Making a success of LGR: three foundations for the road ahead

For almost every area, the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) decisions are now in. As always, when big changes are made by the UK Government, some people will have met the announcement with delight, while others will be bitterly disappointed.

Whether you were dancing in your office chair or had your head in your hands, the task that now faces you is undeniably a mammoth one. The announcements signal the most complex approach to LGR, with near-universal county disaggregation, coupled in many areas with significant boundary changes that effectively result in disaggregation at a district level as well.

Time is short to prepare for these changes – shadow authority elections are less than 10 months away, and the countdown to Vesting Day is at 620 days.

Complexity, change, uncertainty: these are all challenges that Local Government is used to rising to, and I am confident that over the next two years it will be no different. But what are the key ingredients that will enable you to make a success of LGR?

Collaboration: As I write every time, a triumph of our sector is how well we can work together. Now more than ever, collaboration will be a key driver of success. Whether that is within your local area as you figure out how to reorganise, or across the sector as you learn and share with those in the same boat. When there is so much to do, reaching out to the people around you can drop down the to-do list, but it is only through building and maintaining strong relationships that you will have what you need to succeed.

Preparation: As a former project manager, you won’t be surprised that I think good planning is going to be key to success. While it is important not to spend so long planning you never get going, a strong Programme Management Office (PMO) approach will enable appropriate assurance, identify and focus resources on the riskiest areas, and support effective prioritisation. We have brought together templates and resources to support LGR PMOs in our free LGR PMO pathways toolkit, so you have a starting point to build from.

Foundations for transformation: Much of the focus between now and Vesting Day will need to be on “safe and legal” (and to help you out, we have worked with the LGA to produce a safe and legal checklist). But if that is all you focus on after Vesting Day (when change fatigue may well be setting in), you will still have a mountain to climb that you have not prepared for. It is therefore important to build the conversation about future transformation into the work you do now. Make sure decisions will enable future change rather than hamper it, include setting a vision for the future authority early in the shadow authority’s work plan – and start thinking about how to facilitate that conversation. Evidence can be brought together now, most importantly from your communities and stakeholders that will be essential to shaping the future.

For those of you getting to grips with your new future, the road ahead will have challenges, but by working together, you will overcome them. With collaboration, preparation and a clear eye on the future, LGR can be more than a structural change; it can be an opportunity to deliver a different kind of local government.

It’s easy to talk to us

If you are navigating local government reorganisation and need support with planning, programme management or transformation, talk to our team about how we can help you move forward.