Writing and Delivering Effective Briefings

Thomas Foster

Thomas Foster joined the Civil Service as a Fast Streamer in autumn 2009, in time for an inside view of the first peacetime coalition negotiations for almost a century. He participated in the subsequent emergency Spending Review and went on to play a role in designing the incoming government’s flagship Work Programme and Universal Credit policies. Later, he moved into areas as diverse as financial regulation and designing new financial instruments for private‑sector investors, and, at the other extreme, frontline management in a Jobcentre in one of the most deprived wards in London.

In 2015, he joined the Department for Transport, where he built and ran a public and parliamentary communications team for the rail franchising programme. This period oversaw one of the most active and controversial phases in the twenty‑year history of privatised rail. He then moved into a policy and regulatory role as Deputy Head of Local Transport, where he oversaw one of the biggest open data projects in UK government history, as well as a widespread review of the future of regulation in the taxi and private hire sector. Since 2020, Thomas has worked full‑time as a coach, trainer, and consultant.

Prior to joining the Civil Service, Thomas attended law school in York, studied Politics and Contemporary History at university, and worked in a variety of private‑sector roles, including executive search and recruitment for UK‑based financial services companies.

Zoë Collier

Zoë is a highly experienced, CIPD-qualified training consultant, delivering strategic advice, coaching and training in policy, strategy and communication skills. She started her career as a policy adviser to ministers in HM Treasury, where she ended up working as a Private Secretary to the Rt Hon John Major MP. Zoë moved to become a diplomat in the Foreign Office and then head of strategy at DCMS, before being appointed as a senior lecturer in policy and government at the National School of Government. It was here she discovered her passion for helping people to work more effectively and with impact and confidence.

She is a highly effective and motivational coach and trainer, and has applied her professional experience, together with her training and coaching skills, to deliver training programmes for a wide range of organisations, both in the UK and EU as well as extensively across the world.

Zoe has also worked in the private, local government and voluntary sectors, and is a published author of several short stories.

Specialisms:

• Policymaking and political thinking;
• Strategy and foresight;
• Stakeholder and citizen engagement;
• Negotiation and influencing skills;
• Advising, briefing and report-writing.

Education:

• MA (Hones, Cantab), BA (Hones) Philosophy & Law, Cambridge University
• Certificate in Training Practice, CIPD