Over the past two years, Public Sector Network has published more than 40 Executive Summaries capturing the priorities, pressures and practical realities shaping public sector transformation across Australia and New Zealand.

Drawn from Research Innovation Council roundtables and executive discussions, these summaries reflect the lived experience of government leaders working through digital reform, AI adoption, cyber resilience, data maturity and workforce change.

This catalogue brings the full A/NZ series together in one place. It is designed as a reference point for senior leaders, policy teams and transformation practitioners looking to explore specific themes or compare approaches across jurisdictions.

Contents

• Overarching research briefs
• Digital Government by Design: Capability, co-creation, and citizen experience
• Data, Digital, and the Public Good: The proficiency of analytics in a digitalised government
• Gov 3.0 Deep Dive: Building the machinery for sustainable digital delivery
• New Solutions to Old Problems: AI readiness and prioritisation at the cutting edge
• Securing the Future: Resilient government and connected cyber ecosystems
• Gov 3.0 in Action: Implementing digital strategies for enhanced public sector productivity

Overarching Research Briefs

Q1 2025 Research Digest: Government’s Shift from “Emerging” to “Embedded” AI
How governments are moving beyond experimenting with AI to embedding it into core business functions and service delivery at scale. Insights include governance, capability, ethics and implementation patterns emerging in the first quarter of 2025.

2024 Research Digest: From Responsible AI to the Digital Government Initiatives Boosting Productivity
 A retrospective look across 2024 that surfaces the dominant trends in ANZ public sector reform, linking responsible AI frameworks with productivity-boosting digital initiatives and emerging transformation imperatives.

Five Digital Government Initiatives to Boost Productivity (GX5)
 A synthesis of five high-impact digital government initiatives that are driving productivity improvements across jurisdictions and sectors. This brief draws on cross-cutting case studies and strategic frameworks relevant to leaders focused on measurable outcomes.

Responsible AI in ANZ Government: Ethical Frameworks, Governance Strategies and Citizen Trust
 A comprehensive overview of the key principles, governance models and trust-building strategies that are shaping responsible AI adoption in Australian and New Zealand public sectors. This brief highlights citizen expectations and ethical guardrails as central to AI readiness.

Digital Government by Design

Digital government is no longer defined by whether services are online, but by how well governments design, connect and continuously improve services around citizen needs. This theme explores how public sector organisations are building the capability, maturity and operating models required to deliver trusted, inclusive and user-centred digital services at scale.

The Executive Summaries in this section examine practical approaches to lifting digital readiness across agencies, breaking down silos, and embedding co-creation into service design. They explore concepts such as life event-based services, citizen-first design standards and the role of workforce upskilling in sustaining digital transformation. Together, these insights reflect a shift from transactional digital delivery towards systems that are adaptive, interoperable and built around real-world outcomes.

Vol.04 (NSW)
Trusting the digital front door: Can NSW lead Australia’s approach to public trust

Vol.20 (NZ)
Capabilities before code: Maturity, leadership and identity in the digital public sector

Vol.31 (QLD)
Fit for purpose, ready for change: Redefining digital maturity in Queensland Government

Vol.33 (APS)
The hidden constraints on digital productivity in the public sector

Vol.42 (VIC)
Designed with, not for: Co-creation, trust and human-centred transformation

Data, Digital, and the Public Good   

As governments digitise services at scale, data and analytics have become central to delivering better outcomes for citizens. This theme focuses on how public sector organisations are strengthening the foundations that allow data to move from passive asset to active decision-making tool.

The Executive Summaries in this section explore the intersection of data, digital and analytics capability, highlighting the importance of data quality, governance, literacy and linkage. They examine how advanced analytics, predictive models and AI-enabled insights can be embedded into everyday operations, enabling more proactive services, improved crisis response and better policy decisions. Collectively, these pieces emphasise that real value is unlocked when data expertise, digital delivery and decision-making authority are aligned.

Vol.09 (APS)
Public sector AI readiness: Is APS maturity being stifled by governance and skills gaps

Vol.14 (APS)
Data without decisions: Why Australia’s open data ranking is tanking and how federal government is fixing it

Vol.16 (VIC)
The data we have, the insight we don’t: Victoria’s data debt, trust deficits and the race to real-world AI

Vol.27 (QLD)
The 30 percent government: Unlocking data’s full value through trust, tools and transformation

New Solutions to Old Problems

Emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are reshaping what governments can deliver, but adoption without strategy carries significant risk. This theme focuses on how public sector leaders are approaching AI and emerging technologies in a way that balances innovation, governance and workforce readiness.

The Executive Summaries in this section explore responsible AI adoption, early adopter versus fast follower strategies, and the practical realities of moving from pilots to scalable solutions. They examine how governments are embedding transparency, accountability and ethical considerations into AI initiatives, while preparing their workforce for AI-integrated ways of working. Beyond AI, these insights highlight how lessons learned can be applied to future technologies, creating repeatable frameworks for safe, policy-aligned innovation.

Vol.10 (VIC)
Bridging innovation and accountability: The future of generative AI in Victorian Government

Vol.11 (QLD)
Transparent AI: The quandary of generative AI adoption in Queensland’s public services

Vol.12 (NZ)
Harnessing responsible AI: Collaborative pathways for NZ public sector innovation

Vol.13 (SA)
Agentic AI in South Australia: Building confidence in citizen-facing applications

Vol.15 (WA)
Western Australia’s AI standoff: Data gaps, workforce scepticism and the high cost of hesitation

Vol.17 (QLD)
New solutions to old problems: Government AI readiness and prioritisation at the cutting edge of technology

Vol.18 (NSW)
Explain yourself, AI: Why contestability is the next frontier in public sector ethics

Vol.32 (VIC)
Governing the leap: Responsible AI, workforce design and the next phase of readiness

Vol.35 (NZ)
The hard part after the hype: Scaling AI and emerging tech in the public sector

Vol.37 (APS)
Designing for scale: The operating model behind successful AI adoption

Vol.41 (NSW)
Why every emerging technology conversation ends up being about people

Securing the Future

As reliance on digital systems grows, cyber security has become inseparable from public trust and service continuity. This theme examines how governments are strengthening cyber resilience while managing increasingly complex technology environments.

The Executive Summaries in this section explore risk-based approaches to cyber security, cross-sector collaboration, and the integration of advanced defence mechanisms with essential foundational practices. They address issues such as data protection, cloud security, cyber literacy and zero trust design, highlighting the need for resilience across people, process and technology. Together, these insights reflect a shift from reactive security measures to ecosystem-wide approaches that protect critical services and reinforce public confidence.

Vol.24 (APS)
Strengthening the shield: Advancing whole-of-government cyber resilience

Vol.28 (WA)
Cybersecurity as a public good: Sovereignty, open source and the new cyber imperative

Vol.30 (NZ)
From audits to outcomes: Right-time assurance and zero trust by design

Vol.34 (NSW)
When data becomes the perimeter: Cyber resilience in an AI-enabled public sector

Gov 3.0 Deep Dive

Sustainable digital transformation requires more than new tools. It requires changes to governance, operating models and organisational design. This theme takes a deeper look at the structural and systemic shifts needed to support long-term delivery.

The Executive Summaries in this section explore how governments are designing guardrails that enable innovation without creating bottlenecks, redefining accountability in AI-enabled environments, and addressing the organisational constraints that slow reform. Together, they highlight that Gov 3.0 is fundamentally an organisational challenge, requiring deliberate investment in systems, skills and governance that endure beyond individual programs or technologies.

Vol.02 (APS)
Is productivity Australian government’s burning platform to drive digital transformation

Vol.03 (VIC)
Victoria’s imperative for bold leadership and cross-agency collaboration

Vol.05 (QLD)
Will Queensland harness the Olympics to lead public sector transformation

Vol.06 (NZ)
Blending tradition and technology in NZ to create inclusive digital futures

Vol.07 (SA)
Driving regional growth: South Australia’s productivity blueprint for digital innovation and resilience

Vol.08 (WA)
Can WA redefine digital services for remote and resilient communities

Vol.19 (QLD)
Beyond the build: Operationalising innovation in government through culture, trust and technology

Vol.21 (VIC)
From pilots to purpose: Designing AI-enabled operating models for public impact

Vol.22 (WA)
Scaffold, don’t replicate: A shared approach to digital government services delivery

Vol.23 (NSW)
The real work of digital: Embedding AI, data quality and capability where it counts

Vol.25 (SA)
The value imperative: Rethinking digital identity, procurement and innovation

Vol.26 (NZ)
Co-designing the future state: Digital sovereignty, identity and AI in action

Vol.29 (APS)
Two sticks and a fire: Building momentum for systemic digital reform

Vol.36 (NSW)
Guardrails without gridlock: Governing AI while enabling delivery

Vol.39 (APS)
Change is the system: People, purpose and sustainable digital government

Vol.40 (VIC)
Government 3.0 is an organisational problem, not a technology one