Dutch municipalities face the challenge of embracing technological advances and integrating them into their services to citizens and entrepreneurs. To support this transition, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) has developed an ambitious policy aimed at promoting digitization within local governments.
VNG's digitization policy focuses on creating a digital infrastructure that enables municipalities to work more efficiently and offer better services to their residents. The goal is to reduce the gap between government and citizens and entrepreneurs. In this we see that larger municipalities, such as Gemeente Rotterdam and City of Amsterdam, are already making very nice strides.
The three challenges
Despite the many benefits digitalization brings, Dutch municipalities face significant challenges in implementing digital solutions. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring the accessibility and inclusiveness of digital services for all citizens. Not everyone has the necessary digital skills or access to the Internet, potentially excluding some groups of citizens from digital services, such as the low-literate.
Another key challenge for municipalities is creating support for digitization among both employees and citizens. Digital transformation often requires changes in work processes and culture, which can create resistance among employees accustomed to traditional ways of working. It is therefore crucial that municipalities invest in training and involving employees in digital initiatives, while actively communicating with citizens about the benefits of digitization for society as a whole.
The challenge for smaller municipalities is to make strides in this area due to two factors: IT knowledge and budget. Guiding a change program in the field of IT requires solid knowledge and skills to bring the organization and municipalities into it. In addition, smaller municipalities logically do not have the budget to set up huge customized programs.
Important steps to solve these challenges; how do we reach citizens in an efficient way?
A first important step is the establishment of an IT change program, how do we use IT as a tool to reduce the gap between municipalities and entrepreneurs and citizens? Without, of course, losing sight of data security. In this, establishing a shared IT strategy is the basis. How do we achieve business objectives by using IT? Here we see in practice that a scalable infrastructure is important, containing a combination of, IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service) elements in the landscape. People are, of course, a central factor in this strategy.
Many smaller municipalities adopt the "SaaS unless" strategy. Choose appropriate solutions from the market and specific requirements you create with PaaS solutions, by making smart use of technology such as Mendix. A modular way of building, in which you reuse components. This is how municipalities improve services, make processes more efficient and better respond to the needs of citizens and entrepreneurs. The Municipality of Rotterdam uses Mendix to create more than 50 citizen applications, such as the Digital Desk to (among other things) extend your passport and Participation Platform (winner of the Computable.nlaward2023) to be involved as a citizen in neighborhood initiatives.
Common digital infrastructure
Not reinventing the wheel over and over again is important to efficiently serve citizens and entrepreneurs. Through programs such as "Organizing Together" and "Common Ground," VNG is working to realize a common digital infrastructure that forms the basis for further innovation and cooperation between municipalities. For example, generic Mendix components are being made available to other municipalities. The biggest challenge here is implementing the generic components, adjusting processes accordingly, helping people with adoption and a solid strategy for choosing the right components. This is where The New Wave ITsupports Dutchmunicipalities.
In short, digitization offers Dutch municipalities the opportunity to reinvent themselves and adapt to the demands of modern society. Through collaboration, innovation and investment in digital skills, municipalities are seizing the opportunities of digitization and creating a future-proof and inclusive society for all their residents.
On June 19, we will be at the Overheid360 conference at the Jaarbeurs to share knowledge about digital transformations within government. Will we have a cup of coffee there?
#Mendix #Digitaltransformation #DutchMunicipalities