Press release

Award of learning contracts to provide training for civil servants

Government appoints top training providers to maintain a first class civil service.

The government has today awarded 2 new contracts that will deliver high quality, innovative learning. Two consortia, headed up by KPMG and Korn Ferry Hay Group, will deliver learning programmes for civil servants across the country from March 2016.

They have worked with many government departments including with the NHS on their Leadership Academy and delivered training to the top officials in President Obama’s administration. They will work with Civil Service Learning, departments and professions to co-create a high quality curriculum and build a more innovative, bespoke and engaging learning offer for civil servants.

The groups, led by Korn Ferry Hay Group and KPMG, are made up of a range of suppliers including small and medium sized companies. Working with a number of businesses of different sizes allows government to combine value for money with bespoke expertise. This government is committed to working with smaller suppliers to encourage competition and support a wide and varied supply chain.

Hilary Spencer, Director of Civil Service Learning, said:

We want our learning offer to create a more skilled and capable civil service. Our new approach will provide world-class learning and development that is flexible, tailored and relevant for all civil servants. We want to build a culture where learning becomes second nature, and we are looking forward to working in partnership with 2 expert groups of suppliers to achieve that goal.

John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service, said:

These contracts represent a new way of delivering learning services for civil servants. Learning and development are at the heart of building capability across government, making sure we have the skills we need to deliver the best public services for a modern Britain.

Notes to editors

The appointment of a group led by Korn Ferry Hay Group – in partnership with MIT, Cranfield, Pearn Kandola and a range of other suppliers – will enable us to offer the Senior Civil Service top quality executive learning and development from a wide variety of innovative industry experts.

A group led by KPMG – partnering with LEO, Mind Gym and the Open University amongst others – will work in partnership to co-create an innovative learning offer that meets the needs of the Civil Service, departments and professions.

The new services will come into effect from March 2016. Lot 1 (Senior Civil Service and talent) is for an initial term of 2 years with an option to extend for up to 1 year and up to a further 1 year (total maximum duration 4 years). Lot 2 (Core Curriculum) is for an initial period of 3 years with an option to extend for up to 1 year (total maximum duration 4 years).

The term consortium is used here to represent the group of organisations that have been appointed as subcontractors in the Prime Contractors’ (Korn Ferry Hay Group and KPMG) respective supply chains. The contractual relationship exists between the Primes and their subcontractors and Civil Service Learning does not have any direct contractual relationship with the subcontractors.

The value of the contracts is £80 to £150 million. This is an estimated figure for the potential maximum 4 year life of the contracts to give suppliers an indication of what spend might be.

Published 14 December 2015