What we did
Question Factory supported the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to review and renew its ambition for radical public service reform, and to evolve its ways of working for the next phase of English devolution.
We worked with GMCA teams to develop a public service reform options framework to guide discussions with government. This set out a series of concrete proposals to unlock system-wide reform, including:
- Pooling budgets for multiple disadvantage
- Advancing devolution in the criminal justice system
- Overhauling employment support
- Locking in integrated health and care
- Providing new capital investment powers to drive public service productivity
How we did it
We worked collaboratively with GMCA colleagues, public service professionals and finance leaders across Greater Manchester to identify, refine and suggest devolution options. We structured these into a compelling narrative and socialised and iterated this to secure support, considering delivery, governance and accountability challenges along the way.
Throughout the project, we shared insights and provocations to support internal discussions about the evolution of GMCA – identifying opportunities to strengthen governance, build capability, and clarify strategic direction in order to work in more complex and relational ways.
The impact we had
Our work supported system leadership conversations and the rapid development of LiveWell, GMCA’s groundbreaking movement for community-led health and wellbeing.
It also directly influenced the Combined Authority’s approach to post-election negotiations with central government, helping to anchor its next-phase ambitions in tested practice and shared learning.
