Chief Data Officer / Head of the Centre of Expertise for Data and AI atMunicipality of The Hague

1. As the Chief Data Officer, what are some of your key roles and responsibilities that you take while serving at Gemeente Den Haag?

My main responsibilities as a CDO are as follows: defining and implementing a company wide data strategy, see appended file. Besides that, I am also responsible for the organizational change that is required to become a data-driven organization. I am also Head of the Centre of Expertise for Data and AI. If you look at the table below, all tasks mentioned under 2021 are part of my work.

2. Tell us about the center of excellence for AI that you have built for Gemeente Den Haag? How has it helped your organization in propelling ahead of the competition?

The Centre of Expertise for Data and AI consists of experts in the following disciplines: business intelligence, data management, open data, urban data platform services, analytics and AI. Our team is a company-wide, centralized team, that supports the organization in becoming data-driven and creating societal value out of data to improve city life. We offer data services at any level. The leads in our team are the thought leaders of their expertise and continuously developing the talents of each team member. An example is that we help to improve the safety and the livability in the streets, another example is that we help managers to gain inside about the efficiency of their teams. The city has many challenges like housing or poverty. Together with our business stakeholders we use data and AI to come up with a solution. Another example is that we could define the characteristics of unemployed people that are most likely to find a job. In that way we can be more effective in helping people finding jobs while we preserve the privacy of these people.

"Positive energy in the organization is what’s needed to take it step by step"

3. Tell us about the challenges that you have encountered for not only setting up the right IT infrastructure and processes but also fostering the right mindset among colleagues?

It is challenging because of the many priorities in our organization. Managers are continuously juggling priorities and most of the time reactive and incident driven. Long term, strategic thinking is present but at the execution level it is far more difficult to practice what you preach. Another challenge is the scarcity of personnel and the tight budgets in local government.

4. What would be your piece of advice for your fellow peers and leaders?

Be optimistic about what you can achieve and do not focus on what you are missing out. Positive energy in the organization is what’s needed to take it step by step. Involve each individual to play a role in the success and be open to the unexpected.