Report

Impactful devolution 02: Local government for the digital era

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum explores what an effective local digital ecosystem – bridging local and central government – could look like.

Plans are in motion within the ‘digital centre’ of government to reshape the way central government works and delivers public services, reflecting a recognition of the power of data, digital, and emerging technologies to drive efficiencies and deliver modern, user-centred public services.

But missing from the government’s plans is a vision for the future of ‘digital’ in local government, and how the two can coordinate efforts as the government looks to advance its missions and push more powers to the local and regional level.

The local digital landscape today is fragmented and lacks a strong institutional foundation. While there are pockets of good practice, little coordination exists between central and local government, creating unnecessary duplication and missing opportunities to share learning and address common problems.

We call this gap the ‘missing middle’ – and without addressing it, digital transformation efforts in local government will remain piecemeal, failing to keep pace with demand and further widening the gulf in service quality with central government.

This project explores what an effective local digital ecosystem – bridging local and central government – could look like. We recommend creating a new digital architecture that supports devolution, fuels place-based innovation, and enables sector-wide collaboration and reform.