Total Training – formally Dods Training is proud to deliver Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement for multiple teams within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
Operating in a complex public sector environment, DBT teams are required to work collaboratively with a wide range of internal colleagues, delivery partners, industry bodies and external stakeholders. Effective engagement is critical to ensuring alignment, building credibility and delivering strategic outcomes. Our one-day Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement course has been designed specifically to strengthen these capabilities in a structured and practical way.
We have delivered this course to numerous teams across DBT and consistently receive outstanding feedback from delegates on both the quality of the content and the impact on their day-to-day work.
The Challenge
In the public sector, stakeholder and partnership management often involves navigating competing priorities, policy sensitivities and cross-departmental dependencies. Relationships must be built not only on influence, but on trust, credibility and mutual value.
DBT teams sought a structured and practical framework that would enable them to:
- Better understand what stakeholders and partners truly value in the relationship
- Build trust and credibility more quickly and consistently
- Apply a formal, repeatable structure to communications and engagement
- Ensure consistency of approach across delivery teams
The need was for pragmatic tools that could be immediately applied – not theory in isolation, but structured thinking that enhances real-world delivery.
The Programme: Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement
Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement is a one-day programme delivered either face-to-face or online. The session blends taught content with focused discussion and structured exercises, ensuring delegates actively apply learning throughout the day.
The course enables delegates to:
Understand Stakeholder Value
Participants explore what stakeholders and partners ‘value’ in a public sector relationship. This includes examining expectations around transparency, accountability, delivery reliability and strategic alignment. By shifting perspective to the stakeholder viewpoint, delegates gain clarity on how to position their teams as credible and trusted partners.
Build Trust and Credibility
Trust is often built incrementally — but it can be accelerated through deliberate behaviours and consistent communication. Delegates identify the drivers of credibility in a government context and learn how to demonstrate reliability, strategic awareness and professionalism from the outset of a relationship.
Structure Communication and Interaction
A key focus of the course is introducing a more formal method of structuring stakeholder communications and interactions. Delegates learn practical frameworks that enhance clarity, reduce ambiguity and support more productive conversations. This structured approach ensures engagement is purposeful rather than reactive.
Create Consistency Across Teams
In large departments, inconsistency in stakeholder engagement can undermine confidence. The programme helps teams structure their engagement processes to ensure alignment and consistency of delivery. This strengthens collective impact and reinforces departmental credibility.
Flexible Delivery: Face-to-Face or Online
The course can be delivered in person or online, depending on team requirements.
For virtual delivery, we use interactive tools to ensure the learning experience remains highly engaging and collaborative. This includes breakout rooms for small-group exercises, live polling, and digital collaboration platforms such as Mural, enabling delegates to work together visually and dynamically in real time.
The emphasis throughout is on discussion, application and reflection — ensuring that learning translates directly into improved workplace performance.
Expert-Led Delivery
The programme is delivered by Anthony Garnett, a highly engaging and vastly experienced learning and development consultant. Anthony specialises in translating business strategy and market development into pragmatic learning solutions that make a tangible difference.
He has been widely recognised for his work in effective communications and has supported numerous organisations in strengthening the capability of their delivery teams. His approach combines deep subject knowledge with practical insight and relatable real-world examples.
As one DBT delegate commented:
“Anthony’s depth of knowledge in the subject area is clear, and his ability to bring the content to life through real-world examples made a huge difference. Not only did I learn a great deal, but I genuinely found the session engaging and enjoyable.”
Impact
Across DBT, the Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement programme has strengthened confidence, improved consistency of approach and enhanced the quality of stakeholder interactions.
By equipping teams with a clear and structured approach to stakeholder engagement, Total Training continues to support the Department for Business and Trade in delivering effective partnerships that underpin successful policy and operational outcomes.