Public Sector Leadership Development

We offer a selection of events, courses and programmes to the top tiers of the largest public sector and civil service organisations (CEO equivalents). More information about eligibility can be found at the bottom of this page.

These are designed to help leaders:

• enhance their practical, evidence-based knowledge and expertise around facing complex systems challenges
• build strong networks between peers and break down silos between the Civil Service and wider public sector
• inspire and encourage measurable improvements in public service delivery.

From April 2025 our offer has changed and will pivot to being primarily focussed on CEO provision for 2025-26, as we prepare to launch a new programme specifically for CEOs. Subject to funding approvals, we hope that our offer will expand after 2025-26. The ambition is to offer a wider breadth at the most senior level and to expand to include middle management. Coffee Connect will remain available for Deputy CEOs for 2025-26.

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National Leadership Forum

Our CEO conference brings together the most senior levels of the public sector. Our November 2025 event promises to bring brilliant inspiration and challenge, and the invaluable opportunity to build your community of public sector leaders, with inspirational speakers to be announced.

Register your interest for the National Leadership Forum 2025

Watch the highlights from NLF 2024 here

Public Sector CEO Leaders Programme

Building on the acclaimed Public Leaders Programme of 2019-2022 we are pleased to announce a new programme exclusively for public sector CEOs. Addressing the key challenges facing leaders individually and collectively, this programme will be by invitation and commences February 2026. 

Peer Mentoring Programme

In collaboration with the College of Policing we are piloting a cross public sector peer mentoring programme. A limited number of places will be available; please express your interest via leadershipcollege@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Coffee Connect

This programme focuses on building your personal network. Once a month, we pair participants with a leader from a large public sector organisation or Civil Service department. Participants get in touch with each other to arrange a convenient time to meet either over the phone or by video-conferencing platform. Each month, participants are offered the opportunity to opt out if they aren’t available.

We run two schemes, one for CEOs and another for Deputy CEOs (or equivalent level roles).

Register for Coffee Connect

Leading Collaborative Organisations

Participants of this programme will broaden their understanding of collaboration across three programme elements; two residential modules and a webinar.

The programme will include several different types of learning sessions with a strong personal reflective element running throughout. From presentations, experiential visits and facilitated discussions, to cross-sector panels and real-life case studies, participants will identify the challenges and enablers, and the impact they have on their own motivations, structures and relationships as public service leaders.

Eligibility requirements for our courses

The Leadership College for Government (LCG) works with representative bodies from across the public sector to agree and review the criteria we use to determine eligibility for our programmes.

CEO  leaders (and equivalent level roles) of the largest public sector and civil service organisations in the UK are eligible to participate in our programmes*. 

The following is a list of the roles which would typically be eligible for our public sector leadership development programmes.

• CEOs in the National Health Service, including NHS Trusts, Ambulance Trusts, and Integrated Care Systems
• Vice-chancellors of universities with over 10,000 students, or 5,000 students where higher education isn’t represented in that region
• Principals or CEOs  of large further education colleges (turnover of £30m+)
• CEOs of academy chains (25 or more linked schools or 10,000 or more students)
• Local authority CEOs
• Chief constables of police services
• Chief fire officers of fire and rescue services
• Civil Service Permanent Secretaries and Directors General (SCS3 and 4)
• Three star military officers
• CEOs of the largest Arms Length Bodies and Regional Transport Authorities (SCS3 and 4 equivalent level roles)
• Chief Executives of Crown Dependencies
• Permanent Secretaries/ equivalents of Overseas Territories

All applications are non-selective but the LCG reserves the right to ensure that there is a reasonable distribution of different sectors across the organisations attending. Where courses are extremely popular, the LCG will look to repeat them as soon as possible.

*The exception to this is Coffee Connect where we run two schemes, one for  CEOs and another for Deputy CEO level roles.