Impactful Devolution 02:
Local government
for the digital era
- March 19, 2025
- Hamida Ali, Robbie Bates, Dave Briggs, Shuab Gamote and Grace Wyld
About
About The Future Governance Forum
Our mission is to shape a comprehensive new operating model for the way the country works. FGF was founded to advance new approaches to progressive policymaking and delivery, with a focus spanning national, devolved, regional, and local government.
We are more than a traditional think tank. We concentrate on the how as much as the what of policy design and implementation. Through our research and our convening power – the forum at the heart of our project – we not only develop new ideas, but test and iterate them in practice.
Our approach is rooted in collaboration. We work closely with partners across our shared ecosystem and build new networks bringing together practitioners and diverse voices from across sectors, borders and tiers of government, facilitating insight-sharing and driving forward the ideas we advocate. Our current programmes of work explore:
- Mission Critical: how can we translate mission-driven government from ambition into action?
- Impactful Devolution: how can government meaningfully and permanently devolve power to regional and local level in one of the most centralised countries in the world?
- Rebuilding the Nation: how can we utilise innovative models of public and private investment to spur growth and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure?
- Institutional Renewal: how can we rewire the state to ensure its institutions and people are fit to meet the challenges of the 21st century?
By prioritising these questions we are thinking about new progressive models of governance for the long term.
About Public Digital
Public Digital is a transformation consultancy that works with leading businesses, governments and global institutions, helping them to change their ways of working to become more responsible, adaptable and impactful.
About Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—are using AWS to lower costs, become more agile, and innovate faster.
About the core team
The core team and authors of this report are:
Hamida Ali – Hamida is Head of Learning and Practice at The Future Governance Forum.
Robbie Bates – Robbie is a Policy Associate at The Future Governance Forum. He is a strategy, design and innovation consultant with 15 years experience designing public services and organisations.
Dave Briggs – Chair, LocalGovDigital and consultant.
Shuab Gamote – Shuab is a Researcher at The Future Governance Forum.
Grace Wyld – Grace Wyld is Head of Policy and Research at The Future Governance Forum.
About the steering group
The steering group has come together regularly since May 2024 to shape this work. A big thank you to all of them for their insight and challenge around this work.
Members included:
- Theo Blackwell (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Greater London Authority)
- Louise Brown (London Borough of Camden)
- Kris Burtwistle (Amazon Web Services)
- Rich Cassidy (London Borough of Camden)
- Alejandra Diaz (London Borough of Camden)
- Nick Kimber (Cabinet Office)
- Tom Loosemore (Public Digital)
- Cate McLaurin (Public Digital)
- Philippa Newis (Public Digital)
- Will Perrin
- James Plunkett
- Nathan Yeowell (The Future Governance Forum)
The process
Over six months in 2024 we interviewed, convened and spoke with people from across the local government system. This included chief executives and senior leaders, council leaders and members, service delivery professionals, digital practitioners, colleagues in central government and external, third party suppliers to the sector.
Through a panel discussion, 1-2-1 and small group interviews and round table events; we have tried to represent a broad range of viewpoints, geographically and demographically, to respond to the question:
What role should digital & data play in supporting local place-based, public service delivery and reform?
Acknowledgements
This work would not have been possible without the partnership with Public Digital, the support from Amazon Web Services and the time and contributions of the individuals and organisations who were generous with their expertise at interviews and roundtable discussions.
- Gavin Beckett, Director, Digital Delivery, Public Digital
- Joanne Blount, Data and Tech Portfolio Lead, Surrey County Council
- Sally Caldwell, Independent Consultant
- Will Callaghan, Local Gov Drupal
- Dawn Carter-McDonald, Chief Executive, London Borough of Hackney
- Rachel Coldicutt, Executive Director, Careful Trouble
- Kit Collingwood, Assistant Director, Digital and Customer Services, Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Arturo Dell, Director, Knowledge Industries
- Adrian Dougherty, Interim Strategic Leader for Skills, Inclusion and Public Service Reform, North East Combined Authority
- Gavin Freeguard, Freelance Consultant
- Catherine Howe, Chief Executive, Adur and Worthing Councils
- Alice Goldman, Digital Centre Design, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- Evie John, Managing Director, Prosperous Places, Inner Circle Consulting
- Tylor-Maria Johnson, Policy in Practice
- Henry Kippin, Chief Executive, North East Combined Authority
- Paul Maltby, Director of Public Services Faculty AI
- Cheryl McGillion, Digital Centre Design, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- Sally Meecham, Independent Contractor
- Chris Naylor, Managing Director, Inner Circle Consulting
- Cllr Anthony Okereke, Council Leader, Royal Borough of Greenwich
- Rehana Ramesh, Director – ICT, Digital and Customer Services, London Borough of Hackney
- Susmita Sen, Corporate Director for Housing, London Borough of Croydon
- Emily Sullivan, Local Digital, Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Claire Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Sheffield City Council
- Matthew White, Interim Head of ICT, Epping Forest and Colchester Councils
- Jason Whittet, Former Head of Cities, Amazon Web Services
- Ian Williams, Corporate Director for Finance and Resources, Liverpool City Council
Clare Evans, Director of Transformation, Tewkesbury Borough Council
Digital and IT Department, Northumberland County Council
Emma Cleal, Digital Development Manager, Elmbridge Borough Council
Johanne Dufficy, Service Director – Customers, North Hertfordshire District Council
Peter Parfitt, Head of Digital, Buckinghamshire Council
Phil Rumens, Digital Services Manager, West Berkshire Council
Matt Lewis, Chief Operating Officer, Shared Resource Services