Joint acceleration is the only option. That is the central theme of the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS) launched by the government. It is a joint digitalisation strategy of municipalities, provinces, water boards, public service providers and the national government designed to strengthen the country’s digital foundation and tackle societal challenges. In an increasingly digital world, this joint effort between governments is essential for a resilient society and a strong economy.
Focused approach
Digitalisation presents urgent challenges. These include fragmentation in IT policy, innovation, a shortage of digital professionals, and the geopolitical need to reduce reliance on foreign technology providers. Through the NDS, the Netherlands emphasises control, partnerships, resilience, and a future-proof strategy.
“The NDS is an important milestone,” Eddie van Marum, State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), responsible for digitalisation, says. “The sense of urgency and the need to jointly accelerate our progress in the digital world as 1 government is being broadly acknowledged. We cannot afford to continue working as separate organisations. I am very grateful to the provinces, municipalities, water boards and public service providers for their constructive contribution and commitment. Digitalisation is now hitting every aspect of our society. It has become a vital service, much like food, energy, water, and education. Citizens of the Netherlands should be able to rely on government services being easily accessible and usable, and to continue functioning properly. This collaboration gives me great confidence in the future of digital government.”
NDS: 6 priorities
The NDS outlines 6 key priorities, with all government organisations working together as 1 to accelerate progress. These are:
- Jointly deploying cloud technology
- Sharing and utilising data responsibly across government levels
- Responsibly leveraging the opportunities provided by Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Putting citizens and entrepreneurs first
- Strengthening the government’s digital resilience and digital autonomy
- Enhancing the digital skills of civil servants and providing them with a modern working environment
A better digital future for everyone
The NDS emphasises that collaboration is essential to achieving meaningful breakthroughs. The next step is to identify the necessary investments to build a robust digital government that delivers benefits for all Dutch citizens. In the meantime, implementation of the strategy will begin in close partnership with all levels of government.
