Earlier this month, I was at a techUK event focused on the emerging ‘GDS Local’ conversation and the supplier ecosystem forming around it. As part of the day, Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) inevitably came up. One message I heard from some, was essentially: “There isn’t much you can do until the LGR decisions are announced.”
I disagree.
Yes, the timetable is tight. Yes, uncertainty is real. But waiting tends to create bigger digital and operational issues later, right when you need stability most. The councils who’ve already been through LGR are clear that early discovery and preparation pays off. We know that from the virtual round table we held last year, with senior leaders from councils who have been through LGR (read more here).
Here are five practical things councils can do now – regardless of whether you ultimately converge, diverge, or do a bit of both.
1. Know your landscape (properly)
Start with an honest baseline: contracts, applications, architecture, integrations, data flows and ‘who knows what’ across your organisation. Leaders who’ve lived through LGR stress that early, thorough discovery is what helps you understand complexity, spot risks, and avoid painful surprises later.
Include your back-office and ERP landscape in this view – licenses, renewal dates, dependencies, and any knowledge that’s currently living in people’s heads.
2. ‘Safe and legal’ by vesting day needs digital work, not just paperwork
One of the strongest themes from councils who’ve delivered LGR is that day one success is about operating as a single organisation, not just having the statutory boxes ticked.
That means getting the basics moving early: digital identity and access, shared ways of working, the minimum viable data-sharing you’ll need, and the integrations that support end-to-end services. If those foundations aren’t in place, ‘safe and legal’ is just talk.
3. Strategy is important… and so is execution
The momentum around LGR can shift with leadership and priorities. In my view, the answer isn’t to pause, it’s to design governance that can absorb change. Our whitepaper published following the LGR virtual round table we hosted, highlights how complex the shadow period can be, with decision-making slow and responsibility split across teams.
So do the groundwork now: clarify decision rights, thresholds, escalation routes, and what needs to be ready for the shadow authority to decide quickly.
4. Fix the operating model before buying the tech
Before anyone reaches for a shiny new platform, get clear on roles, processes, and how work will actually move through the new organisation. When councils align on how they will run services, the technology choices get easier, and successful implementation is more likely.
5. Start small, think big
Finally, build confidence through modest but progressive improvements: establish baseline service performance, pilot changes where you can, and use what you learn to shape the longer-term roadmap. Councils repeatedly emphasise the value of capturing and sharing learning early to build a shared understanding of ‘where we are now’ and ‘where we’re going’.
Conclusion
You don’t need the final LGR decision to start preparing. The councils who’ve been through it say the early work – discovery, governance, day-one digital foundations, makes the difference.
Get in touch or book a meeting with our Account Manager, Alex Fillingham, to discuss your requirements.