News item | 05-12-2025 | 2:15 PM
The new Civil Service CIO System Decree 2025 will come into effect on January 1, 2026. The Council of Ministers agreed to this on the proposal of State Secretary Van Marum of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The decision is an important step in the government’s digital transformation, with the aim of using digitalization more effectively, efficiently and responsibly.
The CIO system ensures cooperation and coordination between all ministries in the field of ICT and information provision. Each ministry has a Chief Information Officer (CIO), who is responsible for digitalization policy and information systems within their own department. Better coordination allows the central government to work more efficiently, be more transparent and respond more quickly to new challenges. The CIO council, led by the CIO Rijk, is the most important consultation body. Here, the CIOs of departments and some larger public service providers make decisions on government-wide digitalization issues, such as cloud policy and the responsible use of generative AI by the government.
Innovations in the system
In the 2021 CIO system, it has been agreed to evaluate the system every three years. Based on evaluations in 2024 by the National Audit Service (ADR) and the ICT Assessment Advisory Board (AcICT), the system has now been revised, in close consultation with all departments and experts. A number of innovations have been implemented based on the evaluations.
To safeguard strategic knowledge about digitalization at the highest level, in addition to the existing roles of CIO and CISO (Chief Information Security Officer), new specialist roles have been added to the system: Chief Privacy Officer (CPO), Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). These are substantive experts who work as advisors under the departmental CIO. In addition, the role of the CIO for the Dutch Caribbean National Service (CIO RCN) has been formally established as part of the system.
Strengthened position of CIO Rijk
The CIO Rijk will now be given explicit powers to establish binding frameworks. This means that the Central Government CIO can draw up and monitor rules, standards and guidelines for the information systems of all ministries. The CIOs have agreed that if no consensus is reached in the CIO consultation, the CIO Rijk can make its own decision to increase decisiveness.
Solid information management
The new system sets clear tasks to improve the quality of ICT systems. Departmental CIOs must ensure interoperability. This means that information systems must be able to communicate and collaborate well with each other, especially when exchanging data and connecting to common government-wide facilities. CIOs must also ensure solid information management. This is essential to ensure that all information is kept durable, findable, correct and reliable.
Focus
Through better management, more focus on innovation and a more efficient government, departments and public service providers can carry out their social tasks more effectively. CIOs are given more space for strategic themes, such as increasing digital autonomy and utilizing technological innovations. With the new roles in the system, strategic ICT knowledge is better guaranteed.
The CIO system will continue to evolve in the future to respond to technological changes. This way, the government will remain digitally agile and efficient in the future.