Leadership lessons from Birmingham City Council’s Foundry Programme

In 2023, Birmingham City Council faced challenges familiar to many local authorities. Despite investments in improvement projects and external expertise, the council found it difficult to deliver sustainable change. Projects often extended beyond their intended timelines, and staff continued with existing processes that weren't serving residents as effectively as they could.

The council’s financial situation created both pressure and opportunity. The Section 114 notice prompted the organisation to think more seriously about transformative change, driving a renewed focus on realising genuine efficiency savings and challenging established ways of working. This moment became a catalyst for rethinking how the council approached innovation and service improvement.

The council launched ‘The Foundry’ programme with a clear mission to improve efficiency through digital solutions while building internal capabilities. The programme team understood that successful transformation would require more than just technological change – it would need a shift in how the council approached improvement, innovation, and service delivery. 

Rather than relying primarily on external expertise, the focus shifted to building internal capabilities. Instead of lengthy projects timelines, the team adopted shorter six-week delivery cycles. Most importantly, the leadership approach created an environment where innovation could flourish. 

Richard Brooks, Executive Director, Corporate Services at the council, implemented a leadership approach that has fundamentally changed how the council approaches innovation and improvement.

At the heart of the Foundry's success is leadership engagement that goes beyond formal oversight. Despite significant other responsibilities, Richard personally chairs regular Foundry board meetings and actively engages with projects at all levels. This visible commitment has encouraged teams across the council to work together on their challenges, knowing they'll receive meaningful support and attention.

Richard leadership style is grounded in practical actions and behaviours. As he puts it ‘micro behaviours really matter’. He actively fosters psychological safety within teams, explaining ‘I try never to ask the question, ‘Why has this gone wrong?’ because it sounds like, ‘Who is to blame?’ Instead, I ask, ‘What have we learned?’ This approach encourages open dialogue and learning, allowing teams to address challenges collaboratively without fear of failure.

Richard’s curiosity and commitment to learning are deeply rooted in his diverse background in public policy and strategy. He has worked across sectors such as education, health and local government, and has experience in international contexts, including projects in India and Africa. This breath of experience shapes his belief in the importance of curiosity and collaboration as key drivers of impactful change. He explains ‘you’ve got to be interested in this stuff. If you’re not, you’re not the right leader for it’. His emphasis on interest and involvement ensures leaders don’t simply oversee but actively enable transformation. 

The Foundry programme has delivered measurable outcomes across several key areas, demonstrating how the right leadership approach can enable both cultural and operational improvements. The programme's emphasis on learning and open dialogue has fundamentally changed how teams work together, breaking down hierarchies and empowering staff at all levels to suggest and lead improvements. The shift from lengthy consultancy led projects to practical, achievable changes has enabled teams to deliver results quickly by leveraging existing technology and resources. 

The Foundry's approach to integrating AI solutions exemplifies this transformation. By working collaboratively with teams to identify pain points, the programme has helped implement AI tools that streamline administrative tasks, reduce manual workloads and generate substantial cost savings. For instance, an AI-powered mailbox indexing system now saves more than 5,500 staff hours annually, while automated document redaction has cut processing time from ten minutes to just 90 seconds per document. These innovations emerged not from top-down directives, but through the Foundry's emphasis on empowering staff to identify and solve their own challenges.

Learn more about the council's AI transformation journey.

Through the Foundry's collaborative approach, staff gained the confidence to identify, implement and scale these technological improvements, demonstrating how innovation thrives when teams are properly supported. Regular board meetings and robust governance structures have played a pivotal role in removing barriers swiftly, allowing innovations to progress at pace.

The programme has cultivated a culture of collaborative problem solving. Teams now actively approach the Foundry with challenges, confident they will receive meaningful support and solutions. This has created a ripple effect, encouraging other departments to adopt a more cooperative approach to service improvement.

Perhaps most importantly, the Foundry has proven that sustainable change is achievable without relying heavily on external intervention. By focusing on building internal capabilities and creating the right environment for innovation, the council has developed a scalable model for continuous improvement.

• Leadership Engagement Matters: Active engagement from senior leaders is crucial, not just in oversight but through regular presence at meetings, removing barriers quickly, and fostering direct communication across hierarchical levels to improve decision-making.
• Create the Right Environment: Success depends on creating an environment where innovation and improvement can thrive, combining open learning with clear governance structures and manageable delivery cycles that maintain momentum without constraining progress.
• Build Internal Capabilities: Councils should focus on developing their own people by investing in internal skills, empowering staff to lead improvements, and creating regular opportunities for knowledge sharing across teams.
• Maintain Clear Focus: Successful change requires alignment with council priorities, demonstrating value early through quick wins, and having a systematic approach to scaling successful innovations across services.

The Foundry’s initial period has demonstrated how combining engaged leadership with practical delivery approaches can drive meaningful change. The programme shows that improvement is possible when councils create the right environment for innovation and learning.