Greater Essex LGR: System-wide Proposal Development and Mobilisation
The Challenge
Greater Essex Local Government Reorganisation required coordination across 15 councils, reflecting different tiers, political contexts, and competing proposals. The system needed to develop and submit four proposals, while maintaining collaboration, pace, and consistency across a highly complex and interdependent landscape.
The programme faced two key challenges. First, managing multiple proposals in parallel required robust coordination, assurance, and dependency management to protect critical paths. Second, the system needed to mobilise quickly and coherently, establishing governance, programme management, and leadership arrangements that enabled senior decision-makers to work collectively while recognising local differences.
Our Approach & Solution
Newtrality was appointed to provide system-wide advisory and delivery capacity, initially supporting proposal development and subsequently transitioning into a delivery partner role to mobilise the programme and establish a hybrid, system-wide PMO.
Central to our approach was enabling the 15 councils to operate as a single system, while maintaining clarity of accountability and ownership. We designed and facilitated a system-wide stakeholder engagement approach and developed a shared data platform to coordinate inputs, track materials, and close gaps as required. This enabled consistent information sharing and supported coordinated proposal development and publication.
Alongside coordination, we provided independent proposal assurance. We established ethics walls, with different team members working on individual proposals, and reviewed draft submissions at key milestones. Structured “page-turn” sessions were used to provide clear, constructive feedback on quality, readiness, and critical path.
Senior leadership facilitation was a core component of the role. We provided independent feedback and facilitation to 15 Chief Executives, supporting identification of areas of commonality and difference and agreement of ways of working. We facilitated weekly CEO catch-ups and monthly CEO and Leader meetings, offering a neutral and objective view on progress, risks, and dependencies.
As the programme progressed, Newtrality transitioned into delivery partner and mobilised a single, jointly resourced, system-wide hybrid PMO, drawing on resources from across the councils. We introduced robust risk, issue, dependency, and change control processes to support transparent decision-making and rapid escalation and resolution. Fortnightly programme reporting to SteerCo ensured all 15 CEOs remained informed, engaged, and aligned.
We also supported workstream mobilisation and delivery readiness. This included assuring Terms of Reference, deploying subject matter experts to drive quality and consistency, identifying interdependencies, and assuring overarching scope. We designed and mobilised practical, future-proof governance, including a streamlined SteerComodel with representation from all 15 councils, and facilitated CEO sessions and lessons-learned workshops to agree shared working principles.
To support implementation planning, we worked with officers to identify key datasets and formats to inform common baselining and ensure data was safe and legal. We ran scenario planning sessions to inform disaggregation of complex services and supported delivery planning across workstreams to develop an overarching transition plan using a structured programme planning approach.
The Impact & Lessons Learned / Reflections
The programme enabled the 15 councils to work collaboratively as a single system, supported by transparent governance and a jointly resourced PMO. Four proposals were developed and submitted, underpinned by independent assurance and coordinated dependency management.
A system-wide governance and programme management framework was mobilised, providing clarity on roles, decision-making, risk management, and delivery responsibilities. Senior leaders remained informed, engaged, and aligned throughout a fast-moving and complex programme.
Key lessons from the work included the importance of investing time in building relationships and shared understanding across a complex system, and the critical role of transparent governance and decision-making in enabling pace, trust, and collective ownership.