On 4 July 2025, the Cabinet launched The Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS). Since then, a great deal has been put in motion.
- The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, along with other government agencies and public service providers, has established the implementation of the NDS programme.
- This programme establishes the collaboration, consistency, and oversight that form the foundation for implementation.
- The initial steps towards realisation have been made with the formation of priority-based acceleration teams, programme management consultations, and the launch of the NDS Council.
- The priorities and interventions are being translated into concrete actions, outcomes, and timelines, with details on expected costs and necessary investments. As we develop these plans, we are already taking steps to implement them simultaneously.
The management and implementation of the NDS will utilise existing structures and processes to their full potential, strengthening and refining them as needed while combining forces. The implementation of the NDS impacts all levels of government. Both management and implementation are conducted collectively by the various authorities under the guidance of the implementation programme. Clear management, proper cooperation and coordination are therefore crucial.
Political and administrative guidance
How does the government ensure the coordinated acceleration of priorities within the NDS? What guidelines are necessary for this in the implementation programme, and how is acceleration assured? The NDS clearly distinguishes between political-administrative guidance and programme guidance. The former emphasises coordination between administrative levels, fostering support, making formal decisions, and removing obstacles. This guidance aligns with existing bodies such as the Intergovernmental Consultative Body on Digital Government, abbreviated OBDO (Dutch).
New additions are the BOD (Administrative Consultation on Digitalisation) and the NDS Council. The Administrative Consultation on Digitalisation is where agreements are made between the various authorities about digital government (and NDS in particular). The NDS Council is independent and provides solicited and unsolicited advice from an external perspective on the implementation of the NDS to the state secretary for Digitalisation and the BOD. Its members include experts from the business community, academia, knowledge institutions and public organisations who have been asked to participate in the council in a personal capacity. The chairpersons of the acceleration teams complement the council. The programme director of the implementation programme attends the NDS council but is not a member. This arrangement ensures a strong link between the NDS council and the implementation process of the NDS.
Programme management: targeted acceleration
In addition to political and administrative management, there is also programme management of the implementation programme. The most important elements of programme management are:
- Programme management consultation NDS: the main programme steering group responsible for overseeing the implementation programme. It includes the chairpersons of the acceleration teams and representatives from central government, local authorities, and public services providers.
- 6 priorities: management focuses on integrating the accelerators into the NDS priorities, overseen by a programme manager and directed by a task force (including a steering group and a client for each priority). The acceleration teams provide strong support during implementation to ensure outcomes meet the requirements. The NDS is executed via projects managed by the acceleration team.
- 4 Interventions: the realisation of the accelerators for the 4 interventions is carried out in the implementation programme itself.
- NDS Programme Office: fulfils the management and monitoring role specified in the NDS, monitors mutual coherence alongside programme managers of the priorities and interventions, maintains relationships with stakeholders both within and outside the government, and supports the implementation of the priorities and interventions.
How do we drive change?
The NDS Implementation Programme embodies a complex change:
- A move towards a more unified government: when governments collaborate, there is less fragmentation, more cooperation, increased control, and reduced non-commitment. In a complex stakeholder environment, this does not happen automatically: it requires unity, which in turn depends on mutual trust to develop, and that takes time.
- Doing things, achieving, and accelerating: the NDS concentrates on attaining results and speeding up progress. And removing undesirable obstacles.
Both changes must go hand in hand for the NDS to be successful. Essential elements in the approach are:
- We will get started, then improve and refine where necessary.
- We will begin with what is feasible, focusing on areas with energy and pressing urgency felt.
- A different approach is necessary: “if you keep doing what you did, you’ll get what you always got”. To achieve breakthroughs, we must start now, seek cooperation, take the initiative for change, simplify where possible, and accelerate. Together with all levels of government, we will discuss ways to make it happen.
- We start small with the acceleration teams and expand (oil slick) later.
- A strong link between policy and implementation, grounded in the principle that implementation is primarily in control.
- We also leverage NDS governance as a catalyst to address reducing non-commitment and to collaborate more effectively as a unified entity government.
- We rely on concrete examples, which can occasionally lead to friction. Our goal is to address specific issues effectively.
More information
For more background information about the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS) and its priorities, please consult the following sources:
- Overview page for The Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS) – general notes and current developments.
- Document: The Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (PDF) – with explanations of its 6 priorities and joint approach.
