Reshaping local authorities
The local government reorganisation (LGR) currently taking place in England will create unitary authorities to replace existing two-tier arrangements. This will massively reshape how councils operate, deliver services, and manage people and resources.
As local authorities prepare for re-organisation, teams are feeling the pressure to adapt and change more than ever. As decisions are made quicker, and actions happen faster, teams need to be agile and to respond to new ideas, policies and structures.
1. Plan ahead and avoid stagnation
All submissions of final LGR proposals have now been made. Following this, there will be a period of central Government consultation before implementation orders can be formally prepared and finalised.
Subsequently, local authorities and councils should use this time to prepare and rethink the fundamentals of how they work. Leaders and teams should reflect on current ways of operating and how to adapt approaches to comply with changes. Going forward they should increase speed, efficiency and reliability.
2. Harness the power of digital transformation
Technology is advancing at pace, and the timing of LGR provides a rare opportunity for councils to rethink how services work. Especially with digital tech and AI now available, there is a real opportunity for operations to be transformed from the ground up.
Digitalisation can be daunting to implement. However, the evolving digital landscape requires teams to embrace change to drive efficiency, and if they resist transformation, they risk being left behind.
For new technology to be effective and create lasting value, councils must be willing to experiment and find what works for them.
3. Tailor your approach
Systems, processes and people are the three areas that can make or break a transformation and councils need to get this right.
Reorganisation and structural change must be tailored to the:
- specific people involved
- different communities they’re serving
- services they offer
Also, planning should be tailored to the specific timeline that works for each team. The greatest pitfall for councils is approaching the transformation as a quick process and expecting people to adjust immediately. Getting people embedded into new structures and ideas takes time, and councils need to build this in when planning.
4. Seize the opportunity
Local authorities can and should use this opportunity, not only to implement structural change, but to redefine how they operate to incorporate more agile, effective, and forward-looking approaches.
Consequently, it would be a missed opportunity for local authorities to undertake such a significant change only to continue operating as they always have. LGR provides teams with a chance to rethink their approach and set out how they will become stronger and more effective in the long term.
5. Empower your team and prioritise your team
Most importantly, transformation must be led with people at the centre. Keeping employees informed, engaged, and supported is essential to reduce anxiety and build confidence in new structures.
Council staff are likely to be nervous about job stability and the potential that training new technology could lead to them becoming obsolete. Team leaders therefore need to have communication, retraining and upskilling strategies firmly in place to provide the necessary support.
Ultimately, transformation needs to be led with people at the centre, while also securing clear results. This will enable local councils to move away from fixed programmes and wasteful projects.
Read more about how councils can prepare for new AI tools.