What can the GSR Fast Stream offer me?
As with all Fast Stream opportunities, there will be:
- Challenges
- Excellent training opportunities
You can expect:
- responsibility for technically challenging research work and accountability for your decisions;
- importance: your research work will often be politically high profile, with significant implications for departmental business;
- to use your professional expertise: you’ll be expected to apply your detailed knowledge of quantitative, qualitative and evaluation research methods. You may have responsibility for managing complex commissioned research or undertaking a research programme of significant scale. You’ll work with a broad range of analysts, policy makers and delivery colleagues;
- management and leadership responsibility: you will be required to achieve results by leading, motivating and appraising others;
- to communicate: there will be demands on your ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
- to achieve results: you’ll be involved in complex project and research management and will have to cope with competing demands while still delivering a high output to a high standard;
- to develop quickly: you’ll undertake a series of postings during your time on the programme to aid your career development and gain a broad range of experience;
- support to do all this! You will be helped to identify the skills you need to develop and will be provided with comprehensive training and development tailored to your needs. As well as on-the-job training you will spend a minimum of 15 days per year receiving formal training and you will be offered a mentor - a senior manager from another team or department who can offer you extra advice and guidance. You may undertake periods of self-study and some departments/devolved administrations may support you in gaining professional qualifications. You can also take advantage of the programme of courses designed for Fast Streamers offered by the National School of Government.
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