A new digital and cyber playbook to support local government during reorganisation

We are pleased to share that the first release of our Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Digital and Cyber Playbook is now live.  

The Playbook is an evolving collection of guidance, council experiences, and templates to support councils navigating the digital, data, technology and cyber aspects of local government reorganisation. The content responds directly to questions raised by practitioners in councils undergoing LGR. 

Who the Playbook is for 

The Playbook is designed for anyone leading and supporting reorganisation activity with a focus on digital, data and technology, including: 

digital leaders in councils going through LGR, such as Chief Digital Officers, Heads of Digital and IT, or Chief Information Officers  digital and cyber practitioners working on specific digital projects within LGR programmes  senior officers outside digital seeking assurance that LGR planning aligns with best practice 

Shaped by the sector 

The Playbook has been developed collaboratively with colleagues across local government, central government, sector bodies and suppliers, who shared their time, experience and expertise. It draws on conversations with those who have been through reorganisation, offering insights they wish they’d had when they first started.  

A message from Ben Cheetham, Head of Local Digital 

“We’re incredibly grateful to colleagues across the sector who contributed their insights. We hope the Playbook becomes a valuable guide for councils as they prepare for day one and lay strong foundations for the future.” 

What the Playbook includes 

The initial focus reflects 3 areas that councils identified as most urgent in user research: 

being ready for day one – the essential cyber, digital, data and technology requirements to ensure the new council is operational, safe and legally compliant  managing expectations – how to maintain focus on priority projects while balancing the needs of the wider organisation  collaboration and baselining – how councils can start talking and sharing ahead of LGR to ensure a smooth day one experience and laying foundations for future transformation 

What’s next 

Read our roadmap, which details upcoming content and the areas we'll cover next.   

Upcoming guidance will include: 

cyber readiness  disaggregation of services and data  digital leadership during transition 

Get involved 

Join the Playbook community to shape future content – submit your own material, share your experience or give feedback on the current release.  

Follow our channels for our latest updates: 

LinkedIn  Local Digital newsletter   MHCLG Digital blog    Local Digital website