2016/17 sees the end of an ambitious and large scale experiment in local government in Northern Ireland. Accompanying a significant shift in role and responsibilities, both the number and structure of local authorities within the sector have been radically changed. Preceding this statutory shift however, a ‘grass roots’ attempt to generate strategies and processes relevant to a new era for N.I. local government was already under way. This has continued throughout the more recent and more formal structural modifications, and is suggested by the authors to be likely to lay down a legacy of strategic decision making processes into the future.
In 2012, the Local Government Staff Commission (a diversity body reporting to the UK Government) embarked on a novel path. Interpreting its role as a catalyst, it instigated a major piece of action-research work. Inviting all levels of staff, elected members and unions from local authorities to an initial conference, the LGSC asked for voluntary contributions to better public strategy in a changing environment. Panels were convened to undertake work across several domains ( known as pillars) to generate a template for, and best practice guidance on how to, develop people and organisations within the sector. The aim was to make radical improvements to local public service delivery through action-oriented, self-managed processes – before being charged with that responsibility by higher tiers of government.
Although being able to create the starting conditions for such an innovation, the LGSC did not lead with executive authority – it coordinated efforts, provided some degree of administration but asked for volunteers to join panels who themselves then appointed roles within the panels. Further, the panels were free to research and interpret the nature of improvement and best practice as they saw fit. In action research terms, the LGSC provided and organised a series of stage gate reports-back, where progress was debated and recorded by the six pillar groups, usually in the form of a day or two-day conference. As reported to the 2014 IRSPM conference at an interim stage, the model in operation was potentially better described as orchestration, existing as it did outside formal executive hierarchy, than leadership. The promise of the LGSC was to collate and disseminate the work of the pillars throughout the local authority environment on completion.
Large numbers of people took part in this process, which has lasted over four years. A great deal of significant work was produced (and indeed implemented). Higher tiers of government have meanwhile reduced the numbers, and enforced the integration of, existing local authorities. Newly elected members sit in the restructured authorities, as do new chief executives and merging staffs. Time even has run out on the LGSC, an organisation from another era, despite the radical innovation it sponsored. This session will report on the current closing developments, but will hazard an academic opinion on the success of this unique large scale action research project, and its potential future. The manifestation of orchestration will be delineated from leadership in this particular context.
