Whether it’s handling a major crisis, navigating complex geopolitics, or cultivating a shift in organisational culture, working in government is demanding, with decisions that have real consequences for citizens. Civil servants often navigate these challenges by learning on the job, but that can be a slow and haphazard process. So how do we better prepare leaders to make high-stakes decisions? How do we train the muscle memory they so often rely on?
At the Blavatnik School, we’ve been experimenting with interactive and immersive training to help civil servants at all career levels rapidly sharpen their leadership skills through the case method, a training technique already used by law and business schools across the globe.
How does it work? A now famous study by Dr Gary Klein, an American psychologist, found that when firefighters are at work, they don’t apply rational logic or theories from their training; instead, they draw on past experiences to guide their decision-making. In our classrooms we invite participants to step into the shoes of decision-makers grappling with real-world dilemmas so that they too can train the muscle memory that kicks in when they’re making high-stakes decisions. Here are three examples of how we use interactive teaching to develop the vital skills that public leaders need today.
One of the case studies we use in our training asks leaders to enter the world of the chief medical officer at Oxford University Hospitals during the pandemic. Within a few weeks, the hospital is expected to be overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases, and rumours are circulating that test kits and PPE are already running short. One department wants to suspend elective surgeries – concerned that national guidelines on PPE are inadequate. What will you do?
We use this real-world scenario to help senior civil servants sharpen their skills in crisis management. Every leader has an immediate instinct about what to do, formed from their past experiences. This training not only helps leaders reflect critically on those instincts, but it also allows them to learn alternative approaches from their peers to retrain their muscle memory for the next time a crisis hits.
Another case study centres on the dilemmas posed by geopolitical tensions and the trade of semiconductors – the vital technology, also known as chips, used in everything from remote car keys to advanced weaponry. At a time when Japan is pouring trillions of Yen into revitalising its semiconductor industry, the US – Japan’s most important security partner – is pressuring the country to stop selling chip technologies to China. China is Japan’s most important trading partner, and a vital source of demand for its semiconductor industry.
What should the top officials in Japan’s trade ministry do? Drawing on a carefully researched brief that lays out the complex global supply chain, geopolitical issues and domestic policy priorities, we ask participants to analyse the trade-offs and decide on a course of action. Of course, the information is incomplete and there’s no ‘right answer’, just like the real world. But a decision still needs to be made. In a world where trade relations are increasingly adversarial and governments are having to navigate between superpowers, this case helps policymakers weigh up options and make wise decisions.
A third example goes beyond crisis moments and assists policymakers with thinking and acting for the long term. It’s possible to see some of the world’s most intractable public policy problems years – even decades – ahead. Governments are confronted with a raft of ‘long problems’, from climate change to an ageing population, where the actions we take (or don’t take) today are crucial in determining how things will play out ten to twenty years from now.
In a day-long scenario, we invite participants to grapple with the challenges facing England’s adult social care system, which are becoming ever-more acute as the population ages. Participants look back to understand why repeated attempts to address this problem have failed, and dig into the long-term trends and projections. They are then immersed in a scenario, role-playing actors that range from leaders in social care, to senior treasury officials, to advocates from non-profits to find workable solutions.
It’s the job of public servants to make high-stakes decisions that affect millions of people. Training needs to go beyond provision of information. Immersive learning experiences, based on real-world situations, provide policymakers with the opportunity to practice and hone their judgement skills. So the next time they are under intense time pressure without all of the information they need, they’ll have sharper instincts about what to do next.
Emily Jones is professor of practice in public policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, the University of Oxford's school of public policy