Development Options

Development opportunities provide highly capable individuals with challenging and interesting roles in which they can learn and develop. Experiential learning opportunities should give access to development that is not available through conventional training or learning interventions.

You will have the opportunity to:

  • gain first-hand experience of working in a complex political environment;
  • develop a greater sense of commercial decision making and leadership;
  • experience a different perspective on decision making, accountability and transparency;
  • increase understanding of the challenges faced in other parts of the system;
  • learn more about national health and care system drivers and constraints;
  • broaden and deepen your networks;
  • consider how national bodies across health and care can collaborate more for improved public services and business growth; and
  • experience different ways of leading, managing change and operational delivery.


Generally, you will find a new working environment with new stakeholders stimulating and challenging, which in turn should accelerate your learning. You should return to your organisation with ideas for improving ways of working and an appreciation of the part your own organisation should play in the system as a whole.

Mentoring is a personal development relationship. It involves somebody knowledgeable and experienced (the mentor) offering guidance and advice to somebody less so (the mentee). In the best mentoring arrangements, each participant learns from each other.

Mentoring schemes unite prospective mentors and mentees and gives training and support to both. Mentors usually help mentees develop the capability to achieve professional and personal goals.

Becoming a mentor or mentee

Whether you aim to be a mentor or mentee, you will have to complete some training.

You will need to provide a personal profile and look at those of other prospective mentors/mentees to find a match. It will be helpful to set up informal meetings before deciding who to join in your mentoring partnership.

It may not be possible to get a mentor/mentee immediately, as it will depend on how many other members of staff are volunteering for the scheme. Nevertheless, your training won’t be wasted. It can benefit other aspects of your work.

Once you have found a suitable mentor/mentee, your meetings should take around two hours per month for up to a year. These arrangements are flexible and can be adapted to suit the individuals concerned. Mentees usually set the agenda and manage their own development.

What are the benefits for the mentee?

Impartial advice, support and a better understanding of the participating organisation.

Access to a sounding board for new ideas and alternative approaches to work issues.

Increased self-reliance and being able to steer personal development, for example, being able to accept feedback and act on it.

What are the benefits for the mentor?

Increased coaching skills and awareness of other areas of participating organisations.

An opportunity to reflect and also be challenged.

A chance to update knowledge and observe the development of a colleague.

Secondments are one of the resourcing options that can be used to develop employees and encourage skills exchange between the Civil Service and non-Civil Service external organisations, such as those in the health and care system, with the aim of building business capability across the Civil Service. Secondments can be out of, or into, a Civil Service department.

High potential individuals identified through the HCLS can agree to be seconded by their employer (A) to another employer (B) for the purposes of learning and developing the relevant national system leadership skills and competencies. Employees will remain employed by ‘A’ for the duration of the secondment and will return to ‘A’’s business at the end of the period of secondment. In addition, employees will normally continue to be paid by ‘A’ and continuity of employment with ‘A’ remains unaltered. Normally secondments for the purposes of this agreement will not extend beyond a 12-month period.

An on-the-job learning, career and leadership development intervention involving one individual working with another who might be performing a different role in a participating organisation, or have something to teach, or be in a position to help the person shadowing him or her to learn new aspects related to their work, organisation, system, or specific leadership behaviours / competencies. Work shadowing is usually a short term arrangement of no longer than one week in duration, but could also be a number of shadowing opportunities over a set period as an alternative to a block of time.

A stretch assignment is a project or task given to individuals by a participating organisation, which is beyond their current knowledge or skills level in order to ‘stretch’ them developmentally. The stretch assignment challenges participants by placing them into unfamiliar and / or uncomfortable situations in order to learn and grow.

Questions developed by Edgar Schein can help you think about what you really want to achieve in your career. It doesn’t matter what role you are in, using these career anchors can help you identify and understand what you are good at, what motivates you and your values.

Eight career anchors were identified to help you recognise your preferences for specific areas in your job / career:

Technical / Functional competence

Managerial competence

Autonomy / Independence

Security / Stability

Entrepreneurial creativity

Service dedication to a cause

Pure challenge

Lifestyle

Useful Resources:

Understanding Career Anchors – A quick guide on each anchor, from Cardiff University

Career Anchor Questionnaire – A questionnaire based on Edgar Schein’s career anchors, from NHS London Leadership Academy

Career Anchor Tool – Information and tool to help you identify your preferences for specific areas in your job, from NHS London Leadership Academy

Achieve Your Potential – A career guide designed to help you develop and progress in the Civil Service, from Civil Service Learning