Seizing the Agentic Advantage in the Public Sector

Over the course of my career in both the public service and private sector leading large-scale digital transformation projects, I’ve seen many waves of change. From the early days of cloud-based services to today’s surge in artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, technology has continuously reshaped how we best serve our citizens. 

But what’s happening now, with the rapid advent of AI, is different. It’s faster, more far‑reaching and filled with potential.

For me, the real story is not only about technology. It’s also about the partnerships that make digital transformation possible. For 17 years, Capgemini and Salesforce have worked together to help Australian public sector organisations modernise, connect with citizens in smarter ways and deliver measurable results. Our shared approach blends deep domain knowledge, proven delivery experience and a commitment to making transformation stick.

Now, with the arrival of agentic AI, that partnership matters more than ever. Together we can help government agencies move from siloed, reactive service delivery to proactive, citizen‑centred experiences that are powered by trusted data and human‑AI collaboration.

The challenge we face

Every department of the public sector is feeling the same pressures. Citizen expectations are rising. Budgets are under strain. Ageing systems and disconnected data make it hard for public servants to get the insights they need when they need them.

The demand for change is greater than ever, on both sides of the citizen service equation. As Glenn Rozet, Senior Vice President for Public Sector at Salesforce ANZ, says in his report Closing the Tech Gap: Putting Trusted Data in the Hands of the Public Sector:

Unified, trusted data is the foundation for lasting change. It empowers public servants to work smarter, respond faster and deliver more personalised services while meeting the highest standards of privacy and sovereignty.

What agentic AI makes possible

Agentic AI is a new class of AI that can reason, plan and take action. It does not wait for a prompt. It identifies the task, works out the best approach in accordance with strict guardrails and acts autonomously. 

In the public sector this means repetitive, data-intensive work can be completed at a faster rate, giving employees more time to focus on resolving more complex or citizen-facing tasks. I see this technology as creating human and agent teams that will revolutionise the work we do in the public sector. People bring oversight, context and empathy; agents bring scale, speed and accuracy. The result is a level of capability that is not achievable with people alone.

Salesforce’s Agentforce is a leading example of agentic AI in action. Built into the Salesforce platform, grounded in Data Cloud and protected by the Einstein Trust Layer, it can automate processes, make intelligent recommendations and escalate complex cases to a human when required.

The Capgemini and Salesforce partnership is uniquely placed to bring this to life for government and the public sector. We understand both the complexity of public sector environments and the intricacies of the Salesforce platform. With more than 3,000 AI specialists globally, we have the skills to design, implement and govern AI solutions that deliver tangible value.

Proven results

One Australian government agency we’ve worked with has already seen a 75% reduction in processing times for a key service by using an agentic approach. That means faster responses for citizens, fewer bottlenecks for staff and more resources available for higher‑value work.

When public servants are freed from chasing information in disconnected data silos or manually processing forms, they can spend more time delivering the services that make a real difference in peoples’ lives. That’s the real benefit, and the potential impact at scale is even greater. 

As noted by Rozet in Closing the Tech Gap, Boston Consulting Group estimates that generative AI could unlock a USD $25 billion opportunity across all levels of the Australian government by 2030, and a USD $5 billion opportunity for the New Zealand government. Agentic AI takes this potential further. With Agentforce, governments can pair AI agents with employees to automate routine tasks, provide intelligent recommendations and take timely action, turning productivity gains into measurable economic value.

Why the time to act is now

The public sector is at a tipping point. The technology is ready. Citizens are ready. The opportunity is to move now, before the gap between what’s possible and what’s delivered becomes too wide.

Our latest insights, captured in the Salesforce report Closing the Tech Gap, show how agencies can activate their data, embrace AI and create more connected, efficient and human‑centred services. 

If you want to see what this could look like for your agency, I encourage you to download the report today.