The secret to effective change management in Councils

Change within a council is rarely straightforward. With multiple departments, many of which are not desk-based, and a network of external partners, agencies, and suppliers, each with distinct needs, the landscape is inherently complex.

Years of financial pressure have led many councils through waves of cost-cutting and efficiency programmes. While some initiatives have delivered real value, others have fallen short. Employees are understandably cautious about new initiatives that promise transformation and rightly question how such programmes will support what matters most: enabling them to deliver for the communities they serve. 

In this context, a well-considered and inclusive approach to change is essential. It’s the key to navigating complexity, rebuilding trust across stakeholder groups, and ensuring that ERP implementations deliver meaningful, lasting benefits, not just for council operations, but for colleagues and the communities they impact.  

A successful Change Strategy provides structure, clarity, and purpose. It reinforces why the programme matters, articulates the benefits it will bring, and outlines how those benefits will be realised through rigorous planning and support. It ensures that every group’s needs are considered, every dependency mapped, and every action owned. Crucially, it recognises that cultural change, the shift in behaviours, mindsets, and ways of working, is just as important as system change. And it positions benefits as the golden thread that connects every activity, decision, and communication. Veran has been working in Central and Local Government for over a decade and here’s what we’ve learnt… 

Six Principles for developing an effective Council Change Strategy 

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Persona Analysis 

Understanding the people behind the roles is essential. Councils are made up of a wide range of personas, from frontline workers and administrators to managers and external partners, each with unique needs, pain points, and experiences of change. 

By listening to these voices and learning from past experiences (the good, the bad, and the ugly), you can build a strategy that reflects operational realities rather than theoretical ideals. Engaging all stakeholder groups ensures the approach feels relevant and helps tailor benefits messaging to what matters most for each group. 

2. Build Change Structures and Ownership 

The phrase “it takes a village” couldn’t be truer in a council setting. Embedding and sustaining change requires collective effort far beyond the programme’s change team. 

A strong strategy should clearly define the roles of: 

• Sponsors, who lead visibly from the front and remove barriers 

• Managers, who cascade messages and support their teams to understand why change matters and how they’ll be affected 

• Change Network members, who drive bottom-up momentum and peer-to-peer support 

By setting clear expectations and empowering every role to contribute, councils can build lasting change capability and a culture of shared ownership, a critical foundation for sustainable change. 

3. Base the Strategy in Best Practice. . .  Pragmatically Applied 

Frameworks like ADKAR offer proven foundations for change delivery and help structure the activities within a Change Strategy. But success lies in applying these methodologies with a pragmatic lens. 

Theory shouldn’t be followed to the letter; it should be adapted to fit the council’s context. A structured approach that flexes to meet real-world challenges is far more effective than rigid adherence, especially when cultural nuance and local context matter. 

4. Design for Inclusive Engagement 

Change must be accessible to everyone. That means designing communications, training, and support that reach non-desk-based staff, neurodiverse colleagues and those with limited digital access or literacy. 

In the strategy, outline how you will use multiple formats and varied channels to ensure no one is left behind. Inclusion isn’t just a principle stated in the strategy, it’s a prerequisite for adoption and a reflection of council values. It also ensures that the benefits of change are felt equitably across the workforce. 

5. Socialise the Strategy 

A change strategy that sits in a drawer helps no one. It should be widely shared, easily understood, and actively used. 

Anyone should be able to pick it up and see what change is doing, why it matters, how it’s being delivered, and who it affects. It’s also a powerful tool for building awareness of the ‘gives and gets’ between change, programme workstreams, and council departments, and for reinforcing the benefits narrative at every level. 

6. Measure What Matters 

We know what gets measured gets done, and change is no exception. Your strategy should outline how progress will be tracked at each phase of the programme, using meaningful metrics that assess awareness, confidence, adoption, and cultural shift. 

When indicators show that change isn’t landing, remediation should be swift.

Measurement isn’t just about accountability, it’s about learning, adapting, and ensuring that the benefits of change are realised and sustained. 

Shaping a successful Change Strategy in a council goes far beyond documenting a plan. It requires collaboration and a shared vision across departments, partners, and communities. By implementing these principles, councils can move from managing change to leading it. 

Look out for our next SaaS Mindset™ webinar (our tool for measuring and embedding cultural and behavioural change) on our events page. You’ll meet other business leaders navigating change, hear from experts, and be able to ask us your questions on change. 

Also contact becky@veranperformance.com if you would like to talk about delivering change in your organisation.