This case study explores Birmingham City Council's City Observatory, a pioneering data platform established to create a single source of truth about the city, its communities, and public services. Through examining the programme's development, we see how breaking down data silos and making insights accessible can transform decision making in local government.
Data-driven decision making: Birmingham City Observatory's journey to a single source of truth
An exploration of how visible, engaged leadership creates the psychological safety and environment needed for innovation and capability building.
Leadership lessons from Birmingham City Council’s Foundry Programme
This case study explores Coventry City Council's approach to developing data skills across its workforce through a structured apprenticeship programme. By recognising data as foundational to delivering the council plan and digital strategy, the council has taken a whole organisation approach to data skills development in the context of shrinking budgets and capacity challenges.
Coventry City Council: Building a data-skilled workforce with apprenticeships
This case study explores the digital transformation journey of Dorset Council's Housing service following Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). It shows how the service embraced modern technology, built a culture of continuous improvement, and used data to enhance services for residents. It also demonstrates the benefits realised through the creation of the unitary authority.
Dorset council: the housing service digital transformation journey
This case study examines how Dorset Council's housing team through Local Government Reorganisation were able to utilise digital technology and design skills which became available to them to transform reactive complaint handling to proactive service delivery.
Dorset Council: Digital Innovation in Housing Standards
This case study explores how Nottingham City Council is embedding a culture of change through the in-house delivered Ways of Working (WoW) programme, a targeted support programme to help teams adapt to new ways of working and embed sustainable change.
By using a structured diagnostic process, designing tailored interventions and working collaboratively with service areas, the programme is helping teams improve their effectiveness, strengthen alignment with the Council’s values and behaviours, and adapt to evolving digital and operational demands
Nottingham City Council: Embedding a culture of change through targeted team support
This case study examines how Somerset Council, following the wave of unitary authority creations in 2019 created their Target Operating Model, helping the new council navigate financial pressures and foster a new shared culture focused on delivering better resident outcomes.
