Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

staff, with the average around 11.3%. Clerical and administrative staff
account for 21.7% of total staff, ranging from 16% to 30% of staff across
local authorities.
6.6.2 Therefore, on average therefore spans of control across the levels are 1:6
(director to senior management), 1:2½ (senior management to
management) and 1:2 (management to clerical and administrative staff).
The span of control is a function of the complexity of the work – complex
work requires lower spans of control, whereas more straightforward work
can be managed with higher spans of control. For example, in call centres,
ratios as high as 1:40 can be found. A span of control of 1:6 at director level
might be considered reasonable (especially when it is combined with the
director’s responsibility for the outdoor area, including professional technical
and general operatives – see below). However the spans of less than 1:3
which exist at senior management : management, and management :
clerical and administrative staff are low for some of the more straightforward
work of a local authority, particularly in work areas of less complexity.
Figure 6.7 – Staffing Pyramid – Administration, end-2009 (% of all staff)
Director
0.8%
Senior
Management
4.6%
Management
11.3%
Clerical / Admin
21.7%
Source: Survey of County and City Councils, 2010
• Director
– Co Manager / Director of Service / Head of Finance
and equivalents
• Senior Manager
– Senior Exec Officer (Grade 8) / Admin Officer
(Grade 7) and equivalents
• Management
– Senior Staff Officer (Grade 6) / Staff Officer (Grade
5) and equivalents
• Clerical / Admin
– Assistant Staff Officer (Grade 4) / Clerical Officer
(Grade 3) and equivalents
6.6.3 Outdoor and professional/ technical staff make up 60% of total local
authority staffing. Levels at senior engineer/ senior planner or equivalent
amount on average to 3.8% of staff (including 172 senior engineers), but
this varies from as low as 2.5% up to 6.9%. For engineer/ planner or
equivalent grades, the average is 6.5% but the range is from 3% to 10%.
Taken together, technicians and craftworkers/ general services supervisors
account for anywhere from 3.4% of staff to 20.4% of staff, with an average
of 10.1%. General operatives and equivalents account for 40.2% of staff,
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