What is the Sunningdale Institute?

The Sunningdale Institute is an impartial virtual academy of leading thinkers comprising senior academics and practitioners all of whom share a vision around working to improve public services through difficult times.

Managed by the National School of Government since 2005 with the Cabinet Secretary as its patron, the Institute comprises Fellows who all have expertise relevant to public service in the areas of management organisation and governance.

Click here for a full list of the Sunningdale Institute Fellows.

What does the Sunningdale Institute do?

The Fellows’ knowledge, experience and skills are being used to help the National School in meeting its challenge to raise the bar for better value public services and to help transform performance – through high quality learning.

The Institute links fresh high-level thinking with practical advice on the issues and challenges facing a modern public service. It does this through its two main roles:

• Working with the National School of Government on the design and delivery of learning and development interventions including the Core Learning Programme (CLP). CLP aims to build leadership capability and depth through a development programme tailored to meet the needs of government and underpinned by its values.
  
  Fellows offer access to the wider body of academic knowledge and are able to challenge accepted ways of thinking.
• Fellows have experience of working on cross-cutting issues and can also be commissioned to work with Departments on their specific challenges. They can work as individuals or in groups, depending on the nature of the brief. The Sunningdale Institute management team are happy to discuss options about how best to do this.

How can I contact the Institute?

Anybody interested in the services provided by the Institute should contact the Institute's Manager Nicola Mullan on 01344 634 773 (email: nicola.mullan@nationalschool.gsi.gov.uk) to discuss their requirement.

Clients are charged for Fellows' services, but at a special public service rate which reflects the Fellows' commitment to public service. Typically the Institute will recommend a meeting to scope your requirement, and then develop a proposal for further action. Initial discussions will be undertaken free of charge, with subsequent fees dependant on the work undertaken.

Commissioned work will be conducted confidentially, although the Institute will encourage organisations to participate in the development of case studies as appropriate. As well as commissioned work, the Institute is committed to identifying public service organisational and delivery issues through research and events, and making public its findings.