Learning from Somerset: A Blueprint for Local Government Transformation

Across the UK, local authorities are grappling with a perfect storm of challenges: tightening budgets, rising demand for services, workforce pressures, and the need to deliver more with less. At the same time, many councils are undergoing structural reform whether through reorganisation, devolution, or internal transformation. In this context, the need for a clear, strategic framework to guide organisational change has never been greater. Somerset Council’s updated Target Operating Model (TOM), published in August 2024, offers a timely and ambitious example of how a local authority can reimagine its future. More than a technical document, Somerset’s TOM is a cultural manifesto a statement of intent about how the council will work, serve, and evolve. It sets out a vision for a leaner, more agile, digitally enabled, and community-focused organisation, built around five thematic pillars: People and Skills, Digital and Technology, Service and Process Design, Data Insights and Evidence, and Governance and Decision Making.

For councils navigating reorganisation whether merging districts, transitioning to unitary status, or reshaping services the Somerset TOM provides a valuable reference point. It shows how to align strategic goals with operational delivery, embed values into everyday practice, and use design principles to drive transformation at scale. This blog explores Somerset’s approach in detail, drawing out lessons, metrics, and design choices that other councils can adapt to their own context. Whether you're a senior officer leading change, a transformation lead shaping a new operating model, or a frontline manager seeking clarity in a shifting landscape, Somerset’s TOM offers insights worth exploring.

Caption: Somerset Council’s Target Operating Model, LGA Case Study.

Why a Target Operating Model Matters

In many local authorities, the concept of a Target Operating Model (TOM) can feel abstract something reserved for consultants or corporate strategy teams. Somerset Council’s Chief Executive Duncan Sharkey openly acknowledges this sentiment:

“Until now I have struggled with what Target Operating Models are for… However, working through this process… has helped me understand what our TOM is all about.”

This honesty is refreshing and important. It reflects a broader truth across the sector: many councils are still figuring out how to use TOMs not just as planning tools, but as living frameworks that guide culture, decision-making, and service delivery.

Somerset’s TOM is not a rigid blueprint. It’s a strategic and cultural compass that helps the organisation navigate complexity, challenge legacy thinking, and stay aligned with its vision. It’s the “picture on the front of the jigsaw box,” as Sharkey puts it a high-level guide that helps staff, leaders, and partners understand what kind of council Somerset wants to be. At its core, the TOM is about intentional design. It defines the principles, behaviours, and capabilities that underpin the council’s transformation journey. It’s aspirational, yes but also practical, with measurable outcomes and a clear structure.

Five Themes – One Heart

Somerset’s TOM is built around five interconnected themes, each representing a critical dimension of organisational change:

1. People and Skills – Investing in a flexible, values-led workforce that collaborates across boundaries and delivers better outcomes.

2. Digital and Technology – Leveraging digital tools to improve access, automate processes, and boost productivity.

3. Service and Process Design – Redesigning services around prevention, locality, and co-production with communities.

4. Data Insights and Evidence – Using data intelligently to inform decisions, target early help, and improve transparency.

5. Governance and Decision Making – Streamlining processes to enable agile, accountable, and evidence-based decisions.

Each theme is underpinned by a set of design principles flexibility, sustainability, inclusivity and a values framework that promotes openness, excellence, and belonging. Together, they form a cohesive model that guides not just what Somerset does, but how it does it.

For councils considering their own TOM, Somerset’s example shows that success lies in clarity, coherence, and cultural alignment. It’s not just about structure it’s about purpose.

Caption: Somerset Council

Key Lessons for Other Councils

Somerset Council’s Target Operating Model is not just a vision it’s a practical framework for transformation. For councils considering their own TOM, Somerset’s approach offers tangible lessons across five critical areas:

1. People and Skills: Building a Flexible, Impactful Workforce

Somerset recognises that its workforce is its greatest asset and that the future demands a leaner, more agile organisation. The council is investing in a smaller, more flexible workforce that collaborates across boundaries and works closely with communities and partners.

• The People Strategy supports a shift toward outcome-focused roles, with performance management aligned to community impact.

• Staff are empowered to work creatively, with flexible workspaces and inclusive environments.

• A bold financial target underpins this transformation: £40 million reduction in wage costs, achieved through smarter structures and reduced duplication.

• Staff feedback is a key measure of success, with indicators such as:

“The work I do makes a real difference to the residents of Somerset.”

This people-first approach is about more than efficiency it’s about pride, purpose, and belonging.

2. Digital and Technology: Enabling 24/7 Access

Digital transformation is central to Somerset’s TOM. The council is consolidating systems, improving accessibility, and embracing automation to enhance both customer experience and staff productivity.

• The goal is clear: 80% of transactional contact handled via digital self-serve, reducing reliance on face-to-face and telephony.

• AI is being adopted to streamline processes and reduce costs.

• All staff complete Cyber Awareness Training, and systems are designed to meet high standards of data protection.

• The council’s website is being upgraded to meet WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards, ensuring services are inclusive and easy to navigate.

This digital-first strategy is not about replacing human contact it’s about making services available anytime, anywhere, in ways that work for everyone.

3. Service and Process Design: Co-Design and Locality Working

Somerset is redesigning services around the needs of communities, not the convenience of the organisation. The Locality Working Model brings services closer to where people live, ensuring no one is left behind.

• Services are co-designed with customers, staff, and businesses, drawing on lived experience and professional expertise.

• The council is prioritising prevention, automation, and agile transformation, reducing demand and improving outcomes.

• Outdated processes are being removed, and digital self-service is being expanded for both customers and staff.

This approach reflects a shift from siloed service delivery to collaborative, place-based working.

4. Data Insights and Evidence: Smarter Decisions

Somerset is building a data-driven culture where decisions are informed by evidence, not assumptions.

• A single data platform supports joined-up service delivery and performance monitoring.

• Data is captured once and shared intelligently across services, enabling early intervention and targeted support.

• The council is increasing its use of Data Partnerships and Information Sharing Agreements, focusing on quality over quantity.

• A visible performance dashboard linked to service standards ensures transparency and accountability.

By combining local insight with robust data, Somerset is making smarter, fairer decisions.

5. Governance and Decision Making: Streamlined and Evidence-Based

Somerset is simplifying its governance structures to enable faster, more transparent decision-making.

• The number of committees, boards, and management layers is being reduced.

• Meetings must have a clear purpose and remit if not, they won’t be held.

• Decisions are based on data and insight, even when they’re tough or unpopular.

• The council is embracing a risk-aware approach, balancing innovation with accountability.

This governance model supports agile delivery and empowers staff to act with confidence and clarity.

Copyright: Product Board.

Design Principles That Drive Change

Somerset Council’s Target Operating Model is not just built on operational themes it’s grounded in six powerful design principles that shape how the organisation thinks, acts, and evolves. These principles are the DNA of the council’s transformation, guiding every decision, process, and cultural shift.

1. Flexible and Agile

Somerset is committed to reducing bureaucracy and empowering staff. Roles are designed to be cross-functional, governance is streamlined, and change is delivered through agile, iterative methods. This enables the council to respond quickly to emerging needs and continuously improve.

2. Smaller and Leaner

The TOM embraces a leaner structure, eliminating duplication and focusing resources where they’re needed most. Back-office functions are being redesigned, and the council is exploring outsourcing where external expertise adds value. The goal is to do more with less without compromising service quality.

3. Data Driven and Digitally Enabled

Digital transformation is not just about technology it’s about culture. Somerset is embedding data into every part of its business, using it to inform investment decisions, improve services, and build public trust. Artificial Intelligence and automation are being adopted to reduce manual effort and enhance efficiency.

4. Sustainable and Resilient

The council is balancing savings with strategic investment, measuring impact to inform future decisions. It continues to tackle the climate and ecological emergency, even within financial constraints, and is building resilience by enabling partners to deliver services where they are best placed to do so.

5. Local, Connected, and Inclusive

Somerset is strengthening its Local Community Networks, empowering them to set priorities and take action. Equality, diversity, and inclusion are embedded early in decision-making not added as an afterthought. The council is designing services that reflect the diversity of its communities and ensure digital inclusion for all.

6. Values-Led Culture

At the heart of the TOM is a commitment to working as one team, striving for excellence, and building belonging. These values are not just words they’re embedded in behaviours, performance frameworks, and leadership expectations.

These principles are not just aspirational they’re measurable. Somerset has set clear targets to track progress, including:

• Reducing outdated processes that no longer serve the organisation or its communities.

• Increasing automated payments to improve efficiency and reduce administrative burden.

• Improving user experience across digital platforms to ensure services are accessible, intuitive, and responsive.

Together, these design principles form a cohesive, values-driven foundation for transformation one that other councils can adapt to their own context and challenges.

Comparing Somerset and Cornwall: Two Paths to Transformation

While Somerset Council’s TOM is rooted in post-unitary reorganisation and cultural unification, Cornwall Council’s Target Operating Model reflects a broader strategic transformation journey shaped by digital innovation, decentralisation, and environmental goals.

Cornwall Council’s TOM: Strategic, Commissioning-Led, and Digitally Ambitious

While Somerset’s TOM is shaped by the need to unify and transform following local government reorganisation, Cornwall Council’s Target Operating Model reflects a longer-term strategic evolution. It is designed to deliver on four high-level outcomes that reflect Cornwall’s unique geography, demographics, and ambitions:

1. Brilliant Place to be a Child and Grow Up 

2. Thriving, Sustainable Cornwall 

3. Vibrant, Safe, Supportive Communities 

4. An Empowering and Enterprising Council

These outcomes are not just aspirational they are embedded in the council’s commissioning, governance, and service delivery frameworks.

Key Features of Cornwall’s TOM

• Commissioning at the Core

  Cornwall has adopted a commissioning-led approach, where all activity is aligned to strategic outcomes. There is a clear separation between strategic commissioning (setting priorities and outcomes) and operational commissioning (delivering services). This model enables flexibility, accountability, and a sharper focus on impact.

• Digital Front Doors

  Services are accessed through structured digital pathways that support triage, self-service, and guided navigation. This approach improves accessibility, reduces demand on traditional channels, and ensures residents can find the right support quickly.

• Process Automation

  Cornwall is investing in enterprise-wide digitisation, including robotic process automation (RPA), to streamline back-office functions and reduce manual effort. This not only improves efficiency but frees up staff to focus on more complex, value-added tasks.

• Performance and Insights

  Data is central to Cornwall’s operating model. The council uses performance dashboards, predictive analytics, and real-time insights to inform decision-making and track progress against strategic goals. This data-driven culture supports transparency and continuous improvement.

  

• Decentralisation and Place-Based Working

  Cornwall’s TOM supports the devolution of assets and services to localities, enabling communities to shape and deliver services that reflect their specific needs. This place-based approach strengthens local accountability and fosters collaboration across sectors.

Cornwall’s TOM is described internally as:

“A tool for architects… not just a communications piece. It helps define strategy, allocate resources, and drive transformation.”

This strategic clarity, combined with a strong digital and commissioning foundation, makes Cornwall’s TOM a valuable comparator for councils seeking to embed long-term transformation.

Somerset vs Cornwall: Key Differences

Feature	Somerset Council	Cornwall Council
Origin	Post-unitary reorganisation	Strategic transformation over time
Focus	Cultural unification, agile redesign	Commissioning, digital transformation, decentralisation
Digital Strategy	80% digital self-serve target	Digital front doors, RPA, AI chatbot
Governance	Streamlined, fewer layers	Strategic commissioning and performance boards
Design Principles	Flexible, lean, inclusive	Strategic, data-driven, decentralised
Community Engagement	Locality Working Model	Commissioning in Place, VCSE partnerships

Conclusion: A Model Worth Emulating

Somerset Council’s Target Operating Model stands out as a bold, values-led framework for transformation one that is both visionary and grounded in practical action. It doesn’t just describe what the council wants to become; it lays out how to get there, with clear design principles, measurable outcomes, and a commitment to continuous learning. For councils undergoing reorganisation, facing financial constraints, or simply seeking to modernise their operating model, Somerset’s approach offers a roadmap worth studying. It demonstrates how to align strategy with culture, how to embed values into everyday practice, and how to use data and digital tools to drive meaningful change.

What makes Somerset’s TOM particularly compelling is its honesty and humility. It acknowledges the complexity of transformation and invites everyone from frontline staff to senior leaders to take part in shaping the future. As Chief Executive Duncan Sharkey puts it:

“Take a step, learn more, take the next step, learn again…”

This iterative mindset is essential for local government in 2025 and beyond. Transformation isn’t a one-off event it’s a journey. And Somerset Council is showing how to walk that path with purpose, clarity, and heart.