Local Government Administrator

Local government administrators are part of a huge workforce of around 2.5 million people employed by a network of London Boroughs, unitary authorities and county and district councils. They are responsible for ensuring that appropriate services are delivered locally and that councillors' decisions and government directives are implemented. The work can cover a variety of services, ranging from education, environmental protection and leisure to social services, trading standards and waste collection.

Working alongside specialist staff - including architects, lawyers, social workers, teachers and town planners - administrators organise and maintain systems and procedures in order to run services and develop policies in line with local political priorities and government guidelines. They may write reports, implement initiatives, undertake surveys and present findings to elected councillors.

Below the level of research and policy-making, administrative work normally includes managing staff, servicing committees (preparing agendas and minutes of meetings), dealing with enquiries from members of the public and providing advice, storing and retrieving information, processing statistics, dealing with finance and applying what can sometimes be complex rules and regulations.

The emphasis of administrative work in local government has changed considerably in recent years. For example, many services - such as school meals, refuse collection and leisure centres - may now be contracted out to the private sector. Administrators dealing with such issues can be responsible for drawing up service specifications, managing relationships with contractors and monitoring their performance to make sure it is of the right quality and provides value for money.

Entry level
Although there are no specific entry requirements, there are several different entry and progression routes. You could, for example, join as a clerical or administrative assistant and work your way up to administrator level by achieving a relevant National or Scottish Vocational Qualification (NVQ/SVQ). At the other end of the spectrum, you could take a degree in any subject and apply for the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP), which is specifically designed to create a new generation of managers with the ability to take on senior roles. Though recruited at a national level, you would join a local authority and would spend two years there, taking on strategic project work, obtaining a postgraduate management qualification and participating in short-term placements with other public and private sector partners.

Relevant experience in the private sector or with other public sector organisations can often be an advantage.

Making the grade
As a new administrator, you would be given induction training in the role of your authority and the work of your specific department, in addition to extensive on-the-job training in your particular duties. Most local authorities are firmly committed to training, so release for study for specific qualifications as well as actual job training is not unusual. You might be encouraged, for example, to work towards the professional qualifications of the Institute of Administrative Management or the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

Personal qualities
Local government administrators need excellent written and spoken communication skills. You might have to explain complex issues to help councillors or the general public understand the implications of decisions and changes in legislation.

You should also be methodical, with good organisational skills and the ability to pay close attention to detail. You must be able to plan and prioritise your work, to identify key points when confronted with vast amounts of information and to respect confidentiality.

You would have to be prepared to work with elected councillors from all political parties and help to implement their policies, whether or not you personally agree with the decisions taken. Good number skills would be useful in some types of administrative work, especially when producing statistical reports or setting budgets.

Looking ahead
Every department of every local authority needs administrative staff, and you should be able to progress to middle or senior management if you have the necessary talent, ambition and commitment. You could even progress all the way to chief executive level. Promotion would usually depend on you having the right blend of experience, particularly in managing people and understanding policy, and you might take advantage of the privatisation process to gain some experience in the private sector. You could also be expected to move around the country to broaden your experience as you seek to develop your career.

Some local government administrators become consultants, providing specialist services to local authorities that need particular projects carried out but are too small to employ specialist staff.

Alternative suggestions
You might also consider training as a civil servant, company secretary, health service manager or human resources manager.

Take-home pay
Each council determines exact salaries locally, but most administrative staff are paid in a salary range within a national pay framework negotiated by the National Joint Council for Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical Staffs. If you start as an administrative assistant, you would be paid on a scale ranging from around £9,500 to £17,500. Your entry point would depend on such factors as the grade of the job and your level of responsibility. As a graduate recruit to the NGDP, you would receive a starting salary of between £18,500 and £22,000,depending on location.

Effects
Local government administrators usually work between 35 and 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday. The work is office-based but may involve some outside visits.
Several local authorities have introduced extremely flexible working patterns, including part-time working, job sharing, term-time working (where you can take additional unpaid leave during school holidays) and annual hours contracts (where the number of hours worked is calculated over the whole year and you work more hours at particularly busy times).

Sources of information
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities: www.cosla.gov.uk
Employers' Organisation for local government: www.LGcareers.com
Institute of Administrative Management: www.instam.org
National Graduate Development Programme: www.ngdp.co.uk

CRCI: AC