The Dutch government has decided to do a government wide data inventory and publish its results in spring 2015. The coordinating minister for open data in the Netherlands wrote this today in a letter to Open State Foundation.
In a letter to Open State Foundation minister Plasterk writes as coordinating minister for open data: ‘My aim is to have such a government-wide data inventory ready in the spring of 2015. In September Open State Foundation sent a letter to all government ministers with five recommendations for digital transparency and its social and economic added value.
According to the minister awareness is growing in all government departments that open data is an important policy instrument. The Minister also recognizes that it should be part of the primary workflows of public administration which increases transparency and helps the effectiveness and efficiency of cooperation between government, citizens and businesses.
Due to the importance of active unlocking of public sector information as part of regular workflows, the minister joins the plea of Open State Foundation to disclose what datasets are available in each government department and to publish this information. By making these inventories public, networks and communities of re-users can prepare themselves and create applications, which creates value instantly. It also helps, through feedback loops, to improve the quality of government information.