The general assembly (ALV) of the VNG today voted by more than 99 percent in favor of the resolution "As one strong administrative layer directing the Digital Society. This allows us to collectivize municipal digitization.
Taking the lead on digitization together has three major advantages. First, collectivizing provides economies of scale in the procurement, development and management of ICT systems. Thus, we reduce costs, increase the basic level of working and secure digitization at municipalities, and reduce digital dependence on large technology companies. Second, joint digitization gives us more clout to effectively tackle major social tasks. And third, it strengthens our protection against cyber attacks and increases our resilience to deal with any incidents quickly and effectively.
We aim for a collective approach to more than 80% of municipal digitization.The resolution provides a solid foundation for the further elaboration of concrete collectivization proposals, for example in the areas of digital security, procurement and cloud policy. The proposals also elaborate on governance, organization, financing and implementation for each theme. These aspects should comply with the principles as formulated in the resolution.
The ALV has already approved the first collectivization proposal Realization course of Common Ground (pdf, 354 kB). This proposal focuses on the joint development of a platform for municipal services and 'My Services', in close cooperation with market parties. The goal is to standardize and modernize the digital infrastructure of municipalities so that residents and businesses can count on reliable and efficient digital services.
