Harnessing Collaborative Working in the Public Sector

The publication by the Cabinet Office of the ‘Outsourcing Playbook’ and the ‘Constriction Playbook’ raises a challenge for both the public and private sectors to build more sustainable relationships which can deliver better outcomes through more collaborative public procurement initiatives in terms of social and economic value.

Collaboration is not new but whilst the term is widely used it is frequently misunderstood and thus fails to harness the full potential. The foundation of effective collaboration is that it is based on mutual benefit and supported by a clear focus on trust and commitment to the objectives of the parties. To be sustainable over time organizations need to ensure that trust is developed and maintained through both organisational and personal relationships. This will enable the parties to have confidence that each organization is focused on supporting the interests of their partner(s).  It should be recognised that developing trust is an iterative process based on performance, attitudes, and the behaviours of those both directly and indirectly associated with the relationship.

In this course, participants will gain exposure to the International Standard for collaborative business relationships to provide a platform for building a systemic approach to create robust and sustainable engagements. In a collaborative venture, the initial approaches between organisations can often set the tone for the future. Throughout the engagement, the parties need to regularly assess their attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of trust between them ensuring that transparency and openness remain a constant consideration to facilitate and support effective decision making and issue resolution.

Harnessing Collaborative Working in the Public Sector is a new course from our Leadership & Management series. At the Civil Service College, we tailor our courses to each attendee’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

Course Approach

Learning Outcomes

Key Training Features:

A one-day event will proactively explore the challenges which may constrain the optimisation of capabilities and resources to deliver improved outcomes whilst ensuring sound business practice and accountability:

• Explore the benefits of collaborative working
• Build confidence through a structured approach
• Validate the critical impact and support of executive sponsorship
• Improve the value strategic business case development
• Evaluate tools and techniques to support market engagement
• Manage key relationships, behaviours, and performance throughout the life cycle

This programme will engage participants on a relationship life cycle journey

• Awareness laying the foundations for harnessing collaborative working
• Knowledge seeking the appropriate opportunities
• Internal assessment understanding organisational readiness
• Partner Selection evaluating and selecting the right partners
• Working together by building the appropriate governance
• Value creation driving innovation and value
• Staying together Managing and maintaining relationships through highs and lows
• Exit strategy planning for handover and disengagement

Who Can Attend:

This course is providing insight for those in the public sector charged with initiating procurement programmes, Procurement teams and contract managers and those working who will be required to work as part of integrated teams

Course Approach:

Recognising that every programme and relationship will have its own challenges the course utilises a combination of workshop approaches and exercises built around the life cycle model which forms the structure of the International standard which has the benefit of providing a common language for both the public sector and its potential industry partners.

Learning Outcomes:

The aim of this course is to raise participants awareness to the benefits of a systemic approach to collaborative working which they can integrate with existing commercial approaches as appropriate.

• Introduce a structured approach for collaborative engagement
• Understand the risk and opportunities that collaborative working can introduce
• Better understand the impacts of behaviours on performance and outcomes
• Build improved and innovative implementation programmes
• Drive increased performance and value creation