The message from the frontline is clear: local government is hurtling into transformation without a map, a shared plan, or the confidence that we’re ready for what’s ahead.
Honestly refreshing
Socitm has just finished a series of workshops with 30 councils impacted by Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). We didn’t hear grumbling or resistance. We heard honesty.
People showed up wanting to collaborate, learn, and make a difference. But they also showed up unsure:
- Unsure if they were allowed to talk to their counterparts in other councils.
- Unsure what their “Day 1” even looks like.
- Unsure if anyone at the top had really set the space for them to succeed.
If you’re in a leadership role, this is your call to action.
Because right now, your people are operating in a vacuum.
It was clear sitting in on the workshops, that if we don’t fill that void fast — with shared vision, with agreed ways of working, with real leadership — that space will be filled by expensive consultants, long delays, and avoidable chaos.
People. Process. Technology. Get them aligned. Now.
We often hear and agree that transformation doesn’t begin with tech. It starts with people. But people can’t move without process, and process can’t evolve without purpose.
Across our workshops, the priorities couldn’t have been clearer:
- Understand your “As Is” — properly. You can’t build the future without knowing where you’re starting from.
- Share everything — contracts, data maps, lessons learned. Stop hoarding knowledge.
- Agree what matters — citizen outcomes, governance models, safe and legal Day 1 operating conditions. Get this nailed down together.
- Collaborate early — waiting until the structure is defined is too late. Shadow teams, cross-council working, shared services — they need top cover now.
And let’s be blunt: if councils don’t start joining up their thinking, they will end up locked into overpriced consultancy support, dragged down by vendor-led decisions and cornered by procurement deadlines. It’s already happening.
The sector doesn’t need another strategy. It needs action.
People in the room said it best:
“We’re not the first to go through this — what are the lessons from elsewhere?”
“I need to reassure myself that I’m right to be both concerned and excited.”
“Can someone just tell us what we need to do in Day 1, Week 1, Year 1?”
The answer? Leadership. Vision. Clarity. Permission to collaborate.
If you’re a Chief Exec, Director of Transformation, CIO or CDO it’s on you to create the conditions your teams need.
That means putting LGR and its foundations (people, process, technology) at the top of your agenda, aligning on common goals, and resourcing people to act.
Don’t wait for permission. Set the direction.
This isn’t just about merging systems it’s about shaping how local government delivers for the next decade.
We need:
- One version of the truth on data.
- Shared decision-making frameworks.
- Rationalised and secure technology.
- Retention of the right people and skills.
- Clear communication to the public and staff.
- Delivery that doesn’t stop when the consultants leave.
The opportunity is huge. But the risk of delay is bigger. Now is the time to step up.
Coordinate. Collaborate. And lead. Because if you don’t, someone else will and it might cost more than your organisation can afford.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
At Socitm, we’ve worked with dozens of councils navigating reorganisation, and we’ve built tried-and-tested, repeatable models to help you rapidly understand your As Is — consistently and at low cost.
We offer independent, neutral support, built on what’s already worked elsewhere, and focused on helping you take control, not outsource it.
Let’s make this transition together — on your terms, not someone else’s invoice.
Contact us at hello@socitm.net to discuss your requirements.