Being a Good Ancestor: The Leadership Challenge Behind LGR

Local government reorganisation (LGR) is often discussed in terms of structures, boundaries and implementation dates. Yet the more enduring leadership question is what today’s decisions will leave behind for those responsible for the next chapter.

The closing panel at this year’s LGR Summit in Birmingham centred on that question: what does it mean to leave a council in genuinely good shape for those who follow? The panel brought together chief executives with first-hand experience of reorganisation, alongside Paul Millard, Sector Director for Revenues and Benefits at MRI Software, to explore what councils can learn from previous transitions and where leaders should focus their attention now.

Since that discussion took place, the context around LGR has shifted. The government has withdrawn a number of LGR decisions and announced a rapid review of the wider programme. That has introduced further uncertainty for the councils affected, but it has not removed the need for preparation. If anything, it gives leaders more reason to understand the organisations they have today and the foundations on which any future authority would be built.

Begin with an honest picture

One of the clearest themes was the need for honesty about the current state of play. Before councils can plan, they need a clear understanding of where they are today. That means building an accurate picture of assets, contracts, policies, processes and organisational structures, not simply because of LGR, but because responsible leadership depends on understanding and managing them effectively. Reorganisation brings these questions into sharper focus. It creates an opportunity to examine inherited ways of working, address inconsistencies and decide which practices should carry forward into any future authority.

That work matters even while the wider programme is under review. A timetable may change, but weaknesses in data, governance or service delivery do not disappear with it. Councils still need to know what they own, which contractual commitments they carry and where responsibility sits across the organisation. Without that clarity, leaders risk passing existing complexity into whatever structure comes next.

Clarity matters when certainty is limited

That clarity must extend to communication. During periods of significant change, leaders must provide a clear and consistent vision for staff, residents and communities. Formal programme plans and governance structures are only part of the task. People also need to understand what is changing, what remains uncertain and how decisions are being made. Where leaders cannot yet provide definitive answers, they can still communicate honestly about the process and give staff confidence that the organisation is preparing thoughtfully rather than standing still.

For councils that have experienced reorganisation already, hindsight provided valuable lessons. There was a strong sense that momentum matters. While planning and preparation are essential, there are times when decisions need to be made and implementation must move at pace. Once the direction becomes clear, councils may need to move quickly on organisational design and team structures. The challenge is to prepare thoroughly without allowing preparation to become inertia. Delaying every decision until complete certainty arrives can leave future leaders with less time and fewer options.

Lay the foundations before transformation begins

The panel also underlined that the practical work of LGR begins well before systems are brought together or services are redesigned. Councils need confidence in the information they hold and a clear view of how services currently operate. That involves understanding assets and liabilities, reviewing contracts, improving data quality and identifying processes that have become unnecessarily complex.

Technology and external partners can support this work, particularly when they bring experience from other reorganisations and offer constructive challenge. But technology cannot create organisational clarity on its own. Connected data and workflows are most useful when ownership, controls and responsibilities are clear. Governance and accountability therefore need to shape technology decisions, rather than follow them.

Experience from previous reorganisations can also help councils ask better questions before major transformation begins. Some risks only become visible when teams begin bringing together different systems, policies and operating practices. Learning from authorities that have already encountered those challenges can help leaders identify where additional preparation now may prevent avoidable disruption later. That support is most valuable when it is candid about where progress is being made and where gaps remain.

The government’s review of the LGR programme should not be treated as a signal to stop. For the councils affected, it creates an opportunity to test the quality of the information they hold, examine how policies and processes differ across organisations and strengthen programme governance. The immediate timetable may be less certain, but the value of building a clear picture of the organisation today remains.

Leave people ready to lead what comes next

Perhaps the most encouraging reflection from the session was the focus on people. Reorganisation can be demanding, but it also creates opportunities for individuals to step forward, develop new skills and help shape the future authority. Leaders should be alert to the people who emerge during this period: those who can work across organisational boundaries, make sense of complexity and maintain focus when the path ahead is not yet settled. Recognising and supporting that talent is part of building an organisation that can sustain change, rather than simply reaching a new structural arrangement.

Ultimately, being a good ancestor is about more than successfully navigating a transition. It means leaving the next generation of leaders with an organisation they can understand, decisions they can trace and reliable information on which they can act.

For councils, that work does not depend entirely on the LGR timetable. It begins with getting the house in order now, being honest about what is not yet understood and using the available time deliberately. The future shape and timetable of reorganisation may still be under review, but the responsibility to leave local government in better shape remains.

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