NewLeading and Delivering Transformational Change Toolkit

Dates:

• 9 - 20 November 2026 - London (£4,750)

This two-week programme combines:

• Leading and Delivering Transformational Change: Understanding, Designing and Planning Change - 5 days
• Leading and Delivering Transformational Change: Mobilising, Leading and Sustaining - 5 days

Workshop Overview

This intensive two-week workshop equips leaders and managers to understand, design, mobilise and sustain strategic organisational change. Participants work on the realistic “One Public Service Transformation Programme” scenario throughout the course, responding to new information and complications each day and progressively building a complete, evidence-based change programme. The workshop blends expert input, facilitated discussion, practical tools, team exercises, reflection and presentations, with particular emphasis on the demands of public-service transformation.

Workshop Objectives

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate the drivers of change relevant to their organisation.
• Recognise the role and behaviours of a transformational leader and change agent.
• Facilitate cultures and organisational structures that support change.
• Design successful change programmes.
• Analyse stakeholder expectations and develop governance and methodology appropriate to organisational culture.
• Engage people in creative problem solving, decision making and planning.
• Develop business cases that anticipate the challenges and risks of delivering strategic change.
• Recognise, engage and manage individuals who are key stakeholders in the change project.
• Embed and evaluate the impacts of change projects.

Key Topics

The programme covers the following key topics across two weeks:

Week 1: Understanding, Designing and Planning Change

• Understanding strategic change: Explore internal and external drivers, systems thinking, complexity, strategic alignment, transformational leadership and leadership self-reflection.
• Creating conditions for change: Assess readiness, culture, values and structures; examine sponsorship, change-agent roles, stakeholders, influence and resistance.
• Designing the change: Define root causes, outcomes and design principles; consider service redesign, innovation, options appraisal and collaborative decision-making.
• Planning delivery: Structure workstreams, milestones and dependencies; manage risks and issues through proportionate governance, assurance and benefits planning.
• Building the business case: Develop strategic, economic, commercial, financial and management arguments, supported by costs, benefits, assumptions, affordability and an implementation roadmap.

Week 2: Mobilising, Leading and Sustaining Change

• Mobilising delivery: Prepare mobilisation plans, schedules, resources, controls, reporting, governance forums, risk escalation and delivery dashboards.
• Leading people through change: Build engagement and a compelling narrative; support individual transition using emotional intelligence, coaching, negotiation, influence and ADKAR.
• Building high-performing teams: Clarify purpose, roles, accountabilities and decision rights; strengthen psychological safety, motivation, collaboration and adaptive leadership.
• Performance and course correction: Use measures, indicators, feedback, learning reviews and data-informed decisions to resolve issues and adjust delivery.
• Sustaining benefits: Assign benefits ownership, manage transition to business as usual, reinforce adoption, evaluate outcomes, capture lessons and present the final programme.

Applied Workshop Scenario

Participants apply each day’s learning to a complex, realistic public-sector transformation scenario. New evidence, stakeholder reactions and delivery complications are introduced throughout the two weeks so that teams progressively develop, test and refine a complete change programme rather than completing unrelated exercises.

Recommended scenario: "The One Public Service Transformation Programme"

The situation

A fictional public-sector organisation provides a range of services to citizens and businesses.

The organisation is facing:

• Increasing demand for services
• Tightening budgets
• Outdated technology
• Duplication between teams and departments
• Inconsistent customer experiences
• Too many manual processes
• Data held in separate systems
• Increasing expectations for digital services
• Difficulty recruiting specialist staff
• Pressure from government to demonstrate better value for money

A recent internal review has identified that different parts of the organisation are delivering similar activities independently, creating duplication, inconsistent processes and unnecessary cost.

The Chief Executive has therefore asked for a:"One Public Service Transformation Programme"

The aim is to redesign how services are delivered, reduce duplication, improve the citizen experience and create a more joined-up organisation.

The central challenge

Participants are told:

You have been appointed to the transformation team. You have 12–18 months to design and begin implementing a new operating model.

The programme needs to improve services while reducing costs, but you must take people with you and maintain service quality throughout the transition.