Local authority for one of England’s largest counties will establish new entity by merging transformation and tech services teams to help ‘progress towards a digital, design, data and technology approach’
Essex County Council is to merge existing teams focused on service transformation and tech support to create a new Essex Digital Service intended to help the local authority “progress towards a digital, design, data and technology approach”.
The council is currently conducting a recruitment process for a director of the newly expanded service. The position comes with an annual salary of £146,225.
Specification documents for the role state that “work is already underway to consolidate and align” technology and digital services operations, and “bring together the key disciplines around people, processes and technology, aligned to best practice”.
The Essex Digital Service will take on responsibility for delivering a set of “service-transformation objectives” and a “technology roadmap” recently created by the council.
“The mission underlying the roadmaps is to: ‘drive outstanding outcomes and experiences for residents and employees enabled by modern, secure, compliant and connected technology solutions’,” the job documents added.
The five ambitions for service transformation are to: “create better services for residents and businesses; help teams respond to strategic challenges; create better experiences for ECC staff and partners; build design and change capabilities across ECC; [and] build a strong and sustainable team”, according to the council.
The technology roadmap, meanwhile, focuses on four main areas, beginning with the use of artificial intelligence and automation to drive efficiencies. Also included in the strategy are plans for “renewing and maintaining our tech”, while delivering “service-specific schemes” and supporting the use of “technology for collaboration”.
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Overseeing the implementation of all of these plans will be the newly merged digital and IT function.
“The new Essex Digital Service will provide a council-wide view of technology demand, help plan investment and resources to deliver efficiencies, identify and join up cross-cutting requirements and support the delivery of value and excellent services to Essex residents,” the council said. “Technology is a key enabler of the council’s ability to deliver for its residents; this includes technology that supports employees in doing their jobs, technology that is more resident/customer facing, and technology that will enable the council to transform the way it works in the future.”
The director of the service will oversee all technology transformation work across the authority, as well as serving as “the digital ambassador for the service design profession… [and] advocating the latest business, digital and technology trends and innovations”.
The postholder will manage an annual budget for tech products and services of about £17m, as well as a payroll of £12m – and up to £40m allocated for a “five-year investment programme”. The director will oversee the work of about 250 people, including six direct reports.
Applications for the post are open until 15 September, after which a longlist of candidates will take part in “technical interviews”. Those that progress to the shortlist interviews with senior officials and, finally, a panel of elected members. The overall process, which is being conducted by executive recruitment specialist Starfish Search, is scheduled to conclude in early November.
The role specification adds: “This role requires a high level of expertise, gravitas and collaboration to enable the council to create a culture of digital innovation and working environment that supports creativity and embraces critical challenge to constantly improve its work in a digital workplace. The role will ensure that the council works efficiently and effectively by ensuring that all elements of the technology landscape, including digital solutions, deliver high-quality outputs.”
