Lewisham Council is set to enhance its approach to co-creation and co-production in future strategies, aiming for greater agility, innovation, and a stronger focus on resident outcomes.

The commitment follows a review of the council's Corporate Strategy 2022-2026 by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The review highlighted significant achievements across the council's seven priority areas, despite facing considerable external challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and sustained financial pressures.

During the meeting on Thursday, 19 March 2026, councillors and officers discussed lessons learned from the past four years. A key takeaway was the need for a more flexible strategy that empowers innovation and adaptation, moving away from specific we will statements towards a focus on clear outcomes. The new Corporate Strategy (2026-2030) will be drafted and published following the May 2026 elections, with a date for its presentation to Full Council to be confirmed.

The strategy should be designed around clear outcomes and actions, with a focus on strategic objectives and flexible delivery commitments, was a key recommendation discussed. Separating the high-level corporate strategy from detailed deliverables would allow the strategy to remain stable while delivery evolves. Officers noted that the development process for the next Corporate Strategy will include early and substantial engagement with residents, partners, and the voluntary, community, and faith sector.

Co-creation and Resident Empowerment

The principle of co-creation and empowering residents to advocate for their own needs and services was seen as crucial for improving outcomes. The No Wrong Front Door programme, for instance, will incorporate co-design and co-production, with engagement with residents planned at various stages of its development, aiming to begin quickly. Councillor De Rijck emphasised the importance of a strategy that is located in our place, in our people, and in our values, a sentiment echoed by Councillor Best's call for place-based involvement and engagement with ward councillors and local stakeholders.

Measuring Resident Outcomes

The council plans to shift its focus from measuring outputs to measuring outcomes. The distinction between strategy and policy, and the importance of measuring outcomes rather than just outputs, were emphasized. Councillor Warner questioned the clarity of monitoring strategy progress, asking for a clearer picture of whether the strategy is on track and if some areas are easier to monitor than others. In response, it was noted that the council will be measuring impact, reflecting a broader governmental shift and the direction of good councils to focus on what difference do we make not just what did we do or what against what we're measuring. The No Wrong Front Door programme aims to Combine any resident engagement framework with a resident outcome framework, showing a clear set of metrics for how this programme is improving the resident experience.

Addressing IT and Data Challenges

Systemic challenges with IT infrastructure and data collection, which led to residents having to repeat information across different interactions, were identified. The No Wrong Front Door programme seeks to address this by centralizing the Housing contact centre into the corporate function and creating links into Neighbourhood Teams in health. The Digital Strategy was referenced as a means to resolve some infrastructure challenges, alongside utilizing procurement effectively to align systems. The goal is to maintain a single view of the resident. Work in these areas is ongoing, with a focus on improving data collection and use to drive service delivery more effectively.

Strategic Objectives and Prioritization

While specific strategic objectives for the 2026-2030 strategy are not yet defined, the report mentions that the development process will involve evidence gathering and consultation, to help inform this document. The current strategy (2022-2026) was based on broad policy areas/ principles (such as Place, Community, Inward Investment and Opportunity, and Diversity), as well as a list of priorities which reflected the political ambitions of the administration.

Geographic Focus and Place-Based Involvement

The importance of geographic focus and place-based involvement, engaging ward councillors and local stakeholders, was suggested to ensure growth is distributed more evenly across the borough. The Growing the Local Economy report recommendations include increasing place-based focus in lower-connectivity and/or higher-need areas to help ensure growth is more evenly distributed across the borough, including targeted engagement with relevant local stakeholders.

Financial Pressures and Procurement

Sustained financial pressures on local government were noted as a significant challenge. The report addendum details Specialist Procurement challenges, explaining that The Council undertakes a significant amount of procurement activity, with almost two thirds of its services delivered via contracting or partnering arrangements. The procurement of new systems is critical but complex and higher risk, with particular challenges in procuring large IT applications. The No Wrong Front Door programme aims to utilizing procurement effectively to align systems. Affordability of up-front investment in the context of sustained local government financial pressures is a consideration, with transformation funding tracked centrally and investment decisions focused on 'invest to save' cases.

Achievements and Challenges

Cabinet members present highlighted numerous successes, including the establishment of 55 permanent School Streets, the retrofitting of 1,409 homes with energy efficiency improvements, and the creation of 235 apprenticeships with a 90% retention rate. Lewisham Works supported 1,833 residents into employment, and the council adopted a new Local Plan with robust affordable housing policies.

However, challenges were also identified, including the limited flexibility of the previous strategy's design and difficulties with IT infrastructure and data collection. Cross-departmental working and a one council approach were also highlighted as crucial.

The committee concluded by noting the report and the proposed recommendations for the development of the next Corporate Strategy. The full public reports pack can be found here.