How We Work
The DIZ is a highly innovative and inclusive digital partnership jointly owned and created by large and small organisations together investing many hundreds of millions of pounds per year in serving local residents and businesses. The DIZ is not a legal entity in its own right but is comprised of many statutory bodies. This means that while the DIZ applies for funding collectively, the delivery of its work and these programmes is via one of the partners acting as an accountable body.
The partnership is led by the DIZ Executive Board comprised of an elected member and lead officer from each of the funding local authorities. The board is led by our Chair, Cllr Alan Lion (Epping Forest DC) and supported by a Vice-chair.
The DIZ Executive Board meets monthly.
The Executive Board identifies and pursues external funding opportunities, organises events eg. Smart Place Seminars and conferences, produces DIZ Matters, and evaluates the application locally of different digital approaches and technologies.
The DIZ Digital Innovation Forum meets every two months and is open to partners, colleagues and supportive organisations from across, and beyond, our place committed to the aims and objectives of the partnership and looking to work collaboratively to meet the digital challenge.
The Digital Innovation Forum is a key platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration, and aims to bring forward a range of guest speakers on the key emerging digital opportunities, issues and challenges facing the public and voluntary sectors.
The key audience for the Digital Innovation Forum is the wider network of local public and voluntary sector colleagues and organisations from across the DIZ geography. However, the audience is continually evolving, and we are open to sharing these sessions with interested and supportive organisations from beyond the DIZ. New partners are welcome, and we are keen to adopt and promote a collegiate and collaborative approach for organisations interested in getting involved in supporting and shaping the work of the DIZ.
Partners have asked that working digitally is not just about technology but also about adopting an agile approach to working.
Our Partners
Local Authorities (County)
Essex County Council
Lead: Cllr Lesley Wagland, Doug Parrant
Hertfordshire County Council
Lead: Cllr Bob Deering, Sophie Mance
Local Authorities
(District / Borough)
Epping Forest District Council
Lead: Cllr Alan Lion, James Warwick
Harlow Council
Lead: Cllr Alastair Gunn, Alison Fox
Uttlesford District Council
Lead: Cllr Neil Reeve, Sarah Lewin
Voluntary Sector
Our voluntary and community sector partners are critical experts in the delivery of frontline digital services to those residents most in need, including those experiencing digital exclusion.
WECAN
Lead: Ali Firth
CVS Uttlesford
Lead: Clive Emmett
Rainbow Services
Lead: Sharon Summerfield
CDA Herts
Lead: Tim Hayward-Smith
Community Alliance Broxbourne & East Herts
Health Sector
We work with partners from across the health landscape to explore the potential for digital to transform and underpin the future of healthcare. These include:
Herts + West Essex ICS
Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (EPUT)
Princess Alexandra Hospital
West Essex CCG
Private Sector
Our partners from the private sector support the DIZ with access to real-world experience of digital applications and and understanding of key digital trends.
UK Innovation Corridor (UKIC)
Lead: John McGill
CGI
Lead: Stacey Van Bergen
Insight MCL
Lead: Abby Fisher
Education Sector
Partners from education are able to highlight key digital research topics and areas for exploration as well as providing key expertise on emerging digital issues and opportunities.
Anglia Ruskin University
Leads: Professor Jennifer Schooling, Fiona Bodle, David Rutt, Sarah Bell
Harlow College
Lead: Paul Whitehead
Herts Regional College
Lead: Katrina Dougherty
New City College – Epping Forest
Lead: Janet Smith, Phil Hall
Associates: The DIZ has also worked to develop its agenda and deliver its work programme with the support and assistance of other organisations including: East Herts District Council, Broxbourne Borough Council, Microsoft, KAO Data, Public Health England, Arup, BT, Virgin, Gigaclear, Easel TV, DCMS, Cambridge Wireless, Herts County Council, Vaden Solutions, Haileybury College, Chesterford Research Park. Whilst not partners to the DIZ the support and encouragement of bodies such as these is integral to the progress the DIZ has made to date and to its continuing efforts.