The FINANCIAL — Greater Manchester's Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP) are benefiting from applying the latest research, from leadership experts at Manchester Business School, to address the strategic challenges they face – with the aim of ensuring the public receives the best possible service.
"CDRPs bring together partners from a wide range of services, including The Police Force, Health Authorities, Fire Service and Drugs Action Teams, and the two-day programme at MBS (funded by the Government Office for the North West) helped 30 senior delegates develop their collaborative leadership capabilities to tackle the unique challenges that arise from working with such a diverse group of stakeholders," Manchester Business School says.
The programme covered the following key areas:
Promotion of leadership, cross-organisational working techniques that are the hallmark of effective collaborative partnerships
Providing a clear understanding of aligning core strategies of member organisations with wider shared aims
Promotion of a culture of innovation and creativity
Chief Inspector Phil Unsworth, head of the Greater Manchester Against Crime Partnership, said:
"The programme of work has begun the journey of inspiring, supporting and developing key senior individuals within the CDRPs to think differently about collaborative leadership styles. It has brought into focus areas such as commissioning, converting strategy to implementation and networking opportunities that contribute to providing the best possible service.
"I hope it paves the way for future partnership working with MBS and the Government Office for the North West to offer continued support and guidance and practical achievements to senior leaders within CDRP's across Greater Manchester."
The programme, headed up by MBS' Dr Stephen Brookes (pictured) – former Chief Superintendent in the Leicestershire Constabulary, member of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary – used online diagnostic surveys to assess delegates' perceptions of collaborative leadership styles across partner organisations and their own individual approaches to strategic intelligence. It is the first time that these techniques, developed respectively by Stephen, and his colleague Jeremy Hawkins, have been used to enhance the learning outcomes of programmes of this kind.
Dr Stephen Brookes said:
"As this programme took a completely new stance in the field of collective leadership across a range of public institutions, we are hopeful that the principles can be extended – not just across Manchester – but beyond. We have used our own tried and tested original research and executive education techniques and have applied these in a new and challenging setting. It was our aim to give delegates not only the latest theory, but a change of mindset and the skills to do things differently moving forward."
Building on the success of this programme Greater Manchester CDRP and MBS are exploring the possibility of a six-month programme of activity to develop leadership capabilities across Greater Manchester in its 10 Local Authority areas.
MBS has a strong track record of delivering management development programmes for the public sector, through its Executive Education Team. Most notably its Transform management development programmes for Salford City Council, East Lancashire Primary Care Trust and NHS West Midlands Strategic Health Authority.
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