Deal Me In: Rethinking Local Government Reorganisation

Don’t just reshuffle the deck but deal me in - Local Government Reorganisation

Emily Douglin, Executive Director – Local Government at Civica

Let’s be honest: the phrase Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) doesn’t always create that spark of excitement. It can conjure images of boundary changes, budget wrangling and complex governance negotiations. Not exactly a Penn and Teller Vegas floor show.

But what if we reframed it? What if we choose to see LGR not as a bureaucratic hand of poker, but as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine how we serve our communities? What if we choose to change the game?

We work with hundreds of councils across the UK, and I am seeing a clear pattern: the most successful reorganisations are going to be those that treat digital transformation as the foundation, not the afterthought. Because when you’re redesigning structures, services and systems, why not also redesign the citizen experience?

From structural change to service innovation

We all know that reorganisation is often driven by the need for efficiency, resilience and sustainability. But the real winning hand here must lay in the potential to deliver better outcomes for citizens. That means moving beyond the mechanics of merging authorities and towards a shared vision for modern, digital-first public services.

In our recent “Future of Local Government” report, 51% of councils told us that modernising outdated systems is their top digital priority. That’s no surprise. Many authorities still rely on legacy platforms that are expensive to maintain and difficult to integrate. When councils come together, these systems can become a barrier to collaboration - or they can be an opportunity to think differently.

We’ve seen forward-thinking councils use LGR as a catalyst to:

• Consolidate fragmented technology estates into cloud-based platforms

• Standardise data models to enable better insight driven decision-making

• Automate routine processes to free up staff time, and to use that time to make a difference to frontline services

• Design services around citizens, not departments. Looking outwards and not inwards.

This isn’t just about technology. It’s about culture, leadership and ambition.

Now it can’t be just me that finds that exciting.

The digital dividend of devolution

Devolution is the future across England, with new combined authorities and county deals reshaping the local landscape. But with greater powers come greater expectations – from Whitehall, from local leaders, and most importantly, from citizens.

Residents don’t care which tier of government delivers their bin collection or housing support. They care that it’s easy to access, responsive and joined up. That’s why digital maturity is no longer a “nice to have” – it’s a prerequisite for effective devolution.

LGR gives councils a rare chance to align digital strategies across boundaries. To pool resources, share platforms and co-design services that reflect the real journeys people take through public services. It’s a chance to build what we call 360 services—where data flows seamlessly between teams, and citizens who don’t have to repeat themselves at every turn.

Our story was featured in techUK.