The government’s Spending Review 2025 (SR25) set out an ambitious programme of public sector productivity reform, delivering £14 billion in efficiencies by 2028-29. The key areas of focus are on leveraging digital transformation, AI, and leadership and workforce reform, which is challenging public sector organisations to rethink how their services are designed and delivered. SR25 emphasises achieving cost savings as well as genuine productivity growth and improving outcomes.
The Public Service Transformation Lab provides the support, innovation expertise, and partnership vehicle to help public sector organisations to meet these objectives.
Challenges we help public sector organisations to address:
Strategic readiness, workforce skills, and governance frameworks for AI implementation
AI Readiness in the Public Sector (AIRPS) will support public sector professionals to engage in improved strategic decision-making around digital transformation, accelerate the adoption of innovative, efficient AI solutions, and enhance public confidence in AI-driven services.
Recent policy has outlined responsible and value-driven AI deployment across government. AIRPS supports public sector organisations address core barriers which can undermine AI adoption in the public sector. This includes the low AI awareness and fragmented understanding among leaders and staff, uncertainty about risks and ethical governance of AI technologies and skills and workforce gaps, particularly at the middle-management level.
AIRPS consists three distinct phases:
- AI Diagnostic Framework. For assessing organisational readiness for AI adoption, providing baseline intelligence to identify digital capability gaps and AI opportunities.
- AI Readiness Programme. Seminars which focus on Data Management, Service Model Innovation and Change Management.
- AI Skills Development Framework. Addressing three stages of skills development: Use of AI (applied adoption), Integration of AI (embedding AI into workflows) and Development of AI (advanced innovation and bespoke application).
Empowering and equipping leaders with the knowledge and confidence to drive change
The Public Sector Leadership Academy (PSLA) designs and delivers accredited leadership and management training focused on public sector organisation professionals. These courses will equip current and emerging public sector leaders with the skills, confidence, and qualifications to lead transformation effectively in their organisations and across systems.
PSLA aims to build capacity and capability across the public sector workforce, from frontline leaders to senior executives. The approach fosters collaborative leadership that bridges organisational and sectoral boundaries and supports inclusive growth by enabling public services to drive social and economic outcomes across the region.
PSTL offers a suite of leadership and management programmes accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), tailored to the distinct challenges of different spheres of the public sector:
- NHS and Health Services Leadership. Focusing on systems leadership, integrated care, digital innovation and leadership in healthcare settings;
- Local Government Leadership. Emphasising place-based leadership, change management, policy innovation, and service redesign.
- Emergency Services Leadership. Specialised training in crisis leadership, rapid decision-making and multi-agency collaboration.
- Educational Leadership. Training for senior leaders and governors on strategic planning, digital transformation in learning, and organisational change.
- Financial Decision Making. Training for budget holders in public sector organisations, including directors of service.
Build psychologically safe, resilient, and adaptive cultures that support staff wellbeing and sustainable performance
Through Resilience and Wellbeing Support programmes public sector organisations are supported to sustain workforce performance and staff retention by reducing burnout, increasing organisational capacity to anticipate, absorb, and adapt to change, and enhance workplace cultures that prioritise wellbeing and inclusion.
Resilience and wellbeing training is tailored to the distinct challenges of each sphere of the public sector, with the following key components:
- Resilience Training and Coaching. Using evidence-based tools for building psychological resilience and adaptive coping strategies.
- Workplace Wellbeing Programmes. Support for developing wellbeing strategies, policies, and interventions at organisational level.
- Leadership for Wellbeing. Training for managers and leaders on creating supportive, inclusive workplace cultures, including on improving culture in emergency services
- Specialist Support for Frontline Staff. Tailored interventions for high-stress roles such as emergency services, healthcare, and social work.
Contact us
For further information about how we can help you, please get and touch with us and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.
