The words ‘bloodbath’, ‘feud’ and ‘casualties’ crop up more often than not when local government reorganisation is discussed.
And uncertainty prevails now as the 16 shortlisted bids await the outcome of public consultation and final announcements on their fate in July.
Questions about TUPE regulations, harmonisation of pay and conditions, and a whole host of legal issues remain unanswered.
The MJ estimates up to 55 districts could be scrapped, and the most elementary mathematics indicates that this will mean fewer jobs at senior level.
Capacity will be a problem in the short term. People who are concerned their job might be lost could jump ship, if the right opportunity arises, and it will be difficult to recruit to authorities in a state of flux.
Meanwhile, morale will inevitably be low, and staff will be distracted from providing services to residents.
Personnel professionals, responsible for aspects of this transition, have a lot on their plates. But they insist steps can be taken to minimise the angst in the short term, and maximise the benefits in the long term. 
A key factor is the involvement of heads of human resources at the earliest possible stage, stresses Public Sector People Managers’ Association (PPMA) president, Phil Badley, who is assistant director at Stockport MBC.
He says: ‘The focus has been on politics and carving up boundaries and resources, and people are coming second.’ Lessons need to be learned from the last local government reorganisation when people felt they were ‘swallowed up’ in the process, he continues. The immediate priority is to keep frontline staff motivated and consulted, and unions involved in the process.
One of the biggest issues to manage is confusion. A Staffing Commission is being created to guide authorities through the process, but the DCLG is unable to provide specific information on the personnel implications of unitary bids at this stage.
A spokesperson says: ‘The Local Government Bill allows flexibility in the approach to best reflect the circumstances of individual authorities’ and there is, therefore, ‘no set approach, as councils are all doing things differently’.
The shortlisted bids indicate whether they would create a new organisation or be a continuing organisation absorbing other bodies, and the majority opted for the former model. They also included estimates for the costs of redundancies.
Gill Hibberd, director of organisational development and human resources at Buckinghamshire CC, is the PPMA lead on unitary transitions.
PPMA is examining vacancy-management protocols for this period of change. She warns: ‘In uncertain times, people might look for other opportunities, and that is what we don’t want, because the talent will be needed to meet these challenges. Councils must keep people motivated by creating a vision for the future.’
Jan Parkinson, managing director of Local Government Employers (LGE), points out that there is often not a lot that can be done while councils are awaiting decisions and guidance from central government. But it is essential to keep people well informed, even if it is to tell them there is still no decision.
Authorities in the midst of unitary bids are not appointing where vacancies arise. Despite the extra costs, the appointment of interims for senior appointments and temporary contracts for more junior posts can help tackle short-term capacity problems, she advises.
Julie Towers, chief executive of recruitment consultant Tribal Resourcing, says: ‘There is symbolic need to be seen to be creating a new entity, even if this is not a new legal entity to stop people feeling sidelined.
‘There needs to be one clear culture and organisational design. We all have to remember that the drivers are around customer focus and efficiency.’
Jonathan Flowers, director of recruitment firm Veredus, says that whichever model is adopted, the process must be transparent.
He outlined his ‘top tips’ for managing this difficult transition. ‘This is a chance to make changes,’ he says, ‘so think how about how you would do it in an ideal world.
‘Consider how to keep the vast majority of staff who are unaffected focused. Think about how to retain certain key officers who might not have a job at the end of the process, for example, by offering a payment at the end – with the district auditor’s approval.
‘Address harmonisation of pay and conditions head-on. And later down the line, don’t underestimate the importance of building new teams where people come to work together who carry baggage from feuding.’
This is all a big challenge, but ‘ultimately, the price is worth it,’ in Mr Flowers’ view.
Aidan Rave, consultant at recruitment consultant Rockpools, is upbeat. He says: ‘There are wonderful opportunities to redesign services, which should be embraced. Good leadership is necessary to manage the transition, but local government is used to change.’
He reassures that there will still be a demand for skilled people at all levels. While there might not be as many top posts, senior managers could end up doing a similar level job in a larger organisation. ‘It is critical to get the right people in the right places,’ he says.
Graham Goodwin, managing partner at GatenbySanderson, echoes the view that ‘there is always a place for good staff’. He advises councils to ‘think creatively’ when examining interim options in the short term.
‘People should see this as an opportunity, not a threat,’ he says. Once this period of uncertainty is over, there will be a ‘race for talent’ to get the new unitaries up and running by 2009.
The best individuals and authorities will be well prepared for that.
The consultants all agree there is likely to be a hiatus in recruitment, followed by a rush to appoint, and a flurry of applications. Councils and individuals will face tricky decisions about if, when and how to make their moves. 
None of this will be easy. Minister Phil Woolas is sure that the process will result in ‘more responsive, effective and efficient’ services to the public.
Personnel professionals will be tested for all they are worth to minimise the fallout in the short term and maximise the ultimate results. n