Correspondence

Oflog: review of long-term role, and short-term remit

Published 10 September 2024

Applies to England

From: Jim McMahon OBE MP, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution

To: Josh Goodman, Chief Executive, Office for Local Government

Date: September 2024

Office for Local Government (Oflog) – review of long-term role, and short-term remit

I am committed to resetting the relationship between local and central government and to clarify the roles and responsibilities of central government and the sector. I have therefore decided to review the role of Oflog by the end of 2024 to ensure that it will add the greatest possible value to the system of transparency, accountability and support of local government. I will welcome the views of the sector over the coming months.

In the meantime, I would like Oflog to continue to deliver its previous remit, with the exception that we have agreed that Oflog should pause on piloting and rolling out its current model of ‘early warning conversations’ while we consider the government’s overall approach to early warning and interventions.

Oflog’s short-term remit, effective immediately, is as follows:

Inform

We need to empower communities to have a voice on what their local authority is doing. It can be hard to navigate the wealth of available data – we are rich on data but poor on insights. Although the current Oflog Data Explorer is live, it is incomplete and covers only a fraction of local authority activity. Oflog will:

• continue to update data for existing metrics on the Data Explorer
• continue to add new metrics to the Data Explorer, with a focus on areas most relevant to the government’s missions
• continue to improve the Data Explorer, including ensuring it better explains the data’s limitations and how it should be used responsibly by third parties
• develop options for new, additional, or alternative data tools to help citizens understand local authorities’ performance, being clear about how these would add value to existing tools and reporting provided by central government and the sector

As Oflog is an office within my department, I will approve all new metrics for the Data Explorer prior to publication.

Support

Oflog will continue its work to understand the current landscape of support available to local authorities and, where there are gaps, will inform discussions with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) officials about how these gaps might be best filled.

In parallel, Oflog should continue its programme of webinars that convene groups of similar local authorities to learn from each other. It should also continue to take a “test and learn” approach to new forms of support. This could include publishing new analysis, research or tools on local authority performance and best practice.

I am interested in what Oflog could do to improve local authorities’ digital and data capability. Oflog should develop a proposition, working across government.

Warn

We have agreed that Oflog should pause on piloting and conducting its current model of ‘early warning conversations’ while we consider the government’s overall approach to early warning and interventions. I would like Oflog to work with MHCLG officials on options to help identify when local authorities might need support to recover, rebuild or reform.

This remit will be updated after further consideration of Oflog’s role in the sector.

Your sincerely

Jim McMahon OBE MP
Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution