Increasing collaboration and
connection between think tanks

Smart Thinking's Membership Network hosts multiple training sessions, webinars and networking events throughout the year to help build the UK think tank community and enable knowledge sharing, pooling of resources and peer-to-peer support throughout the sector.

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Upcoming training

Project management training

29 January 2025
9.30am - 4.30pm

Do you want to understand how to effectively plan out a project? Get a good understanding of the key concepts and mechanisms of project management to apply to any project or software? Then this training is for you!

Members £250 (+VAT)
Non-members £450 (+VAT)

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People management training

5 March 2025
9.30am - 4.30pm

Are you new to management? Want to become a manager? Or have you been a manager for a while but never had any formal training and want to develop your management skills? This training is for you!

Members £250 (+VAT)
Non-members £450 (+VAT)

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TAILORED TO THE THINK TANK SECTOR

Designed by think tanks for think tanks

Resources

Latest resources and information for think tanks

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Webinar archive

Take a look at some of our previously held webinars

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Member chat groups

Share knowledge, ideas and views with your fellow members

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MEMBERS ONLY

Upcoming webinars

MEMBER ONLY

Using the ONS’s Secure Research Service for your work

17 Dec 2024
11am - 12pm

Bill South, who runs the ONS’s Secure Research Service (SRS) takes us through how think tanks could benefit from and access the SRS to conduct analysis to support their work.

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MEMBER ONLY

Building your own think tank project management system

22 January 2025
11am - 12pm

Jon Andrews from the Education Policy Institute will take us through how they developed their own project management app and how they use it day-to-day.

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Latest news

New Level 1 training launched!

We have launched our new Level 1 core training! 6 topics chosen and designed to cover the broad range of skills those in the first few years of a think tank career will need to develop. Designed to be practical, relevant and actionable (and specifically tailored to those working in think tanks) we include a mix of theory and practical exercises, building up attendee’s skills throughout the day.

Advanced media training

In April we hosted both standard and advanced media training sessions. Our first advanced session was bespoke for an individual think tank, for a specific upcoming report and included help with devising a media strategy and practicing in more depth dealing with difficult and controversial questions.

Launch of our new Early Careers Network!

Our new Early Career Network has launched, bringing together a big group of think tankers, all in the first 5 years of their think tank career, from 14 different think tanks. Over a standing lunch the room was buzzing with chat, networking and introductions followed by an open discussion on US think tanks, AI and the General Election.