Digital Strategy and Digital Leadership
Case reference FOI2025/00581
Received 2 March 2025
Published 27 March 2025
Request
For the purposes of research, I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
* Please provide a copy of the council's current or latest Digital Strategy. If the council does not have a Digital Strategy, please confirm this is the case. I am interested in both organisational Digital Strategy (specific to the council) and place-focused Digital Strategy (specific to the geographical footprint of the local authority).
* Please provide a copy of any digital-related strategies across the council. This includes any technology, information or data related strategies. Example strategies include Technology Strategy, IT Strategy, Applications Strategy, Cyber Strategy, Data Strategy, AI Strategy, Analytics Strategy, Information Strategy.
* Please provide the following information in relation to the council's most senior digital leader*:
* Job description/profile.
* Salary range.
* When the position was created.
* Whether the position is currently vacant or occupied.
* Title of the role the council's most senior digital leader reports to.
* The position of the role in the organisation's hierarchy. If the Chief Executive is Level 1 and positions reporting directly to the Chief Executive are Level 2, please confirm the level of the council's most senior digital leader.
* Confirm whether the role attends all top-management team meetings**.
*The role responsible for developing, defining and leading delivery of the organisation's digital vision and strategy. Those responsibilities should be the primary purpose of the role. Common job titles for these positions include Chief Digital Information Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Director of Digital.
**Defined as the regular meetings between the Chief Executive and their top-management/leadership team (e.g., Executive/Strategic Directors/CFO). Please contact me if you need me to clarify my request.
Response
For the purposes of research, I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000: * Please provide a copy of the council's current or latest Digital Strategy. If the council does not have a Digital Strategy, please confirm this is the case. I am interested in both organisational Digital Strategy (specific to the council) and place-focused Digital Strategy (specific to the geographical footprint of the local authority). A: This information is publically available on Herefordshire Council’s website and can be viewed via the following link:
Digital, Data and Technology Strategy
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
* Please provide a copy of any digital-related strategies across the council. This includes any technology, information or data related strategies. Example strategies include Technology Strategy, IT Strategy, Applications Strategy, Cyber Strategy, Data Strategy, AI Strategy, Analytics Strategy, Information Strategy. A: In addition to the above Digital, Data and Technology Strategy, there is a Transformation Strategy 2025 - 2028 which is in the process of being finalised and will go to Cabinet for sign off to be published over the next three months. You are welcome to request this information at a later date.
Please provide the following information in relation to the council's most senior digital leader:
* Job description/profile.
A: Please see attached.
* Salary range.
A: This information is publically available on Herefordshire Council’s website and can be viewed via the following link within the pay policy statement for 2025-2026:
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/downloads/download/31/pay-policy-salaries-and-roles
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
* When the position was created.
A: October 2024
* Whether the position is currently vacant or occupied.
A: Occupied
* Title of the role the council's most senior digital leader reports to.
A: Chief Executive
* The position of the role in the organisation's hierarchy. If the Chief Executive is Level 1 and positions reporting directly to the Chief Executive are Level 2, please confirm the level of the council's most senior digital leader.
A: Level 2
Confirm whether the role attends all top-management team meetings*.
A: Yes
If you are a company intending to use the names and contact details of council officers provided in this response for direct marketing, you must be registered with the Information Commissioner to process personal data for this purpose. You must also check that the individual (whom you wish to contact for direct marketing purposes) is not registered with one of the preference services to prevent direct marketing. If they are you must adhere to this preference. You must also ensure you comply with the Privacy Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). For more information see www.ico.org.uk
For the avoidance of doubt, the provision of individual names and contact details under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not give consent to receive direct marketing via any media and expressly does not constitute a 'soft opt-in' under PECR.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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