A smarter way to build product mindset
Supporting HMRC on their journey from Project to Product
As part of its transformation agenda, HMRC is investing in a shift from project-based delivery towards a product-centric approach – an evolution that demands new skills, behaviours, and mindsets across its digital teams. In 2024, key members of the Equal Experts team were invited to run a day with senior leadership at HMRC DPS (Data Platform Services), to facilitate a lively conversation about how best to drive Product strategy. This year, Equal Experts built on those lessons learned to co-design and deliver a bespoke product management training programme for practitioners in the Enterprise Integration Services (EIS) team. Unlike typical off-the-shelf training, this initiative focused on the real-world challenges the product managers were facing – from building resilience to pursuing outcomes over outputs.
Over six weeks, the programme embedded practical tools, fostered peer learning, and empowered product managers to make decisions with clarity and purpose. The results were immediate: stronger ownership of KPIs, faster decision-making, and increased alignment between teams and outcomes.
This case study shares the approach the team took to the training, the key lessons learned along the way, and what others can take from the approach, especially those seeking to develop their skills as confident, highly capable product professionals.
Outcomes
Even before the training had concluded, members of the EIS Senior Leadership Team were reporting that the cohort were displaying more ‘Product’ behaviours, in particular challenging their teams to think more about the value that was being delivered. This in turn led to a marked improvement in collaboration, with the Product Managers taking ownership of the measures of success. Leadership also noted a definite increase in confidence amongst the cohort during and after the training.
Within six weeks, the product managers were able to demonstrate the tools and knowledge they had learnt, applying them to a scenario relevant to their current work, including:
- Linking vision and strategy back to relevant tasks for their team
- Roadmapping and prioritisation based on value
- Clear communication of problem to be solved and the path to success
About the client
HMRC is a non-ministerial department of government. It is the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority, and has a vital purpose: gathering the approximately £740bn tax revenue that pays for the UK’s public services (e.g. hospitals, schools, infrastructure), and helping families and individuals with targeted financial support.
The challenge
Building a sustainable and self-reliant product capability
HMRC’s EIS leadership identified the need to strengthen capability across their product management community. The first cohort selected for the training had recently transitioned into product roles, many without formal training or significant experience in product management.
To succeed, they needed support developing both mindset (e.g. outcomes over outputs, iterative over predictive planning) and skillset (e.g. using product roadmaps, prioritisation frameworks, and value trees).
Based on prior experience, the team of trainers knew that traditional one-off, intensive workshops wouldn’t be effective. These formats often overload participants with theory, with little space to apply lessons in context, resulting in low retention and minimal change to working practices.
HMRC also wanted the training to help shift organisational culture: product managers would be expected to lead decision-making with confidence, advocate for user-centred value delivery, and contribute to a self-organising community of practice. The training the team designed and delivered was focussed on supporting this transformation, with a strong emphasis on a practical, human and outcomes-focused experience.
The solution
A context-driven approach for practical, tailored and sustainable learning
A team of experienced practitioners
Equal Experts assembled a diverse team of five senior product practitioners who, between them, offered over 100 years of experience across government, startups, and enterprise. This enabled the trainers to explore real-world complexity and offer nuanced perspectives tailored to HMRC’s operating environment – sometimes disagreeing with one another, in the spirit of lively debate.
Context-first, not content-first
Rather than assume what trainees needed, the team began by interviewing the cohort and their line managers. These conversations uncovered a mix of tactical skill gaps and deeper emotional challenges, such as imposter syndrome and the pressure of managing upwards. The team also heard a desire for honest conversations about the differences (and similarities) between public and private sector product practices.
An intentionally different format
The team wanted to take a different approach to the traditional one- or two-day intensive workshop, without creating an excessive burden on the cohort, all of whom had busy day jobs. Ultimately, the course was designed to span six weeks, covering ten core topics. Each week, participants were given some ‘homework’ – practical exercises based around the tools from that week’s session, to apply to their working lives. The trainees then brought their reflections back to the group the following week, and discussed their experiences peer-to-peer. This learning model helped improve knowledge retention and allowed participants to improve their confidence and capability gradually and effectively.
Sessions were remote by default, but began with an in-person launch. To optimise attendance, delivery was flexible, adjusted around personal considerations like Ramadan, Easter, and other operational constraints. Trainers worked in pairs to present different viewpoints, continually reinforcing the message that there is no single ‘right’ way to work in Product Management.
Leaving behind a culture of continuous learning
To leave behind a self-sustaining culture of learning and improvement, the Equal Experts team shared all training materials with the cohort, and offered optional drop-in clinics and one-to-one mentoring during and after the course.
The results
Better decisions, from confident, outcome-led product teams
Immediate behavioural shifts
Even during the course, HMRC leadership noticed positive changes: product managers were taking ownership of KPIs, driving prioritisation, and leading outcome-focused discussions with their teams. Delivery improved as PMs worked with more confidence and clarity.
Training that resonated
Feedback from the cohort was consistently strong throughout the course. Trainees especially enjoyed the interactive exercises, the honesty of the discussions, and the ability to apply each lesson in their real working context. They also commented on the trainers’ energy, pragmatism, and openness to challenge.
In particular, the trainees valued the expertise and experience of the trainers, and how those different perspectives complemented one another perfectly to deliver unique insights. They also appreciated the fact that the bespoke nature of the course meant that the topics covered were all relevant, and the approach included interactive exercises and leave-behinds that could be immediately implemented in their role.
The sentiment was clear: this wasn’t theoretical instruction – it was practical, emotionally intelligent training that addressed the reality of being a product manager in government.
Momentum building
The course’s impact didn’t go unnoticed. Other HMRC teams have expressed interest in future cohorts, and the initial cohort continues to share learnings and grow their network across the organisation.
