The Nolan Principles: Seven Foundations for Successful Strategic Authorities

As England's devolution agenda continues to gather pace, Strategic Authorities and Combined Authorities are taking on greater responsibility for economic growth, transport, housing, regeneration, skills, and public service reform. Much of the discussion surrounding these new organisations focuses on governance frameworks, assurance processes, constitutions, and delegated powers. While these are all important, ensuring the right behaviours and values seems to have taken a back seat.

I write this article with a degree of irony. For years, I questioned whether the Nolan Principles had become outdated and even joked that one day I might undertake a PhD to rewrite them for the modern public sector. However, my recent assignment within a Mayoral Combined Authority has led me to a different conclusion. Whilst governance structures have evolved significantly since 1995, the leadership challenges remain much the same. Building trust, making evidence-based decisions, and maintaining public confidence are as important today as they were thirty years ago.

The Nolan Principles were introduced in 1995 to establish standards in public life. More than three decades later, they remain highly relevant. For Strategic Authorities and Combined Authorities, they provide far more than a code of conduct; they offer a practical framework for effective leadership, stronger partnerships, and good governance.

What are the Nolan Principles?

Putting People Before Politics - Selflessness

Strategic Authorities exist to improve outcomes for residents, communities, and businesses. Selflessness requires leaders to place the public interest above organisational, political, or personal priorities. This can be particularly challenging when multiple councils and partners are involved, each with their own ambitions and pressures. The most effective leaders recognise that regional success often requires looking beyond local boundaries and focusing on what delivers the greatest collective benefit.

Trust Is Earned Through Integrity

Trust is one of the most valuable assets any public organisation possesses. Combined Authorities often oversee significant public investment and complex partnership arrangements involving local government, central government, businesses, and delivery partners. Integrity ensures decisions are made fairly, transparently, and free from inappropriate influence. When stakeholders believe leaders are acting with integrity, collaboration becomes easier and confidence in decision-making grows.

Better Decisions Start with Better Evidence - Objectivity

Whether allocating funding, prioritising transport schemes, determining investment opportunities, or setting strategic priorities, decisions should be based on evidence rather than assumption, influence, or political expediency. Objectivity ensures resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact. It also provides assurance to residents, partners, and government that decisions are being made through a fair and robust process. In an environment where resources are increasingly constrained, evidence-based decision-making has never been more important.

Accountability Builds Public Confidence

One of the greatest challenges facing Strategic Authorities is ensuring clarity around who is responsible for what. Residents often see a single public sector landscape, while behind the scenes responsibilities may be shared between constituent councils, elected Mayors, and partner organisations. Accountability requires leaders to own decisions, explain outcomes, and accept scrutiny. Organisations that embrace accountability build credibility with stakeholders and strengthen public confidence in the decisions they make.

Openness Strengthens Partnerships

Combined Authorities are built on collaboration. Success depends on effective relationships between councils, businesses, government departments, community organisations, and residents. Openness creates the transparency needed to support those relationships. This means being clear about priorities, honest about challenges, and transparent in decision-making. When organisations operate openly, they create stronger partnerships, reduce misunderstanding, and encourage greater engagement from stakeholders.

Honesty Creates Credibility

Leaders do not gain trust by pretending challenges do not exist. They gain trust by communicating openly about risks, constraints, and difficult decisions. Strategic Authorities often operate in complex environments where competing priorities, financial pressures, and delivery challenges are unavoidable. Honest communication helps stakeholders understand the reality of the situation and creates credibility, even when decisions may not be universally popular. Authentic leadership is built upon honesty.

Leadership Sets the Culture

The behaviour of leaders establishes the culture of an organisation. Policies, governance frameworks, and operating models are important, but people ultimately take their cues from what leaders say and do. When senior leaders consistently demonstrate selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, and honesty, those behaviours become embedded across the organisation. Strong leadership transforms principles from words in a governance document into everyday practice.

Good Governance Is More Than a Structure Chart

As Strategic Authorities continue to evolve, there will rightly be significant attention given to governance arrangements, decision-making frameworks, and organisational design. However, the most successful authorities will understand that governance is ultimately about behaviour rather than bureaucracy. The Nolan Principles provide a timeless framework for navigating complexity, building trust, and delivering effective public service. They help leaders make better decisions, create stronger partnerships, and maintain public confidence in an increasingly complex governance landscape.

For Mayors, Chief Executives, Directors, elected members, and senior leaders, the challenge is not whether these principles remain relevant. The challenge is ensuring they are visible in every decision, every partnership, and every conversation. Because good governance is not only defined by the structures we create—it is defined by the behaviours we choose to demonstrate.