Commitment to professional development sees NI Civil Service become first CIPD People Development Partner in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland (NI) Civil Service’s People and Organisation Development (People and OD) team has become the first organisation in Northern Ireland to be awarded CIPD People Development Partner (PDP) status.

We’ve been partnering with the team since it was established in 2023, following a restructure of the NI Civil Service’s wider people function. By awarding PDP status, we’re recognising the long-term commitment the People and OD team has made to building professional capability and embedding consistent standards across its teams.

Building credibility and capability to support cultural transformation

People and OD is responsible for shaping the NI Civil Service’s strategic people agenda and future workforce capability. The team will play a central role in delivering the service’s ambitious People Strategy 2025-2030, which aims to drive significant cultural transformation.

However, with tight budgets, high expectations and many colleagues still early in their HR careers, the team identified professional development as key to its success.

We worked with People and OD lead Jill Minne and her team to create a plan to develop capability, build credibility and embed recognised professional standards across the whole team.

As part of the CIPD partnership, the People and OD leadership team all completed a CIPD Experience Assessment to achieve Chartered Fellow status. This set the tone for a wider appreciation for professional recognition, with almost a third of the team now active CIPD members.

More than 70% of colleagues also used the CIPD Development Insight Tool assessment to help the team understand individual and collective strengths and development needs and tailor training accordingly. This has included programmes in areas such as strategic workforce planning, HR analytics and organisational development.

Creating a sense of pride and shared professional identity

People and OD has also broadened access to professional development by supporting colleagues to secure the right level of CIPD membership for their experience. Some have completed CIPD qualifications, while others have progressed through upgrading or experience assessment routes, helping to ensure professional recognition is aligned with the expectations of their roles.

Through a Group Affiliate Subscription, they’ve extended access to CIPD resources, development tools and a global network of people professionals for all team members.

These steps have helped People and OD build a shared professional identity across the team. Colleagues are engaging more actively with the wider CIPD community, and through the launch of a new internal communication and engagement division, they’ve further raised the profile of people practice across the NI Civil Service.

We’ll continue working with the People and OD team as it focuses on delivering the NI Civil Service People Strategy. Together, we’ll work on strengthening digital and data capability, developing a new career framework and expanding development opportunities through the Trust.