About us
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-18)

The Policy Profession helps to build capability and develop the right skills for policy professionals across the Civil Service.

What is the UK Government Policy Profession?

The Policy Profession is the second largest of the 28 Civil Service professions with the Office for National Statistics recording over 34,865 members on its 2024 Civil Service Statistics report (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2024/statistical-bulletin-civil-service-statistics-2024#profession). It supports the government in its role in improving the welfare, security and prosperity of the nation. It influences all aspects of people’s lives, from designing public services to improving education and health, and assessing infrastructure needs for the country.

A range of professionals across areas of specialisation and expertise make government policy. Their work centres on three activities:
- developing and improving government strategies
- supporting democratic governance
- overseeing delivery and supporting continuous improvement
Working as a policy professional

Good policy is developed by teams that bring diversity of thought and experience to the process. Policy professionals bring together multidisciplinary teams to solve challenging societal issues, ensuring citizen’s needs are met.

Career opportunities in policy

direct recruitment: apply for policy roles on Civil Service Jobs. (https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi) Filter your job search by location, organisation and job role. Make sure to select ‘policy’ to view the latest vacancies

Government Policy Fast Stream (https://www.faststream.gov.uk/government-policy/index.html): a three-year work-based programme open to degree holders in any subject. Existing civil servants can apply without a degree

Policy Apprenticeship Scheme: two-year on-the-job training giving exposure to different policy areas. Vacancies are available on Civil Service Jobs. (https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/)

job shadowing: get a better understanding of policy work by working alongside a professional

loan or secondment: loan is when an individual moves within the Civil Service from one department to another for an agreed period. Secondment is a temporary move to and from an organisation outside the Civil Service. Opportunities are on Civil Service Jobs (https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/)

Policy communities in regions and devolved governments

The Policy Profession is actively building communities of policy professionals beyond London, promoting stronger links with local authorities and universities, and enabling collaboration across regions and devolved governments. There are growing policy networks and career opportunities outside London and in the devolved governments.

Policy career model

The policy career model explains what policy professionals do and the skills they need to develop their career.

The career model has three distinctive functions:

Policy specialisms

When working in policy, your role will typically fall within one or more of the following specialisms:
- advising and briefing
- policy design
- policy delivery and implementation
- strategy
- legislation development
Policy subject areas

The policy subject areas, also known as policy domains, are where policy professionals work and develop knowledge and expertise.

Examples are:
- economic
- tax
- trade
- social
- security
- international
- environmental and climate
- infrastructure
Policy standards

The Policy Profession Standards (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/policy-profession-standards) describe the skills and knowledge required by policy professionals at all stages of their career and provide the competency framework for their professional development.

Professional development

The Policy Profession supports good policy making across government. Its ambition is to build from a community of practice to a fully established profession which supports better policy making and outcomes for the public.

There are a range of routes into the profession and opportunities for professional development. These include formal and informal learning opportunities, knowledge sharing, accredited courses and alumni community building.

Policy learning is based on the Policy Profession Standards (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/policy-profession-standards) which outline expectations for knowledge and skills at three levels. Suggested learning for each level includes:

Developing

Government Skills Campus policy curriculum (https://prospectus.governmentcampus.co.uk/04-policy/), including an online introduction to policy

policy apprenticeship (https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0526-v1-1)

three-year Government Policy Fast Stream scheme (https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/fast-stream/fs-all-schemes/fs-government-policy-scheme/)

Practitioner

Government Skills Campus policy curriculum (https://prospectus.governmentcampus.co.uk/02-policy/)

knowledge building workshops and webinars led by practitioners

flexible postgraduate learning with King’s College London, offering short modules and certificate and diploma level learning (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/sfg/programmes-for-our-partners/professional-policymaking-skills)

Expert

online leaders’ workshops led by permanent secretaries for senior civil servants

an Executive Master in Public Policy with the London School of Economics (https://www.lse.ac.uk/school-of-public-policy/empp)

Additionally, departments offer induction programmes, qualifications and approaches to help develop their policy professionals. Continuing Professional Development enhances professional knowledge and policy skills on an ongoing basis.

Visit Civil Service Careers (https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/professions/working-in-policy/) for more information on policy careers or contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

The Policy System

The Policy System describes the mechanisms, principles, procedures and other interconnected factors for the way policy is made and how policy makers are supported to do their work. To support and enable good policy making the Policy System Framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/policy-system-framework) outlines the following components:

inputs and resources

processes and practices

people and relationships

culture and context

Policy Design Community

Policy Design Community is for people who specialise in using design to make policy. It is open to everyone who works for a public sector organisation as a way to be part of a community of policy designers. You can find more information, join the community (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/communities/policy-design-community) and subscribe to the community’s blog (https://publicpolicydesign.blog.gov.uk/subscribe/).

Privacy notice

The Policy Profession privacy notice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/privacy-notice-for-the-policy-professions-contact-management-database) explains how we handle and process your personal data.