Training for leaders in the Civil Service and public sector

The Leadership College for Government offers training for Civil Service and public sector leaders at different stages of their career. This training is led at our physical Government Campus locations, with partners across the UK, and virtually through online modules and events. Our offers aim to better prepare our public leaders and managers with the skills, knowledge and networks they need to serve their communities.

There are many options for leadership development, in and outside the Civil Service. We are mapping programmes across government departments, the wider public sector, and external providers. This will help you make an informed choice to pick the opportunity that is best for your career and the needs of your organisation.

The support offered by the Leadership College for Government is described below. You can also read about these programmes and courses in more detail in Leading to Deliver: A Leadership and Management Prospectus.

Managers at all levels

There are 4 new programmes for managers at all levels of the Civil Service.

Foundation

This programme is available for any civil servant new to management. It is a modular programme, including peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities. Book the Management Foundation Programme.

Personal Effectiveness

This programme will focus on accountability in role rather than line management responsibility. Following the training, you will be able to deliver against personal and team objectives using relevant policies, systems and procedures. You will be able to support a senior team in achieving organisational goals.

Foundation

This programme is available for any civil servant new to management. It is a modular programme, including peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities.

Book the Management Foundation Programme.

Practitioner

The Practitioner programme will focus on the more challenging aspects of leading and managing. Modules include strategy, technology, data, and communicating change with authenticity.

Book the Management Practitioner Programme.

Senior Practitioner

The Senior Practitioner programme will focus on the complexities of being a leader and manager with a large number of people reporting to you and your teams. You will be able to describe the systems-thinking required to balance the strategic needs of your business unit with the broader needs of the agency or department. This skill will help you to deliver complex objectives.

Who the courses are for

These 4 courses are not specific to a certain grade level. Each one provides skills and knowledge needed for challenges you will face at different points in your career.

For example:

• a grade 7 policy officer who is new to line management could benefit from the Foundation level
• an executive officer who is an experienced line manager could choose to top up their skills at the Practitioner level
• a new entrant senior executive officer with no line management responsibility would be directed to Personal Effectiveness courses to start their leadership journey

These programmes are currently being piloted, starting with the foundation programme. All 4 will be available to all civil servants by spring 2023.

Book onto the Management Foundation Programme.

Book the Management Practitioner Programme.

Grade 6 and grade 7 development

The Future Leaders Scheme is cross-government accelerated development training for around 400 high potential grade 6 or 7 civil servants. As part of the Future Leaders Scheme, we also offer the Minority Ethnic Talent Association (META) programme to successful candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds and the Disability Empowers Leadership Talent (DELTA) programme to those with a disability or long-term health condition.

These programmes can help you accelerate your learning and build your personal leadership effectiveness. They will develop the skills, knowledge and networks you need to serve others in modern government and find fulfilment in your careers.

Subscribe to Inside Leadership for practical management and leadership tips, and alerts on the Future Leaders Scheme.

Senior Civil Service induction and Civil Service orientation

We offer 3 activities for new senior civil servants:

• Civil Service orientation for external Senior Civil Service (SCS) hires
• Deputy Director (SCS1) induction
• Director (SCS2) induction

New colleagues joining from outside the Civil Service can attend a Civil Service orientation, before taking a place on a more specific induction with their new director or deputy director peers. We expect to induct around 400 newly appointed directors and deputy directors a year.

Internally promoted senior civil servants will be able to go straight onto their grade-specific induction in cohorts of up to 20 participants.

Induction programme structure

The new approach will include:

• a virtual launch event
• online modules at times to suit participants, delivered on a digital platform called FutureLearn
• a residential face-to-face workshop

Every induction closes with a residential face-to-face event. You will meet peers and have development sessions that work best in person, such as group conversations to work on key strategic priorities.

Next steps

Book a place on an upcoming induction.

Subscribe to Inside Leadership for practical management and leadership tips, and alerts on orientation or induction activities.

Deputy director development

The Senior Leaders Scheme is the cross-government accelerated development training for deputy directors (SCS1) with the aspiration and potential to reach the highest levels in the Civil Service.

The training will accelerate your learning and develop your leadership effectiveness as part of a cohort of high-potential civil servants from across government.

It includes formal learning and self­-led development and consolidation, including:

• workshops on developmental, system, collaborative, and adaptive leadership
• executive coaching and action learning sets
• modules on priority capability areas
• participant-­led learning, where participants share their knowledge and expertise with fellow scheme members learning trips to external organisations

Subscribe to Inside Leadership for practical management and leadership tips, and alerts on the Senior Leaders Scheme.

Director development

A new selective one year programme is being designed for talented Civil Service directors and some public sector leaders. It will reflect international best practice in executive education, including:

• a focus on skills and knowledge needed to effectively deliver in modern government
• deep peer networks across the Civil Service and the wider public sector

The new programme will replace the High Potential Development Scheme. Applications have closed for the Directors Leadership Programme.

Directors are also now welcomed to the events and activities for public sector leaders, as highlighted below.

Director general and above

The Civil Service Leadership Group brings together civil servants at the most senior levels — permanent secretaries, directors general, and equivalent roles — to work together on strategic issues and government priorities. The group is regularly invited to calls, webinars, events and visits.

If you are a new, recently promoted, or interim director general and are not receiving notifications about these events, please contact leadershipcollege@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Directors general and permanent secretaries are also included in the public sector offer for chief executive officers (CEOs), where they can build universally applicable skills and deep networks with colleagues across the wider public sector.

Public sector leaders

We offer a series of short courses and programmes to CEOs, deputy CEOs, and public sector leaders in equivalent-level roles. Some events may be exclusive to specific groups, and this will be made clear.

They help leaders:

• enhance their practical, evidence-based knowledge and expertise around facing complex systems challenges
• build strong networks between peers and break down silos between the Civil Service and wider public sector
• inspire and encourage measurable improvements in public service delivery

Cost

Most programmes are free except the short courses where attendees are asked to pay £100 per course to cover accommodation.

Short Courses

Our new short courses focus on empowering public sector leaders by each specifically focussing on leading in a different context. They operate on a first come, first served basis. Delegates can attend more than one and they are non-selective but the LCG reserves the right to ensure that there is a reasonable distribution of different sectors across the organisations attending. Where courses are extremely popular, the LCG will look to repeat them as soon as possible. We welcome alumni of our Public Leaders Programme.

Data and Digitalisation

This short course focuses on leading in the world of data and digitisation, addressing its importance in Public Service through two overnight residential workshops and two webinars. Guest speakers, facilitated discussions and experiential activities highlight the responsibilities and opportunities around data and digitalisation for senior public service leaders.

Residential 1: Wednesday 11 to Thursday 12 January (Manchester)

Residential 2: Wednesday 22 to Thursday 23 March (Durham)

The two webinar dates will be confirmed closer to the time.

Register for Data and Digitalisation by 7 December.

Leading in Practice: Managing Ethical Boundaries

A two-day short course focusing on ethics and ethical leadership in Public Service delivery. Through case studies, guest speakers, and collaborative opportunities, this workshop aims to give participants the confidence to embed ethical leadership in their organisations. Participants can also share their experiences and challenges around ethics in public services.

Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 February (York)

Register your interest for Leading in Practice: Managing Ethical Boundaries. Full registration form and details of any fees applicable will follow.

Leading Collaborative Organisations

Across two overnight residential workshops and two webinars, participants will broaden their understanding of effective leadership and collaboration in public service. Guest speakers, facilitated discussions, case studies, collaborative opportunities and experiential activities will teach new insights on how to lead collaborative public services.

Residential 1: Tuesday 4 to Wednesday 5 April (Durham)

Residential 2: Tuesday 4 to Wednesday 5 July (Durham)

The two webinar dates will be confirmed closer to the time.

Register your interest for Leading Collaborative Organisations. Full registration form and details of any fees applicable will follow.

CEO Connections

CEO Connections is a relationship building and job shadowing scheme which allows leaders to grow their peer network, learn about other parts of the public sector, and develop collaborative leadership skills. Participants are matched with a small group of CEO-level leaders from different areas of the public sector and meet regularly over an eight-month period to work to solve problems and job shadow one another.

Registration for the current programme has closed. Please register to join the waiting list for the next CEO Connections we run.

Leadership Connections (for deputy CEOs)

If you are a deputy CEO-level leader, you can register for Leadership Connections. This is a new relationship building and job shadowing scheme for people at the level below Chief Executive. It has built on the success of CEO Connections and will partner you with people from across the public sector.

Registration closes on 16 December, and the programme will start in January 2023.

Coffee Connect

This programme focuses on building your personal network. On the first Tuesday of every month, Coffee Connect participants are introduced to another participating public sector leader running a large public sector organisation or Civil Service department. Participants get in touch with each other to arrange a convenient time to meet either over the phone or by video-conferencing platform. Each month, participants are offered the opportunity to ‘opt out’, if demands on their time are too great in that period. Please register for Coffee Connect.

Apprenticeships

Outside of the Leadership College for Government, there are other opportunities for training to be a better leader or manager.

The Civil Service offers a number of apprenticeships in leadership and management. These qualifications allow you to learn and develop whilst you are in your job and enable you to apply your new knowledge, skills and behaviours as you progress through the course. Depending which level you study, the apprenticeships offered last from 12 to 48 months.

More details can be found on the GOV.UK apprenticeships page or within the Government Campus website. If you are interested in starting an apprenticeship, talk with your line manager.