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What is the UK Government Policy Profession?

The Policy Profession is the second largest of the 28 Civil Service professions with the Office for National Statistics recording over 33,000 members on its 2023 Civil Service Statistics report. 聽It supports the government in its role in improving the welfare, security and prosperity of the nation. It influences all aspects of people鈥檚 lives, from designing public services to improving education and health, and assessing infrastructure needs for the country.聽

聽A range of professionals across areas of specialisation and expertise make government policy. Their work centres on three activities:

• developing and improving government strategies
• supporting democratic governance
• overseeing delivery and supporting continuous improvement

Working as a policy professional

Good policy is developed by teams that bring diversity of thought and experience to the process. Policy professionals bring together multidisciplinary teams to solve challenging societal issues, ensuring citizen鈥檚 needs are met.

Career opportunities in policy

1. direct recruitment: apply for policy roles on Filter your job search by location, organisation and job role. Make sure to select 鈥榩olicy鈥� to view the latest vacancies

2. : a three-year work-based programme open to degree holders in any subject. Existing civil servants can apply without a degree

3. Policy Apprenticeship Scheme: two-year on-the-job training giving exposure to different policy areas. Vacancies are available on Contact our apprenticeship team for general enquiries

4. job shadowing: get a better understanding of policy work by working alongside a professional

5. loan or secondment: loan is when an individual moves within the Civil Service from one department to another for an agreed period. Secondment is a temporary move to and from an organisation outside the Civil Service. Opportunities are on

Policy career model

The policy career model explains what policy professionals do and the skills they need to develop their career.聽聽

The career model has three distinctive functions:

Policy specialisms

When working in policy, your role will typically fall within one or more of the following specialisms:

• advising and briefing
• policy design
• policy delivery and implementation
• strategy
• legislation development

Policy subject areas

The policy subject areas, also known as policy domains, are where policy professionals work and develop knowledge and expertise.聽聽

Examples are:

• economic
• tax
• trade
• social
• security
• international
• environmental and climate
• infrastructure

Policy standards

罢丑别鈥�Policy Profession Standards鈥痙escribe the skills and knowledge required by policy professionals at all stages of their career and provide the competency framework for their professional development.

Professional development

There are a range of routes into the profession and opportunities for professional development. These include formal and informal learning opportunities, knowledge sharing, accredited courses and alumni community building. Learning is based on the鈥�Policy Profession Standards鈥痺hich outline expectations for knowledge and skills聽 at three levels, including:

Developing

• online introduction to policy for our鈥�
• a for over 250 entrants annually
• core online learning and curriculum

Practitioner

• knowledge building workshops and webinars led by practitioners
• flexible postgraduate learning with King鈥檚 College London, offering short modules and certificate and diploma level learning

Expert

• online leaders鈥� workshops led by permanent secretaries for senior civil servants
• 补苍鈥�

A central Policy Profession Unit supports good policy making across government.聽聽

Additionally, departments offer induction programmes, qualifications and approaches to help develop their policy professionals.聽

痴颈蝉颈迟鈥� for more information on policy careers or contact鈥�[email protected]

The Policy System

The Policy System describes聽the mechanisms, principles, procedures and other interconnected factors for聽the way policy is made and how policy makers are supported to do their work. To support and enable good policy making the Policy System Framework outlines the following components:

• inputs and resources聽聽

• processes and practices聽聽

• people and relationships聽聽

• culture and context

Policy Design Community

Policy Design Community is for people who specialise in using design to make policy. It is open to everyone who works for a public sector organisation as a way to be part of a community of policy designers. You c补苍鈥�find more information, join the community 补苍诲鈥�.

Privacy notice

The Policy聽Profession聽privacy notice explains how we handle and process your personal data.