Press Releases

Press Releases | Media Coverage | News Digest

• Departments must invest in private office staff (10 November 2008)

  Government Departments must invest in their Private Office staff if they are to give Ministers the support they need according to Darryl Howe of the National School of Government, which today launched Private Office Community – designed to help officials meet exacting requirements and make the most of this great career opportunity. More...

• Custom Built Leadership (24 October 2008)

  In his new book ‘Custom Built Leadership’, published today (24th) by Palgrave Macmillan, author and Deputy Chief Executive of the UK National School of Government Robin Ryde encourages leaders to practice the art of the possible and make the most of every moment by posing three critical questions:

  • How long have YOU got?
  • What is YOUR level of ambition?
  • Who do YOU wish to influence?

  Written to help leaders learn how to survive and succeed in the modern world, ‘Custom Built Leadership’ covers ‘high concept’ leadership thinking and locates such ideas in examples from the fast moving, occasionally vexing and often lonely business of leading people and organisations. More...

• Public and Private Sector Managers Report being most motivated by challenging work (06 October 2008)

  Public sector managers view challenging and interesting work as the most motivating factor in their jobs according to the Public Management Index 2008 - carried out through a collaboration between Ashridge Business School and the National School of Government.

  The study follows on from the Ashridge Management Index 2008, published earlier this year, which sought the views of managers in the private sector on a similar range of organisational and personal issues. ‘Challenging and Interesting work’ was ranked as the number 1 motivating factor by both public sector managers and their private sector counterparts. Other motivating factors in the ‘top 5’ for both the public and private sectors were a ‘high basic salary’ and the ‘opportunity to continually learn and develop’. The public sector also valued ‘doing work that is of value to society’ and ‘job security’. More...

• National School: public sector women want gender equality to be strategic business priority (6 October 2008)

  Women in UK and international public sector roles want greater leadership and organisational commitment to gender equality - according to a new report from the National School of Government.

  ‘Pushing for Greater Gender Equality in the Public Sector’ - findings from a survey of delegates conducted at the National School’s International Women’s Conference held in London in February 2008 – identifies job design, flexible working, development opportunities, long hours and an inclusive culture as factors key to women thriving in senior posts. More...

• National School reconfirmed as procurement learning ‘centre of excellence’ (13 August 2008)

  The National School of Government has been named a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for its provision of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) procurement qualification programmes - for the 11th consecutive year. The award of three stars by CIPS – the highest possible ranking - confirms its position in the top twenty procurement training providers in the UK. More... 

• New Whitehall Innovation Hub (31 July 2008)

  The National School of Government’s Sunningdale Institute has established an Innovation Hub to develop know-how on stimulating and supporting innovation in government and the public services.
  
  The Hub will provide a focal point for public innovation across Whitehall and will play a galvanising role in developing the channels and behaviours in government that will support the flow of innovative practices across Whitehall and within localities. More...

• New Leadership Assurance & Benchmarking Service from National School (4 July 2008)

  A new ‘Leadership Assurance & Benchmarking’ (LAB) service from the National School of Government will help Departments ensure that in-house leadership development is effective, delivers a return on investment and supports the corporate leadership agenda across government.
  
  The new service, launched in Whitehall on Monday June 30, is a ‘light touch’ and constructive approach to assessment based on the National School’s Strategic Leadership Development Model, which reflects the components of world-class leadership development identified by Professor Ivan Robertson and the SCS Leadership Model. More...

• Director General named as New Head of National School (18 June 2008)

  Rod Clark, who served as Director General - Strategy at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Department for Constitutional Affairs and played a major part in setting up the MoJ, has been named as the new Principal and Chief Executive of the National School of Government.
  
  Rod Clark has worked in a variety of public-facing, strategic and government posts, and has been on secondment to PA Consulting. He is a member of the Director General Development Group, and was a review team member for the Capability Review and subsequent refresh of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. More...

• Applications invited for PhD Studentship in Political Leadership (10 June 2008)

  The National School of Government and the University of Warwick are inviting applications for a funded ESRC CASE PhD studentship concerned with the development of national political leadership in the UK, and are keen to hear from those who have recently completed Masters degrees and from public service managers or trainers wishing to take a career break. More...

• National School workshop to de-mystify sustainability (30 May 2008)

  Sustainable development - learning to live and govern ourselves within environmental limits and in a way that shares resources and strengthens peace, justice and a sense of fairness is now the overarching objective for public policy both in the UK and across the world.

  "Getting in Touch with the Future" - a half-day workshop from the National School of Government - will help civil servants get a basic understanding of this complex issue, and consider their personal and organisational contributions to sustainable development in the future. More

• National School Conference to Assist the Delivery of Cross-Departmental Public Service Agreements (19 May 2008)

  A National School of Government conference at the QEII Conference Centre in London on 11 June 2008 will explore how public servants can work together to meet rising public expectation around areas such as climate change and the health and well-being of young people - the themes of just two cross-cutting Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets.

  Picking up some of the key themes of the Civil Service Live event attended by 5,000 civil servants in April, 'The Challenge of Delivery: cross-Departmental PSAs' will see delegates from central government and their peers from the wider public sector explore how they might work across organisational boundaries, and different levels of government and sectors, as they seek to deliver on the 30 most important priorities of government. More

• A way to reduce red tape around procurement (1 May 2008)

  Most people would agree that procurement processes are essential to ensure the customer and ultimately the tax payer gets the best possible deal. But likewise most accept that there are situations and circumstances where the red tape around the procurement exercises can be counter-productive to the objective of securing value for money. More...

• 10 years of changing trends in Learning and Development (23 April 2008)

  "Team coaching has a buzz around it and I shall be keeping a close eye on that hybrid with no name, that mix of coaching, counselling and mentoring which is perhaps the most useful of all one-to-one support techniques." Graham O'Connell, Head of Organisational Learning & Standards, National School of Government presented a seminar on the future of learning and development at the annual HRD Conference on 16 April 2008.

  Article from Training Zone based on Graham O'Connell's presentation The Future of L&D: All drugs and no rock and roll?
  Excerpt of Graham O'Connell's presentation at HRD conference.

• National School and RICS to help leaders take a strategic view of property (25 March 2008)

  A new series of skills seminars from the National School of Government and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) will help leaders take a strategic view of property to extract maximum value from this expensive, but often ignored, asset base.

  The National Audit Office recently reported that central government's gross annual expenditure on property could be reduced by £326m by bringing cost performance of individual buildings in line with the best private sector practice. However, it has also confirmed that, despite progress, central government is still a long way from achieving value for money. More...

• Holding up a mirror to Government (26 February 2008)

  The new National School of Government Portfolio for 2008-9, which carries details of the organisation's learning and development provision, paints a picture of the diverse and complex challenges facing government and the evolution of a dynamic and increasingly plural response, according to Principal and Chief Executive Robin Ryde.

  He explained: "Each year, the National School Portfolio holds up a mirror to the ambitions and preoccupations of government and the evolution of new approaches towards them. As well as the usual provision of training titles for leaders, managers and professionals working in government, this year's Portfolio highlights the importance of cross-cutting approaches as enshrined in the 30 new Public Service Agreements, and of the need for fresh approaches to learning." More...

• Mulgan and Bichard join National School Sunningdale Institute (29 January 2008)

  Young Foundation chief Geoff Mulgan and University of the Arts Rector Sir Michael Bichard KCB are amongst a group of thought leaders from the UK and abroad to join the National School of Government's Sunningdale Institute as Fellows, the School announced today.
  
  The new intake 'the first since the inception of the Institute in 2005' sees 14 new Fellows join the Institute. Fresh expertise in Human Resources comes with the recruitment of David Fairhurst (McDonalds, Northern Europe) and Tony McCarthy (BA), with Professor Gerry Johnson (Lancaster University Management School) adding to Institute capacity on Strategy. More... 

• Announcing the 2008 International Conference for Women in Public Service (26 November 2007)

  Former Leader of Camden Council Dame Jane Roberts and Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell are two of an array of contributors to address delegates at the fourth National School of Government International Women's Conference to be held on 27-28 February 2008 at the Victoria Plaza Hotel in London.
  
  The theme of the 2008 conference is 'Women's leadership globally and locally: for me, for them, for us'. It is designed for public sector women wishing to develop their leadership capabilities, influence change in their organisations and identify collective leadership actions to reduce gender inequalities. More...

• Take-off or Tail-off - An evaluation of the Capability Reviews programme (9 November)

  The Civil Service should be moving towards a culture of 'dynamic capability' with capability reviews more tailored to individual departments and more resources devoted to ensuring that they deliver change, according to an evaluation of the Civil Service capability review (CR) process by the National School of Government's Sunningdale Institute. The report was commissioned by the Civil Service Steering Board (CSSB) - the cross-cutting governing body of the Civil Service - to evaluate what went well, what did not, and to suggest what the future direction for the CR programme should be. More...

• 'Hacking through the jungle' to innovate (1 November)

  Despite the talk, innovation is very rarely taken seriously. But this could change thanks to the work of the National School of Government, Young Foundation and NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) who have joined forces to show - through new research unveiled at their conference on public innovation on 1 November - that the public sector can innovate, but often it is despite, not because of, the systems they are working in. More...

• New induction guide for Civil Service entrants (24 October)

  Help is at hand with induction for entrants to the Civil Service, thanks to a National School of Government handbook now available to Government Departments and Agencies.
  
  'Joining the Civil Service', written by Christopher Jary, explains simply and clearly what the Civil Service is, what civil servants do, and how and why they do it. He explains: "Joining any new organisation is a challenge, and joining one as large, diverse and complex as the Civil Service can be overwhelming. I hope this book will make it a little easier." More... 

• National School launches new learning portal (12 October)

  The National School of Government's 'Virtual School' - an online source of information, e-learning and networking for public servants - was launched today in Whitehall.
  
  The new portal, which can be accessed through the National School website (www.nationalschool.gov.uk), hosts a range of products to provide a unique resource for informal learning. Speaking at the launch, National School Head of e-Learning Ken Ingram explained that informal learning had a valuable part to play in the development of public servants: "Sometimes we need information or insight quickly and easily, and e-learning provides that possibility in a way that more formal learning cannot." More... 

• New Guide to Understanding the Civil Service (12 October)

  'Understanding the Civil Service', a new awareness package for entrants to the service as well as existing civil servants, was formally launched alongside the National School of Government 'Virtual School' today (Friday 12 October) in Whitehall. It is envisaged that the package will also be of interest to educational establishments, industry and the public as a whole. More... 

• Top Management Programme Goes International (5 October)

  The National School of Government Centre for Strategic Leadership has announced that its flagship Top Management Programme (TMP) is to include an international week from February 2008, when participants will travel to Austria together as part of their development as leaders. More... 

• Spencer to 'hand on National School baton' (19 September)

  David Spencer has announced that he is to leave the National School of Government after three and a half years as Principal and Chief Executive, to take up a position with the LendLease Corporation in Sydney, Australia. Robin Ryde, currently Head of the Centre for Strategic Leadership at the National School will act as deputy until Spencer's departure at the end of November, and will then take over as Acting Chief Executive until a permanent appointment is made. More... 
  Read more about David Spencer and Robin Ryde

• Conference on Public Innovation - 1 November (22 August 2007)

  Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell is to introduce a one-day conference on public innovation, organised by the National School of Government in partnership with the Young Foundation, and NESTA. 'Creating the Conditions for Public Innovation' will be held in central London on 1 November, with the aim of generating awareness of public service innovations and discussing the role of government in creating the conditions for the future spread of innovation in the public sector. More... 
  Read the press release

• Sneak preview of the National School of Government (16 August 2007)

  The National School of Government has produced a new video outlining its approach to learning and development, It features client departments, individual delegates and National School staff. For an exclusive first run, click on the following link. More... 

• The Sunningdale Institute undertakes the evaluation of the 'Capability Review' programme (16 August 2007)

  The Cabinet Office announces a further two departments undertaking 'Capability Reviews': HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs. In addition to these two further reviews, the National School of Government's Sunningdale Institute has been commissioned to undertake an Evaluation of the programme as a whole, exploring the process and impact and recommending how it might develop at the next stage. More... 

• Launch event for SCHOR360 - an online feedback tool for civil servants - in Edinburgh on 26 June 2007 (20 June 2007)

  The National School of Government has created a new 360? feedback tool for Civil Service leaders designed around the Cabinet Secretary’s new framework of leadership expectations and the requirements of Professional Skills for Government (PSG). More... 

• New Leadership Approach for Civil Servants (6 June 2007)

  
  Gill Rider addresses the first entrants to Leaders Unltd at their induction event at the National School of Government

  
  Leaders Unltd candidates with Principal and Chief Executive David Spencer (back row centre), & Head of Strategic Leadership Robin Ryde (back row, right)

• National School seeks nominations for Leadership Development Scheme (1 June 2007)

  Nominations are now sought from government departments for the second Cohort of Leaders UnLtd - a new leadership development scheme designed specifically for UK civil servants working at Grade 6/7 (or equivalent) who are women, have a disability, or are from minority ethnic backgrounds. More... 
  Leaders Unlimited website

• National School Announces New Centre for Working with Ministers & Parliament (21 May 2007)

  The National School of Government has created a new Centre devoted to giving officials the skills, confidence and understanding they need to excel in their support for ministers. More... 

• National School of Government Leadership Award (15 May 2007)

  Nominations are now invited for the National School of Government Leadership Award - part of the Whitehall & Westminster World Civil Service Awards 2007 in association with Ernst & Young, and endorsed by Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service Sir Gus O'Donnell. More... 

• National School of Government Granted People Standard (2 May 2007)

  The National School of Government has been accredited as an 'Investor in People' until 2010, confirming that it supports best practice for training and development and links individual staff development to its business objectives. More... 

• Innovative New Book from National School Leadership Head (26 April 2007)

  Robin Ryde, Head of the Centre for Strategic Leadership at the National School of Government, draws on his experience as Director of the Prime Minister's Top Management Programme in his new book 'Thought Leadership - Moving Hearts and Minds'. More... 

  Robin Ryde biog

• PM and Chancellor Keynote Speakers at Public Sector Reform Conference (27 March 2007)

  A National School of Government Sunningdale Institute commentary on today's Public Service Reform Conference, to be held in London, will analyse conference themes and provide practical guidance on future public service leadership and organisational development.. More... 

• Conference shines light on barriers to women's leadership (9 March 2007)

  Women working in public sector positions across the globe identify similar challenges to reaching the very top of their organisations as their UK peers, according to a survey – ‘Women in Public Sector Leadership’ - conducted yesterday by the National School of Government. More... 

• Public Service Reform Leadership with Practical Wisdom (7 February 2007)

  Sunningdale Institute Fellow and Professor of Public Policy and Management at Warwick Business School, John Benington, calls for public service leadership that transcends organisational and social boundaries, and investment in the development of leadership teams which combines professional skills with conceptual understanding and 'practical wisdom', in a report published by the National School of Government. More... 

• Leadership: a sum of errors? (7 February 2007)

  Leadership expert Professor Keith Grint of Cranfield School of Management and the Defence Academy discusses his ideas on the 'Social Construction of Leadership. More... 

• Spencer: Training an investment, not a cost (31 January 2007)

  National School of Government Chief Executive and Principal David Spencer has urged Government Departments not to "sleepwalk into cutting learning and development budgets without really thinking through the implications", in response to pressure on Departmental budgets due to efficiency targets. More... 

• Sunningdale Institute Launches Thought Leadership Project (29 January 2007)

  The National School of Government's Sunningdale Institute launched a thought leadership project on 26 January 2007 designed to build competence and intellectual capital in the Civil Service. More... 

National School Becomes New Government Department (21 December 2006)

From 1 January 2007, the National School of Government becomes a separate government department, giving it more autonomy to develop its role as a centre of excellence for learning and development in support of the business priorities of government. More... 

• Transformation Journal - 4th Edition (12 December 2006)

  The 4th and latest edition of Transformation journal is out. The journal is published in partnership with the National School of Government and consultancy group Capgemini. More... 

• Senior Policy Makers Seminar: Ethics in Policy Delivery 18-19 January 2007, Oxford (5 December 2006)

  The National School team's up with Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education. The result is a series of seminars in policy making and delivery, using cross-cutting issue themes. More... 

• Times article on graduate programmes (1 December 2006)

  Read here an article in the Times Career supplement, 30 Nov 2006, an article entitled "How to make the most of graduate programmes". With comments from The National School's Jo Keech, Policy Lecturer More... 

• International Women's Conference 8-9 March 2007 (22 November 2006)

  The National School of Government, UK, is hosting an International Women's Conference on 8-9 March 2007. Its theme is women's public sector leadership, globally and locally. More... 

• Successful delivery of IT projects (22 November 2006)

  The National Audit Office has published a report into the successful delivery of IT-enabled business change. It examines 24 examples of successful programmes delivering real and lasting benefits to citizens in order to determine the key and recurring themes which typify successful projects and programmes. More... 

  Business Process Improvement with the National School of Government

• Effectively Engaging Citizens (22 November 2006)

  At a seminar on effective public engagement co-hosted with IDEA and LGA on 20 November, Sir Michael Lyons, as part of his ongoing enquiry into funding local government, described the findings of a series of public deliberation events held earlier in the year which sought to explore the views of a selection of the public on the role of local government. More... 

  Consultations and Communications training for Policy Makers

• Talent Management (22 November 2006)

  The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has recently published research findings which demonstrate that there are a wide range of different approaches to talent management and succession planning. The CIPD's report looks at the key challenges faced by organisations when dealing with talent management. It assesses how such policies are linked to overall business strategies and areas of corporate governance. More... 

  People Management development at the National School of Government

• Congratulations to Steve Baker - HM Revenue and Customs Winner of the National School of Government Leadership Award (29 November 2006)

  The Civil Service Awards (sponsored by Whitehall and Westminster World) took place on 29 November. Our congratulations go to all the winners and short-listed organisations and individuals More... 

• Public sector role in cutting carbon emissions (15 November 2006)

  In a speech to the Environmental Industries Commission on 8 November, the Secretary of State for the Environment, David Miliband, emphasised the need for public sector bodies to become more energy efficient in order to help combat the effects of climate change. Government can play a wide ranging role through procurement, public R&D investment and ensuring better information is available to consumers, businesses and investors on environmental impacts to allow them to make more informed decisions. More... 

  Sustainability

• Active citizenship (15 November 2006)

  A new manual has been published for learning providers to help them develop programmes of citizenship to help adults gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a difference to the communities in which they live. The Take Part framework has been designed to support proposals set out in the recent Local Government White Paper, which included placing a duty on local authorities to encourage residents to become more closely involved in the decision making process. More... 

  Diversity

• Equality and diversity in the workplace (15 November 2006)

  One of the UK's leading employment relations advisers, ACAS, has recently produced its first free equality and diversity online learning tool. This e-learning package serves as a practical learning module helping users assess a particular organisation's performance plus identify and address weaknesses. More... 

  Diversity Excellence Model

• New head of the Centre for Strategic Leadership (3 November 2006)

  Robin Ryde has been named as Head of the Centre for Strategic Leadership at the National School of Government, the UK government’s centre of excellence in skills training and organisational development. More...

• Benchmarking E-Government (3 November 2006)

  A recently published paper by the University of Manchester’s Institute for Development Policy and Management, Benchmarking e-Government, describes different models of e-government and current practice in relation to benchmarking e-government. The paper presents a series of recommendations based on identified good practice with checklists for those planning and evaluating e-government benchmarking studies. More... 

  E-Learning and the National School of Government




• New learning network

  The Local Government Information Unit is encouraging local authorities to join a new learning network on the role of the ward councillor in shaping the neighbourhood agenda. The network will provide a platform for local authorities to share and develop innovative practice in a project sponsored by IDeA and the Department for Communities and Local Government. In addition, it will seek to provide real time leaning; generate practical evidence to help the DCLG produce guidance on implementing the neighbourhoods agenda; and develop an understanding of the ward councillor's community leadership role. More... 

Leadership and the National School of Government

• Compact week - Government and the voluntary sector

  A series of events were held from 1-8 November to raise awareness of the Compact which provides a practical framework for improved working between the public and the voluntary sectors. The set theme for the week was “Delivering better together” and saw voluntary organisations and government departments run an assortment of imaginative activities to showcase the work of the Compact and highlight best practice, new developments and the current debate across all levels of government, and the voluntary and community sector. More... 

The Voluntary Sector and the National School of Government

• Leading Public Service Change & Organisational Development (25 October 2006)

  The National School of Government is launching a new qualification to support civil servants who are leading change and organisational development (OD) across Whitehall.  More...

• Govnet Expo 17-18 October 2006 (13 October 2006)

  National School's Professor Sue Richards will be presenting on "Promoting the Public Service Reform Agenda" at Govnet Expo 17-18 October 2006.  More...

• Finance Skills for All (13 October 2006)

  The National School of Government and HM Treasury launched Finance Skills for All on 10 October 2006. With 200 attendees and accolades from Nick Macpherson, Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury and Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury the event was a resounding success.  More... 

• Member of staff honoured with Lifetime Award for contribution to European Studies (13 October 2006)

  The University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) has honoured with a Lifetime Award Professor Helen Wallace, a former member of staff from the Civil Service College (the name of the National School's institutional predecessor at Sunningdale Park) for her great contribution to 'our understanding of the dynamics of European integration.'  More... 

• Sue Richards edits new book on leadership in public sector (26 September 2006)

  National School's Sue Richards has edited a new book published by Routledge & Action Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development in Public Services. Seconded from University of Birmingham's School of Public Policy, Professor Richards heads Strategic Capability at the National School where she has initiated a new Masters programme in Organisational Development.  More... 

• Transformation (6 September 2006)

  Transformation is our quarterly journal on new thinking in the public sector, jointly published with Cap Gemini. Focusing on improving delivery, the third issue includes an article by National School's Sue Richards and Su Maddock on the challenges facing innovation reported at June's reform conference..  More...

• David Spencer interviews Sunningdale Institute Fellow Elaine Kamarck (14 July 2006)

  National School Principal and Chief Executive David Spencer interviews Elaine Kamarck, Harvard academic, Sunningdale Institute Fellow, and former advisor to Bill Clinton and Al Gore.  More...

• National School introduces new customer relationship management system to respond better to the needs of clients (17 July 2006)

  The National School of Government (National School) has selected Trinity Expert Systems to deploy Microsoft CRM to one hundred users across its organisation.  More... 

• Working with the third sector (22 June 2006)

  The Leaders UK Programme partnership model promises public services tailored to individual needs. Today the Government set out its vision for a partnership approach between public, private and third sectors to deliver the services that people want in the way that suits them best  More... 

• Big Learning (21 June 2006)

  Thousands of people are logging on to Big Learning, not just to browse but also to download the copyright free learning materials. The word seems to be spreading. The variety of materials available and the lack of taxonomy, or classification, reflects the latest thinking on how people learn new things via the internet.   More... 

• National School announces strategic partnership with CIPFA (16 June 2006)

  The partnership aims to pool the resources of the two organisations to develop a range of development products and services in the areas of finance and governance. It will also help members and clients of both organisations across a wide range of public bodies to achieve their policy and business objectives.  More...