada. Ima leads work across the department of 40,000 people to better understand and use data to deliver services to Canadians, as well as to support policy development and reporting. She joins us on this episode of Public Sector Future to discuss foundational data platform approaches, responsible use of AI, and how she’s building data literacy right across the organization.
Host profile
Olivia Neal
Olivia is the Director of Microsoft’s Public Sector Center of Expertise. Prior to joining Microsoft, Olivia spent her career in public service in the UK Government and the Government of Canada. She is passionate about opportunities for digital approaches to deliver better outcomes. In sharing the stories of public servants from around the world she helps others to learn from their successes.
Public Sector Future episode library
Explore previous episodes of the podcast and learn from Public Sector leaders around the world.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 68: Data Foundations to Better Serve Canadians: Platforms, Literacy and Responsible AI
Episode 68: Data Foundations to Better Serve Canadians: Platforms, Literacy and Responsible AI
Ima Okonny is the Chief Data Officer at Employment and Social Development Canada. Ima leads work across the department of 40,000 people to better understand and use data to deliver services to Canadians, as well as to support policy development and reporting. She joins us on this episode of Public Sector Future to discuss foundational data platform approaches, responsible use of AI, and how she’s building data literacy right across the organization.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 67: Cyber, Communications and Collaboration in Defense: Insights from Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn (Ret.)
Episode 67: Cyber, Communications and Collaboration in Defense: Insights from Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn (Ret.)
Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn (Ret.) is the former Commander of the US Defense Information Systems Agency. He joins guest host AT Ball to share his insights on establishing cyber as domain, the role of technology in collaboration and communication, and the importance of understanding the needs of those in the field.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 66: Using Generative AI to improve oversight of government spending
Episode 66: Using Generative AI to improve oversight of government spending
Fabio Correa Xavier is the CIO of the Court of Accounts in the State of São Paulo, Brazil (known as TCESP). The Court of Accounts oversees government spending of over $100bn, for the state of 44 million people. Fabio and his team have been early adopters of Gen AI to transform their ways of working.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 65: Innovative Culture and AI: Digital Transformation in the City of Kelowna
Episode 65: Innovative Culture and AI: Digital Transformation in the City of Kelowna
As the CIO for the City of Kelowna in Canada, Jazz Pabla led a small team charged with delivering digital services and meeting the developing needs of a growing city. He meets host Olivia Neal to explore how the team used Generative AI to test new approaches to service delivery, to support developers, and to create a culture of innovation that attracts and keeps talented people.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 64: Accessibility Fundamentals: Collaborating for Impact
Episode 64: Accessibility Fundamentals: Collaborating for Impact
Rich Corbridge is the Chief Digital and Information Officer for the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK. Rich shares how DWP have partnered with Microsoft to train 26,000 DWP employees on Accessibility Fundamentals.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 63: A Connected and Citizen-Centered City: Lessons from Brussels
Episode 63: A Connected and Citizen-Centered City: Lessons from Brussels
Mary Odile Lognard shares the approach that she and her team have taken to enable the digital transformation of the City of Brussels. She introduces BRUCE, the new omni-channel platform used by the city, explains the impact of this work, as well as her lessons for others.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 62: Transforming Public Sector Services with Generative AI
Episode 62: Transforming Public Sector Services with Generative AI
Robyn Scott, CEO and Co-founder of Apolitical, uses examples from Japan, Canada, and Portugal to explore the potential for generative AI to transform government operations. She shares the lessons other public sector organizations can learn and the ‘balance towards optimism’ of public servants.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 61: Digital Transformation in Modern Military Operations: Insights from General Bob Brown
Episode 61: Digital Transformation in Modern Military Operations: Insights from General Bob Brown
With an overwhelming amount of information available in the world today, General Bob Brown discusses the need for advanced technology to make quick, informed decisions, and the significance of collaboration with allies and partners.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 60: Leveling the Cybersecurity Playing Field with AI, Machine Learning, and Cloud
Episode 60: Leveling the Cybersecurity Playing Field with AI, Machine Learning and Cloud
Using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud to address cybersecurity challenges in the Public Sector.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 59: Modernizing National Approaches to Cybersecurity
Episode 59: Modernizing National Approaches to Cybersecurity
Sami Khoury is the Head of the Canadian Government’s Centre for Cyber Security. As Canada’s technical authority on cyber security, the team use their expertise to keep safe the information and systems that Canadians rely on, to protect and defend the country’s cyber assets and to lead Canada’s federal response to cybersecurity events.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 58: Cybersecurity in an AI-Driven Landscape
Episode 58: Cybersecurity in an AI-Driven Landscape
Cybersecurity stands at the forefront of global concerns, and recent advancements in generative AI have opened new avenues for both progress and peril. Guest host Alvaro Vitta and Tom Burt, Corporate Vice President of Customer Security and Trust at Microsoft, delve into the insights from the 2023 Microsoft Digital Defense Report.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 57: India’s Journey to Digital Transformation: A Conversation with Dr. Pramod Varma
Episode 57: India’s Journey to Digital Transformation: A Conversation with Dr. Pramod Varma
India’s digital transformation journey has relied on strategic thinking, collaboration, and innovative solutions. Dr. Pramod Varma talks with us about how India overcame hurdles to create a robust digital ecosystem, including a digital identity program for over one billion people.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 56: Championing Identity for All: Empowerment and Progress in Africa
Episode 56: Championing Identity for All: Empowerment and Progress in Africa
Dr. Joseph Atick is a recognized thought leader in digital identity, economic development, data protection, and privacy. With a career spanning several decades, he is a founding father of the digital identity community and Executive Chairman for ID4Africa.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 55: Lifelong Learning: Building Digital Skills through Continuing Education
Episode 55: Lifelong Learning: Building Digital Skills through Continuing Education
Dr. Sheila LeBlanc is the Associate Vice President for Continuing Education at the University of Calgary. She explores the role of digital skills in lifelong learning, how demands from students and local businesses are changing, and ways in which using data can improve student success.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 54: Curiosity and hope: building foundations for the future workforce
Episode 54: Curiosity and hope: building foundations for the future workforce
Washington State is leading the way in using new technologies to engage students and build digital skills. Host Olivia Neal talks to Superintendent Chris Reykdal to learn how they have adopted programs like ‘Coding in Minecraft’ to build interest and excitement, and to develop the foundations for students’ future success.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 53: Building a platform for digital skills
Episode 53: Building a platform for digital skills
Host Olivia Neal talks to H.E. Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development of the Future in the United Arab Emirates. She explains how the UAE are approaching building digital skills at scale through their Jahiz platform, and why understanding digital needs to start from the top.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 52: The importance of skilling in the digital world
Episode 52: The importance of skilling in the digital world
On this episode, host Olivia Neal talks to Geoff Connell, the Chief Digital Officer for Norfolk County Council. He shares successful approaches for training and upskilling employees, building digital skillsets, and getting the most from your investment in technology.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 51: The UK’s Police Digital Service
Episode 51: The UK’s Police Digital Service
On this episode, host Olivia Neal speaks to Ian Bell, CEO of the UK’s Police Digital Service. He offers an inside look into the role of the Police Digital Service and how it is harnessing the power of digital, data and technology to enable UK policing to better protect the communities it serves.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 50: Digital Forensics
Episode 50: Digital Forensics
On this episode, host Olivia Neal speaks to Detective Sergeant John Price from the West Midlands Police Force in the United Kingdom. He shares insights from the world of digital forensics and how investigators are using technology to help victims more effectively in the modern age.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 49: Tech Saving Lives: A Fireside Chat with Chief Dan Munsey on Transforming Emergency Response
Episode 49: Tech Saving Lives: A Fireside Chat with Chief Dan Munsey on Transforming Emergency Response
On this episode, host Olivia Neal speaks to San Bernardino Fire Chief Dan Munsey. Chief Munsey is also Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Technology Council. He shares how embracing new technologies has brought opportunities to transform emergency response and help protect the two million residents of San Bernardino County.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 48: Technology Trends and Decision Advantage in Defense
Episode 48: Technology Trends and Decision Advantage in Defense
On this episode, guest host AT Ball speaks to Retired Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, President of the Naval Postgraduate School. Rondeau offers an inside look into how defense organizations can adopt digital tools and adapt with emerging technology.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 47: Preparing for a cashless, platform-based and technology-driven society
Episode 47: Preparing tax operations for new technologies
On this episode, host Olivia Neal meets Prof. Dennis Weber and Dr. Dennis Post. They share insights from the CPT research project (cashless, platform-based and technology-driven) on the impacts and opportunities for tax operations of emerging technologies, such as cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 46: Ukraine’s digital identity approach
Episode 46: Becoming a Digital Government: Lessons from Ukraine
On this episode, host Olivia Neal speaks to Gulsanna Mamediieva, of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. She shares how the government has embraced digital transformation and digital identity, and how this has supported citizens during the war.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 45: Secure digital collaboration in Defense organization
Episode 45: Digital Collaboration in Defense: Using technology to enable secure cooperation
On the second episode of our Defense and Intelligence mini-series, guest host AT Ball talks to Perry Smith of Myriad Technologies. Perry shares an inside look into the technology that enables secure collaboration between defense organizations.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 44: Defense & Intelligence: Adopting digital engineering
Episode 44: Defense & Intelligence: Adopting digital engineering
On the first episode of our Defense and Intelligence mini-series, Microsoft’s AT Ball is joined by Rob Clifford, Chief Data Officer for BAE Systems, Maritime and Land Division. They discuss how digital engineering and cloud-enabled technologies support mission outcomes.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 41: Building blocks for digital transformation
Episode 41: Building blocks for digital transformation
Ashleigh Sinclair, Managing Associate at Linklaters and Andrew Cooke, Global Policy Lead at Microsoft share insights from their paper on Building Blocks for a Successful Digital Transformation Strategy.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 40: Digital Innovation in Tax and Customs
Episode 40: Digital Innovation in Tax and Customs
Mick Connolly is the Head of IT Innovation for HM Revenue and Customs in the UK. He chats with guest host Steve Barr about using technology to reach your goals and the importance of innovation in tax and customs operations.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 39: The Future of Tax Operations
Episode 39: The future of tax operations
Jeff Saviano is the Global Tax Innovation Leader for EY. In the first episode of our Public Finance mini-series, Jeff tells Olivia about the intersection of tax and innovation and shares what he sees in the future of public finance.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 38: Cybersecurity, Compliance and Cloud: Lessons from Singapore
Episode 38: Cybersecurity, Compliance and Cloud: Lessons from Singapore
Yeo Beng Huay leads the Governance Planning and Policy Division in GovTech, Singapore. Her team plans and formulates policies, standards, and guidance for government ICT and smart systems, and provides data driven management of compliance and risks.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 37: Military Lessons on Cyberdefense
Episode 37: Military Lessons on Cyberdefense
Dr. Marcus Thompson is a retired Major General and former Head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defense Force. On the second episode of our cybersecurity mini-series, Dr. Thompson talks with Alvaro Vitta about best practices for protecting sensitive data and why making risk-based decisions is so important.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 36: Cyber Resilience in Government
Episode 36: Cyber Resilience in Government
Tom Burt is the Corporate Vice President of Customer Security and Trust at Microsoft. On the first episode of our Cybersecurity mini-series, Tom tells Alvaro Vitta about the trends he’s seeing, working with the government in Ukraine on cyber defense, and how public sector organizations can be better prepared for future attacks.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 35: Future of Infrastructure: Using Data to Make Equitable Investments
Episode 35: Future of Infrastructure: Using Data to Make Equitable Investments
Denice Ross is the Chief Data Scientist in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In our discussion, she shared a behind-the-scenes look into how data can be used to measure equitable investments and their outcomes with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 30: Restricted data in the cloud
Episode 30: Restricted data in the cloud
Rear Admiral António Gameiro Marques is the Director General of the Portuguese National Security Authority, which includes the National Cybersecurity Center.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 26: What the UAE government can teach us about innovation
Episode 26: What the UAE government can teach us about innovation
Her Excellency Huda Al Hashimi is the Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs to the United Arab Emirates Government. She also leads the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 23: Coming up: Future of Infrastructure
Episode 23: Coming up: Future of Infrastructure
Public Sector Future host, Olivia Neal, is passing the baton to Jeremy Goldberg for a group of episodes that dive deep into the future of infrastructure. Jeremy explains why this is an important topic, what we actually mean when we talk about infrastructure, and what you can expect to hear in this special miniseries.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 22: Government migration to cloud ecosystems
Episode 22: Government migration to cloud ecosystems
Dr. Rami Amin is based in the Digital Development Practice at the World Bank Group, leading global advisory work on how to accelerate digital transformation, sectoral investment, and economic growth. He is a lead author of the World Bank’s Government Cloud Migration report.
- Public Sector Future Podcast | Episode 21: Cybersecurity – Protecting a global research university
Episode 21: Cybersecurity – Protecting a global research university
Mary Ann Blair is the Chief Information Security Officer at Carnegie Mellon University. She is responsible for information security engineering and operations; incident prevention, detection, and response; policy and compliance; training and awareness; and identity and access management services.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 20 | Inclusivity and Sustainability in Education
Episode 20: Inclusivity and Sustainability in Education
Stefania Giannini was appointed UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education in 2018, becoming the top UN official in the field. Prior to this, she served as Minister of Education in Italy, Senator of the Republic of Italy, and Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 19 | Digital India – Part 2
Episode 19: Digital India – Part 2
Abhishek Singh is the CEO of MyGov, National e-Governance Division, and Digital India Corporation in the Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT. Discover how he provides assisted access to digital services, works across various levels of the government, and implements data standards and service integration. Singh dives into projects like DigiLocker and shares where he draws inspiration from.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 18 | Digital India – Part 1
Episode 18: Digital India – Part 1
Abhishek Singh is the CEO of MyGov, CEO, National e-Governance Division and MD & CEO, Digital India Corporation in the Government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT. Discover Singh’s priorities in his roles, his communications and engagement approaches, the structure of Digital India, and how the pandemic transformed and continues to impact hybrid work in India.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 17 | Innovation in children’s social care
Episode 17: Innovation in children’s social care
Dr. Carol Homden is the Chief Executive of Coram, a group of specialist children’s charities based in the UK, reaching 2.5 million children, families, and professionals each year. Dr. Homden also serves as Chair of Diabetes UK and was previously Chair of the UK’s National Autistic Society for 10 years.
- The future of critical infrastructure is in the cloud
The future of critical infrastructure is in the cloud
In this blog, Jeremy Goldberg discusses how trusted solutions can help public sector organizations secure, modernize, and manage critical infrastructure by providing the tools and services that enable digital transformation. Those who manage the critical infrastructure functions for their agency understand the potential to improve services, increase resilience, and cut costs.
Read more in the blog - Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 16 | AI for Sustainability
Episode 16: AI for Sustainability
Dr. Vik Pant is the Chief Scientist and Chief Science Advisor of Natural Resources Canada. He is responsible for providing strategic direction to build capacity within their scientific community and accelerating the creative application of innovative digital technologies including Artificial Intelligence.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 15 | Data Curation for Sharing and Crisis Response
Episode 15: Data Curation for Sharing and Crisis Response
Professor Dame Angela McLean is the Chief Scientific Adviser for the UK Ministry of Defence. She was appointed to the role in 2019. McLean is a Professor of Mathematical Biology in the Department of Zoology at Oxford University and Director of The Institute for Emerging Infections of Humans.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 14 | Real Time Crime Center
Episode 14: Real Time Crime Center
Inspector Joseph Courtesis spent 27 years of serving with the New York Police Department (NYPD). Courtesis was former Commander of the 105th and 106th Precincts, Central Investigations Division, and the NYPD’s Real Time Crime Center. We explore how better use of data delivered outcomes for NYPD.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 13 | Providing meals to vulnerable communities
Episode 13: Providing meals to vulnerable communities
André Correr is the Institutional Relations and Project Manager at Best.Projects. Prior to his role at Best.Projects, Correr served in the public sector in São Paulo for ten years. He received his degree in Public Policy Management from the University of São Paulo.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 12 | Taking defense and intelligence to the cloud edge
Episode 12: Taking defense and intelligence to the cloud edge
Mike Schrock is the Vice President of Global Alliances at Thales, leading work on technology initiatives involving the intersection between cloud technology, data security, public trust, digital payments, and society.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 11 | The rise of remote learning and future of education
Episode 11: The rise of remote learning and future of education
Mohammad Almadani is the CEO of Classera and was one of the founders of the organization in 2012. He was driven to develop smart learning focusing on AI, gamification, and social learning. In 2017, Almadani received the Endeavor World Certificate as one of the most impacting entrepreneurs in the world.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 10 | How to build a digital organization at scale
Episode 10: How to build a digital organization at scale
Jacky Wright spent two years on secondment to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the UK’s tax and customs department, where she was their Chief Digital and Information Officer. In 2019, she rejoined Microsoft as Chief Digital Officer and Corporate Vice President.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 9 | Lessons from Denmark: Moving Operations to Cloud
Episode 9: Lessons from Denmark: Moving Operations to Cloud
Maria Hald spent 20 years in the Danish public sector before becoming the Public Sector Lead of Microsoft Denmark in 2020. We discuss her role as the Deputy Director General in the Ministry of Finance where she oversaw a shared service center for HR for central government agencies in Denmark.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 8 | Scaling Digital Transformation in Brazil
Episode 8: Scaling Digital Transformation in Brazil
Luis Felipe Monteiro is the Secretary of Digital Government in Brazil. He oversees digital transformation of the federal government, and the supply and quality of public services. In 2020 he was named one of the World’s 50 Most Influential People Revolutionizing Government by Apolitical.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 7 | Accessibility in the public sector
Episode 7: Accessibility in the public sector
Yazmine Laroche is the Deputy Minister for Public Service Accessibility in the Government of Canada. Laroche has over 25 years of experience in the public sector across a variety of departments. Her ambition is to make the Canadian public service the most accessible in the world.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 6 | e-Estonia: Using Data to Deliver Trusted Services
Episode 6: e-Estonia: Using Data to Deliver Trusted Services
Siim Sikkut is the Government CIO of Estonia, which has been called ‘the most advanced digital society in the world.’ He was named one of world’s top 20 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical in 2018 & 2019. He is the chair of OECD Working Party of Senior Digital Government Officials.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 5 | Challenge-based approaches to Public Sector innovation
Episode 5: Challenge-based approaches to Public Sector innovation
Jeremy Goldberg recently joined Microsoft’s Worldwide Public Sector team. He’s worked in government in the city of San Jose, San Francisco, the city of New York, and most recently was leading technology for the Governor of New York State. We dive into one of the projects he was responsible for in the New York City Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 4 | Seamless services – Digital access to birth certificates
Episode 4: Seamless services – Digital access to birth certificates
In this episode we speak with Yolanda Martínez about one of the key challenges of successful digital transformation, the ability to work across boundaries and barriers to share and use data, and to better deliver services to people who really need them. We discuss how she worked across federal and regional boundaries while leading the National Digital Strategy of Mexico to give everybody the ability to obtain their right to identity through digital access to birth certificates.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 3 | Digital Policing
Episode 3: Digital Policing
In this episode we explore the technology and cultural changes that have been put in place by Western Australia’s Police Force. Join us as we sit down with Western Australia’s Assistant Divisional Officer, Darren Henstock.
- Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 2 | Mixed Reality
Episode 2: Mixed Reality
A look inside emerging areas of technology from 3D computer vision to AI. We speak with Dr. Marc Pollefeys, Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich and Director of Science at Microsoft who leads MSFT’s Mixed Reality and AI lab in Zurich.
Read more on Episode 2 - Public Sector Future Podcast: Episode 1 | Rules as Code
Episode 1: Rules as Code
New research is rethinking one of the core functions of government – rule making. In this episode, we talk to Alex Roberts, the Deputy Head of the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation at the OECD.
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