We attended Global Government Forum 2026 in London last week, and from a range of conversations, panel discussions and presentations across two days, a core message stood out around governments not being measured on whether they are able to innovate, but on whether they are able to deliver meaningful changes in practice.

It was interesting to hear a number of public sector leaders emphasise that innovation should be viewed as a core capability of the state, as it becomes more agile and outcomes-focused in the future, as opposed to experimentation that may or may not deliver results.

Here are the five key themes that stood out to us from this year’s event.

Delivering at pace is essential

During a number of different panel discussions, there was a shared frustration around pilots and proofs of concepts that are never scaled or taken further, together with processes and systems that are in need of being updated and made more efficient.

There was a collective feeling amongst panellists that procurement, funding cycles and sign-off processes need to be rethought to enable quicker turnarounds and ultimately delivery at pace, with the view to allow outcomes to be achieved within months as opposed to years. This doesn’t suggest that working at greater speed should be a trade-off for quality, as building the right foundations and utilising the technology available will allow for governments to move faster and deliver the outcomes needed for citizens.

Building trust in a digital state

It’s not only the outcomes where governments need to build trust amongst their citizens, as the processes behind them are of equal concern. When it comes to AI, automation and data management, it is essential for Governments to be clear on whether AI frameworks are ethical, how data is being collected, stored and used in order to build confidence. As one speaker stated, even the most advanced innovations will struggle to gain traction amongst citizens without their building their trust in digital government as a whole.

Allowing for failure enables innovation

Perhaps the most honest conversation that emerged across the two days was around learning from mistakes in order to enable effective changes and improvements to be made. Several panellists acknowledged that failures are often penalised in ways that make experimentation and the testing of new ideas feel almost impossible.

There was agreement that commitment from the very top will allow for attitudes and approaches to change, with the need for how we measure performance as a whole to be changed. It is not a case of lowering standards, but of recognising that understanding failure ultimately enables departments to reach the right solution faster.

We need more collaboration across departments

Complex challenges, such as healthcare, housing and national security, don’t simply rest within single departments and in almost every session throughout the event, it was acknowledged that the challenges that matter most to citizens sit across the varying budgets, systems and often competing priorities of multiple departments.

The need to break down silos, enable greater collaboration and align incentives across Government could not have been clearer, to create a cohesive single system, rather than a collection of competing components, to delivery the greatest outcomes for society as a whole.

Data sharing remains underutilised

Closely linking to collaboration is the sharing of data across departments. When it comes to improving personalisation, identifying risks earlier and making more informed decisions, data plays a crucial role.

There are of course a number of legal, technical and cultural barriers to overcome when it comes to sharing data, although clear governance and approaching this hurdle with effective solutions will enable governments to implement robust safeguards so that data is used responsibly to improve the lives of citizens, reinforcing their trust in public services as a result.

What This Means in Practice

While all of these themes were repeatedly highlighted and discussed at length across the two days, they were never separate conversations, but interconnected challenges. Delivering at pace can’t be achieved with out trust. Data can’t be shared effectively without trust. Innovation ultimately isn’t possible without room for failure and learning from mistakes. Together the themes reflect the broader transformation that governments must undergo, and not only identifying what needs to change, but embedding speed, trust and collaboration to deliver at scale to society.