Information must not be lost, and there should be no doubt regarding its accuracy and authenticity.
Expansive information sharing
The societal demand for information takes precedence. Both the cabinet’s response to the Childcare Benefit Scandal and the Open Government Act (in Dutch, Wet open overheid or Woo) are based on extensive dissemination to both parliament and society. Information management is fundamental for good information provision. Our government information must be sustainably accessible, findable, accurate, complete, and reliable.
Transformation Task
Over the next few years, the Government plans to more swiftly overcome digital information management delays ‘behind the scenes’. The challenges will be addressed both centrally and by individual organisations. Analysis reveals that the change challenge spans four axes:
- The capacity of information professionals and the role of employees in the primary process.
- The large volume and nature of information.
- The multitude and quality of information systems.
- Governance and compliance.
Implementation organisations often act as large ‘information factories’, processing vast amounts of citizen data. A suitable change strategy is developed in collaboration with them.
I focus areas
I focus area 1: Implementation of the Generic Action Plan for Information Management
The Generic Action Plan for Information Management was approved by the cabinet on 2 April 2021. It targets the entire central government and includes four action lines:
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- Sufficiently qualified professionals to design and execute information management.
- Clarification of which information must be preserved, accessible long-term, and the duration thereof.
- Information systems optimally support organisations and employees in their information management and work processes.
- Leadership and compliance: clear governance of information management, e.g., by the Government Commissioner for Information Management.
I focus area 2: Action plans of central government organisations
Each central government organisation faces its unique challenges, making their information management differ from one another. Each department, after a baseline assessment, also creates its own action plan. This also applies to state components with more than 500 FTE, the High Colleges of State, and similar organisations. Implementation reviews of the action plans provide input for a central roadmap.
I focus area 3: Implementation of the Open Government Act
Active disclosure is being shaped.
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- Publication platform PLOOI: A single location where citizens and businesses can find government information.
- Strengthening supervision of (the improvement of) the government’s information management and openness policy through the Advisory Council for Active Disclosure.
- Stakeholders can address disclosure issues with the Advisory Council.
I focus area 4: Preparation for the new Archives Act
Developing the Archives Policy and Decree in preparation for the new Archives Act. Working on new tools to simplify information management, such as a risk scan to identify the most valuable and vulnerable information.
I focus area 5: Coordination and supervision
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- A Government Commissioner for Information Management to coordinate the implementation of these plans, ensuring clarity and centralisation where necessary.
- The Advisory Council for Openness and Information Management advises on the state of information management in governance, the progress of the multi-year plan implementation, and access to public information.
- The Inspection for Government Information and Heritage is being expanded.
- The CIO of the Central Government strengthens coordination and framework setting for enduring information management across the entire chain.
