Alex Harris

Senior governance and partnership leader with more than a decade of experience across integrated care systems, local government and multi-agency environments. Combines board assurance, provider collaborative development, place-based partnership leadership and operational credibility. Strong track record of shaping governance structures, supporting executive decision-making, improving risk and assurance disciplines, and turning complex system priorities into workable forums, programmes and accountability arrangements.

Associate Director, Partnership and Business Support (Calderdale) at NHS West Yorkshire ICB (2023-01 – 2023-06)

Lead strategic governance, partnership and business support arrangements for Calderdale place, covering the Calderdale Cares Partnership Board, Clinical & Professional Forum and wider senior leadership infrastructure. Primary impact: Established and developed the Calderdale Provider Collaborative, creating the memorandum of understanding, terms of reference and governance architecture while streamlining governance across multiple forums to reduce duplication and sharpen board focus.

• Act as programme lead for provider collaborative development, helping design the governance, membership, terms of reference and operating arrangements needed for a legally compliant place-level collaborative model.
• Helped design and implement the shadow-year governance model for the Calderdale Provider Collaborative, establishing board, working-group and assurance arrangements across NHS, primary care, local authority and VCSE partners.
• Drafted and refined core governance artefacts including MOU / statement of intent, terms of reference, governance papers and Calderdale-specific schedules to support transition from concept to operational collaborative working.
• Supported development of collaborative risk-sharing principles, risk register, due-diligence requirements and shadow-year accountability arrangements ahead of full contracting.
• Helped define the governance boundary between place and CKW / West Yorkshire structures, protecting place-based autonomy while aligning with system requirements and statutory accountabilities.
• Contributed to governance mapping, board mobilisation, reporting-line design and development planning to support the live operation of the Provider Collaborative Board and onward maturity toward formal contractual arrangements.
• Own place-level risk and assurance processes, including maintenance of the risk register, issues log and supporting assurance material feeding into wider ICB governance.
• Provide senior governance advice in executive forums and deputise for the Chief Operating Officer in emergency planning, leadership meetings and external partnership settings.
• Lead the place business support and secretariat function, with line management responsibility for performance, development planning, workload allocation and service resilience.
• Hold lead responsibilities spanning estates and facilities strategy, leasehold negotiations with NHS Property Services, and information governance matters including FOI and subject access requests.

Corporate Governance Lead (Greenwich) at NHS South East London ICB (2021-11 – 2023-01)

Delivered embedded governance leadership for the Healthier Greenwich Partnership as part of South East London ICB's place-based model. Selected impact: Helped reshape reporting and public governance arrangements so formal board time could focus more clearly on strategic priorities and health inequalities.

• Supported board development and governance maturity, including planning development sessions to improve focus, decision quality and collective oversight.
• Led place-level risk reporting and escalation, improving the timeliness and quality of risks moving from Greenwich into the wider ICB governance structure.
• Managed local business support staff and coordinated appraisals, personal development plans and day-to-day delivery of governance support.

Integrated Commissioning Governance Manager at NHS North East London CCG (City & Hackney Integrated Care Partnership) (2019-05 – 2021-11)

Led governance and programme support for Covid-19 response structures, including system operational command, vaccination governance and accountable officer forums operating at pace. Selected impact: Designed governance protocols for emergency-response boards and ensured rapid decisions were translated into programme plans, milestone tracking and accountable delivery.

• Managed governance for the Integrated Care Partnership Board, including its role as Local Outbreak Board during the pandemic.
• Co-authored assurance and risk reporting, advising directors and programme leads on risk identification, articulation and escalation.
• Prepared strategic briefings for senior clinical, executive and political stakeholders across the borough partnership.

Earlier career in corporate governance and democratic services at Multiple organisations (2014 – 2019)

Built a strong foundation in committee governance, constitutional advice, public decision-making, scrutiny and partnership board support across NHS and local government settings. Delivered board development, conflicts of interest compliance, public webcast meetings, statutory forward planning and support to high-profile political and executive forums.

• NHS North West London Collaboration of CCGs
• London Borough of Lambeth
• Greater London Authority
• Peterborough City Council

LL.M. in International Human Rights & Terrorism Law – Lancaster University

LL.B. (Hons) – Lancaster University