The UK Resilience Academy, part of the Cabinet Office, has launched a national consultation on proposed leadership standards aimed at strengthening resilience and emergency preparedness across the UK.

Delivered in partnership with the Workforce Development Trust, the consultation builds on the National Occupational Standards for Resilience and Emergencies published last year. It sets out expanded expectations for senior leaders and executives, focusing on how organisations anticipate, prepare for, and recover from crises at a strategic level.

The proposed standards have been developed by a cross-sector working group including devolved administrations, the National Police Coordination Centre and the UK Health Security Agency. They emphasise systemic and chronic risk, economic resilience, long-term planning and leadership responsibility for resilience.

It is understood that the framework is already in use by local and devolved governments, emergency services, NHS organisations and critical infrastructure operators. The expanded standards are intended to strengthen capability at senior and executive levels, and form part of a wider government resilience agenda.

Roger Hargreaves, director at COBR, commented: “The NOS provide a recognised national benchmark for our workforce, helping to define expectations, support capability development and ensure consistency across diverse governance and operating environments.

“NOS support organisations and partners to more effectively prepare, respond, recover and learn from disruptive events.”

Gabrielle West, head of operations, Transport Security Operations Centre at the Department for Transport, added: “The NOS provide a clear and consistent framework for the competencies and performance required to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptive events across the UK’s transport systems.

“For organisations leading responses at a national level, their relevance is immediate and practical, helping to ensure that organisations and individuals are equipped to act decisively in complex, high-impact situations.

“This review and expansion of the standards is a vital step in strengthening system leadership capability across our sector and enhancing the resilience of our critical national infrastructure.”

The Workforce Development Trust is inviting responses from resilience professionals and other stakeholders. Open until 8 May, responses can be submitted via an online survey.

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