Pathways To Planning’s Post

It was lovely to see several hundred people on our call yesterday to hear from colleagues getting the Test, Learn and Grow programme off the ground. Big thanks to Laurie Brennan and Neil Thomas OBE for great presentations which brought it all to life. The next stage is advertising roles for our first tranche of recruitment in February but in the meantime you can register an interest by emailing workwithustestlearn@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. Please share with others! No need for covering letters or revised CVs, just a two or three line email with a link to your LinkedIn and an existing CV (it should be two minute job!). This will help us keep in touch. A reminder that we are looking for: - Existing civil servants and new public sector colleagues outside of Whitehall with digital, data, design, technology and/or evaluation backgrounds on fixed term and permanent contracts with for the first tranche of roles advertised in early February - we need you to design and deliver our test and learns on the ground and bring operational voice into every stage of the policy development process - Secondees from the wider public service from any background, from local government to health to the voluntary and faith sectors who have deep operational expertise in the policy areas we’ll be focusing on - we need you to bring the lived experience of frontline delivery in place to help us close the gap between policy intent, delivery and outcomes - Secondees and new hires from private and civic sector backgrounds (or at least a non ‘core’ public sector lean!), particularly those with civic tech and public interest technology perspectives interested in decentralised problem solving - we need you to bring cutting edge disciplines of the internet-era to bolster our public sector smarts as well as your relationships into the innovation economy. In these roles, you can expect to span central government and local delivery. You’ll be involved in shaping policy reforms, designing improvements to public services, testing what works, and helping ensure good innovations are supported to grow. Matt Jukes Alejandra Diaz Andrew Knight Kate Josephs CB Tom Loosemore Ravi Gurumurthy Moria Sloan James Plunkett Piali Das Gupta Dr Mariana Pexton Kara Kane

Curious about how you stack up compared to other organizations when it comes to success in your commercial development initiatives? Well, then look no further. just join the survey my good colleague Christian Milner has launched and as a thank you, we'll share the compiled insights from this research with you. Join us in shaping the future of commercial excellence - your input is crucial

As Christian Milner Nymand shares below, there is a great potential to improve how we succeed with Commercial development initiatives. If you want to learn more and share your thoughts, then follow to guidance in the post below...

As 2024 comes to a close, our research analysts share what they learned this year. Read their reflections in today’s #EVWakeUpCall: https://lnkd.in/g8ZwVcUW #highered #highereducation #enrollmentmanagement #enrollmentmarketing #programinnovation

Each year, we collate our key statistics to share our reach and impact. Although our focus will always be on the quality of our products and service, it is lovely to watch the numbers increase year on year with the knowledge that more and more young people are benefiting from our offer. Here are some of the key statistics and you can download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eUDyhutv #impact #education #careers #careerseducation

Summer Reading Recommendation: "The Big Con" Are you wondering what to take to read on your summer holiday? Consider adding https://lnkd.in/dm8zCavd to it. This book is particularly interesting if you've some experience of the consulting industry. The core argument of "The Big Con" revolves around the classic make-or-buy decision: should organisations invest in developing their own capabilities through recruitment and training, or should they hire consultancies to fill the gaps? And what are the implications for not investing? Having spent a significant portion of my career in consulting, I find the book's arguments compelling. My advice often came with an ulterior motive—to win more work. While I did learn better ways of working, these methods could have been taught directly to my clients - both in the private and public sector. With the right support, my clients could have achieved the same results themselves. I believe it's time to shift the narrative around public sector capabilities. Greater investment in developing skills and experience within organisations could reduce the dependency on external consultancies and deliver even more for taxpayers.

📢 The final Policy Voice survey of the year is here! A huge thank you to all our members who participated in Policy Voice surveys throughout 2024. Your insights have been instrumental in driving nine major policy wins this year—delivering tangible benefits for businesses across the UK! This month, we’re keen to hear your thoughts on: 📌 Your organisation’s investment priorities for 2025 📌 The impact of changes to Business Property Relief (announced in the Budget) on family business plans—and how we might still shape this policy’s implementation 📌 A potential initiative to boost apprenticeship uptake, in partnership with the Department for Education Your feedback powers our ability to advocate effectively with policymakers and amplify your voice in the national media. With significant policy announcements expected in Spring 2025—including tax simplification, skills development, industrial strategy, infrastructure investment, and planning reform - your input has never been more vital. ➡️ Curious how we’ve used your insights so far? Explore our Policy Voice data hub: https://lnkd.in/esCXDx2K 📨 IoD members: Check your inbox for your exclusive survey link and share your views today! #policyvoice #voiceofdirectors #businessleaders #policymaking #research

Consumer insight research confirms the content that will improve application rates and yield. Tips to communicate your relatable, institutional vibe. https://hubs.ly/Q02KnQ_V0

HESA is consulting on expanding their recording of staff data to include ‘non academic roles’ or a preferred term ‘Professional Services’ staff which would lead to a better understanding of the university workforce. Would this lead to better exposure for Library teams in the institution and would greater insight and options to benchmark across the sector elevate the Libraries role as a contributor to Teaching, Learning and Research? 📖 Read more about HESA’s consultation here: https://lnkd.in/eCn2ZPgH

This is an important step toward creating a standardized job classification framework for research administration professionals. I encourage all involved in the field to participate in this survey.