Operationalizing AI for the Public Sector
My work in the public sector is focused on translating the complex, often intimidating, potential of artificial intelligence into tangible, actionable strategies for government leaders. More than theory, it’s about partnering directly with senior officials to build executable roadmaps that elevate governance, enhance public service delivery, and create a sustainable culture of innovation.
Fulbright Specialist: Architecting a National AI Readiness Model
In 2025, I served as a Fulbright Specialist in the Philippines where I partnered with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), the national government's premier training and research institution.
My mission was to design and deliver the "Executive Course on AI and Other Disruptive Technologies." This was a 42-day engagement to architect and deploy a National AI Readiness Model. I served as the lead expert for a series of multi-day, residential training programs for the country's senior leadership, including:
- Local Government Unit (LGU) Executives
- National Government Agency Directors and Technical Staff
- Senior Government Executives (Public Management Development Program)
The entire initiative was designed to support the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, with the specific objective of accelerating the country's digitalization by creating a critical mass of strategic digital leaders in government.
From Theory to Hands-On Practice
The curriculum I designed and taught was intensive, moving leaders from abstract concepts to practical implementation. We focused on:
- Strategic Foundations: Aligning AI implementation with national policy, regulatory frameworks, and data governance.
- Practical Application: Leveraging generative AI for productivity, streamlining compliance, and enhancing public-facing services like disaster response.
- Actionable Skills: We moved beyond theory to hands-on workshops in advanced prompt writing, creative workarounds for customizing AI on a budget, and using a suite of tools like Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Gamma.
- Localization: The most critical component was adapting global AI frameworks to the local context. We connected advanced concepts directly to the real and pressing needs of local governance, ensuring the solutions were relevant for all — from major hubs like Quezon City to resource-limited municipalities in the provinces.
Measurable Impact and Executive Feedback
The programs were exceptionally successful, validating the hands-on, strategic approach.
- The LGU executive cohorts gave the program overall satisfaction ratings of 4.71/5.00 and 4.70/5.00.
- Course Usefulness was rated 4.96/5.00.
- The Senior Executives Class (PMDP SEC) scored my module a 4.89/5.00 average rating.
- My Mastery of Subject Matter was rated 4.92/5.00 by the SEC and equally praised by LGU leaders.
More importantly, the qualitative feedback demonstrated that we achieved the core mission:
"Prof. Joshua Ness did an excellent job in explaining AI concepts with clarity and real-world relevance, making a complex and often intimidating subject approachable for all participants... His engaging teaching style inspired confidence."
"From the LGU perspective... [the program] connected advanced AI concepts to the real and pressing needs of local governance. Joshua made the discussions practical. He transformed AI from an abstract idea into a realistic solution for LGUs."
"He was humorous and witty... His topic was highly technical but we were able to catch up because of the appropriate strategies he used. Allowing us to explore the various tools of AI was helpful."
"I can now recommend technological solutions that I think would be beneficial for the City of Quezon."
"The workshop was awesome — I created an AI design in less than 30 minutes."