Partnership Enhancement Programme
The Partnership Enhancement Programme (PEP) addresses the challenges of partnership working between HMRC and the private sector at individual, team and organisational levels. The programme, now in its eighth year, is designed around four two-day workshops jointly facilitated by faculty from Ashridge and HMRC. Participants also meet between workshops in ‘Partnership Development Groups’ where they research and report on a strategic issue related to partnership working.
Participant profile
PEP participants are experienced tax specialists. If they are from HMRC, they are typically Client Relationship Managers and tax specialists working for the Large Business Service. If their background is the private sector, they will be tax specialists or managers working in their company’s tax department.
They are interested in exploring the cultural differences between HMRC and the private sector and are willing to consider the personal and organisational implications of effective partnership working. PEP is a highly interactive programme, and suits people who want to learn through experience and exploration.
Programme benefits
PEP has been continually evolving to meet the twin drivers for staff of personal development and the diversification of their skills base. More recently it has provided a conduit for dialogue with the private sector and a vehicle for raising levels of commercial awareness. Specific learning aims include:
- Developing the ability to build and sustain effective partnerships
- Progressing a live issue impacting partnership working between HMRC and the private sector
- Enhancing self-awareness and personal impact
- Increasing appreciation of the emerging HMRC culture
- Gaining a broader commercial awareness
PEP is now well-established as a key enabler of the LBS vision of working in partnership with the private sector. PEP is a microcosm of the vision – tax professionals from the private and public sector learning and working together. PEP is all about teamwork and collaboration.
Special learning features
PEP is a highly interactive programme and offers the flexibility to respond to the needs of the participants. Our experiential approach is designed to enable people to integrate their prior learning with best practice in partnership working.
Partnership Development Groups (PDGs) are established early in the programme with a representative mix of participants from different backgrounds. Each PDG works on a strategic project that is sponsored by senior public and private sector managers who provide guidance and support to the group. PDGs meet between the main PEP workshops to progress their projects and also meet with the Ashridge facilitators to review their 360 feedback and their effectiveness as a team. The projects are completed by Workshop 4 when they are presented to the sponsors and other senior guests.
From time to time guest speakers such Melanie Dawes, Dave Hartnett and Edward Troup have joined the programme to provide business and strategic context.
Faculty
PEP is managed by David McGregor and Val Hennelly from HMRC, working in partnership with David Birch and Sally Hulks from Ashridge, one of the world’s leading centres of executive education and development. Ashridge Current Ashridge clients in the public sector include Home Office, MOD, BBC, Royal Mail, United Nations, FCO, NHS and several local authorities and universities. In the private sector they are working with amongst others, PWC, Jaguar Land Rover, BP, BT, Ernst and Young, World Bank, Novartis, Nokia, and Pfizer.
Contact:
If you would like to know more about the programme and/or are interested in participating please contact:
David McGregor
Tel: 0115 074 0654
Email: David McGregor
