Influencing UK Government and Policy: Get Your Voice Heard

It can be hard to understand the workings of government. There are multiple departments, plus all their agencies and arms-length bodies. The policy-making landscape is complex and involves Whitehall, external stakeholders, and Parliament. 

This course provides essential insights into how government operates and equips delegates with tools to engage effectively with decision-makers. Participants will gain an understanding of the structure of government, its relationship with parliament, and the development of policy across Whitehall.

We will cover the formal and informal aspects of working with government, while learning about the pressures and incentives faced by ministers and civil servants. Through practical strategies and influencing techniques, participants will enhance their ability to make impactful interventions, target the right people, and maximize their engagement with government for their organisation or themselves.

At the Civil Service College, we tailor our courses to each participant’s role and organisation, ensuring that each participant gets the most out of the training. Our courses and trainers are continuously updated and evaluated to ensure that we are always delivering the best service possible.

Key Training Features

Who Can Attend

Learning Outcomes

Key Training Features:

• Understand the structure of government, and its relationship to parliament.
• Understand how business gets done in government and how policy is developed across Whitehall.
• Understand the incentives and pressures faced by ministers and civil servants.
• Appreciate the formal and informal aspects of working with government.
• Have skills and tools to make the most of contact with government.

Who Can Attend:

Anyone who wants to understand how government makes decisions, and to get their own or their organisation’s voice heard in the corridors of power.

Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will get a good understanding of how Whitehall and the Civil Service operates from a formal and informal point of view, and understand the key points at which to make interventions for maximum effect.
• Participants will learn who to target, when, and how.
• Participants will have a good understanding of the different rules and responsibilities for civil servants, ministers and special advisors. 
• Participants will earn basic influencing strategies to maximise their impact.