Transport/Sustainable Finance Action Learning Set Series

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

Over January, February and March 2027, we will be running two Action Learning Sets. The topics are:

• transport
• sustainable finance.

For each Action Learning Set, participating local authorities must nominate two colleagues to attend.

Both must commit to attending all three sessions.

• Transport Action Learning Set: Two relevant colleagues, (for example, a Transport Portfolio Holder, a Transport Manager or Officer, Transport Planner, or Transport Commissioning Officer, and/ or a Sustainability Manager or Climate Officer) must attend. 
• Sustainable Finance Action Learning Set: Two relevant colleagues (for example, a Finance Portfolio Holder, a Section 151 Officer, a Finance Manager, and/or a Sustainability Manager or Climate Officer) must attend.

The sessions will have a maximum of six 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 local government colleagues to think about challenges in implementing transport or sustainable finance practices in local authorities so that they can benefit from peer-to-peer learning and support. Participants can bring a different challenge to each session, but they must all relate to delivery of either a transport or sustainable finance project.  

These challenges may include but are not limited to; funding constraints, behaviour change, skills and capacity gaps, connectivity issues, decarbonising fleets, embedding sustainability into decision making or cross-sector collaboration. 

Sign up to the Action Learning Sets

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 transport or sustainable finance-based issue that they wish to bring to the set. You should consider the following:  

whether the issue lends itself to an 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 issue 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

Introduction to Action Learning Set – first session 

Action Learning Sets follow a number of steps to support the individuals taking part:

• Identify current issue or challenge: individuals explain their challenge to the group. 
• Group members explore the issue through open, non-judgemental questions: the focus is helping the individuals think more deeply about the challenge, rather than offering immediate advice or solutions. 
• Reflection and insight: individuals reflect on the discussion, identify key insights and consider new perspectives that have emerged through the questioning process. 
• Agree actions: individuals identify actions they will take before the next session. These actions should be realistic, achievable and relevant to their challenge. 
• Close the session: the facilitator summarises the session, confirms any agreed actions and outlines next steps or arrangements for future meetings. 

Benefits

The local authorities that participate in this learning series will:

• provide a safe space for councillors and officers to reflect, exchange and curate knowledge
• create a pathway for participants to develop capability to deliver transport or sustainable finance programmes and initiatives
• form a peer network of mutual support, aimed at supporting attendees both during and after the Action Learning Sets
• learn from local government colleagues and what they are delivering in their authorities
• provide an openness to share and develop notable practice across the authorities
• create a time and place to regularly collaborate and tackle challenges.