Municipalities and government bodies increasingly face software updates that incorporate AI. A new joint guide by the central government, provinces, municipalities, water authorities and public service providers helps procurement officers and functional administrators to assess risks and make appropriate arrangements.
Existing software is increasingly incorporating AI-based functionality. For government organisations, it is not always clear how to manage these changes responsibly, especially when the software has already been procured. The new guide ‘Help! My current service is being updated with AI, what should I do?‘ (Dutch) offers practical guidance. It helps assess risks, check whether the change fits within existing contractual arrangements, and record additional conditions.
Recommended steps
The guide advises organisations, among other things, to:
- Determine whether the AI component aligns with the purpose and conditions of the existing contract.
- Assess the risk and how the AI functionality will be applied.
- Record additional arrangements in an addendum specifying AI conditions.
Part of a broader AI procurement framework
Municipalities and government bodies are collaborating on major digitalisation initiatives as part of the Netherlands’ Digitalisation Strategy (NDS). The guide will be incorporated into a broader framework for the procurement of AI. This framework will set out additional procurement conditions and guidelines for AI systems. These must comply with the AI Act and align with existing procurement conditions, such as the Gemeentelijke Inkoop bij IT (GIBIT, municipal IT procurement conditions). This enables government organisations to procure responsible AI systems more quickly, more carefully and with greater confidence. This approach harnesses AI’s opportunities to improve services for citizens.
