Published 10/08/2026
Author: Chris Aslett - Local Government Sector Lead
Local Government Reorganisation is one of the biggest transformation programmes many councils will undertake. But with so many moving parts, how can councils keep their plans on track and make sure they are ready for Day 1?
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is often described in terms of boundaries, governance and the creation of new unitary authorities.
But behind the organisational change sits a much larger transformation programme.
Councils will need to bring together people, services, technology, data, processes and ways of working — while continuing to deliver essential services.
That creates a significant programme management challenge.
There may be hundreds of activities taking place across multiple workstreams, with decisions and dependencies connecting them together.
For councils preparing for LGR, having a clear approach to project and portfolio management could be just as important as the technology decisions themselves.
One of the biggest challenges with LGR is its scale. There isn’t one project that can be completed and signed off. Instead, councils will have multiple workstreams running simultaneously.
These could include:
Each workstream will have its own objectives, activities and deadlines. But they will also have dependencies on one another.
A technology decision may affect a data migration. A data decision may affect an application. An application decision may affect service continuity. And a delay in one workstream can potentially create delays somewhere else.
This is why LGR needs to be managed as a connected transformation programme, rather than a collection of separate projects.
For programme leaders and senior teams, having individual project plans isn’t necessarily enough. What is needed is a clear view of how the different parts of the programme fit together.
That means being able to answer questions such as:
These are fundamentally project and portfolio management questions.
Start by establishing a clear programme structure.
Break the transformation down into manageable workstreams, projects, activities and milestones.
This doesn’t mean trying to plan every detail immediately.
It means creating a clear framework that allows the programme to develop as decisions are made.
The objective is to understand the scale of the work and establish a shared view of what needs to happen.
Not every activity will have the same urgency or impact.
Some decisions will be critical to Day-1 readiness.
Others may be able to happen later.
Understanding those priorities helps programme teams focus resources where they are most needed.
It also helps leadership teams make informed decisions when there are competing demands.
Once the programme is underway, visibility becomes critical. Leadership teams need to know whether projects are progressing, where risks are emerging and whether important milestones are being achieved.
A modern project and portfolio management environment can bring this information together — providing a more consistent view across the programme. Rather than relying on disconnected spreadsheets and status reports, teams can create a shared view of:
This becomes particularly important as the number of projects increases.
Ultimately, the purpose of programme management isn’t simply to produce reports.
It’s to help people deliver.
Good project management creates the structure, visibility and accountability needed to keep work moving.
For LGR, that means helping teams understand what needs to happen next, who is responsible and what could prevent progress.
This is where LGR becomes particularly interesting. Technology isn’t simply another workstream. It is an enabler for the future organisation. Councils will need to consider areas such as:
Each of these areas introduces projects, decisions, dependencies and risks. That’s why technology readiness and programme management shouldn’t be considered separately. They need to form part of the same overall LGR roadmap.
As LGR programmes grow, councils may find themselves managing dozens or even hundreds of individual projects and activities. At that point, simply having more project plans isn’t necessarily the answer.
What becomes increasingly important is portfolio-level visibility.
Leadership teams need to understand the bigger picture:
Are we investing our time and resources in the right things, and are they moving us towards Day-1 readiness?
Project and portfolio management solutions can help bring this information together.
For councils using Microsoft technologies, tools such as Microsoft Planner and the wider Microsoft project portfolio management ecosystem can provide a foundation for managing work, while more advanced portfolio capabilities can support larger and more complex transformation programmes.
The right approach will depend on the scale and complexity of the individual council’s programme. The important thing is to establish the management framework around the transformation, not simply add another project management tool.
There is no single LGR roadmap that will work for every council.
Every organisation will have a different starting point, different technology environment, different resources and different priorities.
The first step is therefore understanding your current position.
That means asking:
Once those questions have been answered, it becomes much easier to establish a realistic roadmap.
LGR is a complex transformation programme.
But councils don’t have to navigate that complexity alone.
At CPS, we help councils bring together technology readiness and project delivery, helping teams understand their current position, identify risks and dependencies, establish priorities and create a practical path towards Day 1.
Our approach covers both sides of the challenge:
The goal isn’t to make LGR more complicated.
It’s to make the complexity easier to understand and manage.
LGR is a complex programme, with multiple workstreams, decisions and dependencies that all need to come together for Day 1.
If you’re looking for a clearer view of your technology and programme readiness, CPS can help.
Book an LGR Strategy & Readiness Review →
A practical, face-to-face session to understand where you are today, identify your key priorities and dependencies, and establish the next steps towards Day 1.
We’ll help you plan what needs to happen, prioritise what matters most and put the right approach in place to keep your LGR programme on track.
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