DISIC merges with Etalab, forms DINSIC - Direction interministérielle du numérique et du système d’information et de communication
A decree published on September 24th has officialised the nomination of Henri Verdier as the new CIO of the French State. He replaces Jacques Marzin who led the governmental entity in charge of the IT of ministers and the state.
This nomination is related to a global overhaul of the SGMAP (Secretariat général pour la modernisation de l'action publique), in charge of modernising the French state. As part of this reorganisation, the former DISIC (the state IT shop) is being merged with Etalab, the governmental entity in charge of Open Data policy in France. Henri Verdier was the head of Etalab. The newly-formed DINSIC (Direction interministérielle du numérique et du système d’information et de communication) – the new “N” stands for “numérique”, (digital in English) – will also have a “digital services incubator” function.
New DINSIC now in charge of Open Data
DINSIC will also be in charge of the state’s inter-ministerial network (RIE – Réseau interministériel de l’état), as the entity who manages it (the SCN – Service à compétence national - RIE) is now attached to DINSIC. Other functions of DINSIC include key IT projects, including those related to HR and payroll – two projects that were the most often criticised and that are now being revisited. DINSIC will finally continue to implement Open Data strategy in France and help French administrations publish their data.
The decree states that SGMAP is now made of two entities. DINSIC is the first of these, the second one being the “Direction interministérielle pour l'accompagnement des transformations publiques” (DIAT). The latter is more focused on the use of digital services. For example, it is tasked with the development of a simplification programme, the goal of which is to make administrative processes easier for businesses and citizens (like the “Dites-le-nous-une-fois” programme).
As director of Etalab, Henri Verdier contributed to building Open Data policy in France, including the national Open Data portal, data.gouv.fr. One of the missions of Etalab was also to coordinate the Open Government strategy of France. As a result, France has published its first National Action Plan, will chair the Open Government Partnership in 2016 and has developed key collaborative projects like the National Database of Addresses (BAN).
Henri Verdier was also the first Chief Data Officer of France.