City: Brisbane, Australia

Reporting to: Manager Governance and Integration, Business Engagement and Performance, Corporate Services

The Challenge

Local government in Brisbane is undergoing a reorganization. Traditionally, Brisbane City Council operated under a structure that organized offices and budgets around functional areas such as City Planning and Infrastructure, each corresponding to one of Council’s Standing Committees. This structure provided clarity and accountability within specific functions. But it also led to siloed operations, duplication of effort, and challenges in addressing complex issues like integrated capital program delivery, where project dependencies, budget impacts, community expectations, and operational constraints must be jointly managed across multiple groups.

Now, Brisbane is moving toward a matrix-style structure the Council calls an Integrated Governance Framework. In the new model, created in March 2025, staff maintain their vertical reporting lines to Group Executives who lead within traditional functional areas. However, they also work horizontally across business service areas such as business performance and capital program coordination. The goal is to enable stronger cross-functional management, collaboration, and communication to help the Council solve complex problems, operate more efficiently, and deliver better outcomes.

As Brisbane City Council transitions to this new model, city leaders want to assess how the organizational change is working and make improvements. They are particularly interested in leveraging AI to automate and standardize processes across work groups, enhance transparency and accountability through real-time data and automated documentation, and free staff from routine tasks to focus on higher-value activities. This includes the development and deployment of a virtual AI assistant for integrated governance, capable of automating agendas, minutes, report-backs, and organizational communications.

Key questions include:

• Which metrics and KPIs will best track progress, collaboration, and adoption of new ways of working across the Council?
• What process improvements and standardized approaches could strengthen governance, reduce inefficiencies, and support integrated service delivery?
• What does current IGF maturity look like, and what are the most important gaps and opportunities for uplift and digital innovation?
• How can Brisbane benchmark its Integrated Governance Framework (IGF), including the use of AI and digital tools, against leading practices in other cities?
• What process improvements and standardized approaches could strengthen governance, reduce inefficiencies, and support integrated service delivery?

What You’ll Do

The fellow will support the Council’s transition to the Integrated Governance Framework by learning from best practices in other cities and enabling innovative ways of working. Their efforts will focus on embedding cross-functional collaboration into daily operations, assessing current IGF maturity, identifying opportunities for improvement, upskilling leaders, and integrating AI-enabled tools into the Council’s governance and decision-making processes. The fellow will work with key stakeholders across the Council, including executive leadership, sub-group and delivery team members, and relevant consultants to ensure alignment, buy-in, and the successful implementation of recommendations and innovations.

Key deliverables include:

1. Research report, including benchmarking data on Brisbane’s evolving integrated governance model and use of AI and digital tools in governance against best practices in other cities.
2. IGF and Sub-Group Maturity Analysis:
   1. A data-driven analysis of current gaps in the integrated governance model, and high-priority areas for improvements and potential for technology and AI integration.
   2. Engage with key leaders and staff to ensure alignment, buy-in, and shared understanding of the IGF’s purpose, benefits, and the role of innovative technologies.
   3. Assist with the execution of key components of the IGF and matrix organization transition by piloting the Governance Maturity Model, auditing sub-groups and delivery teams, enhancing operational governance, and supporting innovation initiatives that can incorporate the virtual AI assistant and other digital solutions.
3. Program Metrics and Execution:
   1. Develop metrics, both qualitative and quantitative, and key performance indicators to track progress and ensure continued collaboration across the Council.
   2. Work with dashboard software and AI-driven tools that enable real-time data tracking and support faster, data-driven decision-making for all stakeholders.
   3. Identify and implement process improvements to standardize and align with best practices, eliminate inefficiencies, optimize service delivery, and embed innovative, technology-enabled solutions such as the AI assistant.
4. You will be expected to present findings and recommendations to executive leaders throughout the project. As part of the final presentation, you will reflect on how this project process, including the integration of the AI virtual assistant, has informed a more transparent, accountable, and innovative practice or standard operating procedure for the Council to share with constituents and stakeholders.

What You’ll Bring

The fellow will be expected to possess the following skills:

• Data Analysis
• Design Thinking
• Policy Analysis
• Marketing
• Demonstrated interest in AI and Digital Tools

Apply here

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