Both Councils have agreed to move a small number of services into a design and development phase, known as Tranche 1: Proof of Concept. This stage is focused on developing detailed business cases to test whether shared approaches could work, including an assessment of costs, risks, benefits and service delivery and workforce implications. This phase of work does not involve changes to services or jobs.

The Board, which will meet every 4 weeks, is jointly led by the Chief Executives of Falkirk Council and Clackmannanshire Council and includes Directors and senior officers from both organisations. Its role is to oversee the work, ensure a consistent approach and guide the development of business cases before any future decisions are considered by elected members. 

At its first meeting in January 2026, the Board agreed that four areas will move forward into the design and development stage:  

• Revenues and Benefits
• Internal Audit and Fraud
• Resilience and Emergency Planning
• and an overarching Governance workstream to consider the right governance arrangements for joint working across all areas. 

This work is being taken forward because Councils face long-term financial pressures and need to ensure sustainable service delivery into the future. Collaboration may offer opportunities to reduce duplication, share systems and expertise and help protect frontline services. Tranche 1 is a proof of concept, focusing on a limited number of services to test whether collaboration is practical, affordable and safe before any wider decisions are made.

Over the coming weeks, project teams will be established for each area with lead officers identified. Scopes for the work will be developed, and information will be gathered to inform the business cases. At the end of this stage, recommendations will be brought back to Council for a decision on next steps. 

At this stage, there are no changes to how services are delivered. There are no restructures, no transfers to other councils, no service closures, no changes to pay or terms and conditions and no IT changes. Any future proposals would be subject to Council approval and full consultation with staff and Trade Unions. 

The work is being supported by up to £2 million from the Scottish Government’s Invest to Save fund, which is helping to resource the design phase without placing additional pressure on service budgets. 

Some staff may be asked to support this work by sharing information about how services operate, taking part in workshops, or helping to test options. The type and level of involvement will vary depending on the project, and input from staff is important to ensure any proposals are grounded in real service experience.  

A Joint Staff Forum is also being established to make sure Trade Unions are kept informed as the work progresses.