Guidance

GCF Development Programme for Senior Commercial Professionals (HTML)

Updated 21 July 2026

Programme design

Background

This learning offer has been designed and developed with input from senior commercial specialists, subject matter experts (SMEs), learning and development experts and professionals from the commercial profession to support individual development needs.

The Development Programme for Senior Commercial Professionals:

• has been co-created and endorsed by commercial leaders, SMEs and ADC assessors
• is aligned to the ADC and the People Standards for the Profession and goes beyond this
• adopts the 70/20/10 learning model - 70% learning on the job, 20% learning through peers, 10% formal learning
• is designed to evolve and flex - shaped by your feedback and individual needs

The programme has been created using insights from the Assessment and Development Centre (ADC), to meet the specific development needs of senior commercial staff. Data from the ADC identified the areas of ‘leadership skills and

capability’ and ‘business acumen and commercial judgement’ as key areas for further professional development. This bespoke programme is designed to target these themes with two core modules, which are delivered using a series of interactive and practical webinars.

Completing the Development Programme for Senior Commercial Professionals will enable you to:

• lead and influence key stakeholders to navigate complexity, build consensus and deliver strong commercial outcomes
• instil a culture of excellent commercial leadership and behaviours in your teams and working environment
• develop and strengthen your commercial acumen
• communicate confidently to drive action and influence
• enhance your commercial thinking and business acumen
• manage complexity while making the right decisions
• build resilience and understand how to maintain it under pressure
• enhance and maintain your networks and professional development

“I have found the training to be excellent… provided practical insight not just theory and it has clarified the terminology used in respect of the ADC… The facilitators have been great and have not baffled us with buzzwords.”

Programme participant

What you can expect

The programme is aligned to the ADC and the People Standards for the profession and goes beyond this, helping you to increase your impact, influence and confidence in different situations.

The cohort-based design builds in flexibility to help you meet your individual goals and maximises peer interaction with colleagues across government. Each webinar has a practical focus, enabling you to hone your skills and make the changes you want to see.

The two core modules are delivered by subject matter experts (SMEs) as a series of interactive webinars where you will learn through:

• expert facilitation and coaching by experts including assessors and SMEs
• networking with peers and members of the GCF senior leadership team
• exploring theory and case studies
• practicing your toughest development and leadership challenges
• feedback and support from SMEs, peers and coaches
• Spotlight on… sessions to delve deeper into key themes
• development guidance to encourage reflection, help embed learning and set clear development goals

The 70/20/10 learning model

70%

Refers to on-the-job experience that enables you to put your knowledge into practice and embed learning. For example, understanding the wider context of your team by attending strategic meetings, or reflecting on your development in your personal development plan.

20%

Refers to the learning from others by sharing knowledge and experience both formally and informally. For example, Spotlight on… sessions, red team reviews, action learning sets, and attending networking events.

10%

Refers to structured courses delivered in a classroom, as distance learning, or by e-learning. For example, technical training via the Government Commercial College, and the bespoke development workshops.

Pre-work

To get the best experience from this programme, we will ask you to complete various pre-webinar activities. This will boost your learning and enrich conversations in the interactive webinars that follow.

How do I access the learning?

To access the programme, you must:

• be in the GCO
• be working at the level of the programme either substantively or on temporary promomtion (TP)
• have attained a B at ACS, CS or SCS level
• have your line manager’s support

Overview of the modules

Module 1: Leadership

Module 1 is a practical, interactive and reflective module, which has been designed to help you further your understanding of your leadership skills and capability strengths and development areas and plan how to meet your individual goals.

The programme is designed to build or reinforce habits that enhance your commercial leadership behaviours so that you can practice them in your day-to-day professional life. The disciplined practice of these leadership habits will be a robust foundation for a future ADC. Whilst the module is aligned to the ADC, it is intended to go beyond this and support your wider development as a commercial professional.

Webinar 1: Programme essentials (2 hours)

Sharing the purpose of the programme and what you can expect from attending. Exploring traits and drivers as a basis for deepening your understanding of who you are as a commercial leader.

Webinar 2: Building resilience (2 hours)

Discussing the importance of building resilience as a senior leader, yours and those you lead. Enhancing self-awareness, especially in stressful situations, and exploring thinking patterns that can help or hinder our ability to be resilient.

Webinar 3: Coaching and building relationships (2 hours)

Raising your ability to build relationships by engaging with empathy, listen with greater intensity, and harness the power of open questions to empower and develop others.

Webinar 4: Coaching skills practice (4 hours)

Practicing coaching skills in small peer groups to work through real day-to-day challenges supported by accredited coaches who provide constructive feedback to help you further build your coaching capability.

Webinar 5: Assertiveness and decision-making (2 hours)

Exploring leading and influencing to get the right commercial outcomes. Reviewing strategies for influencing, and decision making when dealing with complexity.

Webinar 6: Influencing practice (4 hours)

Deepening your understanding of personal preferences in influencing others, then work with actors to work through real situations in your job and witness the impact of using a variety of strategies.

Peer group coaching

Peer group coaching is a key element of module 1. These sessions are designed to allow you to develop your coaching skills in a safe and supportive environment. You will review core coaching techniques, learn new methods and then practice them in small peer groups, led by an experienced coach.

These sessions revolve around real-life issues that each participant brings to the session; allowing you to explore how you could address development and career goals within a safe space and how exploring existing and new techniques can help you overcome obstacles. By co-coaching you will have the opportunity to develop your capability, learn from each other and refine your skills.

Many participants developed strong bonds with peers across the civil service through these sessions. These groups have continued to stay in touch with each other and this has been widely considered to be one of the major long-term benefits of the programme.

“The ability to discuss complex and specific issues with my peers is beneficial: in considering alternative solutions, using others experiences in similar situations, for my wellbeing and resilience.”

Past participant

“Chance to work as a group, share experiences, hear other people’s stories, and apply theories set out by the facilitators.”

Past participant

Module 2: Business Acumen and Commercial Judgement

Module 2 is a series of interactive webinars, delivered by subject matter experts, focusing on business acumen and commercial judgement. This module is designed to equip you to better demonstrate these attributes in your commercial role and supports you in how to demonstrate these attributes in your ADC, and beyond. You will focus on applying these skills in making complex judgements through simulations.

Webinar 1: Module essentials (2 hours)

An insight into the programme’s aims and objectives where you will be introduced to your facilitators, members of the commercial L&D team and your fellow learners.

Webinar 2: Business acumen and commercial judgement framework (2.5 hours)

Exploring the business acumen and commercial judgement themes as assessed at ADC.

Webinar 3: Analysis and insights (2.5 hours)

Enhancing your analysis and insights skills.

Webinar 4: Risks and decisions (2.5 hours)

Incorporating risk analysis in a thinking process that leads to practical actions and specific advice.

Webinar 5: Demonstrating acumen (2.5 hours)

Focusing on demonstrating acumen in a scenario.

Webinar 6: Presentation, reflections, wrap up and action planning (2.5 hours)

An opportunity to present your responses to the commercial challenge explored in webinar 5, as well as time to reflect on the module and create some personal actions.

Working towards accreditation

The senior commercial professional’s journey

The following is an example of the development journey for a senior commercial professional who achieved a B at the ADC and shows the opportunities available to support them as they work towards accreditation.

Candidates who are on temporary promotion (TP) or fixed term contracts (FTC), will have the same milestones, but within a timeframe that reflects their contractual situation.

Ongoing line manager development conversations (as required)

GCO career coach support (as required)

Year 1

1. Months 2 to 3: Meet GCO leadership and career coach, line manager and agree development plan.

2. Module 1: Launch session and 5 webinars to equip GCO specialists with core leadership skills.

3. Ad hoc group coaching sessions to focus on collective development areas.

4. Developmental review with line manager. Specialist reviews progress to date and future goals.

5. Ongoing: Spotlight on sessions and/or learning to develop skills in specific areas.

6. Module 2: Launch session and 5 webinars to equip GCO specialists with commercial judgement and business acumen skills.

GCO reminder

• Month 12: Developmental review with line manager (detailed review of development programme, development plan, self-assessment, action status and goal planning).
• Months 12 to 15: GCO leadership and career coach checkpoint (developmental review, identify any development gaps).

Year 2

7. Ongoing: Ad hoc action learning sets to focus on collective areas of development aligned to development plan.

8. Months 18 to 19: Access any interventions to fill outstanding development gaps.

9. Month 20:Comms to commercial staff and line managers - outline timeline of resit activities, outcomes and consequences.

10. Month 21: Commercial professional schedules ADC resit, with line manager support. Final touchpoint with ADC team to confirm logistics for ADC. All development plan goals and actions complete.

11. Month 22 to 23: ADC resit.

Month 24: ADC completed - accredited senior commercial professional.

Formal learning / industry events / technical training e.g. CIPS (10%)

Mentoring programme / 121 coaching / networking (20%)

In-role development opportunities / talent moves / job shadowing to develop experience (70%)

Note - if a GCO commercial professional would like to resit prior to 18 months after their entry into the GCO, they are required to obtain approval from their line manager and commercial director.

Learner adjustments

We want everyone to feel supported during their learning journey, so we will ask you to make known to us any learner adjustments that would support and enhance your learning experience. The team

is experienced in supporting candidates requiring learner adjustments and any information that is shared is treated as confidential.

Please inform the Commercial Learning and Development Team by email <(gcclearneradjustment@cabinetoffice.gov.uk>  of any learner adjustments you may require to complete the programme. This will enable the Commercial Learning and Development Team to action your needs as soon as possible.

Learning and development opportunities

There are a wide range of ongoing activities outside of the programme to support your commercial learning and development, these are open to all within the GCO. If you are not part of the GCO and would like information about these opportunities, please contact the GCF Partnerships team.

Spotlight on… sessions

The Spotlight on… sessions are an integral and important element of the commercial learning and development offer. They provide an opportunity to cover, in greater depth, areas of learning introduced over the course of the programme and encourage you to assimilate your knowledge and experiences. The sessions are delivered as either webinars or podcasts, which have been created using the expertise of highly experienced SMEs, crown representatives and ADC moderators.

You have full access to the following sessions.

Spotlight on the assessment and development centre (ADC)

This webinar has been designed to provide you with a broader understanding of how the GCF ADC has been designed and functions.

Spotlight on building effective supplier relationships

Explore different styles and approaches for working with suppliers and how to, appropriately, apply these. Available as a podcast on the Government Commercial College (GCC).

Spotlight on diversity and inclusion

This module aims to provide tools that will enable you and your colleagues to create and sustain a diverse and inclusive working environment. The module will help you to explore how diversity and inclusion impacts on recruitment, attracting talent and on the population already working within the GCF. Available as an interactive module on the Government Commercial College (GCC).

GCF talent and career management services

Note this is only available to GCO commercial professionals.

While on your journey to accreditation you can request a career conversation with an executive coach in GCO Resourcing and Talent. This session is not designed to offer coaching on the ADC resit itself however may be useful if you want to reflect on development plans or seek advice on any elements of the GCO offer which may be relevant. Contact the team at commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk to book a suitable time slot.

Shadowing

Shadowing in the commercial function is an opportunity for an individual to expand their knowledge, observe how senior commercial specialists engage and present themselves, build networks and understanding of a particular area or role.

Action learning sets

As a follow up to the modules, you are encouraged to take part in action learning sets. Action learning is a structured approach within small peer groups to share ideas, reflect on perceptions of their challenges and plan learning collectively.

GCF Knowledge Hub

This is the principal networking online platform, hosted on the Knowledge Hub. Within the GCF Network participants will be able to share news, views and requests for information, find networking opportunities, search for colleagues and events and use the best practice zone. Participants are advised to make their profiles as complete as possible.

Government Commercial College (GCC)

The Government Commercial College (GCC) is a web-based platform that enables learners to view and manage all aspects of their commercial learning. It delivers significant improvements to the learner’s experience in terms of the way learning is scheduled and tracked.

 Other opportunities

Other opportunities could include:

• specific training as agreed by your line manager
• peer reviews, red team reviews, and speaker events as advertised via the GCF Knowledge Hub (participation is strongly recommended and can be used as evidence of your development in your mid and end of year reviews)
• networking online and offline with the GCF community and the Knowledge Hub
• wide range of on-the-job learning (discussed with your line manager and/or the Commercial Talent team) through shadowing, participation in working groups, and participation in specific projects to develop and strengthen your skills

If you have any further queries about the programme, please contact the Commercial L&D Team via our email address: commercial-development@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Useful contacts

ADC team: gcfdevelopmentcentre@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Commercial L&D team: commercial-development@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Commercial Leadership team: gcoleadership@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Commercial Talent team: commercialresourcinghub@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

GCF Partnerships team: gcfengagement@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Bookings team: gcfprog-bookings@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Government Commercial College email: govcomcollege@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Government Commercial College website

GCO Knowledge Hub group

Development programme Knowledge Hub group

Civil Service Learning

Government Campus prospectus online

GCF LinkedIn

GCF X (formerly known as Twitter): @GCF_Comms