Dylan Roberts takes chair at Socitm strategy and policy body Socitm Futures as predecessor Glyn Evans focuses on VP role

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Dylan Roberts, Chief ICT Officer at Leeds City Council, and a member of the Local CIO Council, has taken over from Glyn Evans as Chair of Socitm's IT strategy and policy. The move was confirmed at the Futures meeting on 17 May.

Dylan already contributes to the national and regional public service IT agenda through his membership of the Local CIO Council, the Yorkshire & Humber Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and Socitm Yorkshire & Humber, and is playing a lead role in influencing the direction and delivery of the PSN and G Cloud programmes on behalf of Local Public Services.
In his 'day job' at Leeds City Council, Dylan leads a team of 302 business and ICT professionals involved in a range of transformational programmes at a national, regional and city level. To this he brings more than twenty years of experience in public sector ICT, 11 of them at head of profession level.

Socitm Futures is a representative group whose role is to advise Socitm on policies around key issues affecting public sector ICT. In order to inform its policy development work, Socitm Futures commission research, surveys members' views and takes evidence from key Government and industry stakeholders. Futures is managed by Socitm Head of Policy, Martin Ferguson, and its core membership is drawn from the Socitm regions, Whitehall departments, CESG, Socitm's vendor community and private advisors.

Currently, Socitm Futures is engaged with generating a local response to the Government ICT Strategy which will set our local visions and priorities for each of its strands including G-Cloud, Public Sector Network and Data Centre consolidation. Futures is also keeping a close eye on strategies emerging from the Coalition Government around IT, open data, shared services and related issues.

'These are exciting times to be taking over as chair' says Dylan Roberts. 'Futures has a vital role to play in spearheading Socitm's campaign to promote the role of IT in local public services reform, and in building practical models for the future shape and contribution of tomorrow's public services, whether they are delivered by councils, third sector, local health services, education, or the emergency services'.

Futures' focus is on information assurance, data handling and sharing; efficiency and sustainability; shared services and infrastructure; and citizen/staff access and engagement, essential elements in 'whole place' approach to reform, collaboration and innovation in local public services.

Glyn Evans, the former chair of Socitm Futures, has relinquished the position in order to focus on his new role as Socitm Vice President, following his election at Socitm's AGM in April.

Vicky Sargent
07726 601139
Socitm Press Office
vicky.sargent@socitm.net

Dylan Roberts
0113 39 51515
Chief Officer (ICT) Leeds ICT Services
Dylan.Roberts@leeds.gov.uk