The UK Cybersecurity Council is the self-regulatory body for the UK’s cybersecurity profession. It develops, promotes and stewards nationally recognised standards for cybersecurity in support of the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy.  In doing so, it aims to be the “voice of the cybersecurity profession”.

Early in 2022, Integrity worked with the Council to support the development of a clear articulation of change and routes for ongoing action.  We did this through a number of engagements: after an initial consultation with leadership to understand the Council’s aims for a Theory of Change (ToC), we conducted a review of key documents to understand the Council’s internal aims and operating context.

A fully facilitated, tailored workshop, brought together Council leadership and experts as well as key stakeholders within the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). In the workshop, participants discussed the central problems at stake, key actors involved, impact and outcome level changes, along with understanding the central assumptions underlying the ToC. The ToC was shared for validation among Trustees and members of DCMS before finalizing it.

At all stages, Integrity undertook a participatory approach, working in regular communication with the Council to make sure the Council had final ownership of the completed ToC. The result was the creation of a tool that better enables the Council to define its aims and understand the pathways to change. Ongoing feedback was encouraged at each stage to ensure that the final product was fit for purpose and addressed the core needs of the Cybersecurity Council.