LGA People plan

At the Local Government Association (LGA), we are proud to be the national voice of local government – representing its interests, championing its role, and supporting its ongoing improvement and innovation.

Local government now faces an unparalleled set of challenges - the most significant in over half a century. Driven by the Government’s English Devolution White Paper, escalating financial pressures, rising demand for public services, and ongoing difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled professionals. 

All of this is unfolding within a complex economic environment and against the backdrop of a technological revolution that is reshaping how we live, work, and deliver services.

To ensure we are best placed to support councils in navigating this period of transformation and in harnessing emerging opportunities, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of our purpose, vision, goals, and values. Our new Strategic Framework and Business Plan place a strong emphasis on maximising the performance of our people, ensuring we continue to deliver sector-leading services to our members. It sets out a clear expectation that the goals and objectives agreed by the LGA Board are met to the highest standard, to realise our vision, and that our values and behaviours are fully embedded in everything we do and the way we do it.

This People Plan articulates our strategic direction for empowering our workforce and enabling organisational transformation. It sets out a clear framework focused on equipping our staff with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to deliver results. In doing so, we will strengthen individual performance and amplify our collective impact. By investing in our people, we are building the LGA’s capacity to lead, influence, and support councils in delivering the best possible outcomes for the communities they serve.

The People Plan reflects our commitment to developing our workforce, equipping them with the skills, adaptability, and resilience needed to meet our strategic priorities. By identifying key areas for growth and intervention, we are laying the foundation for a high-performing workforce that thrives in an ever-changing environment.

Driving change through innovation 

As we navigate a fast-paced landscape shaped by digital transformation and the ongoing demand for cost-efficient, high-quality services, we must embrace innovation and continuously seek better ways of working. Success in this dynamic environment depends on a workforce that is agile, proactive, and open to change. This means optimising our processes, adopting smarter digitally informed working methods, and leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. We will also increase the use of secondments to bring in fresh expertise and share best practices, strengthening collaboration and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Living our values, unlocking our potential 

Central to our ambition to maximise performance is a deep belief in the power of our people. We are creating a culture where purpose, passion, and performance go hand in hand - where everyone is encouraged to take ownership, strive for excellence, and hold ourselves and others to account. We are setting higher expectations for our managers to lead with clarity through change, deliver exceptional results, foster engagement, and proactively address challenges.

Our shared values of inclusivity, collaboration, ambition, and respect and the behaviours that fall within them, guide how we lead, grow, and succeed together. By embedding these values into every stage of the employee experience, we’re not just building a stronger organisation - we’re cultivating a workplace where people feel inspired, trusted, and empowered to make a meaningful impact.

Strategic investment in organisational capability

To become a high-performing organisation, the LGA must move from a fragmented, reactive learning and development model to a strategically aligned, centrally funded approach. This investment will ensure equitable access to high-quality development, address critical capability gaps, and deliver greater value through consistency, efficiency, and alignment with our organisational goals. As part of this shift, we propose an additional one-off investment this year to equip our managers with the skills and confidence needed to lead transformational change effectively.

Preparing for transformation

As the operating environment we work in is changing rapidly and we transform to work in a more agile, digitally focussed way, we recognise that people costs are the biggest cost pressure and controllable part of our spend. As the future operating model is developed to address emerging challenges, the priorities concerning workforce operations will also evolve and reduction of headcount to an appropriate level may be required to meet our business needs.  The priorities within the People Plan will be continuously reviewed through the implementation programme to ensure investment is managed appropriately and is proportionate to the organisation we are striving to be.

Our four key priorities

The People Plan will focus on four priority areas to equip our workforce to drive the organisational transformation required to support our future direction:

• Maximise performance – We are committed to holding ourselves and others to account for delivering against our objectives and maximising performance. This includes a culture of constructive challenge, where giving and receiving feedback is expected, and every individual takes full responsibility for delivering the organisation's priorities within the resources available and complies with the duties of their role. Embracing technology and digital innovation will be essential for all our people as we drive improvement and deliver change.
• Talent, management and leadership development – We are committed to investing in the growth and development of our people, while cultivating strong, inspiring leaders who fully embrace their responsibilities. We will invest in digital skills to ensure all our people have the capability to drive technical innovation. At the LGA, we expect our leaders to take pride in their role as both leaders and managers - proactively nurturing talent, driving performance, and creating the conditions for their teams to thrive.
• Employee engagement and inclusion – As we embark on organisational transformation, we remain committed to fostering a culture in which every individual feels empowered to contribute. Together, we will co-create the future of our organisation and shape the workplace we aspire to become. We are committed to creating a workplace where employees feel valued, heard, and motivated.
• Wellbeing and benefits – We prioritise the physical, mental, and emotional health of our workforce, recognising that sustained wellbeing is essential to high performance. Through a supportive culture and a range of benefits, resources, and initiatives, we aim to create an environment where our people feel equipped and empowered to perform at their best.

We believe the best solutions come from within. Over the past year, your feedback - gathered through the 2024 staff survey, temperature checks, DMA review, pulse polls, and the Big Conversation - has shaped these priorities. By actively engaging with our workforce, we ensure that our People Plan is relevant, meaningful, and aligned with our people’s needs. To build on our progress, we will regularly share updates and seek your input, co-creating initiatives where possible, and involving our partners, to ensure they truly resonate. Additionally, we have aligned our commitments with the 12 LGA behaviours to reinforce accountability and impact.

Together, we will build a resilient and agile workforce equipped to drive change, deliver innovative solutions, and ensure a sustainable future for the LGA. As we develop our future operating model to address emerging challenges, our priorities regarding how our people work will also evolve. We will continuously assess the nature of our workforce and evaluate whether we possess the necessary skills and capabilities to achieve our ambitions.

Maximise performance: Desired outcomes

At the LGA, we will foster a high-performance culture where individuals take ownership of their work, hold themselves and others accountable, and demonstrate ambition in delivering impactful and ambitious outcomes, while complying fully with the responsibilities of their roles.

Through the consistent use of SMART objectives and the evolution of our performance management practices, we will embed a culture of continuous performance and development conversations to support a mindset of growth and learning. A culture of celebrating strengths and recognising achievements, underpinned by fair and transparent pay, will further reinforce trust, engagement, and a shared commitment to excellence.

Creating a culture of feedback and coaching

To strengthen accountable leadership and continuous improvement, we will embed 360 feedback across our performance framework. This approach will provide leaders with valuable insight, from different perspectives, into their behaviours and impact, fostering greater self-awareness and growth. Integrated with SMART objectives, 360 feedback will empower individuals to take ownership, engage in constructive challenge, and consistently deliver high-impact, ambitious, values-driven outcomes.

Coaching will play a pivotal role in driving high performance – enabling high quality conversations that empower our people, unlock individual potential and shift mindset through self-reflection to create a step-change in culture and results.

Maximise performance: measuring success

Our success in achieving a results focussed, high performing culture will be measured through the compliance of the performance and development process, as well as staff feedback through the annual staff survey.

Talent management and leadership development: Desired outcomes

At the LGA we will cultivate continuous growth and improvement by providing all staff with equal access to development opportunities that enhance their skills and leadership capabilities. Through a structured and inclusive approach to personal and professional development, we will nurture a motivated, high-performing, and values-driven workforce. This will not only enrich the employee experience but also enable our people to thrive and deliver for our members in a rapidly changing environment.

• Investing in digital skills will transform the LGA into an agile organisation that leads by example in embracing innovation, rapidly adopts new technologies, and sets the pace for a technology-enabled future in local government.

• We will promote secondment opportunities across the sector to broaden people’s experience and develop a deeper understanding of the challenges our members face in delivering their services to their communities.

• Succession planning will be a critical focus ensuring a strong and diverse pipeline of future leaders, enabling the LGA to sustain its strategic ambitions over the long term

Strengthening leadership and management capability

Our managers will play a pivotal role in guiding teams through transformation, fostering engagement, and modelling the behaviours that drive accountability and excellence. To become a high performing organisation, it is essential to invest in core managerial skills, as strong interpersonal and coaching skills build trust, enhance team performance, and create team resilience. We are committed to ensuring that every manager takes pride in their role as leader – supporting, developing, and inspiring their teams, not just as subject experts but as champions of talent and growth.

This additional investment will deliver greater consistency in management capability and underpin organisational performance, ensuring that talent development is fair and transparent. This strong foundation of management capability is essential to deliver the organisational transformation required to maintain a strong and sustainable LGA.

Talent management and leadership development : measuring success

Our ability to equip staff and managers with the skills needed to lead organisational transformation will be measured through compliance with mandatory training and e-learning, uptake of personal development plans, completion rates of 360 feedback, and insights from the annual staff survey.

Key measures that will tell us we have been successful include:

• % reflecting trust in leadership and among peers.

• % managers using coaching skills to encourage reflection and learning.

• % feeling supported in their personal development

• % of staff reporting regular reflection and learning conversations with their line manager

• % reporting their line manager communicates effectively about organisational activities impacting their work.

Employee engagement and inclusion: Desired outcomes

The LGA will embed our core values - collaboration, inclusion, ambition, and respect - at every stage of the employee lifecycle to cultivate a truly inclusive and engaged workforce. By enhancing inclusive recruitment practices, ensuring equitable and transparent development opportunities, and strengthening internal communication, we will create an environment that encourages diversity of thinking and experience.

Formalising our staff networks, fostering a ‘Speak Up’ culture, and regularly reviewing feedback and data will maintain transparency and accountability, ensuring all staff feel heard, respected, and empowered to contribute fully to our strategic goals.

Engaging and communicating with our people

By clarifying how we communicate expectations through a clear internal communication and engagement strategy, we can ensure everyone understands their roles, responsibilities, and what is expected of them. This will also improve transparency around decision-making and governance.

Our aim is to build an inclusive organisation where all colleagues feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute. While we are committed to fostering this inclusive culture, we also recognise that, at times, organisational priorities will guide decisions to ensure we meet our strategic objectives effectively.

Employee engagement and inclusion: measuring success

Our success in embedding the values will be measured through the feedback from our networks, pulse surveys on key issues, as well as feedback through the annual staff survey.

We will also report on the EDI targets approved by the LGA Board.

Key measures that will tell us we have been successful include:

Wellbeing and benefits

Wellbeing and benefits: offering a holistic benefit, wellbeing and reward package

Wellbeing and benefits: desired outcomes

The LGA is committed to fostering a healthy, inclusive, and supportive workplace that prioritises staff wellbeing and sustainable performance. By clarifying flexible working policies to ensure we comply with our legal obligations, and providing training on neurodiversity and resilience, we aim to cultivate a culture of understanding, balance, and care.

Coaching-informed performance and development conversations that focus on stress and wellbeing will enhance resilience, support long-term health, and empower all staff to thrive in a flexible and psychologically safe environment.

Offering a more holistic benefit and reward package

Reviewing our total rewards package and ensuring our people have access to a wide range of health benefits, discounts, and wellbeing support helps us promote a healthy workforce. In addition, reviewing our volunteering and flexible working policies reinforces our commitment to being a competitive, forward-thinking employer that values the dedication and contributions of our staff.

Wellbeing and benefits: measuring success

Our success in supporting the wellbeing of our people will be monitored through sickness and absence data, take up of benefits as feedback through the annual staff survey.

Key measures that will tell us we have been successful include: