Rethinking Transformation in Local Government: A Smarter Approach to Success

Transformation in local government is often framed as a necessity driven by financial pressures, rising demand, and the need to modernise services. Yet, despite widespread efforts, success remains elusive. According to ChangingPoint, 70% of organisational change initiatives fail, and only one-third fully meet their intended goals. In this episode, Ashley Roper and Steve Mawn explore what councils could do differently to improve outcomes and embed sustainable change.Ashley Roper, a technologist and Founding Partner at RPNA, argues that transformation must begin with a clear understanding of outcomes. He warns against the common pitfall of leading with technology rather than purpose. Councils often invest in digital tools without first assessing the needs of citizens or the current state of their IT infrastructure. Roper advocates for a baseline assessment evaluating performance, user perception, skills, supply chain capacity, and business processes. This approach enables councils to identify gaps and align technology with strategic goals.Steve Mawn, who leads ICT and Transformation at Strata Service Solutions, brings a practitioner’s perspective from a shared service model supporting three councils in the South West. He highlights the importance of governance, flexibility, and long-term planning. Strata’s 2025–26 business plan includes major infrastructure upgrades such as cloud migration, CRM integration, and telephony replacement all designed to support transformation across partner councils. Mawn stresses that transformation must be embedded in operational delivery, not treated as a separate initiative. His team completed thousands of projects last year, with an average support rating of 4.5 out of 5, demonstrating the value of consistent service and staff engagement.Both guests agree that business readiness and user adoption are critical. Councils must invest in change management, staff training, and communication to ensure that new systems are not only implemented but embraced. The Local Government Association’s transformation programme echoes this, offering councils support to boost capacity and capability, with a focus on data-driven tools and continuous improvement.The episode also touches on the need for strategic sequencing. Transformation should not begin with structural reorganisation or system replacement alone. Instead, councils should stabilise core services, build internal capability, and then scale change. This phased approach is supported by the Institute for Government, which recommends that councils undergoing reorganisation prioritise “safe and legal” operations before embarking on long-term service redesign.