This Forum event will take the form of an engaging panel discussion with leading experts and practitioners in the area of workforce capability planning and skills development, with insights from Ireland and the UK.
Meeting skills needs, through attracting, retaining and developing talent is a key consideration for every board, governing body and senior team today. The Irish Public Service is undergoing significant transformation driven by growing citizen expectations, rapid technological change, and increasing demands for agility, efficiency, and accountability. To meet these challenges, workforce capability planning has become a strategic priority. It provides a systematic approach to ensuring that public service organisations have the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles, at the right time.
Workforce capability planning in the Irish Public Service focuses on building a future ready workforce that can deliver high quality public services while supporting national priorities such as digital transformation, climate action, and improved service integration. Central to this effort is identifying current and emerging capability gaps, strengthening leadership capacity, and developing critical skills in areas such as data analytics, digital literacy, artificial intelligence, project management, and citizen-centred service design.
The approach places strong emphasis on evidence-based planning, leveraging workforce analytics and strategic foresight to anticipate future needs. It also aligns with broader public service reform initiatives, including Better Public Services-Public Service Transformation 2030 Strategy and the Civil Service Renewal 2030 Strategy, and ongoing modernisation programmes across government departments, state agencies and public bodies.
A key component of workforce capability planning involves fostering a culture of continuous learning and mobility. This includes expanding professional development opportunities, enhancing talent management practices, and increasing collaboration across the public service to share expertise and resources. Additionally, flexible work models, inclusive hiring practices, and improved succession planning are critical to attracting and retaining diverse talent.
Ultimately, workforce capability planning enables the Irish Public Service to remain resilient, adaptive, and high performing. By strategically investing in people, the public service strengthens its capacity to deliver better outcomes for citizens and supports Ireland’s long term social and economic objectives.
It will be of relevance to those in governing positions, on boards and governing bodies, senior team members, senior managers and HR professionals.
The panel will comprise:
Helen Brophy, Director General, Institute of Public Administration
Paula Lyons, Assistant Secretary, Department of Social Protection
Kate Culkin, Director of the People and Operational Management Insights Team, National Audit Office (UK)
Speakers
Helen Brophy
Helen was appointed Director General of the IPA in October 2022. She holds 30+ years’ senior leadership experience spanning a range of Chief Executive, Director and Non-Executive Director level roles in public, international, private, family-owned business, not-for-profit and NGO sectors. In addition to her significant senior leadership experience, Helen is an experienced coach, mentor and a specialist in the design and delivery of executive leadership and change management programmes.
Paula Lyons
Paula is Assistant Secretary and Head of Service Development in the Department of Social Protection, with responsibility for Digital Business Services, Customer Service and Contact Strategy and the Estates/Facilities portfolio.
Paula re-joined the department in 2019, serving as Chief HR Officer prior to her current role and having worked in senior roles in the Courts Service and in the National Shared Services Office.
Kate Caulkin
Kate is an HR and project delivery expert and leads the People and Operational Management Insights team. Kate has worked in the civil service for 30 years in corporate centre roles, including in the Cabinet Office, as Group Human Resources Director at the Department for Transport, and as Co-Director of the Corporate Centre at the Department for Exiting the EU.
Kate is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
