LGR TOOLKIT Local Government Reorganisation Toolkit launched by the LGA in collaboration with Local Partnerships

Sarah-Joy Lewis

Sarah-Joy is Head of Local Government Reorganisation and Transformation, Local Partnerships. She has a background in housing options and the registered provider sector, as well as local authority commercial activity. Her work now focuses on how the public sector can successfully implement large scale transformation, and supporting organisations to plan for and deliver change, working across the transformation lifecycle.

Sarah-Joy outlines the practical guidance which has been assembled from research and direct experience from organisations who have already been through it. She stresses: “Continued feedback from you is what will make this a great resource for all LGR councils to rely on over the next few years.” 

The value of experience 

The English Devolution White Paper set out a scale of change in local government not seen in decades. For the 21 areas which are now going through Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), this change provides opportunities, but also significant risks and pressure. 

As these councils face LGR, the sector has come together to do what it does best, and share what we have learnt from recent reorganisations. This shows the best of the public sector – a can do attitude and a willingness to support others through being honest about what worked and what didn’t. This sharing has taken the form of informal conversations, but also the publishing of articles, video interviews and how to guides. 

The wide-ranging output from those who have been through LGR already is invaluable. However, until now finding all of that wisdom required a level of time, persistence and sifting through Google, that those trying to do the day job as well as delivering LGR could do without. So, how to simplify the search for a needle in a haystack? This is where the Local Government Association (LGA) and Local Partnerships have stepped in with the LGR toolkit. 

The LGA’s LGR toolkit, delivered with Local Partnerships, acts as an index to the resources that exist on LGR. Bringing together disparate sources and explaining exactly where LGR councils can find what they are looking for (and even what they didn’t know they needed to look for) – including at what point in videos, and on what page of documents. 

The toolkit 

The toolkit is arranged in two ways. Firstly, under thematic headings which enable those with an interest in the implications of LGR on a particular subject, to explore the guidance available. The themes are: 

• Leadership: focusing on purpose ambition and collaboration 

• Workforce: including technical HR, culture and communications 

• Finance: covering governance and aligning financial planning 

• Transition planning: implementation approaches, and role definition 

• Governance: in support of accountability and transparency 

• Digital, data and technology: from a seamless day 1 to resilient foundations for the future 

• Procurement: providing market confidence and securing value for money 

• Legal services: focussing on decision making and legal readiness 

• Asset management: supporting well governed arrangements that allow future planning 

• Communications: including engagement and stakeholder management 

• Transformation: designing new ways of working and delivering efficient public services 

• Elections and boundaries: establishing democratic clarity. 

Secondly, the toolkit is arranged as a checklist, based on the key actions that need to be taken at each stage of the LGR process, from the submission of proposals to the Secretary of State until Vesting day. For each action relevant resources are linked, with an explanation of how each resource may support in completion of the action. 

(LGR) Toolkit

Resources of particular interest to those awaiting Secretary of State decisions are likely to be those relating to collaboration, preparation and planning. ACES readers may find action 4 of the checklist “Analysis to prepare for smooth transfer of assets and liabilities, including data cleansing, reviewing leases contracts, and financial arrangements.” and the linked resources to be a key area of focus, particularly the Local Partnerships’ LGR guide: planning the transfer of assets and liabilities. 

LGR Practical Guide

The LGR toolkit also includes a section on risks facing LGR councils, and options for their mitigation. While the nature and significance of risks will vary depending on local context, this list is intended to help provide a starting point for risk assessment and management. The audience is not just those going through LGR, but also the LGA and sector bodies (to inform the development of guidance) and Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (to inform support and policy development). 

Ongoing collaboration 

The LGR toolkit is going to be developed iteratively and will require the continued collaboration of those across the sector to ensure it as useful as possible. The process of compiling the toolkit has identified that there are gaps – actions with few resources, or resources that may not be as relevant as they could be to LGR. We are now working with the sector to fill those gaps, whether through toolkits, webinars, or sharing of documents produced by LGR-experienced councils. 

If in using the toolkit you identify an area where more support is needed, we really want to hear from you; send over your suggestions to localism@Local.gov.uk. The toolkit has been driven by the sector and reflects deep collaboration between the LGA and Local Partnerships as its delivery partner. Continued feedback from you is what will make this a great resource for all LGR councils to rely on over the next few years. 

For those at the beginning of the LGR process there is lots of uncertainty, but what you can all be sure of is that everyone in the sector will work together, sharing their expertise generously, to help them to deliver the best for their communities. If you have knowledge to share and could help us develop further resources for the sector, or would like a conversation about LGR please get in touch: sarah-joy.lewis@localpartnerships.gov.uk.