How does Whitehall really work?

It can be hard understanding the workings of Whitehall. There are multiple departments, plus all their agencies and arms-length bodies. The policy-making landscape is complex and involves Whitehall, external stakeholders and Parliament. This course will help to demystify how Whitehall works and will give you a good insight into the practices and processes that the civil service and Ministers have to work within.  

We will cover the informal and formal aspects of working in Whitehall, and some tips on working within and working with Whitehall. The course is suitable for those who are working in Whitehall who may want a broader picture, but also for those who need to work with Whitehall and would like to understand the civil service and Government better. The trainer will use case studies and personal experiences from a long Whitehall career to bring the issues to life.

This 'How does Whitehall really work?' is from our Policy Skills series. At the Civil Service College, we tailor our courses to each attendee’s role and organisations, ensuring that each delegate gets the most out of the training. Our courses and trainers are continuously updated and evaluated to ensure that we are always delivering the best service possible.

Key Training Features

Who Can Attend

Learning Outcomes

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Key Training Features:

• Introduction to the Civil Service and the Departmental structure
• Understanding how business gets done in Government and how decisions get made
• Formal and informal aspects of working in or with Whitehall
• How do Ministers operate?
• Explanation of the interactions between Whitehall and Parliament
• How does policy get decided and agreed?

Who Can Attend:

Civil servants and wider public sector employees who want an introduction to how the Civil Service and Government works.  Also relevant to private sector employees who need to work with Whitehall.

Learning Outcomes:

You will get a good understanding of how Whitehall and the civil service operates from a formal and informal point of view.  We will cover the relationship between Whitehall and Parliament.  You will have a good understanding of the different rules and responsibilities for civil servants, Ministers and Special Advisors.  We will also look at how to operate successfully within Whitehall (also how to engage with Whitehall if you are outside of it).

View course outline