Insights
Considered analysis for officers, decision-makers and public-sector leaders dealing with regulatory, governance and transformation issues in practice. The focus is on clarity, proportionate analysis and matters that arise in real organisational settings.
We publish short commentary and practical notes on issues including licensing, market regulation, procurement, governance, devolution and public-sector reform. Filter by topic below.
Procurement reform in practice: what public bodies should prioritise first
A practical look at the early implementation priorities for organisations adapting to the Procurement Act 2023. The Act is live; the question is no longer whether to prepare but what to do first.
Read article →Street trading policy: common weaknesses in legacy frameworks
Why historic street trading arrangements often create more problems than they solve, and what modernisation looks like in practice for councils managing competing demands on public space.
Read article →Licensing decisions under scrutiny: avoiding procedural fragility
How licensing committees can strengthen their decision-making processes to withstand challenge. The common procedural weaknesses that expose authorities to appeal and judicial review.
Read article →Regulatory transformation without governance drift
Balancing ambition with accountability when redesigning public-facing regulatory services. How to modernise without losing the governance architecture that protects the authority.
Read article →When historic arrangements become operational risk
Identifying the point at which legacy regulatory structures move from inconvenient to genuinely vulnerable. A framework for assessing when inherited arrangements need replacing.
Read article →What makes advisory work genuinely implementable in the public sector
The difference between advice that reads well and advice that works in the context of stretched teams and political scrutiny. Why implementation design matters as much as legal analysis.
Read article →The reform window: what local government reorganisation means in practice
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 has opened the largest structural reform window in fifty years. What it means for councils, officers and the services they deliver.
Read article →From the Policy Unit
Deeper analysis and structured discussion takes place in the Devol Legal Policy Unit, our invite-only research forum. Members include current clients, vetted public sector officials and practitioners committed to evidence-based analysis.
Learn about the Policy Unit →All insights represent analysis and commentary only. They do not constitute legal advice. Readers should take specific professional advice before acting on any matter discussed.