A big challenge facing Ashfield District Council was prioritising key projects and change, one of which included focusing on the strategic direction of the council and ensuring that the right structures were in place, to complement the new corporate plan. There was a need to move away from being ‘reactive’ to be able to ‘plan for future delivery’. It was also important for the council to be competitive and an attractive place to work. 

One of the challenges to the council was the knowledge that change to the organisational structures was needed, however, doing it alone may have been challenging. Through looking at options, the council decided to work with the LGA, and the DMA approach.