Organisational design
The to-be organisational design forms part of the wider Our Future Cumberland (OFC) programme, alongside job evaluation, pay and grading, and terms and conditions harmonisation. It responds to the position we are in following Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), where legacy structures remain across directorates.
The aim is to design future structures that improve alignment, support service priorities, enable workforce planning, and ensure long term financial sustainability.
We will soon be moving into the high-level design stage of the OFC programme.
What high-level design means
We are focusing on how services will be designed in the future. We are looking at:
- how services should be shaped to meet future demand
- opportunities to improve alignment and reduce duplication
- how we can work more collaboratively across the council
- setting the foundations for detailed design work later in the programme
What this stage does not do
This stage does not:
- make final decisions about structures
- make decisions about individual roles or employees
- determine staffing outcomes
Why this stage is needed
We use high-level design to:
- create a clear organisational direction before moving into detailed design
- make sure approaches are consistent across directorates
- identify dependencies and opportunities for alignment
- set parameters for later work
- avoid replicating legacy structures that no longer work
Design Authority
The Design Authority is a group of key individuals with expertise who will provide governance, oversight and assurance across organisational design activity. They will:
- review proposals to ensure alignment with design principles
- check consistency across directorates
- consider dependencies and affordability
- challenge assumptions and escalate risks
They will not make decisions but provide analysis and recommendations to the appropriate decision maker.
What happens next
After this stage, we move into detailed design. At that stage:
- roles and structures are developed further
- proposals are reviewed and refined
- consultation and engagement take place