LGA and Solace publish Senior Leadership Development Framework for sector leaders at second tier

The LGA and Solace said: “At its core, the framework describes what good second-tier leadership looks like now and in the future, and how leaders can continue to develop in role.”

They added that the framework has been designed to translate evidenced gathered from research and development, consultation and engagement of various kinds “into a clear, practical and usable development aid”.

The LGA and Solace said it reflects “the real complexity of second tier roles, balancing place leadership, organisational leadership and personal leadership. It recognises both formal authority and influence without authority, supports leaders to operate confidently in political, financial and ethical contexts, and separates development of the individual from development of the role, while recognising the interaction between the two.”

The framework covers:

• Purpose and audience
• The design and development of the framework
• What this framework will be used for
• The eight high-level themes
• Inspiring place and systems leadership
• Developing shared vision
• Navigating politics and the political interface
• Enabling innovation and learning
• Leading a high performance culture
• Ensuring good governance, resource management and ethics
• Acting with integrity and authenticity
• Self-reflecting and taking care
• Strengthening the leadership pipeline
• Appendix

The framework is “intended to be flexible, adaptable to local context, relevant across different council types and geographies, and capable of being used over time rather than as a one-off intervention”, the LGA and Solace said.

The framework is part of the LGA's Sector Support programme, funded by the UK Government.