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Sustainability Action Learning Sets

Our Sustainability Action Learning Sets will allow a safe environment for council officers delivering sustainability projects to process and examine their challenges with local government sector peers.

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Each set is open to English council officers and is free of charge. Workshops will last a maximum of one and half hours and be hosted on Microsoft Teams.  

Sustainable Procurement Series 

For each set, every participating council must nominate 2 officers, one sustainability/climate and one procurement, and both must sign up to attend all three sessions. The sessions will have a maximum of 6 project teams and spaces will be allocated on a first come-first served basis. We will operate a waiting list if we are oversubscribed.  

Each set will be made up of three sessions, allowing individual airtime, questions, planning and action setting. The sessions will bring together officers to think about challenges in implementing sustainable procurement practices in councils so that they can benefit from peer-to-peer learning and support. Officers can bring a different challenge to each session, but they must all relate to delivery of a sustainable procurement-based project.  

These challenges may include, but are not limited to; value for money, generating benefits, social value, implementing new rules and policies and embedding sustainable practices across the council. 

Book onto our Sustainable Procurement Action Learning Sets now 

  • Session 1: 10:30am – 12:00pm, Tuesday 5 November 2024 
  • Session 2: 10:30am – 12:00pm, Tuesday 26 November 2024 
  • Session 3: 10:30am – 12:00pm, Tuesday 10 December 2024 
  • Session 1: 10:30am – 12:00pm, Thursday 7 November 2024 
  • Session 2: 10:30am – 12:00pm, Thursday 28 November 2024 
  • Session 3: 10:30am – 12:00pm, Thursday 12 December 2024 

"A problem shared is a problem halved".  Action Learning Sets work on this basis and build on it by bringing people with experience of a problem together to explore possible solutions, try them out, and develop them further. 

Initial requirements

Before the meeting, each participant will think about the sustainable procurement-based issue that they wish to bring to the set. They should consider the following:  

  • The issue lends itself to Action Learning Set - where there is no conclusive “right answer” and there are many ways which could be followed from the present position.  
  • The issue may be complex, multi-faceted and interlinked across functions and service delivery.  
  • The issues should be work related and associated with sustainability. You must have some level of responsibility for the project and initiative.   
  • You must be in a position to influence the outcome.   
  • It must be a project that you can make realistic progress on within the time scale of the programme. 

Format

Benefits

The councils that participate in this learning series will: 

  • Further the partnership of the sustainability and procurement teams by engaging in shared problem solving for the wider benefit of the council. 
  • Provide a safe space for officers to reflect, exchange and curate knowledge.
  • Create a pathway for participants to develop capability to deliver sustainable procurement programmes and initiatives.
  • Form a peer network of mutual support, aimed at supporting attendees both during and after the Action Learning Sets.
  • Learn from peers and what they are delivering in their councils.
  • Provide an openness to share and develop notable practice across the authorities.
  • Create a time and place to regularly collaborate and tackle challenges. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

If you have further questions, please contact [email protected]