Development centres follow some of the design principles of assessment centres in using objective methods to assess the demonstration of competency in realistic simulations of work activities. Where development centres differ is in the provision of more immediate feedback and the opportunity to directly experiment with different approaches to the tasks set. This places reflection and learning through action at the heart of the development process.

How can SR&A help?

We have over 20 years of experience in producing and running development centres for a wide range of clients, including retail organisations (e.g. Alpha Retail Trading, Shell), the civil service (Independent Police Complaints Commission) and others. We can help your organisation to design & run development centres that are focussed, rich in feedback and have a lasting impact on the identification and achievement of development plans and goals.

Alternatively, we can offer our off-the-shelf development centre package. This is a 2-day development centre for 6 participants that can be run either at our own training rooms in Manchester or at your own training centre or external venue. Contact us now for further details.

We also publish the Discovery range of tried and tested exercises including: in-tray, group discussion & negotiation, role play and analysis exercises.

Click here for more details of our Discovery series

Case Study
After many years of successfully running assessment centres for the appointment of investigators, the Independent Police Complaints Commission sought to build on this experience by offering development centres to current staff. We designed tailored a 2-day development centre activity and produced a package which included a facilitator handbook, participant workbook and a full set of exercises. This has been successfully trialled with our facilitation and is now available for use by trained IPCC staff when required