The four‑day working week is gaining momentum across the public sector as organisations face recruitment challenges, burnout, rising demand and pressure to improve productivity. Evidence from global trials shows improved wellbeing, stronger retention and stable service performance. With the right design, governance and engagement, shorter working weeks could offer a sustainable workforce solution.

Local authorities must rethink their role in a shifting, multipolar world. Drawing on Tim Marshall’s geopolitics, councils need global partnerships, strong economic development leadership, and long‑term strategies to attract investment, build resilience, and secure future prosperity. Understanding global trends and acting confidently is now essential for place‑based growth, helping communities thrive amid rapid global change.

Discover the 10 essential competencies every local government leader needs to thrive in 2026. From political partnership and financial resilience to data confidence, prevention, and community trust, this framework helps you assess your strengths, identify growth areas, and take action. Download your scorecard and 90-day plan to lead with impact.

Ambition vs Capacity: Why Every Council Must Do a Deliverability Check. UK councils face bold regeneration, net-zero, and digital ambitions amid financial gaps and workforce shortages. This guide explains why deliverability diagnostics are essential, outlines a seven-step framework, scoring model, and stress tests, and provides actionable next steps to align ambition with capacity, reduce risk, and protect statutory services.

Interim leadership in local government is rising amid financial crises and workforce gaps. When treated as an organisational development and design (OD&D) intervention, it accelerates transformation, embeds cultural change, and builds capability. Strategic use includes acute risk, time-bound outcomes, and diagnosed gaps. Success depends on crisp contracting, benefits assurance, and planned exit, turning interims into catalysts for sustainable performance.

Discover 7 science-backed strategies for building trust in local authority teams. Explore proven frameworks like the Trust Equation, Lencioni’s Five Behaviours, Radical Candor, SCARF, Covey’s Five Waves, Psychological Safety, and the Neuroscience of Trust. Learn how councils can boost collaboration, reduce stress, and improve outcomes through evidence-based practices that create resilient, high-performing teams.

Culture is the missing metric in local government. While 92% of leaders rank culture as a top priority, only 18% have a robust way to measure it. Staff surveys track climate, not values, the foundation of culture. Our Barrett Values Centre program offers a data-led approach to measure, track, and embed values-driven strategies, helping councils build positive, resilient cultures that improve recruitment, retention, and service delivery.

Leading a Successful Restructure: What Matters Most Precision planning builds confidence, start with a clear business case and timeline. Define roles early, engage trade unions upfront, and consult openly to improve outcomes. Communicate constantly; silence fuels speculation. Show visible, empathetic leadership and provide employee support like redundancy tools and mental health resources. Above all, be transparent about role impacts to maintain trust and fix issues early.

Discover how councils can use Large-Scale Interventions (LSIs) to drive transformation. Learn best practices for designing impactful events, avoiding common pitfalls, and leveraging digital tools for inclusive engagement. Explore why LSIs are essential for tackling complex challenges like housing, climate action, and community resilience in local government.

Leadership teams must ask critical questions to ensure alignment between strategy, culture, and structure. Are leaders scanning the environment effectively? Is the culture supporting strategic goals? Are systems reinforcing values? Feedback to the CEO should highlight strengths, weaknesses, and priority improvements, with actionable recommendations for transformational and quick-win changes that drive performance and engagement.

Effective organisational diagnosis in local government requires more than data collection, it demands connecting evidence with dialogue. Councils that integrate robust analytics, proven frameworks like McKinsey 7-S and Burke-Litwin, and inclusive engagement can drive transformation. In an era of tight budgets and rising demand, data-driven insights and collaborative approaches are essential for building resilient, innovative public services.

Culture in local government isn’t a “soft” issue, it’s a performance driver that shapes decisions, behaviours, and outcomes. The Organisational Culture Inventory (OCI) provides evidence-based insights into the norms that influence success. By moving beyond measurement to action engaging leaders, aligning culture with strategy, and investing in coaching, councils can create environments where staff thrive, innovation flourishes, and strategic goals become reality.

Edgar Schein’s Three Levels of Organisational Culture: artefacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions reveal how culture truly shapes behaviour and performance. Artefacts are visible but superficial, espoused values show intent yet may not match reality, and assumptions form the hidden core. Successful cultural change starts by diagnosing and challenging these deep beliefs, not just redesigning offices or rewriting mission statements.

Discover how Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions can transform UK local government leadership. Explore Power Distance, Individualism, and other cultural factors shaping council mergers, partnerships, and service delivery. Learn why diagnosing culture before designing change is critical, and gain practical insights for embedding cultural awareness into transformation programmes. Avoid conflict, make culture your strategic advantage.

The Competing Values Framework (CVF) by Cameron and Quinn is a leading model for assessing organisational culture, widely used across public and private sectors. Supported by the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), CVF helps local authorities identify cultural strengths and gaps, enabling better change management and strategic alignment. By balancing Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy values, councils can foster innovation, accountability, and resilience

Transformation is not a destination, it’s a discipline. Councils that embed operating principles, invest in people, and govern innovation ethically will not only sustain their vision, they’ll evolve it. Success demands leadership alignment, staff engagement, and a relentless focus on resident outcomes. In a world of rising demand and shrinking budgets, transformation must be continuous, inclusive, and courageous. The future of local government depends on it.

Local Authority Trading Company Organisations (LATCOs) offer councils a way to innovate, deliver services, and generate income. With over 850 LATCOs in the UK, success depends on strategic clarity, commercial leadership, and robust governance. This blog explores why some LATCOs thrive while others fail, drawing lessons from case studies like Norse Group and Robin Hood Energy. Learn what works, what to avoid, and how councils can ensure LATCOs deliver public value.

Jonathan Stephenson, Chief Executive of Brentwood and Rochford Councils, shares key lessons on transformation in local government. From values-led leadership and strategic digital reform to evidence-based reorganisation and sector-wide collaboration, his approach offers a blueprint for change. As councils face rising agency costs and structural reform, Stephenson reminds us: transformation is cultural, not just structural. “We’re not just building councils. We’re building com

Restructuring in UK local government is inevitable but it doesn’t have to be harmful. This practical guide explores how to lead departmental restructures with clarity, compassion, and purpose. Learn how to engage staff early, rebuild culture, measure success, and foster psychological safety. Featuring real-life case studies, tools for change champions, and insights from Truth About Local Government research, this is essential reading for public sector leaders driving change.

Commissioner intervention in UK local government is costly and controversial. This article explores who pays, whether the expense is justified, and if it’s the most effective method of supporting failing councils. Drawing on examples from Birmingham, Woking, Rotherham, and Tower Hamlets, it compares commissioner-led recovery with sector-led improvement and peer review models. A must-read for officers and members seeking insight into governance, accountability, and value for m