Do you have ideas for tackling society’s toughest challenges? Are you considering a career in the UK civil service but aren’t sure if it’s right for you?

The Policy School, run in collaboration with HM Government’s Open Innovation Team, will give you a chance to get hands-on experience of policymaking, and find out more about a career in the civil service. Focusing on real and urgent government priorities, you will get the chance to learn about the policymaking process from Whitehall advisers and have a go at developing your own ideas as part of a team, with expert feedback throughout. Your policy proposals will be judged at the end by a panel of experienced civil service policymakers.

* Please ensure you are free to attend ALL sessions before applying*

Dates:       

Session One: Wed 30 Oct 2- 4 pm. In person on campus.            

Session Two: Wed 6 Nov 10am  - 12 noon. Online

Session Three: Thursday 14 Nov All Day. London, in person only. Train ticket provided.

Registration Process

The programme is open to Lancaster University students from all academic disciplines. 

We welcome registrations from people in all diversity groups.

The deadline for registrations is 9 am Friday 25 October. You will be informed by 5 pm on Monday 28 October if you have been allocated a place.

Allocation

There are only 20 spaces available on the Policy School. Please note, you may recieve an auto confirmation from LibCal but your place is not confirmed until you are contacted directly by Janine Bickerstaff and informed that your application has been successful.  

Successful applicants will be notified by 5 pm on Monday 28 October.  You will also be contacted if you are not successful.

If the school is over-subscribed we will be allocating places based on your reason for applying. Those who are not initially allocated a place will be added to a waiting list and contacted directly if a place becomes available. If you are added to the waiting list please make sure you keep the dates free in your diary.

Contact Janine Bickerstaff j.bickerstaff@lancaster.ac.uk with any enquiries.

Attendance Requirements

We expect the following from students who undertake the Policy School programme: 

• Work within your assigned team to undertake research on a  current policy area, receiving guidance from civil service staff.
• Participate in all the programme sessions with civil service staff, and work with your team to produce the results for the programme. This will involve working on the project in addition to the session times mentioned and attending a training session on presentation skills run by the careers department.
• As a team, you will be required to produce and deliver a policy briefing and presentation for HM Government staff at an in-person session on Government premises in London. Return travel costs from Lancaster train station will be covered.

Privacy Notice 

Certain personal data items will be shared with HM Government's Open Innovation Team for the purpose of running the Policy School. Please refer to the following web link which explains how HM Government’s Open Innovation Team and Lancaster University will collect, use, disclose and protect your personal data: Privacy Notices for HM Government’s Open Innovation Partnership.