Welcome to The House Magazine Professional Certificate in Public Sector Delivery Website

A well skilled and appropriately trained Civil Service workforce is key among the Government's current priorities. Commenting on how the Civil Service improves its skills, and therefore its capacity to deliver services with the upmost effectiveness, Sir Gus O'Donnell Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service said recently:

"For our part, we must make sure that the people we employ have deeply embedded professional skills. The Professional Skills for Government agenda is the key to our strategy here."

The Professional Certificate in Public Sector Delivery is a professional qualification geared towards Civil Servants from diverse backgrounds and is run by Westminster Explained and the House Magazine. The course, which has been running successfully for over two years has recently been re-designed and re-focused so as to cover the core competences outlined in Professional Skills for Government (PSG).

The training programme is covered under two separate Training Framework Agreements that we have signed with Government, agreement numbers DWP/CPM/010/3042 and DWP/010/3039.

Delegates on the course will receive training in core skills such as objective and analytical (evidence based) policy formulation, effective methods of Government communication, presentation and marketing skills, practical project and programme management techniques, leadership and people management competences, strategic thinking formulas and applications, and financial management.

Trainees have to complete 6 'core' compulsory modules and then must chose 3 elective modules from a list of 5 options.

Module 1 Working with Ministers
Module 2 Policy Analysis, Development and Evaluation
Module 3 Communication and Presentation Skills
Module 4 Handling Parliament
Module 5 Leadership and People Management Skills
Module 6 Project Management: How to do it Properly

Elective Module 1 Strategic Thinking Skills
Elective Module 2 Media Training
Elective Module 3 The European Union
Elective Module 4 Advanced Project Management and Delivery
Elective Module 5 Core Financial Skills

The course is taught at Professional level. The external award board consists of Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe, the Chief Executive of UniversitiesUK, Lord Norton of Louth, the Professor of Government at Hull University , Dr Nicholas Baldwin, Dean of Wroxton College, Guy Cleaver, Managing Directer, Westminster Explained, and a Representative from the National School of Government.

Trainees will be required to attend a total of nine training days in Westminster . Trainees will have to complete a small exercise or piece of coursework after each of the first six modules. This should take approximately 1-2 hours work and will be completed in their own time. This course work doesn't count towards the final assessment, but is marked by my course tutor and is part of the learning experience. At the end of the 9 months, trainees will have to carry out an assessed project, demonstrating that the lessons and skills learnt over the course are transferable back into the trainees 'own world'. The course work is assessed internally, and the External Board then assesses the work sent to them by the internal assessors. Successful candidates are then awarded the Professional Certificate in Public Sector Delivery.

Dr Nigel Forman, a former Minister for Education. He also chairs the "Westminster Explained" seminars and is a guest lecturer at the National School of Government.

Martin Stanley, Chief Executive of The Competition Commission and Author of "How to be a Civil Servant"

George Oliver MBE, a former Senior Civil Servant and Chairman of "Westminster Explained." George is a recognised expert in Parliamentary training and a guest lecturer at the National School of Government.

Tim Williams, Former Parliamentary Clerk at the DTI, Associate lecturer at the National School of Government.

Martyn Bond, former Head of the UK European Parliament Office.

Ian Lawson, from the Work Foundation

Geoff Langsdon, former Civil Servant working in Health and Social Security and guest lecturer at the National School of Government.

Hugh Lennon, former Civil Servant at the MOD and guest Lecturer at the National School of Government.

National School of Government lecturers will be handling the Project Management or Procurement modules.

We also have a number of members from both Houses of Parliament involved. In the past these have included Rt Hon Tony Benn, Ferdinand Mount (former Head of Margaret Thatcher’s Policy Unit), Hon Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, Rt Hon John Redwood, Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MP, Lord Rennard OBE)

From the academic world expert speakers have included Professor Colin Talbot, Professor of Public Policy at Manchester University, Professor Dennis Kavanagh, from the University of Liverpool, and Professor Andrew Massey, from the University of Portsmouth.

The media training has been handled by Nicholas Comfort, journalist and author; John Turnbull from the BBC; Eryl Price-Davies, a specialist Media Trainer and Clare Gorham, broadcaster and journalist.

The Professional Certificate in Public Sector Delivery is the first part of a three tier professional qualification offered by the House Magazine in conjunction with Wroxton College and Fairleigh Dickinson University . The second level will be awarded by Wroxton College and the third level, which is a Master’s Degree, will be awarded by Fairleigh Dickinson University .

Delegates who have participated and successfully completed the PCPSD course (pending other university requirements being satisfied) are eligible to take the remaining three credit course, resulting in their being awarded the University’s Certificate (Diploma level) upon successful completion of the course.

The remaining three credit course would be taught under the jurisdiction of the University and delivered through a blended course comprising on-line and a 2 day residential seminar at Wroxton College in Oxfordshire. This would comprise a minimum of 45 contact hours, which is a State accreditation requirement.

Delegates who wish to proceed further upon successful completion of the University Certificate (Diploma) will be eligible to take a further 18 graduate credits (6 three credit courses at 45 hours each) through a blended or on-line delivery to receive the University’s Master of Administrative Science Degree.