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Following the English Devolution White Paper (Dec 2024), the government plans to consolidate two-tier council areas into single-tier “unitary” authorities serving at least 500,000 residents. This promises efficiency and resilience, but also forces larger councils to reorganise how they deliver services.
Frameworks such as the English Devolution Accountability Framework set clear expectations for transparency and efficiency, while the English Devolution Bill 2024 provides the legal foundation for transferring powers and funding to local leaders. Together, they mean councils have more authority, but also more responsibility.
For procurement teams, this creates immediate pressure. Councils merging services face:
- Legacy systems that don’t connect can create silos and inefficiencies, and affect service quality.
- Service duplication drives up costs.
- Unclear resident communication risks trust and compliance.
- Service disruption undermines continuity during transition.
These issues can quickly translate into miscommunications, missed payments, and confused residents. To address them, procurement teams must prioritise robust, scalable, and system-agnostic solutions – ones that can be bought quickly through frameworks like G-Cloud or CCS.
Devolution in local government services is not simply a policy shift; it is an operational transformation. In this article, we explore how councils can use digital transformation, resource consolidation, and hybrid mail solutions to maintain service continuity, cut costs, and improve resident engagement during devolution.
How councils can consolidate systems and communications after devolution
When councils merge or absorb new powers, clear and consistent communication is essential. Residents expect one point of contact, one branded message, and accurate information, even if multiple legacy systems sit behind the scenes.
Yet many authorities face two related challenges:
- Fragmented systems that produce conflicting or duplicated communications.
- Duplicated resources that increase costs and slow down integration.
To overcome this, councils must consolidate both their communications tools and their underlying resources:
1. Communication systems
- Adopt unified CRM and messaging platforms.
- Deploy automated alerts for real-time resident updates.
- Implement digital-first strategies to maximise accessibility and reach.
2. Core resources and processes
- Unify HR and payroll systems.
- Merge procurement processes.
- Centralise council tax and benefits administration.
- Standardise resident communication tools across departments.
Those who adopt digital-first, system-agnostic solutions early are better placed to reduce duplication, integrate faster, and deliver a seamless resident experience.
Prevent disrupted services in local councils
Public trust relies heavily on uninterrupted services. Even small disruptions during reorganisation can create major impacts, from missed council tax payments to delays in benefits or waste collection. That’s why service continuity must be a top priority for councils after the English Devolution Bill.
To safeguard continuity, councils should:
- Set up contingency providers. Ensure critical services remain operational during system migrations or staffing shortages.
- Implement monitoring tools. Real-time detection of service issues, helping teams respond before residents are affected.
- Map service dependencies and overlaps. Ensure no essential function is lost in the transition between old and new structures.
- Cross-train staff across functions. Reduce reliance on single teams and improve resilience during disruption.
- Digitise standard communications. Ensure statutory notices, billing, and resident updates continue without manual delays or errors.
By adopting digital-first solutions such as multichannel hybrid mail, councils can automate essential communications whilst simultaneously reorganising internal systems and structures. This means residents experience a consistent, trusted presence.
Overcoming data silos and system integrations
Legacy systems are a major barrier to reorganisation. Many councils operate dozens of standalone databases across departments, none designed to communicate with one another.
While full system consolidation can take years, the need for integration is urgent during devolution. Without it, residents risk receiving conflicting information, duplicate letters, or delayed services.
Steps for successful integration:
- Conduct full audits of existing systems to identify duplication and risk.
- Use API integrations to connect platforms without replacing everything at once.
- Migrate data to GDPR-compliant cloud solutions for secure, scalable access.
- Develop analytics dashboards to monitor performance and identify weak spots.
Checklist for councils:
- Audit software and data silos.
- Identify interoperability gaps.
- Implement API-based tools.
- Test data migration strategies.
- Monitor integration success with analytics.
While full consolidation is complex, councils can act immediately by adopting system-agnostic tools. For example, Datagraphic’s Aceni Mail combines data from multiple departments into one clear, resident-facing communication, allowing councils to deliver accurate, unified messages without waiting years for IT migrations.
Aceni multichannel hybrid mail solution
With Aceni Mail, councils keep their existing systems. The platform pulls data from separate systems, such as benefits, council tax, or service databases, to present unified communication for each resident.
That means:
- No need for costly new IT infrastructure.
- Faster integration than system migrations, no complex integrations.
- Consistent, branded communications across departments to avoid multiple letters.
During reorganisation, agile software helps councils maintain trust while avoiding disruption. Councils keep their systems, while Aceni Mail centrally processes and delivers consistent, branded communications. This is especially valuable during devolution.
Best practices for local authority collaboration
Devolution is not a solo effort. Working in isolation will limit the scale and impact of reform. Successful council reorganisation requires collaboration across regions and departments, aligning systems, processes, and communications.
Key steps for effective collaboration:
- Establish common data standards and protocols to ensure different departments and councils can share information seamlessly.
- Co-invest in shared infrastructure and platforms to reduce duplication and achieve cost efficiencies.
- Select digital tools that serve multiple departments, supporting cross-authority workflows and reporting.
Councils already using Datagraphic’s solutions benefit from systems that work across organisational boundaries, which is an advantage for new combined authority structures.
Devolution solutions: Streamlining communications and services
To reduce disruption and better serve residents, councils should focus on:
- Consolidated systems to unify data and reduce duplication.
- Strategic communications that keep residents informed and engaged.
- Digital-first approaches to modernise service delivery and improve efficiency.
Datagraphic’s Aceni platform supports these goals by providing:
- Secure, automated delivery of letters, bills, and public notices.
- Omnichannel engagement through print, digital, or hybrid methods.
- Postage consolidation to reduce operational costs.
- Carbon-neutral document production to help councils meet decarbonisation targets.
Devolution offers councils a real opportunity to rethink how services, people, and resources come together. By adopting document automation, councils can maintain continuity, streamline communications, and support residents effectively throughout reorganisation.
Speak to our team about seamless integration with Aceni hybrid mail.
Understanding devolution further
What is English devolution?
The transfer of powers from the central government to local leaders, often through combined authorities and metro mayors.
What is council devolution?
Local government reorganisation is about how the powers and funding that sit with local government are organised between councils.
What is the English Devolution Bill?
A legislative proposal aiming to make devolution the standard in England, strengthening local autonomy with clearer accountability.
When will the English Devolution Bill be passed?
The bill is currently under parliamentary review. You can follow updates via the UK Parliament Bill Tracker. You can also find key information on the local government website.
Arguments against the English Devolution Bill?
Critics argue it may lead to inconsistent service delivery, underfunding, and further central oversight without real autonomy.
How can councils improve communication after devolution?
Integrating centralised messaging tools, automating public notifications, and ensuring all departments use consistent language.
What are the biggest communication challenges in local government mergers?
Disparate systems, unclear lines of responsibility, and delayed responses to citizen queries are common hurdles.
What does devolution mean in government?
It signifies decentralisation, placing more control over services and budgets into the hands of regional or local authorities. Devolution offers councils a powerful opportunity to reshape service delivery, but it comes with complexity.
How does the English Devolution Bill fit into the English Devolution Accountability Framework?
The English Devolution Bill 2024 establishes the legal basis for transferring powers and funding to local and regional leaders, while the English Devolution Accountability Framework sets the standards for how those powers must be managed. Together, they ensure councils gain more authority but are also held to clear expectations around transparency, financial management, and service delivery.
