Transformational leadership in local government: An interview with Marie Ward, Chief Executive of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

In this interview, Marie Ward, Chief Executive of Newry, Mourne, and Down District Council and Chair of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives in Northern Ireland, discusses the key components of leadership in local government and describes the Council’s transformation since the 2015 Review of Public Administration.

This LGIU article focuses on the need for meaningful collaboration, building relationships, and setting in motion a process of transformation. It is the first in a series looking at the journey of local government since the 2015 reforms.

To start us off, can you tell us how you became the Chief Executive of Newry, Mourne, and Down?

I took up the post of Chief Executive in 2019, and have been employed by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council since its inception in 2015. Joining local government in 2008, I was never afraid of the changes that were coming down the track. I applied for and was successful in securing a Director post within the newly formed Council after amalgamation. I have always believed that local government must change, adapt and respond to the evolving needs of both the organisation and the district as we move forward.

The message I often say to people is that “if you put your head down and work hard you will succeed”. I don’t believe in looking at things negatively; there is no point in saying, “This is awful, and it’s terrible”, it is better to look for solutions.

What are the top outcomes you and your team are looking to deliver?

When I became Chief Executive, I saw the benefits of change and transformation, and I was clear from the start that we needed to adapt to the needs of the organisation and the district and look to the future. In 2019 I introduced a restructuring project called “Planning for the Future” and working with our elected members and all layers of management to envision what the future team would look like for our Council.

Fast forward through the pandemic period, we are looking at some key priorities. First, is working towards the development and implementation of a Leadership Charter and development programme for the organisation, starting at the top tiers — Chief Executive, Directors, and Assistant Directors. I also want to prioritise team building to ensure that we all know each other and our roles, build confidence and trust amongst the senior leadership team, so that people are confident enough to pick up the phone and ask a question. It is a big organisation, and people need to be confident and understand the roles across the organisation when they are engaging at this level.

Also, important to me is training. I have been liaising with the Local Government Staff Commission for Northern Ireland about putting in place training to create better cohesion that ensures everybody gets the help and knowledge they need.

On a more practical level, we have major regeneration plans for our district. The Belfast Region City Deal is a transformative partnership to secure investment across Newry, Mourne and Down and securing that funding is a testament to our vision of looking to the future. From the Mourne Mountains Gateway, the Newry Southern Relief Road and Newry City Centre Regeneration and the Digital and Innovation Projects, this intensity of collaboration and dedication for delivery is about laying the groundwork for future generations of our district.

Throughout all these priorities, an underlying theme is the process of cultural change and embarking on a journey that looks to the future.

While delivering upon these three priorities, what barriers and opportunities does Newry, Mourne and Down District Council face?

Work needs to be done to demonstrate that local decision-making, local reform, and local participation all have huge impacts on our communities. It needs to be done under policy direction from central government as well — we all need to work together. Collaboration can be assumed to be very easy. It is not. If you want a relationship to work, you must be prepared to work at it. We have demonstrated in recent years we have the ability to do it.

We also need to make sure we continue to harness whatever is thrown at us over the next few years and keep a focus on financial sustainability. Everyone is aware of the pressures on public finances, and the task for us is to navigate the short-term challenges to deliver for the district’s next generation.

Can you share a little more about your leadership and culture in supporting transformation? What are the key ingredients to this?

I am a collaborative leader. To me, this is about creating a very strong and cohesive leadership team that can deliver right across the district and the Council in the people’s best interests.

To do that, I am very clear when setting a direction, and that direction is about maximising what we have to deliver benefits the people who live, work, and visit our district. Delivering this means you must be able to work with not just your team internally but also with external partners, whether it be from the community and voluntary sector or the business sector and across government. I encourage the team to get out and engage across the sector to ensure they do not become too insular in their own offices. And, I also encourage that engagement perspective, it massively helps with our transformation goals and broadens awareness of what’s happening across different areas.

However, it is not without challenges. Forming a new leadership team required a huge amount of effort to sit down and look at the governance of the organisation and give real time and consideration to how we make decisions. Building that collective and collaborative mindset does not come easy, and as a Chief Executive, you have to take people away from their mindsets of delivery and give them space to think holistically about the impact of their work.

What would you say has been the most surprising thing about your current role as a Council Chief Executive?

Learning to expect the unexpected. Undoubtedly, the most surprising thing was the global pandemic. I have had wildfires, flooding, and industrial relations challenges including industrial action, but working in a leadership role in local government during the pandemic was a very challenging experience.

While dealing with this succession of crises can be isolating, you really start to appreciate the networks like the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace) and other connections across government. These become so important to ensure you can continue to deliver and have a support network around you to get through the challenging times.

As Chair of Solace NI, collaboration is a big driver for me. I’ve been clear that driving real and meaningful collaboration is about delivery, and the key to doing that is building relationships right across the government sector. Local government is uniquely placed, and we have connections — relationships with all departments including health, justice, communities, infrastructure, and the third sector — there is no limit to what we can achieve if we collaborate. As Solace Chair, I have prioritised these conversations with different levels of government to really underline the scale of transformation Northern Ireland requires, and the potential local government offers as a strategic partner.

Working closely with the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, this message of local government being at the heart of transformation and delivery is about maximising and making sure that we are all working to build resilient societies.

Digital Transformation Flexible Fund (DTFF) is a real example of how local government collaboration literally lifts the goalposts of ambition when it comes to partnership working and there are plenty of examples of collaboration where we can maximise the opportunities, reduce the costs and increase the benefits.

What advice would you give to those considering a career in local government?

No two days are the same. There are just so many opportunities to learn, so many opportunities to get involved in things that you would never have dreamt that you would get involved in. If you want to gain a breadth of experience in so many different things, whether that be in people, finance, community engagement, transformation, or local challenges, then local government offers countless opportunities in areas you may have never considered. You will learn very quickly how to work with people, engage, balance things, negotiate, create cohesion, and get people on your side.

Without a doubt, local government is a great learning opportunity for young people. At the heart of it, the one message that I give my staff all the time is, “no matter where you are in our organisation, you are shaping the district for the next generation, and there is nowhere else to make this kind of positive impact locally”.