Guidance

Annex C: learning and development pathway (senior sponsor)

Published 23 May 2022

Departmental specific

Read the department’s Annual Report, as well as the Annual Reports and Governance Statements of the ALBs that they sponsor.

Arrange a site visit to the ALB to see their offices and meet key officials.

Read all ALBs Framework Documents for the bodies they will manage.

Read relevant PAC documents including the recent report on Government’s Delivery through Arm’s Length Bodies/

Civil Service Learning

Relationship Management

Effective teams and organisations

You investigate the barriers that typically prevent teams from performing effectively - and how to get past them. As a manager, it’s part of your job to create an environment that helps bring the best out of your team. £230 + VAT

Strategy & Objectives

Start with Why

In this edited TED talk, you find out how the golden circle concept could help you if you’re thinking about setting a strategy for a team or project.

Outcome Assurance

Performance indicators

Performance indicators help government departments understand how well a policy, programme, project or service is performing against expectations and whether actions are effective. learn about e setting and using targets, using outcome based indicators, benchmarking and the balanced scorecard.

Financial Oversight

Commercial awareness (free course)

This topic explains the benefits of commercial understanding when you’re developing and implementing policy and programmes. You learn about the importance of effective preparation, procurement and management of services, as well as the stages of the commercial cycle.

Awareness of finance in government (free course)

You examine the sources of government money and how it is allocated, as well as the financial processes at a departmental level, and who administers them. After completing this topic, you will be more aware of the government’s budgetary cycle and processes, and more confident when dealing with finance professionals in your day-to-day work.

Risk Management

Managing risk, issues and dependencies

You are shown processes and best practices for managing issues and risk, including the different tools and methods you can use for logging and tracking. You also explore risk appetite and tolerance and how these can vary between projects and project team members.

Governance and Accountability

Governance, funding and financial management guidance e.g. MPM etc. (free course)

Explore the issues involved in governance, assurance and audit and how these interrelated subjects should be handled to manage and mitigate risk, across government and in arm’s length bodies.

Supplementary Learning

Open Learn

Civil Service College

Civil Service College

Accountability & Governance

This series offers a number of speciality courses for those in the Public Sector and Civil Service. Whether delegates are new to their senior roles or would like a refresher into ever-changing observations of what is acceptable.

Financial Management and Commercial Skills

This selection of courses offers a number of essential skills for those working in, or with, financial aspects of organisations that address key financial aspects such as risk management, attaining value for money, assessing organisational finances and making the best of often limited resources.

Coaching

Coaching: Internal coaching catalogue

Coaching is a way of developing your skills and abilities and unlocking your potential. It provides one-to-one support to improve your performance at work, or help you work towards a goal. It can also help you manage issues, barriers and challenges before they become bigger problems.

Professional and Qualifications

Consider courses from the Corporate Governance Institute