Beyond delivery: how mission control teams can work regionally to unlock innovation

What if local government programme management wasn’t just about oversight, but about reimagining how we design, fund, and deliver change?

At Adur & Worthing Councils, we are shifting away from traditional, compliance-driven PMO models towards mission-driven and adaptive, and programme management. We’re not just tracking projects; we’re building coalitions, reshaping governance, and unlocking new models.

But the biggest challenges — net zero, economic resilience, public service transformation — are regional, not local. They cut across council boundaries and sectors, requiring shared capacity, innovative finance, and new governance models.

So, what if mission control teams worked regionally? What if PMOs became platforms for experimentation, connecting councils, businesses, and communities to accelerate change together?

This blog explores how Adur & Worthing Councils are pushing the boundaries of mission-driven PMO work, learning from global pioneers to build next-generation programme management that is participatory, agile, and impact-driven.

🚀 The challenge: why we need to rethink mission control in local government

Most Programme Management Offices (PMOs) and mission control teams in local government focus on governance, risk, and reporting. But in a world of complex, interdependent challenges, we need a bolder approach — one that:

✅ Goes beyond project management to build movements and coalitions across councils, businesses, and communities.
✅ Breaks down silos — ensuring that funding, resources, and data flow across organisations.
✅ Moves at the speed of change, using agile methods and participatory approaches to drive transformation.

Approaches that we’re testing in Adur & Worthing. However, we don’t just need regional collaboration — we need to redesign the system.

🌍 Learning from global models of radical programme management

🇪🇸 Basque Country: mission-driven economic transformation

The Basque Country’s mission-led industrial strategy aligns government, businesses, and universities to reimagine economic development as a shared mission, not just a set of projects.
🔹 Shared governance across public and private sectors enables agile decision-making and investment in new industries.
🔹 A pooled investment model funds innovation at scale rather than through fragmented grants.

💡 What can UK local government learn?

• Could local councils and businesses co-invest in shared transformation missions, pooling risk and funding?
• How can PMOs act as conveners, breaking down barriers between industry, education, and government?

🔹 Adur & Worthing example: Pioneering mission-led investment
Through Sussex Bay, we are testing how mission-driven governance and pooled funding can support a regional blue-green economy, aligning public, private, and community finance.

🇩🇪 Germany: regional PMOs that drive systemic change

Germany’s Länder (regional states) have mission-based PMOs that work across levels of government to deliver transformation at scale.
🔹 Integrated climate transition PMOs connect local and national agencies, ensuring funding and delivery are aligned.
🔹 Cross-council programme teams allow smaller municipalities to pool expertise and resources.

💡 What can UK local government learn?

• How could we embed place-based programme delivery teams across multiple councils?
• Could regional PMOs help unlock bigger, more joined-up investment in net zero and digital infrastructure?

🔹 Adur & Worthing example: Testing cross-council mission control for net zero
We’re leading a regional governance approach for decarbonisation, ensuring local investment in renewables is aligned across Sussex Energy rather than fragmented.

🇳🇴 Norway: agile programme governance for climate action

Norway has developed cross-sector, place-based programme teams that accelerate climate action by:
🔹 Creating shared public-private innovation hubs to test real-world solutions.
🔹 Embedding data-driven decision-making, using live dashboards to track emissions, impact, and investment.

💡 What can UK local government learn?

• Could UK councils create live, regional mission dashboards to track real-time programme impact?
• What would it take to design cross-sector innovation hubs that test solutions at scale?

🛠️ Next-generation PMO: what an innovation-led regional approach could look like

To move beyond traditional programme management, UK councils need to redesign PMO functions so they:

✅ Act as regional platforms for transformation — bringing together councils, businesses, and communities around shared missions.
✅ Embed adaptive governance — ensuring programmes can evolve dynamically rather than being locked into rigid processes.
✅ Use new finance models — pooling public and private funding, exploring impact investment and mission-driven procurement.
✅ Put real-time data at the heart of decision-making — using live dashboards and AI-driven insights to track programme impact.
✅ Co-design delivery with communities and anchor institutions — ensuring missions are shaped from the ground up.

📢 Calls to action: let’s build a new model for mission control in local government

✅ What if councils worked together to create regional PMO hubs that drive real transformation?
✅ How could shared investment models fund net zero, infrastructure, and regeneration at scale?
✅ What would it take to create a mission control model that is adaptive, participatory, and data-driven?

💬 What’s next? Let’s start the conversation.

If your council, business, or organisation is already working on next-generation programme management, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s explore how we can test new approaches, build shared governance, and scale what works.

What innovations would help your PMO or mission control team work differently? Drop your thoughts below!