Apr 30, 2026 • 10:00 am (EST)

How governments can build digital skills at scale

A government’s digital transformation is only as good as the skills of its people. But how do governments build digital capability at scale and ensure that teams at every level – from policy experts to frontline workers – are empowered with the right skills? This session will share insights from how governments at national and state level can – and have – built digital skills. We will discuss the most effective strategies to develop skills, looking at how to focus on overcoming common barriers to maintaining digital skills – from cultural resistance to funding constraints – and share lessons learned from major digital upskilling initiatives.

Presenters

Lauren Hunter

Director- Talent Policy and Platforms, Digital Talent and Leadership Sector, Office of the Chief Information Officer of Canada

Lauren is the Director for Digital Talent Policy and Platforms at the Office of the Chief Information Officer of Canada. She has a PhD in human rights from the University of British Columbia, where she taught antiracism and gender analysis at the Centre for Social Justice. She joined Government in 2008, and has worked extensively on Indigenous issues, strategic policy, innovation, and digital products. Working with her team, she launched the first innovation hub in the Government of Canada in 2014, and helped several other departments in establishing their own hubs and labs. Since 2017, Lauren has been leading platform experimentation and delivery related to digital talent solutions.

Siobhan Benita

Moderator, Global Government Forum

Siobhan was a senior civil servant in the UK with more than 15 years’ Whitehall experience. She worked in many of major delivery departments, including Transport, Environment, Health and Local Government. She also had senior roles at the heart of government in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, including supporting the then Cabinet Secretary, Lord O’Donnell, to lead work on civil service reform and strategy. Siobhan left to run as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election. She subsequently joined her alma mater, Warwick University, as Chief Strategy Officer of Warwick in London and Co-Director of the Warwick Policy Lab.