Connected Devolution – systems for successful reorganisation
Work in progress
The reorganisation of local government heralded by the English Devolution White Paper represents the most significant structural upheaval outside of central government since the 1970s.
The creation of new unitary authorities, with populations earmarked at 500,000, is designed to increase productivity and streamline governance, to the end of providing residents with better quality public services. The logistical challenge of merging multiple district authorities together into these new authorities cannot, however, be understated.
This is particularly relevant when considering the need to integrate the multiple back office technological systems which underpin public service delivery. If handled well, such integration could reduce costs whilst improving the responsiveness and accessibility of local government systems, making them easier to monitor and manage. Yet examples of failed technological integration in the wider public sector point to the risks involved and the importance of approaching the process with the right framework for policy and practice in place.
Working from only a handful of recent examples, it is crucial that best practice from at home and abroad is examined and extrapolated out as the basis for such a framework. ‘Connected Devolution’ is a research collaboration between Localis and TechnologyOne to explore this issue. The research will draw on the case study of the technological transformation of Metropolitan Memorial Parks in Australia – as well as the wider sector expertise of TechnologyOne and a carefully curated set of experts, policymakers and practitioners – to lay out the lessons learned and establish key principles moving forward.
Key research questions include:
- What is the current scale of the challenge of digital integration in the English local government context?
- How do local leaders in England perceive the role of technology in local government reorganisation?
- What lessons for English local government can be extrapolated from the Metropolitan Memorial Parks case study?
- In what ways does technological integration factor into central government’s thinking on the potential of organisational service delivery and wider devolutionary reorganisation?
- What productivity and service quality gains could be achieved through effective digital integration of a reorganised and digitally enhanced local government?
Project sponsored by:
