Following her career of 30 years in local government, Dr. Catherine Hobbs is well aware of what she describes as ‘the generic challenges of local government reform’. These she sets out in terms of the context of reform, common themes, and perceived barriers to reform.

Robert Geyer is a Professor in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University (UK). His more recent works include: Handbook on Complexity and Public Policy (2015, edited with Paul Cairney) and Complexity and Public Policy (2010, co-authored with Samir Rihani).