Digital Leadership Day Federal 2026

Settle in, grab a coffee, and meet a few friendly faces before we begin.

A short welcome, plus a few quick tips to help you connect, share, and get real value from the day. We’ll also run a couple of quick polls to see what everyone’s interested in and what people are working on right now.

A short briefing from the Chair to get everyone aligned, comfortable, and ready for a great day of ideas and connection

Government 3.0 demands a fundamental shift in how public sector leaders think, operate, and collaborate across systems. That shift in thinking is required from government leaders, reframing digital leadership as an enterprise-wide responsibility, not a technology function. This session will equip you with practical perspectives on leading laterally, aligning policy with delivery, and shaping operating models that enable connected, outcomes-driven government

• Advance leadership models that enable whole-of-government decision-making
• Transform siloed structures into connected systems that deliver shared outcomes
• Optimise the role of digital, data, and AI as enablers of policy execution
• Bolster accountability and trust while accelerating responsible innovation

Government is being asked to move faster, deliver more, and respond to growing expectations—all while managing increasing complexity. At the same time, decision-making is becoming more dynamic, with leaders balancing speed, risk and accountability in real time.

This panel explores how leaders are adapting their approach to decision-making and delivery—strengthening capability across teams, supporting confident decision-making, and leading through uncertainty while continuing to deliver outcomes across government.

• Embracing uncertainty as a constant, shifting from control to adaptability in leadership approaches
• Balancing short-term pressures with long-term strategic priorities
• Supporting confident, effective decision-making and maintaining stability of critical services in fast-moving environments
• Building resilient teams that can respond, recover and deliver under pressure
• Leveraging data, foresight and scenario planning to navigate complexity and build trust
• Strengthening cross-agency collaboration to respond to interconnected challenges

Despite ongoing investment in digital transformation, many government services remain fragmented across agencies, systems and processes. While the ambition for more connected, end-to-end delivery is clear, execution continues to lag—often constrained by siloed structures, fragmented data and misaligned operating models.

This panel brings together leaders from across government to explore how agencies can start to move beyond siloed structures and towards Government 3.0—focusing on the practical steps needed to improve coordination, connect services and deliver more consistent, end-to-end outcomes for citizens.

• Moving from siloed delivery to end-to-end, life-event-based services
• Applying system-level thinking to deliver across agencies and functions
• Enabling data sharing, interoperability and integration across government
• Aligning governance, funding and operating models to support connected delivery
• Embedding trust, privacy and accountability into shared systems and platforms
• Building the capability required to deliver consistently across the system

AI tools are everywhere, but value is not. Most initiatives stall in the last mile — the messy stretch between deployment and adoption, where culture, capability and leadership decide whether anything actually changes. This keynote unpacks what it takes to lead that transition and turn AI investment into measurable productivity at scale.

• The last mile is a change problem, not a tech problem
• Driving adoption: mindset, capability, new operating rhythms
• Human–machine teaming: redesigning roles and decision rights
• Sustaining the shift: trust, reinforcement, accountability

Grab lunch, have a wander, and chat with industry partners and peers about practical ideas you can take back to work. Arguably the most important part of the day!

Government leaders are increasingly being asked to deliver more with less. Tight budgets, competing priorities and shifting expectations mean leaders are constantly reprioritising work while still needing to maintain momentum, morale and trust across teams. This fireside explores how leaders keep people engaged through uncertainty—maintaining focus, strengthening culture and ensuring teams remain motivated while navigating changing priorities and constrained environments.

• Leading through reprioritisation: Maintaining clarity and direction when priorities, funding and expectations shift
• Keeping people with you: Building trust, engagement and morale through periods of uncertainty and change
• Delivering more with less: Balancing competing pressures while maintaining outcomes and team wellbeing
• Building adaptable teams: Creating resilient cultures that can respond, adjust and continue delivering under pressure

As generative AI becomes embedded in everyday workflows, Australia is emerging as a global frontrunner in public sector AI—investing in sovereign capability, shaping responsible-use frameworks, and scaling adoption across government. But sustaining that momentum depends on workforce capability. As access expands across the public service, the gap between ambition and AI literacy is becoming a defining challenge.

This panel explores how departments are building AI literacy as a core capability—equipping public servants to use AI safely, confidently and with judgement, while providing clear guidance, managing risk, and maintaining public trust across government.

• Why AI literacy is becoming a core capability across the public service—not just a technical skill
• Enabling safe, guided adoption of generative AI tools at scale
• Building accountability for AI reliability across the AI innovation value chain
• Strengthening workforce confidence through practical, hands-on experience
• Balancing innovation with governance, security and public trust across departments

We’ll pull out a few highlights from the day, share what’s coming next, and point you to ways to stay connected.