Public Sector Podcast

This week, our episode marks a timely moment—20 years since New Zealand signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)—and Victoria Wray, Manager Agency Standards and Integration, Department of Internal Affairs and Shu Run Yap, Principal Advisor, Operations and Delivery Strategy & Enablement, Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People use it as a lens to discuss accessibility and inclusion by design. The conversation focuses on how New Zealand can close the digital divide by moving beyond accessibility as a late-stage fix and instead embedding lived experience and inclusive thinking into the architecture of digital service delivery.
You'll hear the "why" and the "how" of the shift underway: treating accessibility as core public service infrastructure (not a procurement checkbox), designing services around choice and equitable channels, and transitioning from legacy web standards to a broader digital accessibility standard that covers apps, documents, and more. The episode also explores feedback-driven innovation—making it easier for people to report barriers, using accessibility statements and clear contact channels, and ensuring AI-enabled services don't unintentionally amplify bias or exclude disabled communities.
Victoria Wray, Manager Agency Standards and Integration, Department of Internal Affairs and Shu Run Yap
Principal Advisor, Operations and Delivery Strategy & Enablement, Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People.
For more great insights head to www.PublicSectorNetwork.co

Vaiju Joshi, Portfolio Director, Mobility Transformationn, SA Police looks at next-generation policing at SA Police and how technology can better support frontline work — with the bigger goal of safer communities. It highlights the realities officers face across metro and regional areas: long distances, constant context switching, limited connectivity, and heavy admin.
It then outlines SAPOL's "mobile office on the go" approach, where the mobile phone becomes the primary device for accessing systems, completing workflows, and staying informed in the field. The episode also shares early results and why co-design "for frontline, by frontline" is key to making the change stick.
Vaiju Joshi, Portfolio Director, Mobility Transformation, SA Police
 
For more great insights head to www.PublicSectorNetwork.co

As governments accelerate AI and emerging tech adoption, Tony Daye, Chief Digital Officer, Finance and Treasury Board, Government of New Brunswick explores why trust, transparency, and governance are now just as critical as innovation itself. Featuring insights from the Government of New Brunswick, it highlights how embedding accountability and ethics into day-to-day decision-making helps agencies move faster without losing public confidence.
The conversation focuses on practical ways to scale digital innovation responsibly from day one—putting clear governance around AI use, building ethical safeguards into delivery, and strengthening cross-agency coordination so innovation and oversight stay aligned. The takeaway: you can scale transformative technologies with control and confidence, while keeping citizen trust at the centre.
Tony Daye, Chief Digital Officer, Finance and Treasury Board, Government of New Brunswick
For more great insights head to www.PublicSectorNetwork.co

Join Michael Moore, CISO for the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, as he discusses how cybersecurity in government is becoming a leadership and public trust issue—especially in elections, where cyber risk overlaps with physical threats, misinformation, operational logistics, and legal pressures.
Referencing a cyber incident he attributes to Iran, he outlines what agencies need now: stronger fundamentals, data classification, AI training, and secure-by-design practices. He also stresses shared responsibility across security, IT, business leaders, and vendors—and the need to keep a human in the loop as AI use expands.
Michael Moore, Chief Information Security Officer, Arizona Secretary of State's Office
For more great insights head to www.PublicSectorNetwork.co

As quantum technologies evolve, the encryption protecting government systems, critical infrastructure, and citizen data is facing emerging risk. This episode brings together Michael Watson, Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth, Virginia Information Technologies Agency and Glenn Schmitz, Chief Information Security Officer, Virginia State Corporation Commission to unpack what the post-quantum era means for the public sector—and why preparation can't wait.

Michael and Glenn focus on practical next steps: understanding new cryptographic standards, assessing risk and prioritising which systems to transition first, planning migration across large hybrid environments, and strengthening public-private collaboration to accelerate quantum-safe readiness.
Michael Watson, Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth, Virginia Information Technologies Agency and Glenn Schmitz, Chief Information Security Officer, Virginia State Corporation Commission.
For more great insights head to www.PublicSectorNetwork.co