News & Events - Media Coverage
Press Releases | Media Coverage | News Digest
2008 2007
LAB service launched for civil service leadership (18 July 2008)
The National School of Government has launched a new leadership assurance and benchmarking (LAB) service. The new 'light-touch' service is designed to help departments ensure that in-house leadership development is effective, delivers a return on investment and supports the corporate leadership agenda across government.Read the full article on TrainingZone.
Government Department on track to meet challenges of the future (17 July 2008)
Three major departments of state are making good progress in building their capability to meet the demands of public service delivery in the 21st century, the Government announced today.Read the full article on the Cabinet Office site
Brave leaders can create great innovation (11 July 2008)
Dr Su Maddock, Director of the Public Innovation Hub at the National School of Government, explains the importance of good leadership in nurturing innovation.Read the article in HR and Training Journal
A new headmaster (9 July 2008)
Supporters of the National School of Government believe the body will go from strength to strength under its new leader. Whitehall & Westminster World meets Rod Clark in his first interview since being appointed.Read the full article in Whitehall & Westminster World
Bureaucrats brush up skills (8 July 2008)
Abu Dhabi's top civil servants are undergoing leadership training usually reserved for the upper echelons of the UK government. About 60 members of government ministries and departments are taking part in courses organised by the Department of Civil Services (DCS) in collaboration with the UK's National School of Government.Read the article in The National Newspaper
'Leadership Assurance and Benchmarking' service launched by National School of Government (7 July 2008)
A new 'Leadership Assurance & Benchmarking' (LAB) service from the National School of Government aims to help Departments ensure that in-house leadership development is effective, delivers a return on investment and supports the corporate leadership agenda across government.Read the article on PublicTechnology.net
Making training more effective (7 July 2008)
What makes training more effective? The National School's Head of Organisational Learning and Standards, Graham O'Connell says focus on the outcome, and then design your training to deliver the result.Read the article on TrainingZone
Less is more (4 July 2008)
Public service agreements (PSAs) were intended to lead to greater efficiency by making more transparent the relationship between intention (what ministers at Westminster wanted) and outputs (what gets delivered). Jane Dudman from the Guardian questions: "Will a cull of PSAs, which has boiled each one down to their core make sense for departments?"Read the article in the Guardian
Not just brick and mortar (4 July 2008)
Good property decisions not only save organisations money, they can boost employee satisfaction. The National School of Government's Andrew Howarth explains how property fits into strategic planning.Read the article in Whitehall & Westminster World
On the road - Blog (2 July 2008)
Richard Steel writes about a Local Government CIO Council being held at the National School of Government, in Sunningdale Park.Read the bog entry on computerworlduk.com
Outdoor learning for green leaders (1 July 2008)
A new National School of Government event for senior civil servants will use outdoor settings in the Lake District to help them ensure they are well informed & connected to the key issues when 'sustainability' lands on their desks.Read the article on sourceuk.net
Public Finance magazine news round up (27 June 2008)
Rod Clark, formerly director general of strategy at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has been named new principal and chief executive of the National School of Government.Read the article in Public Finance
Rod Clark to head the National School (26 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.Read the full article on TrainingZone
Anguilla hosts G6 Forum of Deputy Governors and Chief Secretaries (26 June 2008)
The G6 Forum of Deputy Governors and Chief Secretaries concluded after three days of discussions. Issues pertaining to sharing of resources, training initiatives, accountability and improving good governance received critical consideration. Officers from the territories who worked closely with the Deputy Governors and Chief Secretary contributed significantly to the Forum's deliberations. Representatives of the UK's Department for International Development and the UK National School of Government were welcome guests.Read the article on Caribbean Net News
Finance Week - On the move (23 June 2008)
Director general named as new head of national school Rod Clark, who served as director general - strategy at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has been named as the new principal and chief executive of the National School of Government.Read the announcement in Finance Week
The professional era (20 June 2008)
Meeting the new Customer Service Excellency standard will require public servants to go beyond the innovations outlined by the Varney review, argues Clement De Souza of the National School of Government.Read the article in Whitehall & Westminster World
Trainer's Tip: Counting the cost of no-shows (18 June 2008)
How do you count the cost of no-shows to training? There seems little in the way of hard facts, but what we do know is they cost money - and lots of it. The National School's Head of Organisational Learning and Standards, Graham O'Connell says a tough approach is what's needed to tackle non-attendance.Read the article on TrainingZone
Cooper puts her faith in PSAs and the efficiency drive (13 June 2008)
Cross-departmental working and 'continual improvement' in public services are critical if the government is to meet its main targets, the chief secretary to the Treasury has said. Talking to Public Finance on June 11 at a National School of Government conference, 'The challenge of delivery: cross-departmental PSAs', Yvette Cooper said there was no tension between ehttp://www.cipfa.org.uk/publicfinance/news_details.cfm?News_id=33106fficiency drives and departments meeting ambitious Public Service Agreement indicators.Read the article in Public Finance
Developing national political leadership (13 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.Read the article on sourceuk.net
PhD studentship calls for next generation of political leaders (12 June 2008)
Public service managers or trainers wishing to take a career break are being invited to apply for a funded PhD studentship in political leadership by the National School of Government and the University of Warwick.Read the article on TrainingZone
An inspired choice for leadership (11 June 2008)
Universities are strange beasts: organisations made up of people in the top echelons of their chosen field. People for whom academe has become their life's work and, for some, their home.Read the article in The Australian Higher Education
Trainer's Tip: Qualifications or experience? (11 June 2008)
Is experience enough as a training manager, or do you need a qualification? The National School's Head of Organisational Learning and Standards, Graham O'Connell says qualifications from the University of Life are all very well, but you really need at least a CTP.Read the article on TrainingZone
New code to underpin the quality of social research (4 June 2008)
The Government Social Research Unit has published a new Government Social Research (GSR) Code which, according to Chief Government Social Scientist and Head of the Government Social Research Unit Paul Wiles, will underline to clients, sponsors and others the quality and professionalism of the Service's output.Read the article on Sourceuk.net
HR's most influential 2008 (4 June 2008)
HR Magazine has published its list of most influential people in HR. Amongst them feature four National School Sunningdale Institute fellows. David Fairhurst, Senior VP and Chief People Office, MacDonald's Restaurants Northern Europe, is topping the 'top practitioners' list. Cary Cooper, chairman of the Sunningdale Institute and Professor of Organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, and Will Hutton, Chief executive of The Work Foundation are 5th and 7th in the 'top thinkers' list. Last but not least, Tony McCarthy, Director, people and organisational effectiveness, BA, and VP, CIPD, features in the 'ones to watch'. Why did they have the greatest impact in the past year?Read the article in HR Magazine
Volunteering to help those who need it most (Volunteers' week 1-7 June 2008)
Volunteers' Week is taking place in the UK from 1 - 7 June. Find out how the National School of Government's Paul Grant is helping relieve poverty and sickness of children and young adults in Romania through his work with the Sunningdale Park Romania Appeal.Read the article on the Civil Service Network's website
School deal is no child's play (June 2008)
A new partnership agreement between the National School's management team and Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union establishes a framework for wide ranging consultation and negotiation, as well as a recognition of the need to share information and discuss key issues at the earliest opportunity.Read the article in the Public and Commercial Services magazine
National School workshop to demystify sustainability (30 May 2008)
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.Read the article on wired-gov.net
Turks and Caicos host code of ethics and integrity workshop (28 May 2008)
The Office of the Public Service Management (OPSM) in partnership with the United Kingdom National School of Government will host a series of workshops geared toward the development of a Code of Ethics and Integrity for the Turks and Caicos Islands Public Sector 26 - 30 May 2008.Read the article on Caribbean Net News
Delivery of cross-departmental PSAs (23 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.Read the article on sourceuk.net http://www.sourceuk.net/article/11/11794/delivery_of_crossdepartmental_public_service_agreements.html
Why do we never learn and keep replicating failure? (22 May 2008)
There have been many successful public sector systems, some very very large like the original computerisation of PAYE in the 1980s. There is much excellent guidance on how to do IT properly. But the National Plan for IT failed for very similar reasons to HISS or the DSS Operational Strategy over two decades ago. Why do we never learn?Read the article on Computer Weekly
The National School of Government and Transformation Journal
Trainer's Tip: Counting the cost of experience? (21 May 2008)
How do you measure the loss to a business when someone with great experience leaves? And can this be calculated in financial terms? The National School's Head of OrganisationalLearning and Standards, Graham O'Connell offers advice. Read the article on TrainingZone
National School to assist delivery of cross-departmental PSAs (21 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.Read the article on publictechnology.net
Support to Abu Dhabi government officials (17 May 2008)
British experts will brief senior officials in Abu Dhabi on better transparency in Government as part of a major initiative underway this week. Department chairmen, under secretaries and executive directors from the Abu Dhabi Government will take part in the sessions, which are being run by the Department of Civil Service and the UK's National School of Government.Read the article in The National
Minister urges stronger link with businesses (15 May 2008)
The local government minister has called for improved links between local authorities and the business community. Speaking at the PricewaterhouseCoopers Government Forum on transforming public services through collaboration, John Healey said he would like council leaders to be confident enough to 'set up a town hall of all the talents'. Professor Sue Richards, director of strategic capability at the National School of Government, added there was reason to believe that 'we are at a tipping point in terms of a transformational change'.Read the article in Public Finance Magazine
Whitehall performance has a long way to go (11 May 2008)
The Financial Times reported on 11 May that "The Home Office, the Department of Health, and Revenue & Customs have emerged as Whitehall's worst departments after a ground-breaking government review of its own officials' ability to do a good job." National School's Sue Richards said, "this is take off or tail off time."Read the article in the Financial Times
A time for professionalism (5 May 2008)
Sir Gus O'Donnell has commissioned all central government departments to prepare individual skills strategies for 2008-09. This year, departments will be producing their strategies in the context of the first cross-government skills strategy, which was launched by permanent secretaries and Government Skills at Civil Service Live.Read the article in Whitehall & Westminster World
Wacky Training: Do unconventional methods really work? (30 April 2008)
What can offbeat and experiential training methods add to the L&D mix? And what do organisations stand to lose if the trend towards more creative approaches goes into reverse, due to training budget cuts? TrainingZone takes a look at the more unusual side of training and meets with the National School's Head of Organisational Learning and Standards, Graham O'Connell.Read the article on TrainingZone
The foundation of a new workforce (29 April 2008)
In the previous edition of The HR & Training Journal, a number of articles stressed the importance of developing the higher level skills of their current employees in a way that better meets the needs of government organisations and their workforce. Sue Tatum, Director of Employer Partnerships at Foundation Degree Forward, advocates the qualifications as a potential solution to the national skills crisis.Read the article in HR & Training Journal
Training may be a family affair (27 April 2008)
A proposal has been mooted to involve spouses and family members of senior bureaucrats in their training so that they can play a key role in orienting the babus not to succumb to temptation. The proposal for a Higher Civil Services College has been mooted to streamline the recruitment and training of bureaucrats on Civil Service Day in New Delhi on April 21.Read the article in Hindustan Times
Global pressure push the case for global equality (26 April 2008)
Globalisation means the nation must embrace diversity in the workplace and halt its 'economically illiterate' waste of talent. But employers are proving slow to wake up to the business case for equality, Alison Thomas reports from the National School of Government's international women's conference.Read the article in Public Servant
Rising to the challenge (24 April 2008)
Making sense of complex pressures might usefully describe the challenge facing public officials in the 21st century - a truth that applied to the National School of Government when it recently provided learning and development sessions for 6,000 delegates at Civil Service Live. Eleanor Goodison looks back at the event.Read the article in Whitehall & Westminster World
Sustainability - Raising the bar (14 April 2008)
Last week some 6,000 civil servants descended on Westminster's QEII Centre for the three days of Civil Service Live. Organised by Whitehall & Westminster World, the civil service and the National School of Government, a consistent theme of the event was the need to "keep raising the bar".Read the article in Whitehall & Westminster World
Public Opinion: Charles Tilley (14 April 2008)
Performance management is embedded in the public sector psyche and underpins the Government's reforms. Why then is delivery of public services still patchy, why do voters feel that the Government needs to do significantly better, and why do many public servants harbour a sense of frustration about their role? To explore better performance management strategies, the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and the National School of Government invited some 50 senior people, mainly government outsiders, on to several panels.Read the article on Timesonline
A work in progress (14 April 2008)
Held in London at the end of February, the fourth International Women's Conference for UK and international public sector leaders attracted senior women from all over the UK and across the globe. The conference theme: 'Women's Leadership Globally and Locally: For Me, For Them, For Us', showcased successful women with the experience of overcoming personal, professional or organisational barriers and highlighted organisations seen as showing the way in gender equality.The National School of Government's Leadership Director, Sam Manning looks back at the event.
Management strategies analysed (13 April 2008)
Bahrain Institute of Public Administration (BIPA) hosted its first workshop on Leading in the Public Sector at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. The event was hosted under the patronage of Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa and attended by dignitaries from ministries and government organisations. It was the first module of a comprehensive Executive Leadership Programme organised by BIPA and the National School of Government from UK. The content of the workshop focused on three subjects leadership, policy making and media management.Read the article in Gulf Daily News
Workshop on 'Leading in the Public Sector' a success (10 April 2008)
Bahrain Institute of Public Administration hosted their very first workshop on 'Leading in the Public Sector' in the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre. The workshop was hosted under the patronage of HE Shk Ahmed Bin Atiyat Allah AL Khalifa - Minister of Cabinet Affairs, attended by dignitaries from all ministries and government organizations. This workshop was the 1st module of a comprehensive 'Executive Leadership Programme' organised by BIPA and National School of Government from UK.Read the article in AME Info
MOD staff make their presence felt at Civil Service Live (9 April 2008)
Almost 1,000 MOD delegates attended the first ever Civil Service Live event from 1-3 April 2008 organised by Whitehall & Westminster World, the National School of Government and the Civil Service.Read the article on defencenews
The future for L&D: no drugs and all rock and roll? (7April 2008)
Less money, less development, more outsourcing, more coaching. Do everything else online - even though we know that doesn't work. Are these the real trends in L&D or are we bamboozling ourselves with myths and half-truths? The National School's Head of Learning and Standards, Graham O'Connell asks: Is the future all drugs and no rock and roll?Read the article in TrainingZone.
Civil Service to inspire and showcase the best in innovation (1 April 2008)
Civil Service Live opens today, bringing together the inspirational people running today's and tomorrow's civil service, to showcase and learn from best practice and innovation across government.Read the article on the COI News Distribution Service
Ministers impending equality, says Sir Gus (1 April 2008)
Progress on diversity and equality in the senior civil service is being held up by ministers' attitudes, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell has said, writes Alison Thomas in Public Servant. He is now working on a new Institute of Government to train ministers and prospective ministers. Sir Gus was "pretty disappointed" that the increasing numbers of women in ministerial posts had not made much difference to the working lives of women in the civil service, he told a National School of Government international women's conference in London.Read the article in Public Servant
Governing in the 21st century: crafting an approach to sustainability (Spring 08)
One of the aims of the National School of Government is to ensure that - from a training and development viewpoint - it helps public sector managers prepare for how climate change and other large-scale global trends are likely to change the public sector landscape. Adrian Robertson and Charlotte Revely, from the Sustainability incubator project, take a look at what innovations will be required over the coming years.Read the article in the Transformation Journal
Helping leaders take a strategic view of public sector property (26 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.Read the article on eGov
Bahrain's Institute of Public Administration holding its first flagship workshop(25 March 2008)
After the success of its very first Forum, hosted by BIPA under the patronage of HE Shk Ahmed Bin Atiyat Allah AL Khalifa - Minister of Cabinet Affairs, BIPA is all set to host its first 'Senior Leadership Development' Workshop. Leading edge gurus in their respective fields of specialisation will lead the workshop during the three days: Kay Evans - Senior Leadership Consultant at the UK National School of Government on developing personal leadership, influence and persuasion skills, Graham Davey - Head of Policy Making and Government Team at the UK National School of Government in change leadership.Read the full article on Al Bawaba's website, Middle East Information Media and Technology
Holding up mirror to government (March 2008)
The National School of Government has just released its new portfolio which describes how it supports organisations and individuals across all sectors involved in delivering services to the citizen.Read the full article in ModernGov
Streamlining the civil service (March 2008)
“The National School of Government offers an accelerated development programme, Fast Stream, to prepare participants for the many challenges of senior management and leadership.”Read the full article in ModernGov
Crystal Clear (6 March 2008)
“There are those who don’t know, and there are those who don’t know they don’t know.” These are not the words of former US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld but those of the economist JK Galbraith describing people who try to predict the future. Yet while the future may be full of unknown unknowns, it’s still worth exploring what the learning and development landscape might look like in the years ahead. The National School’s Head of Organisational Learning and Standards, Graham O’Connell explains his approach on the subject.Read full article in People Management
Cabinet Affairs Minister sheds light on Bahrain’s Institute of Public Administration’s (IPA) duties and strategy (6 March 2008)
Cabinet Affairs Minister Shaikh Ahmed Bin Atiyettallah al Khalifa said the IPA aims to prepare efficient government employees who will assume key duties and enhance the productivity of public administrations to boost the kingdom’s economic development and social plans. The minister explained that the agreement the IPA signed, amongst others, with the National School would enable an exchange of training programmes, know-how and expertise.Read the full article on Bahrain News Agency’s website.
Speaking a different language (Febuary 2008)
Good staff management and leadership have traditionally not been the public sector's strong point. The Head of the National School of Government's Centre for Strategic Leadership, David Sweeney and the National School's Head of Learning and Development, Graham O'Connell took part in a roundtable organised by the Guardian Public and asked for change.Read the full article in Guardian Public
When heads roll (Februay 2008)
If junior managers make mistakes, why does the press and much of the public think that the head of the organisation should be blame? 'It may make us feel better when someone does the 'honourable thing' and resigns, but it smacks of the contemporary equivalent of public hangings in medieval times' explains Cary Cooper, chairman of the National School's Sunningdale Institute in Director Magazine.Read the full article in Director Magazine
The National School of Government identifies complex challenges facing government (27 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.Read the full article in PublicTechnology.net
Bahrain backs development of public administration (19 February 2008)
The Kingdom of Bahrain is a step ahead of many countries in bracing the development of civil service employees. Its recently launched Institute of Public Administration (IPA) aims to raise the standard and productivity of public administration to support economy and social development plans and to take this developmental move further ahead, IPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National School of Government, UK, and the Civil Service College, Singapore, and other public and private organisations with international repute.Read the full article in Trade Arabia
The most basic human right (12 February 2008)
“Fundamental rights must be affirmed, promoted and defended beyond values and cultures. No cultural differences, traditions or faith can be used as a shield to justify human rights abuses and the suffering inflicted on women.” explains the Hon. Jocelyne Bourgon, President Emeritus of the Canada School of Public Service and Board Member of the National School of Government to Whitehall and Westminster World.Read the full article in Whitehall and Westminster World
McDonalds and British Airways HR directors join government institute (30 January 2008)
Two leading human resources directors have joined the National School of Government's Sunningdale Institute as fellows. David Fairhurst, McDonalds chief people officer, and Tony McCarthy, British Airways' director for people, are part of a fresh intake to the institute.Read the full article in Personnel Today
Back to Basics: Good Handouts (30 January 2008)
Handouts present trainers with some nice dilemmas. For example, there's the thorny issue of how much to give out and in what form. For usability and eco-friendliness, a trainer may want to keep their handouts brief and to the point, or provide electronic alternatives. But clients - whether internal or external - often expect something glossy and meaty for delegates to take away. The National School of Government's Head of Learning and Development, Graham O'Connell explains the School's approach to TrainingZone.Read the full article in TrainingZone
TrainingZone shines the light this week on Graham O'Connell (23 January 2008)
The National School of Government's Head of Learning and Development, Graham O'Connell is the first member of the training community to step into the Spotlight, a regular feature which will be running in the Insider Wire on TrainingZone.Read the full article in TrainingZone
Clarity from the National School of Government (21 January 2008)
“The National School of Government has been named as a winner of the prestigious 'Inside Write’ awards for its new induction booklet 'Joining the Civil Service'.
Published in October 2007, the booklet is already in great demand across government organisations.
Read the full article at SourceUK.net
Plain English Award for National School (25 January 2008)
“Collecting the award from comedian and actor Lenny Henry at the Plain English Awards annual ceremony in London, the booklet's author Christopher Jary commented: ‘I wanted to write induction guidance that would make sense to everybody entering the Civil Service – from school leavers to senior appointments from industry, whether they’re working in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Stormont or in a Jobcentre in Warrington or Exeter. This award suggests that we may have succeeded, and I'm thrilled that the booklet has been recognised in this way.’"Read the full article at trainingjournal.com