Local plans blueprint

Clarified a complex local plans process to align stakeholders and support MHCLG collaboration.

Quick overview

Role: Senior Interaction Designer
Company: The Planning Inspectorate
Impact:
- Became the foundation for team strategy and MHCLG collaboration.
- Informed contractor Statement of Work and discovery framing.
- Praised by leadership for clarity and strategic value.

Situation

The local plans examination process was unclear and fragmented, risking solution-led decisions during discovery. A shared artefact was needed to align stakeholders and surface unknowns.

Task

Clarify a complex Local Plans process and align stakeholders, including MHCLG

What I did

Synthesised policy, inspector insights, and MHCLG materials.
Created a layered blueprint mapping workflows, pain points, and dependencies.
Facilitated walkthrough session for shared understanding.

Blueprint showing current processes, actions, user needs and pain points for local plans.

Impact

Became the foundation for team strategy and MHCLG collaboration.
Informed contractor Statement of Work and discovery framing.
Praised by leadership for clarity and strategic value.

Who I collaborated with

MHCLG stakeholders.
Planning Inspectorate team.

Reflections

Learned the value of a shared visual artefact in aligning diverse stakeholders early.
Reinforced the importance of surfacing unknowns before designing solutions.
Realised structured workshops help clarify complex policy language for non-technical participants.