Culture: The Glue Holding Local Government Together

In local government, we are rightly focused on seismic shifts reorganisation, devolution, funding formula changes, housing targets, and the evolving political landscape. These themes dominate our strategies, our conversations, and our headlines. They shape the way we allocate resources, design services, and engage with our communities. But amid this whirlwind of reform, there is a quieter, often underestimated force that determines whether our plans succeed or fail: organisational culture.

Culture is not a peripheral issue. It is the invisible architecture of our organisations the shared values, behaviours, and assumptions that influence how decisions are made, how people interact, and how change is embraced. It is the difference between a workforce that feels empowered and one that feels disengaged; between innovation and inertia; between resilience and resistance.

Thanks to insights from our academic and sector partners, we’ve reached a clear and urgent conclusion: if we do not get the culture right within our councils and combined authorities, our chances of success are significantly reduced. No amount of structural reform or policy innovation can compensate for a toxic or misaligned culture. In fact, culture is often the silent saboteur of transformation efforts undermining collaboration, eroding trust, and stalling progress.

Culture is not just about how we feel at work it’s about how we perform. It influences everything from staff retention and service quality to public trust and financial sustainability. And yet, it is rarely given the same strategic attention as governance, finance, or policy. That must change.

Why Culture Matters More Than Ever

Peter Drucker’s famous adage, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” has never been more relevant. In today’s climate of uncertainty and reform, strategy alone is not enough. As Adele Gritten of Local Partnerships recently wrote,

“A strong organisational culture is the glue that holds the local authority transformation journey together. Without it, even the best-laid plans can falter.”

This is not just theory it’s borne out in practice. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has identified poor organisational culture as a common factor in every statutory and non-statutory intervention in local authorities since 2010. Failures in governance and culture not strategy were the root causes. Councils that struggled were not necessarily lacking in vision or resources; they were lacking in cohesion, clarity, and cultural alignment.

Culture is what enables strategy to take root. It is what allows innovation to flourish, partnerships to deepen, and communities to trust. It is the foundation upon which all other reforms must be built.

The Evidence: Culture Drives Performance

The link between organisational culture and performance is no longer anecdotal it’s evidence-based and increasingly recognised across the public sector. A study by the University of Portsmouth found that transformational leadership and values-based culture are the most significant predictors of performance in UK public sector organisations. These findings reinforce what many local government leaders have long suspected: culture is not a soft issue it is a hard determinant of success.

Councils that foster positive, dynamic cultures consistently report:

• Lower staff turnover, as employees feel valued, supported, and aligned with the organisation’s mission.

• Higher employee engagement, which translates into better service delivery, stronger relationships with communities, and greater innovation.

• Improved service delivery, as teams collaborate more effectively and take ownership of outcomes.

• Greater resilience during change, with staff more willing to adapt, learn, and lead through uncertainty.

  
  

These outcomes are not accidental they are the result of deliberate cultural investment. When culture is treated as a strategic priority, it becomes a performance multiplier.

The Local Government Association’s performance management panels (2023–2025) revealed that councils with a strong performance culture were significantly better equipped to navigate complexity and deliver outcomes. These councils demonstrated a clear alignment between values, behaviours, and strategic goals. They were able to respond to challenges with agility, maintain morale during periods of reform, and build trust both internally and externally.

Moreover, research from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has shown that councils with high cultural cohesion are more likely to meet their financial targets and deliver transformation programmes on time and within budget. In contrast, those with fragmented or misaligned cultures often experience delays, resistance, and reputational damage.

Culture also plays a critical role in risk management. A psychologically safe culture where staff feel empowered to speak up, challenge assumptions, and share concerns can prevent governance failures and ethical breaches. It creates an environment where accountability is embedded, not enforced.

In short, culture is not just about how people feel it’s about how organisations perform. It is the foundation upon which leadership, strategy, and service delivery rest. And in a sector facing unprecedented change, it is the one lever we cannot afford to ignore.

Measuring and Shaping Culture

Understanding that culture drives performance is only the beginning. To move from insight to impact, local government leaders must take deliberate, structured steps to assess, shape, and embed the culture they want to see. This is not a one-off exercise it’s a continuous journey that requires reflection, courage, and commitment.

1. Measure Our Current Culture

Before we can change culture, we must understand it. This means going beyond anecdotal feedback and gut instinct to gather robust, evidence-based insights. Tools like the PSIF Culture Checklist, developed in collaboration with Renfrewshire Council, offer a structured way to assess key dimensions such as leadership behaviours, ethical standards, collaboration, and employee experience. These tools help councils identify cultural strengths and blind spots, and provide a baseline from which progress can be tracked.

Other councils have used pulse surveys, staff listening exercises, and behavioural audits to surface the lived experience of employees. These methods reveal not just what people say, but how they feel and how those feelings influence their performance and engagement.

2. Define Our Desired Culture

Once we understand where we are, we must decide where we want to go. The Competing Values Framework, used by organisations like New Local, helps councils categorise their current cultural orientation whether it’s hierarchical (focused on control and structure), market-driven (focused on results and competition), clan-based (focused on collaboration and loyalty), or adhocracy (focused on innovation and adaptability).

This framework enables councils to articulate the cultural attributes that will best support their strategic goals. For example, a council embarking on digital transformation may need to shift from a hierarchical culture to one that embraces adhocracy and innovation. Defining the desired culture creates a shared vision and sets the tone for change.

3. Identify the Levers for Change

Culture change doesn’t happen by accident it requires intentional action. The Performance Culture Toolkit from the Local Government Staff Commission (LGSC) outlines practical steps for embedding cultural change, including:

• Diagnostic checklists to identify priority areas

• Implementation teams to lead and champion the change

• Evaluation methods to monitor progress and adjust course

Other levers include leadership development programmes, values-based recruitment, internal communications strategies, and recognition schemes that reinforce desired behaviours. Councils must also align their policies, systems, and structures with the culture they want to build otherwise, change efforts will be undermined by inconsistency.

4. Commit to the Journey

Culture change is not a quick fix it’s a long-term commitment. It requires bravery from leaders who are willing to challenge the status quo, model new behaviours, and create psychologically safe environments where staff feel empowered to contribute, question, and grow.

This commitment must be visible and sustained. Leaders must walk the talk, invest in staff development, and embed cultural goals into performance frameworks and strategic plans. They must also be prepared to listen, learn, and adapt because culture is co-created, not imposed.

As one Chief Executive recently put it:

“Culture change is not about posters on the wall. It’s about what happens in the corridors, in the meetings, and in the moments that matter.”

Real Life Examples of Councils getting it right.

Here are several real-world examples of positive culture improvements and initiatives in UK local authorities that demonstrate how councils are actively shaping organisational culture to drive performance, inclusion, and transformation:

1. The Wigan Deal – Wigan Council

Wigan Council’s transformation under the leadership of Professor Donna Hall is one of the most cited examples of culture-led change in local government. The Wigan Deal was a values-led social contract between the council and residents, built on trust, empowerment, and shared responsibility. Staff were encouraged to work collaboratively, innovate, and focus on prevention rather than crisis response.

“You can’t deliver transformation without trust, and you can’t build trust without culture.” – Donna Hall

Outcomes included improved public health, reduced demand on services, and higher staff morale.

2. Isle of Wight Council – Cultural Diagnostics and Leadership Development

Facing internal pressures and resistance to change, Isle of Wight Council undertook a comprehensive cultural transformation using tools like the Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI®) and Organisational Effectiveness Inventory® (OEI). They mapped their current and ideal cultures, engaged staff through workshops and surveys, and implemented leadership development programmes. This led to improved communication, stronger alignment with organisational values, and a more inclusive and collaborative working environment.

3. Runnymede Borough Council – Leadership and Culture Turnaround

After receiving a Best Value Notice in 2023, Runnymede Borough Council launched a targeted intervention to reshape its leadership culture. This included stakeholder engagement, leadership upskilling, and a full organisational culture survey. Within 12 months, the Best Value Notice was lifted, and the Local Government Association praised the council’s cultural progress.

4. South Tyneside Council – “Proud to Support” Campaign

South Tyneside launched a community recognition campaign to celebrate staff and community contributions. This initiative helped build pride, reinforce values, and foster a culture of appreciation and shared purpose. It was part of a broader strategy to embed social value and positive impact into council operations.

5. Cornwall Council – Culture Drives Growth Strategy

Cornwall Council partnered with the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership to embed culture into its economic development strategy. The Culture Drives Growth initiative positioned cultural identity and creativity as central to regeneration, helping to align internal culture with external place-making goals.

6. Luton Borough Council – Hands-On Transformation

Luton Borough Council undertook a hands-on transformation programme focused on cultural alignment, leadership development, and service redesign. Staff were involved in co-creating solutions, and the council embedded cultural goals into its strategic priorities.

7. AMPlify Programme – Solace and E-Quality

The AMPlify Programme, winner of the 2025 PPMA Best Talent Programme Award, supports ethnically diverse staff in local government to become future leaders. It includes mentoring, inclusive leadership training, and advocacy from senior leaders. This initiative is helping councils build more inclusive cultures and diversify leadership pipelines.

Conclusion: Culture Is Not a Side Issue It Is the Issue

As we navigate the complexities of reorganisation, reform, and renewal, it is tempting to focus solely on structures, systems, and strategies. These are tangible, measurable, and often politically urgent. But in doing so, we risk overlooking the one factor that underpins every successful transformation: organisational culture. Culture is the invisible architecture of our organisations. It is the shared beliefs, behaviours, and values that shape how we work, how we lead, and how we serve. It influences how decisions are made, how conflicts are resolved, and how innovation is embraced. It determines whether staff feel empowered or disengaged, whether communities feel heard or ignored, and whether change is sustained or short-lived.

In local government, culture is not a soft issue it is the hard edge of transformation. It is the difference between plans that live on paper and plans that come to life. It is the glue that binds our ambitions at local, regional, and national levels. Without it, even the most well-resourced strategies can unravel.

We must treat culture as a strategic priority, not a background concern. That means investing in leadership development, listening to staff, aligning values with behaviours, and creating environments where people feel safe to challenge, contribute, and grow. It means measuring culture, shaping it intentionally, and committing to the journey of change.

If we get culture right, we unlock the full potential of our people, our partnerships, and our plans. We build organisations that are resilient, inclusive, and capable of delivering lasting impact. And we lay the foundation for a future in which local government is not just reactive, but visionary.

Culture is not a side issue. It is the issue. And it is time we gave it the attention, investment, and leadership it deserves.