The LGA’s Transformation Capability Framework – ‘what good looks like’
The Local Government Association has created the Transformation Capability Framework designed to provide guidance and resources to support and assist local authorities with achieving their transformation goals through transformation projects and programmes. Sally Stock and Clarice Harper-Smith look at the details.
The Transformation Capability Framework aims to enable local authorities to achieve their intended outcomes and to identify and address the capabilities required to deliver ‘sustainable and effective transformation’ in local government.
Alongside the Framework sits the ‘7C’s Conditions for Success’, a model which provides a checklist of essential conditions for successful transformational change. The guidance and the model help authorities to evaluate their capabilities before embarking on transformational change.
In this article we consider each capability set out in the Framework and summarise briefly the essential capabilities (needed for all types of transformation) and specialist capabilities (additional to the essential capabilities for specific transformation types). Each capability sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for each transformation to be effectively delivered. Councils can assess their maturity in that area though the application of the ‘maturity index’ as a scale from 1-5.
Sharpe Pritchard work with local authorities across the UK and have the expertise to support local government through transformational processes including in procurement.
Summary of Essential Transformation Capabilities:
| Capability | Key Aspects of Capability / Abilities |
| Leadership and Management | Leaders should have the ability to inspire and motivate employees and create a culture of success with a clear transformation strategy.
Leaders should be visionary and think strategically to enable problem solving, management of risk and set positive behaviours. |
| Governance and Control | Councils should have the management skills to oversee transformation activities in a structured way whilst enabling accountability and transparency. Councils should understand governance and effectively manage projects, risk and resources. The employees should assure delivery quality and define certain requirements. |
| Change Management | Councils should have the ability to lead and manage change initiatives with a ‘systems thinking’ approach aligning culture, structures and processes. Councils should facilitate organisational development and change, managing stakeholders and people to facilitate engagement, learning and development. |
| Data Intelligence | Councils should use data (financial, operational, personal information) to inform transformation activity and make decisions to support the council’s outcome.
Councils need to ensure data governance, data security, data quality management. They should plan data storage and present data accessibly. Essential training is required. |
Summary of Specialist Transformation Capabilities:
| Capability | Key Aspects of Specialist Capabilities
(Including across all areas: Joined up and effective governance and leadership understanding, planning, commitment and buy in) |
| Finance | Councils should understand costs, setting of project budgets and monitoring spend.
Councils need to manage project accounting, analyse costs and benefits of transformation initiatives, understand and implement governance. Councils should apply commercial acumen where necessary to help plan transformations and monitor progress. In addition, essential enablers to this capability include: – A long term outlook – Alignment of budget to outcomes – Culture of responsible financial leadership and management. |
| Service Design | Councils should design services to improve customer experience for customer focused transformation and digital enabled transformation alike.
Councils should conduct user research, apply design thinking and agile methods. Councils should ensure accessibility and manage content accordingly. In addition, essential enablers to this capability include: – Having council wide service design principles and standards – Understanding of target ICT architecture |
| Business Analysis | Councils should have the ability to define business needs or the needs of the organisation, informing decisions about technology, areas for improvement and solution selection and design.
Councils should also: – Have council wide service design principles and standards – Be able to to analyse costs and benefits, change, systems and design processes – Understand the Council’s own target IT architecture and related governance |
| Digital and Tehcnology | Councils should use technology to support their outcomes ensuring information sharing and ability for self-serve with aim to enable services to be efficiently delivered.
This capability relies heavily on the delivery of other capabilities to a high standard. Essential enablers for this capability include: – The alignment of council outcomes – Effective data security practices – A digital culture and mindset |
| Procurement and Commissioning | Councils should be able to plan for, procure and manage contracts to effectively deliver transformation activities.
Councils should be able to understand demand and supply, define requirements, engage the market and evaluate tenders. Essential enablers for this capability include: – Accurate contracts register – Council wide procurement policies |
| Organisational HR Change | Councils need to be able to manage changes to council structure ensuring any such changes are managed ethically, lawfully and in line with policy.
Councils should apply laws and regulations, consult employees and manage risks effectively when changing roles and structures within the council. Essential enablers for this capability include: – Manage HR changes compliantly – Plan long term – Transparency – Investment in training and development |
Sally Stock is a Partner and Clarice Harper-Smith is a Trainee Solicitor at Sharpe Pritchard LLP.
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