Citizen Developer Training has become essential because, once upon a time, “solving a business problem with technology” meant filing a ticket with IT, waiting weeks, and hoping your request wasn’t quietly buried under 1,247 other “marked urgent” tasks.
Meanwhile, ambitious employees found their own way – building elaborate spreadsheets, duct-taping apps together, or running entire processes off someone’s personal Google Drive.
That messy workaround? That’s not innovation – it’s Shadow IT in action.
Citizen development takes that same energy but turns it into a business asset instead of a liability. With the right training and governance, employees outside of IT can safely use AI, build apps, automate processes, and innovate without creating security nightmares or unmanageable tech debt.
What is a Citizen Developer?
The term, first coined by Gartner is defined by them as:
“An employee who creates application capabilities for consumption by themselves or others, using tools that are not actively forbidden by IT or business units.”
In plain English, a citizen developer is someone without formal coding, IT, or computer science training who uses AI, automation, low-code or no-code tools to solve problems. Think of them as the office “MacGyvers” – always finding clever ways to fix bottlenecks without diving into thousands of lines of code.
Unlike professional developers – who build the complex systems, write custom code, and make sure your apps don’t fall over when 10,000 people log in at once – citizen developers focus on creating practical, day-to-day solutions that make work easier. The best citizen developers aren’t defined by their technical expertise; they’re problem-solvers, curious tinkerers, and collaborative team players who just happen to enjoy breaking (and fixing) processes in smarter ways.
The Business Case for Citizen Developer Training
According to McKinsey, organisations that empower citizen developers scored 33% higher on innovation as compared to those who don’t. Translation: the people closest to the problems are often the ones best equipped to solve them – if you just give them the right tools.
Take Shell’s work on the massive Polymers Monaca petrochemical complex in western Pennsylvania. Contractors on-site had to perform countless lifting and hoisting operations, each requiring a manual approval process that could take up to 2.5 hours – and often meant staff trekking across the site just to get sign-off.
Citizen developers at Shell changed that. They built a mobile app – one of the first DIY apps in the Americas – that streamlined the process. Approvals that once took 2.5 hours now take about one. The result? A 40% reduction in approval time, safer operations, and no more wasted journeys across the site.
When employees are trained and empowered, they take on the smaller, everyday fixes, while IT provides the governance and expertise to keep everything running smoothly. Done properly, it accelerates digital transformation and strengthens collaboration across the organisation.
Why Training Matters (Not Just The Tools)
It can be tempting to hand out AI, automation and low-code tools and let employees figure it out for themselves. After all, citizen development thrives on experimentation. But without guidance, that “learning by doing” approach can quickly lead to broken processes or security headaches.
Think of training as the stabilisers and helmet when learning to ride a bike: it gives employees the freedom to try new things, while making sure the inevitable wobbles don’t cause any serious damage. With proper training, citizen developers build confidence, learn best practices, and create solutions that are safe, scalable, and aligned with business goals.
Without it, though, organisations risk running into bigger problems – like shadow IT, security and compliance risks, and inefficiencies that come from working without governance.
How to Implement a Citizen Developer Training Program
A structured training programme ensures employees have the skills, confidence, and support to build safely and effectively.
And it’s not just a “nice to have”, it’s becoming increasingly important. Gartner states that 85% of business leaders agree there will be a surge in skills development needs due to AI and digital trends in the next 3 years.
Here’s how to get started:
1. Set Clear Goals
Define what you want citizen development to achieve. Would you like faster workflows, reduced IT backlog, or specific digital transformation objectives? Make sure these goals are clearly communicated as this keeps training focused and measurable.
2. Partner with IT from Day One
Position IT as your best friend in this, not a gatekeeper. IT provides the governance, security frameworks, and integration support that make citizen development sustainable.
3. Design a Training Curriculum
Cover both the “how” (AI, Automation, low-code/no-code tool skills) and the “why” (governance, security, and when to involve IT). Blend self-paced learning, workshops, and real project work.
4. Start Small, Then Scale
Begin with a pilot in a motivated team or department where there’s a clear problem to solve. A small, focused rollout makes it easier to test the training, measure impact, and iron out any wrinkles. Most importantly, those early wins give you real examples to showcase across the business – helping secure buy-in from other departments and building momentum before expanding more widely.
5. Create Ongoing Support
Training doesn’t stop after the first workshop. To keep citizen developers engaged – and to prevent shadow IT – establish ongoing support. This could mean setting up a community of practice, pairing new builders with mentors, or creating a dedicated Slack/Teams channel for questions and collaboration.
6. Celebrate and Share Success
Don’t forget to celebrate the “wins” along the way: showcasing successful builds and recognising contributions keeps motivation high and reinforces good practices.
By following these steps, organisations can create a citizen developer training programme that empowers employees while keeping innovation safe, secure, and aligned with business goals.
Why Now Is the Time to Invest in Citizen Developer Training
Digital transformation is no longer a future ambition – it’s today’s business necessity. Organisations that wait risk falling behind, while those that empower citizen developers are already seeing faster innovation, reduced costs, and more engaged employees.
In fact, the UK low-code application development platform market generated USD $1,129.9 million in 2023 and is forecast to grow to about USD $4,037.1 million by 2030. According to Forbes, 68% of large companies, 33% of medium-sized companies, and 15% of small companies have incorporated at least one AI technology.
The tools are here, the talent is already sitting inside your organisation, and the demand for agility has never been higher. By investing in citizen developer training now, you’re not just solving today’s challenges – you’re building a workforce ready to adapt, innovate, and lead in the years ahead.
How Can We Help?
At Solvaa, we empower growing organisations to turn AI and automation into everyday operational advantage – by focusing on enablement, not just implementation.
We’re well known for driving digital transformation and helping employees at every level gain the confidence and skills to use AI and no-code tools in their daily roles.
Trusted by scale-ups and enterprises alike, our founder, Kelly Goss, is a published author and has advised the UK government on AI and automation strategy – bringing credibility, experience, and practical insight to every engagement.
Find out more about our AI and Automation Enablement service here.
Citizen Developer Training with Solvaa
Our employee training programs are designed to help people of all capabilities drive business growth, boost productivity, and unlock potential through AI and automation solutions.
We show teams how to build with confidence, set guardrails, and turn everyday processes into engines of efficiency.
Get in touch today if you would like to find out more.
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Solvaa: Strategy, Solutions, Support, Education
UK-based Solvaa® is a systems, process and automation consultancy specialising in improving business workflows. Solvaa® works with SMEs worldwide to implement digital tools, better processes, use business process automation and generative AI to boost productivity, enhance lead management, and remove unnecessary time, costs and hassles from stretched business owners’ days.
We help you simplify and streamline existing processes, integrate your business tools to make data transfer more efficient, and automate manual tasks. Our business process automation specialists have extensive experience using multiple cloud-based business tools, including Zapier, Pipedrive CRM, SmartSuite, Xero, Google Suite, ClickUp, Asana, Airtable, Hubspot, Active Campaign, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Quickbooks and many more. We are Zapier Certified Experts, SmartSuite Certified Partners, Pipedrive Certified Partners and Xero Certified Advisors. We also educate teams about using AI in their daily roles, mindset, governance and strategy in our Solvaa AI Academy.
Solvaa® was founded in 2016 by Kelly Goss, a no-code solutions architect, business process automation specialist and author of Automate It with Zapier (first edition) and Automate It with Zapier and Generative AI (second edition).
A thought leader on business process automation and digital adoption, Kelly attended an invite-only Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the UK government at No.10 Downing Street, providing insights and recommendations on how SMEs can benefit from productivity gains by using digital technologies, automation and AI. She has also been invited to speak at the House of Lords and at many other events.
Contact us today to find out how Solvaa can help your business make big savings on operational costs and time, and significantly increase productivity.
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