The Improvement Service has created a development programme for current and future senior leaders within local government. The aim is to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to enhance service delivery to their customers and increase internal productivity and cost efficiency.

Who can take part?

A development centre has been established to help assess the ‘readiness’ of individuals to partake in the programme. Chief Executives also need to submit a business case in support of an individual’s application.

A number of criteria are assessed during the development centre. For instance, is the applicant:

• addressing significant challenges within their current role?
• career focused?
• open to new ideas and challenges from peers & tutors?
• keen to validate their learning back in the ‘real world’?
• seen as part of Local Government’s talent bank?

A group of 12 delegates formed the first tranche of the programme. The pilot group served a pathfinder role providing invaluable and positive feedback to help refine the programme.

What does the programme involve?

Delegate Profiling
Applicants receive a comprehensive psychometric profile that assesses their current performance against world-class leadership standards. This feedback will be used throughout the programme. Delegates will be reassessed on completion of their learning.

Action Learning Workshops
Learning workshops are delivered on a modular basis. The aims of these modular workshops are for each delegate to build up an improved Leadership Excellence Profile. Many Councils have developed or are developing a set of management competencies. A Leadership Excellence Profile supports the work of these competency frameworks by covering the following themes:

• Burning drive for service delivery – driving action, performance management
• Winning the license to operate – organizational and political thinking
• Winning performance through people – collaborative team leadership, building talent
• Strategic impact –partnership development, communicating with impact
• Harnessing strategic intelligence –breakthrough thinking, building service intelligence

Executive Coaching
To supplement learning, executive coaches help the delegates tackle live work challenges. The coaching element takes the form of three sessions, throughout the programme. The coaching pool is drawn from professional executive coaches.

Guest Speakers
Recognised experts are invited to deliver sessions to the group throughout the year.

Please note that the Top Executive Development Programme will be reviewed in 2008-09 and may change in accordance.

Contact Us

For further information on the Leadership Development Programme, please contact Kate O'Hagan on 01506 775558.