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Departmental Training

Volume 479: debated on Monday 21 July 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what training courses were (a) available to and (b) taken by civil servants in his Department in the last 12 months. (210583)

The Business Improvement Team (BIT) in the Northern Ireland Office arranges and delivers learning and development opportunities for NIO staff. The learning and development opportunities available to NIO staff are linked to the Professional Skills for Government requirements and, for the period 1 June 2007 to 31 May 2008, these were set out in BIT's learning and development prospectus. The courses set out in the following table were selected by BIT as meeting PSG requirements. Each member of staff in the NIO has a Personnel Development Plan which records their individual development needs, and BIT will advise which of the courses in the prospectus are appropriate to meet those needs. The following table lists all the courses available in the prospectus and indicates which were attended and which were not required during the year.

Courses available

Taken/not taken

Leadership Programme

Attended

Strategic Thinking

Attended

Personal Power and Influencing Skills

Attended

Preparing for Top Management

Attended

Leading Change

Not required

People Management

Attended

Stress Management

Attended

Introduction to Coaching and Mentoring

Not required

Negotiating and Influencing

Attended

PSG Financial Management

Attended

Government Finance/Resource Accounting/Resource Budgeting and In year Control

Attended

General Finance Awareness

Not required

Business Case Guidance

Attended

Capital Asset Guidance

Not required

Corporate Governance Guidance

Not required

Prince 2 Foundation Certificate

Attended

Prince 2 Practitioner Certificate

Not required

Managing Small Projects

Attended

Prince 2 Overview

Attended

Project Management Overview

Attended

Benefits Management Masterclass

Attended

Programme Management Overview

Attended

Managing Successful Programmes Foundation Certificate

Not required

Managing Successful Programmes Intermediate and Practitioner Certificate

Not required

Introduction to Risk Management

Not taken

Management of Risk (MOR) Foundation

Not taken

Management of Risk (MOR) Practitioner

Not taken

Gateway Reviewer

Attended

Microsoft Project basic and advanced

Attended

Risk Analysis in the Policy Area

Not required

Microsoft Word basic and advanced

Attended

Microsoft Excel basic and advanced

Attended

Microsoft PowerPoint basic and advanced

Attended

Microsoft ECDL

Attended

Analysis and Use of Evidence

Attended

Effective Speech Writing

Attended

Communications and Marketing

Attended

Writing Dynamics

Attended

Think on your feet

Attended

Strategy

Attended

Mind Mapping

Attended

Chairing Meetings

Attended

Basic Finance Process

Attended

Gateway Awareness

Attended

Working With Ministers

Attended

Secretaryship of meetings

Attended

Gateway Programme

Attended

Leading In A Crisis

Not required

Peoplebank

Not required

Interchange

Not required

Work Shadowing

Not required

Developing Style and Presence

Not required

Overview of the Financial Cycle

Not required

SRO Executive Briefing

Not required

Making Policy that Happens

Not required

Delivering Policy Workshop

Not required

Microsoft Excel Basic

Not required

Microsoft Excel Advanced

Not required

Microsoft Project Basic

Not required

Microsoft Project Advanced

Not required

Preparing Business Cases

Not required

Proactive Media Management: How To Get Your Story in the News

Not required

Appearing Before Select Committees

Not required

Communications in the Public Sector

Not required

Lateral Thinking

Not required

One-Day Strategy Workshops

Not required

Building a Balanced Scorecard

Not required

Managing People Problems

Not required

Managing Conflict

Not required

Managing Time

Not required

Stress Management

Not required

Managing Change

Not required

PSG Financial Management

Not required

Business Cases and Investment Appraisal

Not required

Government Finance/Resource Accounting/Resource Budgeting/In Year Control

Not required

PSG Resource Budgeting and Forecasting

Not required

Corporate Governance Guidance

Not required

Project Management Introduction Certificate

Not required

Project Management Overview

Not required

Gateway Reviewer (OCG Accredited)

Not required

Microsoft Project Advanced

Not required

How to do a Bill

Not required

Policy Delivery Workshop

Not required

Risk Analysis in the Policy Area

Not required

Microsoft ECDL Basic

Not required

Appearing Before a Select Committee

Not required

Writing Dynamics Effective Briefing

Not required

Think On Your Feet

Not required

PSG Financial Management

Not required

Project and Programme Support

Not required

PPSO Foundation Certificate

Not required

Project Management Introduction Certificate

Not required

Project Management Overview

Not required

Introduction to Evidence-Based Policy Making

Not required

Working with Ministers

Not required

Secretaryship of Meetings

Not required

Project and Programme Support

Not required

Project Management Certificate

Not required

Project Management Overview

Not required

Pathway Programme

Attended