Cyber, Digital and Technology – Learning events and materials
Our team regularly publishes resources for councils, and provides training courses, workshops and events for councillors and officers.
We host a range of events and training for the sector across the cyber, digital and technology programme including webinars, roundtables, masterclasses and workshops. You can find information on this page about upcoming events and resources from past events. If you would like to be notified of our future events, please subscribe to our bulletin where we list all upcoming events.
Training courses and workshops
Learn. Adapt. Lead is a new pilot programme supporting senior officers in non-digital roles to build confidence and fluency in leading digitally enabled change. Co-designed with the sector, the programme focuses on practical leadership judgement rather than technical skills, helping leaders navigate decisions around data, technology and AI in complex local government contexts. The pilot is being developed in partnership by the Local Government Association and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Past events
Devolution is more than a governance shift, it is a transformation that impacts how councils manage, protect, and govern data. With greater autonomy comes greater responsibility, and ensuring compliance during this transition is critical to maintaining public trust. In this session, we will explore the practical steps councils can take to secure their data estate , meet regulatory obligations, and build resilience for the future. We will cover from planning and governance to risk mitigation and continuous compliance.
As the council landscape and digital infrastructure reshapes, identity becomes the frontline of cyber defence. This webinar will explore how to secure access across complex, multi-tenant environments, implement robust identity governance, and adopt Zero Trust principles during reorganisation. Learn practical strategies for managing new starter-mover-leaver processes, preventing credential-based attacks, and ensuring seamless yet secure user experiences. Join us to gain actionable insights and future-ready approaches to safeguard identity.
Discover how to strengthen your council’s cyber security posture in the face of local government reorganisation and multi-tenancy. This webinar covers the latest threats, practical strategies for securing complex environments, and how to leverage modern tools to protect against evolving cyber risks.
As councils navigate the complexities of Local Government Reorganisation, migrating tenants securely and efficiently is critical. This session shares practical insights from real-world experiences. Join us to learn proven strategies, avoid common pitfalls, and build a resilient foundation for your council’s digital future.
During May 2025, the Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the opportunity to contribute to ‘Aligning for Impact: Digital Futures in a Reshaped LGR Landscape’, an event organised and led by Jonathan Stephenson Chief Executive of Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council.
At the LGA, we remain committed to supporting the sector through collaboration, shared learning, and practical resources. Our ongoing priorities include:
Bridging the “missing middle” by fostering a more direct and structured relationship between GDS and the Local Government sector.
Strengthening DDaT Communities of Practice through coordinated, digitally enabled regional and national networks.
Ongoing development of our programme of work to support the needs of councils in an LGR context.
In March 2025, our pilot cohort completed the 'Unlocking Digital Excellence' programme. The Local Government Association, in partnership with Apolitical, the global network and learning platform for government, launched a first-of-its-kind training programme on digital excellence specifically for local government to pilot with local authority senior officers across England.
The ‘Unlocking Digital Excellence' Programme, an adapted programme developed for senior leaders in central government, set out to develop the skills and knowledge senior officers in councils need to apply digital principles and lead teams that can deliver according to best practices around data, artificial intelligence (AI), and user-centred design.
On Thursday 1 May we held a webinar to talk about the pilot and the evaluation, the recording is available for a time limited period.
There is an increasing interest across the local government sector in how artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technology can be practically implemented into existing services and processes. Despite this interest, there is a need for greater support for councils to maximise the benefits of emerging and innovative technologies.
This project will showcase practical AI and smart technology applications with the potential to make councils more connected, efficient, effective, personalised, and secure.
The end-goal of the project is to deliver a one-day hybrid ‘Showcase’ event where vetted vendors of AI and smart technology showcase their innovative solutions for core challenges facing English local authorities.
In collaboration with techUK, the Cyber, Digital and Technology team hosted a webinar to celebrate women in digital local government, to wrap up Women’s History Month 2025. The event focused on the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the tech workforce, particularly highlighting women's roles in technology.
The speakers, from both local government and industry, described their career journeys, barriers they have overcome and what both the tech and local government sector can learn from each other to continue increasing women representation and progression across our sectors.
Our free e-learning course on embedding cyber resilience in local government supply chains is based on the principles laid out by the NCSC. The course aims to help councils embed greater cyber resilience in their procurement processes and supply chains. The learning materials are tailored to anyone with a role at any stage of the procurement cycle. The e-learning modules provide a comprehensive educational experience that is designed to maximise information retention through questions based on the information introduced and relevant examples of local government procurement.
A series of short explainer videos on digital concepts, created to support officers and councillors who are digital newcomers. Each Cyber Unpacked video takes a term or concept that you might hear during conversations about cyber security and unpacks it using animated examples.
AI Unpacked is a series of short explainer videos on artificial intelligence (AI) designed to provide officers and councillors who are new to the topic with a starting point for understanding and engaging with AI concepts.
The Welsh government have provided a curated playlist that contains videos focused on enhancing cyber resilience for you and your organisation.
Introduction to user research and user-centred service design in government. This course is suitable for someone new to product management, working with a digital team, or interested in a digital career. Introduction to User Research - Online Course - FutureLearn
Discover the fundamentals of product management and learn how to build products and services that meet user needs. This course is suitable for someone new to product management, working with a digital team, or interested in a digital career. Introduction to Product Management - Product Management Course - FutureLearn
Discover the fundamentals of content design. Learn how to design accessible content that meets user needs. This course is suitable for someone new to product management, working with a digital team, or interested in a digital career. Intro to Content Design - Online Design Course - FutureLearn
Whether you're just starting in a career, or you are an experienced professional you are develop skills through interactive modules and pathways. Training | Microsoft Learn
Tools for digital teams to address common challenges that local authorities face with digital transformation designed using feedback from councils. Resources | Local Digital
The LGA's digital transformation case study series has been compiled to inform and empower local councils in their digital transformation journeys.
Local government analysts can access the Office for National Statistics’ Data Science Campus learning hub, which contains courses covering a wide range of analysis and methodological areas, ranging from introductory to advanced.
In this podcast series you’ll hear directly from the people leading and delivering transformation in local government. We have candid conversations with sector leaders, experts and thinkers, digging deeper into their experiences, learning and achievements.
