Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Collaboration Across Technology, Program, and Leadership - Sarah Soto-Taylor, Chris Given - Episode 170
Release Date: 03/08/2026
Extending Governance Reach. Elevating Quality. Powered by AI - Cassandra Bisset - Episode 177
Public Sector Podcast
This week's episode brought to you by Objective, features Cassandra Bisset, VP Strategy, Objective who looks back at Innovate VIC and explains how quickly AI has shifted from “emerging” to urgent, with public sector teams under pressure to adopt while managing trust, risk, and tight budgets. The key message is "readiness over hype". With many AI projects failing, Cassandra argues success depends on clear “what good looks like” pathways and strong foundations, especially trusted information, governance, and the “dull” work that makes AI safe and scalable. (separate...
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Making AI Work in Government: The System Behind the Scale - Dan Roelink - Episode 176
Public Sector Podcast
This week, Dan Roelink, Director, Office for AI, Digital.NSW, NSW Department of Customer Service explores why the biggest barrier to AI in government is no longer understanding the technology, but removing the organisational and system “friction” that prevents safe, lawful, and scalable adoption. From an inside-government perspective, Dan looks at what it takes to move beyond pilots and experiments by putting the right foundations, governance, and operating models in place. It covers how governments can modernise risk and assurance, build the core components needed to scale (from policy...
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Scaling Ethical AI in Higher Education and Public Systems - Dr Robbie Melton - Episode 175
Public Sector Podcast
This week Dr Robbie Melton, Vice President SMART AI Technology Innovations, Tennessee State University explores how AI is changing both education and government, and what it takes for institutions to move beyond experimentation into responsible, practical adoption. The conversation focuses on embedding intelligent tools across curriculum, student services, and institutional strategy in ways that improve efficiency while advancing equity, and on connecting higher education innovation to wider statewide goals. You will hear concrete approaches to modernising learning with immersive technologies...
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Delivering Measurable Public Impact in Georgia - Tricia Pridemore - Episode 174
Public Sector Podcast
Listen in this we as we sit down with Tricia Pridemore, Commissioner, Georgia Public Service Commission, who explores how public sector organisations can move beyond experimentation and turn innovation into measurable, lasting impact. Rather than focusing on pilots alone, the Tricia highlights what it takes to scale initiatives across agencies and embed people-centred outcomes into everyday operations. You will hear practical insights on linking strategy, operations and technology to real results, breaking down silos to align teams around shared citizen goals, and building internal champions...
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AI vs. AI: Navigating California's new frontier in defending innovation, trust, and the digital state - Thea Mann - Episode 173
Public Sector Podcast
Join Thea Mann, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of Data and Innovation, as she examines California’s position at the forefront of global innovation — and at the centre of an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape. As artificial intelligence becomes a tool for both defence and attack, the conversation explores how speed, adaptability and strategic foresight will determine who stays ahead in an AI-driven security environment. Bringing together leaders from government, academia and industry, the session unpacks how California can use its innovation strength as a protective...
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Accelerating Digital Service Innovation through Whole of Government Digital Platforms - Alberto Delgi Esposti - Episode 172
Public Sector Podcast
Listen in this week as Alberto Delgi Esposti, Chief Technology Officer, Office of Digital Government, Department of Premier and Cabinet WA explores how Western Australia is transforming service delivery through whole-of-government digital platforms, including ServiceWA, the WA Identity Gateway and WA.gov.au. It highlights how these connected platforms are reducing duplication, simplifying access and enabling smarter, faster and more secure services for the community. Through real-world agency case studies — from online firearm licensing and digital learner driver logbooks to streamlined...
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Interview with IBM's Rob Wilmot - Episode 171
Public Sector Podcast
In this episode, we catch up with Rob Wilmot, General Manager and Managing Partner, IBM Consulting Canada about why AI is being positioned as a major productivity lever for government, particularly in Canada. Rob outlines the opportunity to move from pilots to real impact by applying AI to practical, high-volume processes and improving citizen experiences. The conversation also covers what it takes to scale responsibly: strong governance and security, a focus on a few initiatives that can be embedded across workflows, and tackling the biggest barrier of all, messy, siloed data. Rob’s view...
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Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Collaboration Across Technology, Program, and Leadership - Sarah Soto-Taylor, Chris Given - Episode 170
Public Sector Podcast
This week, we are joined by Sarah Soto-Taylor, Deputy Secretary of Strategic Development, California Government Operations Agency and Chris Given, Deputy Secretary for Technology and Innovation, California Government Operations Agency who explore why cross-functional collaboration is essential for turning innovation into real-world impact. By bringing technologists and programme leaders into the same conversations, organisations can ensure emerging tools are aligned with operational priorities and practical needs — not just technical ambition. We learn how to strengthen dialogue between...
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Government Response to Data Breaches: Privacy Lessons Learned and Best Practices - Arilea Sill, Kathy Hartlen - Episode 169
Public Sector Podcast
As data breaches become more common, governments need to be ready to respond quickly, clearly and in a way that protects public trust. Join Arilea Sill, Chief Information Access and Privacy Officer, Province of Nova Scotia and Kathy Hartlen, Manager, Privacy Program, Province Nova Scotia as they delve into how the way an agency handles a breach can either undermine confidence or strengthen long-term resilience. Our guests look at practical ways to manage breach response effectively, strengthen privacy and information management, and build a culture that treats data protection as...
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Future-Forward Georgia – Innovation with Integrity - Shawnzia Thomas - Episode 168
Public Sector Podcast
In this episode, Shawnzia Thomas, State Chief Information Officer and Executive Director, Georgia Technology Authority explores how Georgia is advancing digital transformation by weaving innovation into the fabric of everyday government operations. Shawnzia highlights how leaders are moving beyond pilots and positioning technology as a core driver of smarter, more responsive governance — with a clear focus on delivering outcomes that genuinely improve citizens’ lives. From leveraging AI and automation to streamline operations and enhance engagement, to strengthening digital equity and...
info_outlineThis week, we are joined by Sarah Soto-Taylor, Deputy Secretary of Strategic Development, California Government Operations Agency and Chris Given, Deputy Secretary for Technology and Innovation, California Government Operations Agency who explore why cross-functional collaboration is essential for turning innovation into real-world impact. By bringing technologists and programme leaders into the same conversations, organisations can ensure emerging tools are aligned with operational priorities and practical needs — not just technical ambition.
We learn how to strengthen dialogue between technical and business teams, close the gap between capability and delivery, and create solutions that are relevant, usable and widely adopted. Listeners will gain insights into building more effective collaboration models that drive measurable results.
Sarah Soto-Taylor, Deputy Secretary of Strategic Development, California Government Operations Agency and Chris Given, Deputy Secretary for Technology and Innovation, California Government Operations Agency
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