The announcement that the Government is pausing and reviewing parts of the Local Government Reorganisation programme raises an important question beyond the immediate uncertainty about which councils will eventually exist: what is the cost of changing course after significant work has already been undertaken? On 7 September, the Government announced that decisions affecting Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk would be withdrawn following updated legal advice. Proposals in a

Leadership is often described in terms of vision, strategy and decision making. Delivery, meanwhile, is frequently treated as something that happens further down the organisation. In reality, the relationship between leadership and delivery is far more connected and getting the balance right is essential if an organisation is going to perform effectively. Good leaders need to understand what is happening on the ground. They need enough knowledge of the work to ask the right q

Restructuring an organisation often begins with a familiar question: should the organisation start again from the ground up, or should it build on the structure and capability already in place? There is no universal answer. The right approach depends on why the organisation is restructuring, what it needs to achieve and whether the existing organisation provides a sound foundation for the future. A restructure should not be an exercise in moving boxes on an organisation chart