dutch government

Bilingual

Demissionair de cloud in denderen: doe het niet - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- The Dutch government's core email system runs on its own servers, with Microsoft support ending on October 14, 2025.
- Microsoft strongly encourages moving email to its US cloud, but nine ministries plan to upgrade to a new on-premises Exchange version to keep data under Dutch control.
- Using the US cloud risks losing sovereignty, as the US government could cut access via executive orders, affecting services like the International Criminal Court.
- Many government agencies already migrated to the cloud without proper risk assessments or exit plans, violating national cloud policy.
- The demissionary cabinet may choose the easy path to the cloud due to time pressure, leading to unintended loss of data control.
- A call to action urges the House of Representatives and ministries to stay vigilant and avoid irreversible cloud migration.
Recensie: Een spoor van vernieuwing, door Arthur Docters van Leeuwen en Lars Kuipers - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- The book is a memoir of Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, a prominent Dutch civil servant, covering his roles in disaster management, police reorganization, the BVD (predecessor of AIVD), and the AFM.
- It offers insights into the evolution of Dutch bureaucratic and administrative culture, with relevance to current governance and security services.
- Docters van Leeuwen's tenure at the BVD involved modernizing the service and establishing an ethics committee to improve operations.
- The memoir recounts his controversial period at the Openbaar Ministerie, including the IRT affair, and his later role as head of the AFM.
- The book provides candid reflections on personal failures and lessons, though some claims (e.g., about Khalid Masood, Van Traa's death) are contentious.
- It is recommended for those interested in government innovation, intelligence, and security services, and is well-written by co-author Lars Kuipers.
Laten we leiders met kennis van zaken in ere herstellen, ze zijn hard nodig - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- In the Dutch workplace, people often feel managed rather than led, and leadership is rarely acknowledged.
- US government culture emphasizes leadership and expertise; US ministers are typically seasoned experts in their fields.
- Dutch ministers often lack experience, and top civil servants are required to rotate frequently, preventing the buildup of expertise.
- Reliance on external consultants leads to loss of internal knowledge and high costs.
- The 'Ruimte voor de rivier' program exemplifies successful informed leadership that required buy-in from affected communities.
- There is a need to value and retain expertise within government, including at the top levels, and to reduce reliance on expensive consultants.
- A new coalition should aim to restore a culture where ministers and top civil servants are authorities in their subjects.
De hele overheid naar de cloud? Dat is een politiek besluit. - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- The Dutch government is rapidly migrating critical ICT services to Microsoft's cloud, which is under US jurisdiction, without sufficient political debate or transparency.
- This migration erodes Dutch and European ICT knowledge and industry, leading to total dependency on foreign providers and loss of digital sovereignty.
- The government's own cloud policy mandates risk assessments and exit plans, but these are often missing, not public, or ignored.
- Examples include the Dutch Parliament, courts, and other bodies already moving to Microsoft cloud, with Microsoft Co-Pilot AI activated on government workstations and unable to be removed.
- Experts and politicians warn against the irreversible loss of control over communication and data, and call for immediate action to create a European alternative.
- The author emphasizes the need for political attention to prevent a fait accompli and to preserve the ability to run independent IT systems.
Mail in de VS en je bestanden hier? Het werkt niet - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- Dutch government organizations increasingly rely on US clouds, raising privacy and sovereignty concerns as Americans could access or disrupt Dutch data.
- The central government has largely decided to keep email on own servers, a significant reversal from the previous trend toward full migration to US servers.
- Many executive bodies and municipalities still use US clouds for email and documents, risking exposure of sensitive data like health records, benefits, and criminal records.
- A proposed compromise—keeping sensitive files on local servers while using US clouds for email and Office apps—is impractical because employees must communicate and create documents about sensitive cases.
- Over 200,000 government workplaces plan to retain email and documents on own servers, proving that a fully local solution is feasible despite initial doubts.
- Organizations should follow the lead of those who have chosen full local control to avoid predictable future problems and scandals.
Overheid zoekt plv Chief Technology Officer met 3 jaar ICT-ervaring - Bert Hubert's writings
2 months ago
- The Dutch government posted a job for a Deputy Chief Technology Officer requiring only 3 years of ICT experience and explicitly not needing to be a technical specialist.
- This job requirement contradicts the ambitious Dutch Digitalization Strategy (NDS) which calls for more digital knowledge and active leadership within the government.
- The salary for the position is at scale 14, which is low compared to top tech roles, making it difficult to attract qualified technical talent.
- The author argues that the job should be redefined as a coordinating policy role rather than a CTO, and a new vacancy should be created for a genuine technical leader.
- Public reactions on social media overwhelmingly criticized the job posting, highlighting the absurdity of seeking a chief technology officer with minimal experience.
- The job emphasizes 'bestuurssensitiviteit' (political sensitivity) over technical expertise, which sends a poor signal to the tech labor market.

dutch government

Demissionair de cloud in denderen: doe het niet - Bert Hubert's writings

Recensie: Een spoor van vernieuwing, door Arthur Docters van Leeuwen en Lars Kuipers - Bert Hubert's writings

Laten we leiders met kennis van zaken in ere herstellen, ze zijn hard nodig - Bert Hubert's writings

De hele overheid naar de cloud? Dat is een politiek besluit. - Bert Hubert's writings

Mail in de VS en je bestanden hier? Het werkt niet - Bert Hubert's writings

Overheid zoekt plv Chief Technology Officer met 3 jaar ICT-ervaring - Bert Hubert's writings