Guidance

GCF Digital Programme for Accredited Senior Commercial Professional (HTML)

Updated 26 November 2024

Foreword from the Government Chief Commercial Officer

Commercial staff play a crucial role in delivering the priorities of the government. Across central government, around £50 billion is spent each year buying goods and services, with the demand for public services growing more complex in needs and scale year by year. New service models are driven by changes in technology, lessons learnt, and rising public expectations. These often require commercial input and collaboration between multiple public organisations. When commercial staff with the right skills are involved at the right time in the right way, they can make a massive difference to the quality of the services and projects delivered by government.

Weaknesses in commercial practice have resulted in critical reports by the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee, as well as negative media headlines. There has never been a greater need for highly skilled and effective commercial staff who are able to plan, develop and manage high quality contracting arrangements in a complex environment, under the weight of public scrutiny, whilst providing the best value for money for taxpayers.

This means developing a world class commercial function. That is why strengthening commercial capability is one of the top three management priorities for the Civil Service, and why we established the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO).

We want all staff in the GCO to be able to deliver their best, and have therefore made a commitment to your on-going learning and development. As accredited senior professionals we know you have the core skills, attitudes and behaviours that the GCO is looking to attract.

The multifaceted, world class digital Programme for Accredited Senior Commercial Professionals has been designed with current and emerging commercial and leadership challenges as its key drivers. The programme enables you to identify and explore your personal role in shaping the future of commercial in government, strengthen your commercial capability and drive culture change within the commercial profession.

The offer includes a bespoke programme that is tailored to identify and meet the learning and development needs of the individual, delivered through a mixture of interactive webinars, coaching support, on-the-job development, digital resources and involvement in online communities.

Learning and development is a continuous, career- long commitment. It enables you to keep up with advances in your profession and continue to improve, actively contributing to our goal of having a world- class government commercial function that continues to consistently deliver high quality public services and projects.

Gareth Rhys Williams

Government Chief Commercial Officer

The Design of the Digital Commercial Programme for Accredited Senior Commercial Professionals

The commercial learning offer has been designed, with input from Senior Commercial Specialists, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and professionals from the commercial profession, to support individual development needs.

• Co-created and endorsed by commercial leaders, SMEs and ADC Assessors
• Aligned to the ADC and the People Standards for the Profession, but goes beyond this
• The offer will evolve and grow based on feedback and needs that you have
• Flexible opportunities to meet your individual needs
• Leadership is not a destination and is never “finished” - we all have a responsibility to develop our skills on a regular basis
• ‘70/ 20/ 10’ approach: 70% learning on the job, 20% learning through peers, 10% formal learning

The 70/20/10 approach

70%

Refers to the on the job experience that enables you to put your knowledge into practice and embed learning; e.g. 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; e.g. 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; e.g. Technical training via the Government Commercial College, and the bespoke development workshops.

The Digital Programme for Accredited Senior Commercial Professionals

The digital Programme for Accredited Senior Commercial Professionals has been developed using accumulated data from the Assessment and Development Centre (ADC), and expert advice from both internal and external sources.

The programme focuses on the areas of ?Leadership Skills and Capability?and ?Business Acumen and Commercial Judgement?, which current data indicates are the key areas for professional development for accredited Senior Commercial Professionals.

The programme consists of two modules, each module is delivered as a series of webinars, which are designed to be interactive and provide you with the opportunity to meet with your peers, share your experiences and learn from commercial and leadership experts. The modules provide opportunities for you to test out approaches in a safe environment, receive and offer feedback, and learn from your peers. The programme is supported by a series of Spotlight On…sessions and self-directed learning solutions.

To access the programme you must be in the GCO, working at the level of the programme either substantively or on Temporary Promomtion (TP) and you must have been through the ADC process.

If you are not part of the GCO and would like more information about the programme, please contact the GCF Partnerships team (please see ‘Useful Contacts’ section on page 17).

This programme supports accredited senior commercial professionals to:

• Lead and influence to get the right commercial outcomes
• Instil a culture of excellent commercial leadership and behaviours in teams and working environment
• Hone commercial acumen
• Communicate with impact and confidence
• Manage complexity while making the right decisions
• Build resilience and understand how to maintain it under pressure
• Enhance and maintain networks and professional development

The Programme is:

• Aligned to the ADC and the People Standards for the profession, but goes beyond the ADC - helping you increase your impact, influence and confidence in different situations
• Cohort based for maximum peer interaction with colleagues across government
• Practical in focus so you can hone your skills and make the changes you want to see
• Designed with flexibility to help you meet your career goals

What you’ll get:

Learning through experts including SMEs, Assessors and Commercial Directors - Expert facilitation and coaching - Networking opportunities - Introduction to current theories - Opportunities to work through challenging case studies - Opportunities to address your toughest development and leadership challenges - Feedback and support from peers and coaches - A view of successful attributes for commercial specialists

Module 1: Insights and Leadership

The webinars in Module 1 are delivered by experienced leadership facilitators with input and insight from Commercial Directors and professional coaches. There will be a mix of theory, case studies, peer activities as well as the chance to receive feedback and time, in between webinars, to reflect individually and as a group.

Programme Launch Session

The Launch Session welcomes you to the programme, shares the purpose of the programme and what you can expect from it. The Launch Session is where you will begin to create a learning and professionally networked community.

Webinar 1 - Leadership Skills Fundamentals

Harness the collective experience of the group to raise your ability to listen with greater intensity, create the conditions for productive use of feedback, and harness the power of open questions.

Webinar 2 - Strategies for influencing Effective Influencing

During the webinar you will gain a deeper understanding of your personal preference in influencing others, than experiment with, and witness the impact of, using a variety of strategies.

Webinar 3 - Leading in an Organisation

In this session you will have opportunities to consider the importance of organisational awareness and networks when leading through complexity. During the webinar the Government Chief Commercial Officer, Gareth Rhys Williams, explores his experience of being a self-disruptive leader. You will then review the implications for the balance of task focus and broad perspectives when leading across organisations.

Webinar 4 - Leadership Skills Practice

Explore the impact of different leadership styles through a shared experience, deepen understanding of your impact as a leader and practice leadership skills through peer coaching.

Webinar 5 - Managing Stress and Planning for Success

Explore the usefulness of moderate stress, yours and others, the link with performance management and how to further a performance culture. Reflecting on your development so far, create your initial focus for development and a plan to make it happen.

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.

“The ability to discuss complex and specific issues with my peers is beneficial:

1 - in considering alternative solutions 2 - using others experiences in similar situations 3 - for my well being and resilience”

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.

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

Previous participants have highlighted the co-coaching sessions as a particularly useful aspect of the programme. They have highlighted how they took lessons learnt from the process back to their teams and created a more co-operative, effective and productive environment and used the advice given to them by their peers to develop strategies to meet their career goals.

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 Talent Team] and Korn Ferry teams [have helped form] our Action Learning Set…, [which] has created a great support group for each other’s development.

Module 2: Business Acumen and Commercial Judgement

A series of interactive webinars, delivered by Subject Matter Experts, focusing on Business Acumen (BA) and Commercial Judgement (CJ). This module is designed to equip you to better demonstrate these attributes in your current commercial role and beyond. You will focus on applying these skills in making complex judgments through simulation exercises with your peers.

Programme Launch Session

The Launch Session welcomes you to the programme, shares the purpose of the programme and what you can expect from it. The Launch Session is where you will begin to create a learning and professionally networked community.

Webinar 1 - Strategy and Policy Development

During this session you will be exploring strategy and policy in the commercial context and applying strategic analysis tools and models to complex commercial scenarios.

Webinar 2 - Market Insight

During webinar 2 you will have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of market dynamics and how they can inform commercial decision making.

Webinar 3 - Risk management

In webinar 3 you will deepen your knowledge on the effective application of risk analysis and risk management approaches. You will also explore employing risk trade-offs in order to make effective decisions.

Webinar 4 - Need, Sourcing and Procurement

During this webinar you will develop breadth and depth of capability regarding the application of market insight and risk mindset (and other Business Acumen and Commercial Judgement attributes) in the development of effective sourcing and procurement strategies.

Webinar 5 - Contract and Supplier Management

During the webinar you will have the opportunity to enhance your understanding of the legacy commercial professionals leave with contract managers and supplier relationship managers. Improve your ability to negotiate contracts that can be more effectively managed and develop understanding on how to respond to potential instances of modern slavery.

Webinar 6 - Continuous Personal Development

The focus of this webinar is to reinforce the key learnings from the 5 core content sections and to ensure you have a clear action learning plans to embed learning.

What you can expect

You will join a cohort of Accredited Senior Commercial Professionals who are based across Government departments. The mix of departments will provide you with the opportunity to broaden your network, share experiences and learn from their peers.

While each series of webinars are aligned to the ADC, they are intended to go beyond this and support your wider development as an accredited senior commercial leader.You are required to complete pre-work in advance of each webinar.

Participants are encouraged to keep a record of their learning and reflections at each module as it may highlight areas for future learning and development.

Below are some quotes from learners who have completed the programme;

Its been excellent. You’ve proved that virtual courses not only can work but are the future. It levels us across the country.

I have found this format has worked really well to deliver the course material and the moving between the main room and break out sessions (and the time management of these) has been very effective….the size of this group appears to be working well and there is good dialogue across the group and during the breakout sessions.

Time commitment much more doable virtually, especially as outside of London

The Best 360 process I’ve ever had.

How do I join the programme?

Cohort dates will be will advertised to the GCF commercial population using a number of communication avenues. The communication will ask you to register your interest by selecting a set of dates, once selected you will be sent the next steps of the signing up process.

Once you have signed up to the dates for your cohort, you will be expected to complete all the sessions with your cohort. If you miss a session from your programme you will be expected to catch up on the content by liaising with the other learners in your cohort. Please note that you may incur a cancellation fee for each missed session

The Anticipated GCO Journey for an Accredited Senior Commercial Professional

1. A at ADC
2. Module 1: Leadership
3. Spotlight on Building Effective Supplier Relationships
4. Spotlight on Political Insight
5. Module 2: Business Acumen and Commercial Judgement
6. Spotlight on..D&I
7. Red Team Reviews
8. Peer Coaching
9. Spotlight on Networking
10. IPA Review
11. CPD

Approximate length of time for completing Module 1 is 2.5 months and Module 2 is 3 months.

Cancellation Policy

There is a strict cancellation policy in place for all Commercial L & D training. Please read the below carefully, a copy of the cancellation policy is sent to you once you have confirmed your attendance.

If you cancel within 15 working days of the event, the cost will be charged back to your department. If cancellation is absolutely unavoidable we require written correspondence from your Commercial Director to cancel your place. We will also be writing to Commercial Directors regularly to update on attendance.

By booking this course you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

• If you wish to cancel your participation in a course, you may be required to pay a cancellation charge.
• Cancellation notification received 15 working days or more before commencement of a course will not incur a cancellation charge.
• Cancellation notification received fewer than 15 days before the commencement of a course will result in your department being charged the full amount of the total course cost.
• The ‘days’ referred to in the cancellation are working days. The commencement of a course is the date on which you agree to attend the training event. If you do not reply to the training invitation by the deadline date it will be assumed that you are available to attend the training.

Please note that both modules are fully chargeable.

Reasonable Adjustments

Please record any reasonable adjustments to you may require to complete the programme, on your GCC profile. Recording your reasonable adjustment requirements on your GCC propfile will enable the Commercial Learning and Development Team to action your needs as soon as possible. The team is experienced in supporting candidates requiring reasonable adjustments. We advise that you update any reasonable requirements on the GCC now, ahead of joining your programme.

Learning and Development Opportunities

There are a wide range of ongoing activities outside of the programme to support your 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 opportunitiues, please contact the GCF Partnerships team (see the ‘Useful Contacts’ section on page 17).

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 Spotlight On… session:

Spotlight on Building Effective Supplier Relationship Podcast

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 Political Insight Podcast

Political Insight involves considering the motives, objectives and positions of key stakeholders in order to equip you with the tools to better understand ‘the agenda behind the agenda’. Available as a podcast on the Government Commercial College (GCC)

Spotlight on Networking

This masterclass is presented by a Commercial Subject Matter Expert and explores how you can make networking work for you.

Spotlight on Coaching Skills for Leadership

An opportunity to refresh, practice and gain feedback from professional coaches on your coaching style. The Masterclass involves a blend of teaching, interactive exercises and facilitated practice.

Spotlight on Diversity and Inclusion Module

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 GCS. Available as an interactive module on the Government Commercial College (GCC).

Coaching Programmes

The Commercial Talent team offer one-to-one coaching programmes that can support you to achieve your goals, enhance your skills and unlock your potential. They can also help you manage issues, barriers and challenges. One-to-one coaching programmes can offer support with:

• Leadership development
• Career development
• Parental transition (for individuals taking or returning from extended periods of shared parental leave)
• Interview skills
• Support for those working towards accreditation

Mentoring

The Commercial Talent team creates successful mentoring matches from a growing pool of professionals from across central and wider government. Mentors provide advice in line with your development goals, drawing on their own experience and constructively challenging your way of thinking.

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 department.

Talent Moves

The GCO Talent Mobility offer enables all specialists working in the GCO at CL, ACS and CS level early access to career development opportunities known as “Talent Moves”. These moves are usually across central government and either permanent or temporary in length.

Talent Moves are particularly useful to consider if you: - similar format to a secondment or loan. They are available pending and have been in your current role and/or department for a significant period of time; - looking to increase your depth/breadth of experience; - would like the experience of working in a different department; - would like to enhance your strengths or address a specific development/progression need.

Action Learning Sets

As a follow up to the modules and masterclasses, the participant is 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 principle 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.

GCF Knowledge Hub

The Government Commercial College (GCC)

The 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. The site can be accessed by using the link below:

Government Commercial College

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

Other opportunities

• 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

ADCTeam: gcfdevelopmentcentre@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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

Commercial Leadership Team: gcoleadership@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Commercial Talent Team: commercialtalent@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

GCF Partnerships Team: gcfwidergovernmentbodies@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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

Government Commercial College, govcomcollege@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

GCF Knowledge Hub, GCO Development Offer

GCF LinkedIn

GCF Twitter: @GCF_Comms

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