Local reorganisation (LGR) brings significant organisational change and complex technology choices.

When councils merge or reorganise, they inherit a mixture of services, processes, systems, suppliers, contracts, data, and ways of working. Some systems are essential to keep running. Others are duplicated across the new council. Some can be retired. Some are risky to touch during transition. All of them cost money, time, and attention. 

We’re here to help councils make those decisions safely and strategically. And we want to do it in ways that benefit the wider sector, not just during this current reorganisation, but for the future of local government.

How we’re supporting councils through reorganisation

Local Digital is helping councils navigate LGR in five ways: 

1. Gathering market intelligence

In September 2025, we shared our work to build a clearer picture of the market – including systems, suppliers, contracts, and products across the sector. 

This foundational intelligence will help council’s understand market health and dynamics, make more informed procurement decisions, and help central government better support the sector.

We’re completing our first phase of user research on how this could work as a practical tool, and we’ll share next steps in the coming weeks.

2. Co-creating a playbook for the digital, data cyber, and technology aspects of LGR 

We’re working with councils who’ve recently undergone LGR to capture what they’ve learnt, and with organisations across the sector to share useful tools and resources. 

In early 2026, we’ll publish the first iteration. This will include tools, guidance and case studies to help councils build resilient, digital-first, secure foundations ahead of vesting day. We’re also building a contribution community to regularly update the playbook based on sector feedback.

3. Encouraging collaborative product delivery 

Since the Local Digital Declaration in 2018, we’ve encouraged councils to collaborate on common needs. This work takes on new significance during LGR, where we’ll be working together to fixed timescales to find shared solutions. 

We expect a variety of approaches, with councils from the same or different localities uniting to build or buy software as appropriate. We’ll aim to remove barriers and enable collaboration.  

This will require effort from all sides. Councils need to align on common needs. Suppliers need to work in partnership with groups of councils rather than hold individual relationships.  

4. Understanding how to shape healthier software markets

We want to understand how to encourage high quality, standards compliant software that meets council’s needs. This includes looking at commercial baselines, procurement approaches, and open standards.

We’ll discuss this with practitioners in central and local government, and the vendor community. We can then propose meaningful and deliverable improvements. 

5. Helping with the human side of change

LGR is as much about people as it is about systems. Capacity, confidence, and collaboration are key to success.  Data highlights that professional capacity – especially digital, data and cyber skills – will be one of the most significant constraints during reorganisation.  

We’re talking to councils who’ve been through it, and organisations that might help, to understand the human side of LGR change better.

Stay in touch

We’ll be working in the open, sharing what we’re exploring, what we’ve learned and what we’re planning next. 

If you’re dealing with LGR challenges, we’d love to hear what’s working, what’s hard, and where shared approaches could help. 

To share your success stories, experience or to collaborate, email [email protected]

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• LinkedIn  

• Local Digital Newsletter   

• MHCLG Digital blog   

• Local Digital website