The Netherlands has been commended for its approach to e-government by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Undesa) at an award ceremony held as part of the Global e-Government Forum in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 7 - 8 October.
Commenting on the Dutch approach to e-government, Janine Jongepier, head of the IT policy unit at the Dutch Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations said that open e-government services create economic and public values. Open government allows the sharing and exchange of information with civil society, is one way to prove accountability and integrity and offers the chance to harness new technological developments to innovate e-government services, she said.
The key element to open government is the sharing and reuse of open data, Jongepier said. According to her, the country will have a total of 6000 open data sets available by the end of this year, more than double the current number (2500).
Flood risk
She explained that to help resolve fears about the misuse of open data sets and to allay worries about privacy, the government is building web applications around its open data sets. Examples include 'Overstroom ik', a web site showing flood risks, and '10,000 Scholen', a site that compares all public primary and secondary schools.
The government is also promoting the reuse of its open data. This provides opportunities for societal challenges, Jongepier says. It can lead to unexpected innovative solutions, and increase the potential for economic growth.
Smart governments
Undesa's Global e-Government Forum is one of the UN initiatives to promote e-government. The international meeting was organised for the third consecutive year, the first two having taken place in Seoul, South Korea. The forum promotes smart governance. It focusses on sustainable development, open government and network society. The organisers also aim to get countries exchange ideas and experiences.
More information:
Global e-Government Forum 2014
Presentation by the Dutch Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Relations (pdf)