Municipality of Montferland

Municipality Montferland sees great potential in deploying AI, algorithms and automation. As a relatively small municipality, we are ambitious in this field, with the primary aim of serving our residents even better and meeting the challenges of the 21st century.

Our vision

We aim to deploy AI and algorithms responsibly and transparently. In doing so, we recognise both opportunities and risks and take a considered approach. We believe that a degree of boldness is necessary to make progress, but always within the frameworks of responsible use and mindful of the impact on our residents.

Transparency and the Algorithm Register

Full transparency is of paramount importance to us. We commit to sharing all deployed algorithms in the Algorithm Register. This enables our residents to understand how and where we deploy AI and algorithms within our municipal services.

Governance and ethics

We are currently drafting AI guidelines and establishing an AI governance board. Our aim is to lay a solid foundation for responsible AI use, while learning from our initial trials and pilots.

Citizen participation

Feedback from our citizens is invaluable. We are implementing feedback capabilities in our AI applications, such as the planned chatbot. We are also considering including citizen representation on our AI governance board.

Privacy and security

We take the protection of personal data extremely seriously. We comply with all relevant laws and regulations, including the AVG, and conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and other impact analyses where necessary. We continue to undergo continuous training to stay up-to-date with the latest developments.

Evaluation and monitoring

We are in the process of developing a structural evaluation process for our algorithms. Currently, we use a 'human-on-the-loop' approach, where human oversight plays a crucial role in monitoring and adjusting our AI systems.

Focus areas

Besides a citizen service chatbot, we are also focusing on internal AI tools to increase efficiency. This will enable our staff to focus even more on providing direct services to our residents.

Knowledge and skills

We invest in the AI skills of our staff by offering internal workshops and trainings. This way, we ensure that our staff are well-equipped to deal with these new technologies.

Collaboration

We are in the process of initiating partnerships with other municipalities, knowledge institutions and companies in the field of AI and algorithms. We believe in the power of knowledge sharing and joint innovation.

Error handling and complaint procedures

We recognise that errors can occur when using new technologies. We are in the process of developing a specific process and protocol for handling possible errors or unwanted effects of our algorithms.

In conclusion

Municipality Montferland is committed to a future in which AI and algorithms contribute to better services for our residents in a responsible, transparent and effective way. We invite everyone to think with us and provide feedback on our approach.

Contact

Daniel Verloop

AI specialist - Municipality of Montferland

d.verloop@montferland.info