Working to make government more effective

People entering the IfG building

IfG Academy

We help those working in government to improve it, and those outside government to understand and engage with it.

The IfG Academy brings together our expertise on government to provide practical training and support. We help those working in government to improve it, and those outside government to understand and engage with it.

Our expertise on government effectiveness makes us uniquely well-placed to offer practical insights to those inside and outside government:

  • Ministers: We have undertaken extensive research on the experience of being a government minister, and how to operate effectively in that role. This includes in-depth interviews with former ministers, which are publicly available in our Ministers Reflect archive.
  • Civil servants: Our years of conversations with ministers and with the civil servants who work closely with them has given us a deep understanding of that crucial working relationship, and the value and frustrations that both sides find in it.
  • Subject specialists: A key strand of IfG work is on better policy making, including how evidence is used to inform the policy-making process. We believe that policy is made most effectively when policy makers have access to expertise and evidence from across a range of disciplines, but we also know that many subject specialists outside government, such as academics, don’t feel confident engaging with policy makers.

We offer a range of resources and tailored workshops for those inside and outside government: for ministers on how to get the most of their time in office, for officials on how to support their ministers effectively, and for subject specialists on how to engage meaningfully with policy makers.

Click on the links below for more information about the support the IfG Academy can offer you and your organisation, and follow us on Twitter @ifg_academy for more updates and insights.

Becoming secretary of state

Our guide for new ministers on how to do the job, what happens upon appointment and the early decisions they will need to make.

Read the report
Rishi Sunak's cabinet

IfG Academy team