Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is a subject of intense interest among researchers and practitioners in the public sector, offering the potential to transform public administration through automation and improved efficiency. However, there is a lack of comprehensive synthesis in the growing body of literature that explores this technology’s multifaceted impact on the sector. To contribute to the expanding discourse and address the existing gap, this research undertook a synthesis of 25 recent studies, analysing the potential benefits, challenges, and strategies for effective GenAI implementation in public organisations. The findings of our study indicate that while GenAI presents opportunities to streamline bureaucratic processes, enhance service delivery, and support improved decision-making, organisations face a variety of challenges in its implementation. The most commonly cited challenges include ethical concerns, regulatory compliance, data privacy, workforce resistance, and issues related to transparency. These findings underscore the need for robust AI governance frameworks, human oversight of GenAI systems, organisational readiness strategies, and continued investment in AI literacy. Further research is required to deepen our understanding of GenAI and how public organisations can best realise its benefits. To this end, we propose longitudinal studies to evaluate specific GenAI applications and their long-term impact, the development of governance frameworks, and methods to improve GenAI explainability and mitigate bias in public administration contexts.