Why a Minister of Digital Affairs alone will not be enough!

Not the real problem: local chaos?

At the national level, we may have a minister who oversees matters such as cybersecurity, privacy, and digital infrastructure. But what is happening locally, in our municipalities and other local authorities? This is perhaps where the real problem lies, because the reality is that the digital landscape at the local level is often chaotic. Take, for example, the results of our recent benchmark study.

85% of local government websites fail to meet 6 or more of the 12 critical research criteria.

Why is this? On average, there are 40 websites or web applications that residents and businesses use per municipality, water board, province, or other government body. This is because each department or project team purchases, implements, and publishes its own website or application. In general, it appears that at the local level, there is little to no central control or policy in place for all these web environments.

• The management? Unclear.
• Governance? Absent.
• Accountability? Well, no one dares to say it.

There is simply no coordinated digital strategy, and certainly no enforcement of this strategy at the local level.

Too many chefs, too little focus

What I often see during my discussions with municipalities, for example, is that responsibility for digital systems is fragmented across different departments. The CISO has a say in security, the head of communications is concerned with accessible content and citizen interaction, the IT department is busy with maintenance, and so on. Everyone is somewhat responsible, but no one has complete control. And that is precisely where I think things go wrong. Who is centrally accountable per municipality, for example? I often see that large websites or web applications are well secured in policy. But that also means that 30+ environments are not well secured. This should not be possible, should it?

If we really want to move forward with the digitization of our government, we need a strong, central role. Our Secretary of State for Digital Affairs is already setting a positive tone at the national level, but that is not someone who can focus entirely on the local digital infrastructure. We need someone with the power to push through changes and a mandate at the local level to really make a difference.

My solution: appoint an internal supervisor for each government agency.

That is why I propose: an internal supervisor with a mandate within each local government. A kind of local "mini-minister." I call him or her the "CDSO" (Chief Digital Service Officer), who focuses entirely on streamlining and enforcing the government's digital policy. This supervisor would not only monitor compliance with the policy, but also actively rewrite and improve that policy where necessary and shut down environments that do not meet the criteria. After all, the CISO can also shut down an environment if it is not compliant, so why shouldn't a CDSO be able to do the same?

Regardless of the position, the most important thing is that this person would ensure that everything is actually feasible within the entire digital chain.

Imagine how different it would be if, for example, every municipality had such a supervisor. Websites would no longer be a proliferation of solutions with all kinds of issues, but part of a coordinated digital ecosystem. Privacy and security measures would no longer be an afterthought, but an integral part of every project from the outset. And citizens would be able to count on consistent, secure, and above all, accessible digital information and services.

Why is one minister not enough?

Now I hear you thinking: "But what if that Minister of Digital Affairs comes? Isn't that enough?" Well, a minister can do a lot at the national level, but the complexity of digitization within municipalities requires a tailored approach and direct involvement. Local challenges require local solutions, and you can't always impose that from above. A minister needs a helicopter view to develop national strategies, but at the municipal level, for example, we need someone who rolls up their sleeves and gets to work in practice.

What if...?

What would happen if every municipality had such a supervisor? Would the proliferation of systems decrease? Would we be better able to meet the requirements of digital accessibility, privacy, and security? Would it cost the community less? My assessment: absolutely.

It is time we recognized that digitization is not just a national issue, but also requires action at the local level. So yes, if you ask me, let's welcome that Minister of Digital Affairs and give the Secretary of State more power. But at the same time, let's make sure we have people at the local level who can really take responsibility and have the power to really change things. With a real mandate, that is. I see people with these qualities every day in our field, but they lack the time and mandate to be successful. Give them the right opportunities so that we can truly build the digital government of the future.

What do you think? Should every municipality, water board, or province have a supervisor who directs and enforces digital policy across the organization? Do you agree with me, or do you completely disagree? If so, has the CDSO role now been created? I look forward to your responses!