Management Development

Data protection compliance is a key duty of all organisations, public and private, which handle personal data. As well as the legal and regulatory impact of a serious data protection incident, the harm to trust, brand and reputation can be literally incalculable. The EU General Data Protection Regulation, which is expected to come into effect on 25 May 2018 and will create significant new obligations, as well as massively increased financial penalties – up to €20m or 4% of global turnover. This Certificate in GDPR and Data Protection course will give you a clear understanding of your organisation’s main data protection obligations under current legislation and the GDPR, and how to ensure your compliance.

This two-day Administrative Law programme has been developed for civil servants and staff working in public sector agencies, offices and local authorities. The course will introduce participants to the core principles and legal rules that govern judicial review and the legal process involved in administrative law. It will also examine specific instances in which judicial review arises, with an emphasis on how litigation can avoided.

Courtroom Skills is a one-day intenstive training course that is ideal for anyone who may be expected to give evidence in court in a professional capacity. Participants will learn about effective courtroom presentation and communication skills. Particular focus is placed on confidence building and assertive communication. Participants will have an opportunity to be examined in chief and cross-examined on a sample-case and receive one to one feedback. 

Communications is often an under‐valued component of change and organisational life and yet is essential to developing and delivering change. A plan for communicating with internal and external stakeholders can often be an ‘after-thought’, hastily compiled when a change initiative is about to be rolled-out or only considered when a problem or crisis emerges.

Articulating the vision, purpose and way forward, mobilising for action and constructive engagement, reducing resistance and delivering on goals are all supported by and enabled through effective communications.  This requires planning, structure and discipline and an understanding of the need to and a willingness to vary the use of communications tools and approaches. To maximise impact, communications plans need to be integrated into the change planning early on, focus on results, be tailored and engaging. 

Research shows that many change efforts in organisations fail. In an era focused on continuous innovation and improvement, it is important for leaders and managers to understand how best to overcome the challenges in delivering change and improve on this statistic.   This one-day course will provide leaders and managers with an opportunity to develop a rounded skill base and a wide-ranging ‘toolkit’ in order to manage the process of change effectively.   This is an interactive day, where those who lead on initiatives will benefit greatly from bringing their own case examples and reviewing them through the lens of class discussion. 

With the increasing emphasis in the public sector on information, organisations need excellent communicators who are capable of delivering their messages clearly and persuasively. Clear, concise writing plays a central role in the work of the organisation. Staff sometimes find writing difficult and challenging in this communication process. This course aims to develop and enhance participants’ writing skills and to cover the core elements of writing.

Freedom of Information for Decision Makers is an intensive one-day course for people charged with making decisions in relation to applications for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, which was enacted on 14 October 2014.  Reference will also be made where appropriate to the repealed FOI legislation (1997 and 2003) and to Data Protection legislation and obligations under it regarding Personal Data.  The purpose of this course is to bring participants through the different Parts (1-7) of the new Freedom of Information legislation and to explore with them the implications for their organisations. 

The two-day Managing and Developing People programme will help participants gain an understanding of the responsibilities of managing and supervising others and will focus on key skills of people management. This will be of benefit to supervisors and line managers at any level who wish to acquire the skills of effective day-to-day people management.

Managing Meetings is a one-day workshop that aims to take the pain out of meetings and to introduce staff to the principles and techniques involved. Meetings are an important and integrated part of organisational communication consultation, debate and decision-making. Organisations need effective meetings but these do not happen without correct procedures, preparation and planning. The workshop is highly participative and will focus on providing an opportunity to participants to practise the skills needed to chair/or contribute effectively to meetings.

In this era of corporate governance and accountability minute taking is a responsible position that requires individuals who can take clear brief easy to read and accurate recordings of decisions and actions. This half-day Minute Taking for Meetings workshop will be highly interactive involving participants in small group work and skills practice.