Ashridge Public Sector Experience

Public sector experience.

Ashridge Public Leadership Centre

Ashridge is a market leader in public sector learning and development for middle and senior managers. We have a dedicated department and research centre (The Ashridge Public Leadership Centre) for this particular sector.


Our areas of focus include:


Our work in the public sector is inspired by our drive to help leaders and managers develop their skills, knowledge and understanding, and to better meet their department’s or organisation’s goals.

Our commitment and work in this sector is unparalleled in the business school world. We are currently working with 11 out of 26 high profile UK Government departments, delivering a range of executive education programmes, complex learning projects and strategy consultancy work.


Our UK central Government clients include the Cabinet Office, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Department of Health, Department for Transport, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Home Office, Ministry of Defence, Office of Climate Change and the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. Internationally, new public sector clients have been attracted in the Middle East and include the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Government of Oman and UAE Federal Government. (Full client list and case studiesFull client list and case studies)


Why clients choose Ashridge

Ashridge has long reached out beyond the walls of our marvellous Grade 1 venue. More often we can be found in consultancy and facilitation roles, very often at venues near to our clients’ locations, working on custom design and the development of masterclasses, workshops, consultancy enquiry, facilitation and advice. What our clients want from Ashridge is our unique offer (unmatched by any other global business school) which is strongly based on:

  • Breadth - 50 years of experience of working with global organisations
  • Depth – genuine knowledge and experience from a public and voluntary sector perspective
  • Practical – faculty who can teach and consult from a real and applied perspective, not confined to an ivory tower
  • Delivery – a unique ability to offer learning and development services for senior people in a complex and wide ranging mix of consulting, executive education and virtual learning.


    We are currently delivering a range of demanding and high value added assignments for the public sector including:

    • Leadership – developing high flying professional cadres; building skills to lead and drive change motivating teams. Helping managers and leaders cope with change and influence key stakeholders to enable change programmes to produce more impact and higher performance
    • Strategy – developing valuable tools and techniques to make strategy happen and manage strategy projects successfully
    • Top Teams - Working with senior teams to help them work together to deliver the performance that government requires
    • Executive coaching – providing personal development and higher performance in a time of major strategic and organisational change

Ashridge Local

Ashridge Local brings together faculty and associates from across Ashridge dedicated to supporting local government managers and leaders. Using Ashridge experience and expertise, AES aims to empower organisations and individuals in this increasingly important part of the public sector through:


  • Support to organisations and individuals - providing tailored programmes and consultancy
  • Partnerships – developing dialogue and learning transfer between stakeholders
  • Innovation - drawing on experience from work with local government, the wider public sector and the private sector
  • Research - around the challenges being faced by local government and how they are being met effectively.

The Ashridge Public Leadership Centre

To reflect the strength, relevance and quality of our work in public sector executive education, and to improve the services offered to our clients, Ashridge has a dedicated centre for public and voluntary sector leadership: The Ashridge Public Leadership Centre (APLC).

The APLC adds value to clients through in the following ways:

Research – investment in the active research of live issues that clients are facing in their various roles (APLC research)

Networking – delivering events and communications where clients gain privileged access to new thinking and research findings before publication

Partnerships – partnership with international universities and business schools and the National School of Government to deliver complex programmes and research needed by clients

Centre of Excellence – the application of Ashridge’s deep sectoral experience as the backbone of our services offered to clients.


The APLC is conducting a number of applied research projects to help create insights and practical solutions to the challenges facing leaders across the public sector. APLC's research

The Ashridge Sport Business Initiative

The Sport Business Initiative (SBI) provides clients with a unique dimension to learning by transferring experiences from the sports world and enabling clients to view their challenges from a different perspective.


In addition to its work on many Ashridge tailored programmes, SBI also works with sporting bodies throughout the world, including the British Olympic Association. It runs a leadership programme for the British Elite Sports Coaches which is helping to develop national coaches’ leadership talents and self-belief in their ability to drive Team GB for great results at the London Olympics 2012.

Voluntary Sector

As part of our public benefit and a significant contribution to healthy leadership and management in our own sector, working with and supporting the voluntary sector is important for Ashridge.


For many years, Ashridge has partnered with the Clore Leadership Programme for the Clore Foundation to develop leadership in the arts and cultural industries. We also work with the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) for a very diverse range of organisations in this sector.

Ashridge Education and Skills

Ashridge Education and Skills (AES) is a dedicated unit for the education and skills sector. It enables leaders and managers to meet the specific challenges they face of new demands, organisational change and ensuring customer value and quality.


AES is currently working with a wide range of education and training bodies (schools, FE and HE), the Learning and Skills Councils, Sector Skills Councils and other stakeholders to develop their contribution to a high skills economy. With the school sector undergoing continuing change, AES is also working with partners to support School Academies in meeting their new challenges.