Martin Furminger explains how a UK council adapted the Systems Approach to Training to build a structured, flexible learning system aligned to its People and Culture Plan. He shares how analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation create measurable impact, improve governance confidence and shift culture from ad hoc to planned.
The Systems Approach to Training (SAT) was developed in the 1960s and ‘70s for the US Department of Defense. It was later formalised by NATO and has become the gold standard in high-reliability sectors such as the military, civil aviation, and nuclear energy. The model ensures that training is systematic, evidence-based, measurable, and directly aligned to operational needs.
Outside those fields SAT is less commonly discussed. In local government, where resources are tight and training budgets are often the first to come under scrutiny, the idea of applying a defence-inspired training methodology might seem like overkill.
We have found the SAT model invaluable in building a modern, practical approach to learning and development
At Reigate & Banstead Borough Council (RBBC) we have found the SAT model invaluable in building a modern, practical approach to learning and development. The core cycle is Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. We have adapted this and created a training system that is structured yet flexible, aligned with our people and culture plan and, most importantly, the needs of our residents.
The Systems Approach to Training in our context
Reigate & Banstead is a Surrey borough council with around 650 employees delivering a wide range of services: from planning and housing to community development, leisure, recycling, and green spaces. Like many councils, we face several people-related challenges:
- Recruiting and retaining skilled staff in a competitive market
- Preparing for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the pressures this places on agility and workforce planning
- Responding to changing community expectations while keeping an eye on value for money
- Ensuring our learning offer reflects our values: Positive, Supportive, Flexible, Innovative
In 2025, we launched our People & Culture Plan (2025–2029), which sets out four clear pillars:
- Attracting and recruiting great people
- Developing leaders and people managers
- Retaining great people
- OD/HR/payroll excellence
We needed a systematic way to ensure our learning and organisational development interventions supported these pillars while delivering measurable outcomes. That’s where SAT came in.
Applying the SAT model
While we adapted SAT to suit a local government environment, we retained the essence that training must be needs-driven, well-designed, properly implemented, and evaluated for impact. Here’s how each phase plays out at RBBC.
1. Analysis – understanding needs
In SAT, analysis means defining the problem before leaping to solutions. For us, that has meant:
- Running a Skills & Competency Audit (2025–26) to benchmark staff capability against current and future service needs
- Using staff survey insights to identify drivers of engagement (e.g. reward and recognition, wellbeing, career development)
- Consulting service managers and Heads of Service to identify skills gaps driven by LGR, statutory duties, and resident priorities
This evidence base stops training becoming “ad hoc” and instead ties interventions directly to organisational goals.
2. Design – shaping learning to our priorities
In this phase, SAT focuses on designing the solution. At RBBC, this means aligning learning programmes to our People & Culture Plan pillars and council values. For example:
- Apprenticeship pathways across a range of professions, supported by levy funding
- Leadership development programmes blending theory with live projects that address real organisational challenges
- A focus on values-led learning design: ensuring all interventions reflect our Positive, Supportive, Flexible, Innovative ethos
3. Development – creating blended solutions
Once designed, we move into development and actually creating the learning resources and programmes. For us this includes:
- Building bespoke e-learning modules in Articulate Rise/Storyline (on topics such as equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), data protection)
- Developing blended learning solutions, combining digital modules with live in-person workshops, so staff benefit from both flexibility and interaction
- Partnering with specialist providers where levy funding or technical expertise is required (e.g., higher-level apprenticeships, ICT training)
4. Implementation – delivering through the right channels
SAT emphasises structured rollout, and we’ve mirrored that approach:
- Using our learning management system (LMS) to host and track completions, with renewal cycles built in
- Embedding training in service-based inductions for new starters
- Delivering live workshops on leadership, wellbeing, and EDI, creating space for discussion and peer learning
By combining digital and face-to-face delivery, we ensure accessibility across office staff, depot teams, and remote workers.
5. Evaluation – measuring and improving
Evaluation is too often an afterthought in L&D. SAT makes it integral, and we have embedded several methods:
- Post-course evaluations and Net Promoter Score (NPS) ratings (e.g. 62% positive for recent EDI training)
- LMS analytics and Power BI dashboards to monitor compliance and completion
- Applying Phillips ROI/ROV models for major programmes such as apprenticeships and leadership courses
- Feeding findings back into the next SAT cycle to create continuous improvement
What we’ve learned
Applying SAT has not been without its challenges. Translating a model rooted in the defence and nuclear industry into a local authority context requires flexibility and pragmatism. The benefits have been significant:
- SAT gave us a clear structure that staff and leaders could understand
- It provided the evidence base to show members and auditors that our training spend delivers measurable value
- It shifted the culture from “courses on demand” to a planned learning system aligned with our Corporate Plan
We have also seen positive staff engagement: apprenticeships are growing, leadership cohorts are oversubscribed, and staff increasingly see training as part of RBBC’s commitment to them, not a tick-box exercise.
Impact and outcomes
Some tangible results so far include:
- SME Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (2024) – recognising our levy strategy and apprenticeship pathways
- More robust workforce planning through the Skills & Competency Audit, now feeding into service plans
- Enhanced governance and confidence for members, who can see a direct line between learning investment and service outcomes
- External recognition through the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), where we achieved Silver in 2025 and are targeting Gold
Looking ahead
The SAT cycle is not “done once.” We see it as an ongoing loop. Our next priorities are to:
- Repeat the skills audit annually to track progress and inform training needs
- Expand digital learning further, particularly around AI, data literacy, and digital transformation skills
- Strengthen collaboration with other councils and partners across Surrey
- Continue embedding SAT in our OD strategy, ensuring learning remains systematic, evidence-based, and value-driven
A call to action
The Systems Approach to Training may have been born in the military, but its principles are universal. In an era where councils must do more with less, SAT offers a way to ensure training is strategic, evidence-led, and impactful.
At Reigate & Banstead, applying SAT has helped us attract, develop, and retain great people, while showing Members, staff, and residents that we are investing wisely in our workforce.
Our message to other councils and OD professionals is simple: SAT is not just for Defence or high-risk industries. It can work in local government too. And when applied thoughtfully, it ensures staff have the right skills, at the right time, to deliver for our communities.
Martin Furminger is Learning and Operational Development Manager at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
