The Open Innovation Team (OIT) has launched the AI Adoption
Accelerator - a practical, people-first programme that helps
civil servants turn curiosity about generative AI into safer,
faster and higher-quality ways of working. Rooted in our
experience of delivering more than 150 policy projects for
departments since 2016, the Accelerator combines expert guidance
with hands-on coaching so teams can adopt AI responsibly and
build lasting capability.
Why now?
Civil servants are experimenting with AI, but without structured
support many see patchy results, new security risks and concerns
about deskilling. By showing officials how to test AI on their
real tasks - and how to judge its output critically - we bridge
the gap between enthusiasm and reliable delivery.
What we offer
Our modular support can be booked individually or as a package:
- Planning and strategy – senior workshops to set clear
guard-rails, align tools with priorities and address obstacles.
- Hands-on support – facilitated sessions where teams practice
prompting on live cases and refine workflows.
- Resources and tools – practical guides covering effective
prompting, stakeholder analysis and safe data handling.
- AI Pioneers bootcamps – two-day intensive sessions that train
internal champions to support colleagues long after we leave.
Early results
Discovery workshops with the Department for Education have
already boosted confidence and identified tangible use cases for
policy and operations. Alice , Deputy Director for Support and
Rewarding Teachers and Leaders, said:
The workshop was well tailored to our work, with examples that
rang true and reflected day to day tasks. We all learnt a huge
amount both about the possibilities but also the risks and how to
put guard rails around our AI use.
If you're interested in exploring how AI could help your team
work more effectively, see Accelerating AI in the
Civil Service (PDF, 791 KB, 14
pages)
To express interest in our services, please fill out
this short
form and we will respond as soon as we can.
