Is it just making things more complex?

Is this yet more meetings?

The way a federation works is determined by its constituent members, who can decide how many meetings and activities it undertakes. In many cases it will not need any extra time: a shared meeting does not take longer than a separate meeting, but may be more productive. Relationships with the District, and other such bodies, need not be affected since the circuit remains the primary point of contact, however the constituents might prefer to coordinate this though the  federation.

It is inevitable that there will some additional work generated when such a group is set up, but this need only be for a short time. One should hope that a significant amount of additional work and effort is required as a result of the invigorated mission that follows: things could get busy!