Media training
Spokesperson development for ministers, officials and press officers, with scenarios built on your policies, several rounds on camera and a written assessment of each person.
Government and public sector
Communication training for government
We prepare the people who speak for ministries, regulators, parliaments and public agencies. Based in London and Dubai, delivered worldwide.
390+ public bodies trained · 71 countries · Five continents · Since 2001
Trusted across government
Selected government and public sector clients in Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
We also train diplomatic missions, electoral commissions, police forces and local government across the world.
Why government communication is different
Government communicators answer to ministers, to the public and to a press that holds them to every word. A policy has to be explained to the people it may cost, and defended before committees and opposition members whose job is to question it.
The rules are tighter than in business. Civil service impartiality, election periods, the law on live cases and security clearance all shape what a spokesperson may say, and when.
When something goes wrong, the question on air is whether the government is in control. A minister, a senior official and an operational lead may all face the cameras on the same day, and their answers have to agree.
What we train government people for
Every programme is built for the situation your people will face, using your policies, your stakeholders and the questions they will be asked.
Crisis communication
Crisis media skills for spokespeople, crisis strategy for the communication team, and simulations that test the response across departments and agencies.
Public affairs
Public affairs and government relations for the people who brief ministers, negotiate with other departments and work with legislators.
Public speaking and speechwriting
Public speaking, speechwriting and one-to-one coaching for ministers and senior officials who launch policy, open conferences and represent their country abroad.
Communication strategy
Communication strategy, audits of government communication functions and competency frameworks for the people in them.
Protocol and events
Protocol, etiquette and event management for state visits, summits and official ceremonies.
How in-house training works
Most of our training is designed for one organisation and delivered to its team. This is what happens between your first message and the training day. To book individuals onto a scheduled course, see our open courses.
1
Tell us what you need
A 30-minute call is usually enough. We ask who will be trained, what they face and what you want to be different afterwards.
2
We send a proposal
Within a few days you receive a written proposal: the programme, the trainers, the format and the fee.
3
We build the programme
Once you confirm, we write the exercises around your organisation: interview scenarios on your issues, crisis exercises on your risks. Every trainer is briefed before day one. Where you are building a whole communication team, we start by assessing people against what each role needs.
4
We deliver and report
On site anywhere in the world or live online, in many languages. Every participant is coached individually and leaves ready for the real thing, and looking forward to it. Afterwards you receive a written report on each person and on the team, with recommendations for next steps.
Our work in government
European Court of Human Rights: media training for the Court and its President
We media trained the President of the European Court of Human Rights one to one, gave its Registrar and Deputy Registrar crisis media training and ran scenario sessions for its legal and communication staff on inter-state claims and climate judgments.
European Parliament: media and communication training for more than 160 EU officials
More than 160 EU officials, the President of the Parliament among them, have trained with us in media training, television news and media relations, with as many as 24 courses in a single year at the Parliament's training centre.
EPP Group in the European Parliament: training its press service, advisers and members
We coached EPP Group members one to one in presentation, media and social media, held a monthly spokesperson training retainer and trained the Group's press service and the advisers of its policy working groups over seven years.
NATO: chairing and moderating panels for its Engagements Section
We ran a workshop in chairing, moderating and facilitating panel discussions for up to 25 staff of NATO's Engagements Section, with practice built on a multinational seminar scenario written for the section.
British Council: communication training for its programmes in five countries
We trained ministers and spokespeople of 20 ministries and agencies, 16 university leaders and 62 education journalists for British Council programmes, and ran a crisis simulation for one of its country leadership teams.
Hong Kong Police Force: crisis and strategic communication for its public relations officers
We ran a four-day crisis communication programme for four of the Hong Kong Police Force's public relations officers, two superintendents among them, and its officers up to chief superintendent have trained with us a dozen times over 12 years.
Tawazun: more than 150 officials trained over 15 years
We have trained more than 150 of Tawazun's senior officials over 15 years, from media training with individual reports in English and Arabic to executive coaching ahead of IDEX with a management advisory report for the leadership.
Accredited by
Talk to us about your team
Tell us who speaks for your organisation and the situations they face. We'll reply within one day.
Prefer email? Write to london@isoc.com.