Government Teams in Bhutan Build Generative AI Skills Through a National AI Awareness Drive
Government departments wanted public servants to understand Generative AI and use it in their everyday work. Most staff had heard of AI tools but were not sure how to use them, where they fit in their jobs, or how to use them safely. They came to GSDC to run a structured Generative AI Foundation certification drive. By the end of the program, government professionals shared a common understanding of Generative AI and had the practical skills to apply it at work.
Impact by the Numbers
Government of Bhutan
The Government of Bhutan is committed to building a modern, efficient public service that is ready for the digital future. Government teams handle a wide range of daily work: drafting reports, preparing policy notes, responding to citizens, managing records, and coordinating between departments. Much of this work is still done manually and takes a lot of time. Generative AI tools can help public servants write faster, summarise information, and spend more time on work that matters. To make this possible, the government wanted its people to first understand what AI is, how it works, and how to use it responsibly.
Government teams were curious about AI but did not have a shared starting point. Some staff were already trying AI tools on their own, while others had never used them at all. There was no common understanding of what Generative AI could and could not do. People were unsure which tasks AI could help with, and there were real concerns about accuracy, data privacy, and the safe use of AI in government work. Without proper guidance, AI adoption was happening in an uneven and unstructured way, and the productivity benefits were not being realised.
Low AI Awareness | No Shared Understanding | Unclear Use Cases | Concerns About Responsible Use
GSDC started by understanding how government teams worked day to day and where time was being spent on repetitive tasks. They looked at the kind of documents staff produced, how information moved between departments, and what level of AI knowledge people already had. From there they built a program that started with the basics and moved quickly to practical use, so every participant could leave with skills they could apply the next day.
Assessed the current AI awareness level of participants to set the right starting point for the program.
Covered Generative AI basics in simple language, including how AI models work and what they can and cannot do.
Hands-on sessions on writing effective prompts to get useful, accurate results from AI tools.
Practical workplace use cases such as drafting letters and reports, summarising documents, preparing meeting notes, and research support.
Dedicated sessions on responsible AI use, covering data privacy, accuracy checks, bias, and when not to use AI.
Interactive group activities where teams applied AI tools to real examples from their own departments.
GSDC Generative AI Foundation certification to formally recognise the skills participants had built.
Simple reference guides left with participants so they could keep using AI tools confidently after the program.
Discovery & Awareness Assessment
Week 1The team started by understanding how government departments worked and what participants already knew about AI. This helped shape the content so it matched the real needs of public servants rather than a generic AI course.
Program Design & Use Case Mapping
Week 2GSDC worked with government coordinators to identify the tasks where AI could save the most time. Drafting documents, summarising long reports, responding to queries, and preparing presentations came up again and again. These became the focus of the practical sessions.
Generative AI Foundations
Week 3Participants learned the basics of Generative AI in simple, clear language. Sessions covered how AI tools work, the different types of tools available, and what they are good and not good at. This gave everyone a common starting point.
Practical Workplace Use Cases
Week 4Hands-on sessions showed participants how to use AI tools for everyday government work. Staff practised writing prompts, drafting documents, and summarising information using examples from their own departments.
Responsible AI & Safe Use
Week 5A dedicated module covered how to use AI safely in government. Participants learned how to protect sensitive information, check AI outputs for accuracy, spot bias, and decide when AI should and should not be used.
Certification & Outcome Review
Week 6Participants completed the GSDC Generative AI Foundation certification. The final stage also reviewed what participants had learned, gathered feedback, and identified next steps for wider AI adoption across government teams.
By the end of the drive, government teams were working with AI very differently. Public servants now shared a common understanding of Generative AI and knew how to use it in their everyday work. Staff were drafting documents and summarising information faster, which freed up time for more important tasks. Teams also understood how to use AI responsibly, so adoption could grow in a safe and consistent way across departments. The program gave the government a strong foundation to build on as it continues its digital journey.