Best Practice 59

Short description: Denmark operates a well-organised and comprehensive approach to governance of spatial information in the context of digital government, through the following:

The Basic Data General Board

This cross-institutional committee ensures efficient and coordinated development and use of basic data across the public sector. Among the board’s tasks are to draft business cases and coordinate developments to improve basic data, ensure that interfaces, standards and data models are coordinated, approve budgets, plans and content for data distributors, engage with public and private sector stakeholders to promote and optimise use of basic data and report annually to national government and Local Government Denmark.

The Coordination Committee for Infrastructure for Digital Spatial Information

This committee works to promote and further develop an effective geographic information infrastructure. It was established through Section 10 of the "Geographic Information Act" which ensures implementation of the INSPIRE Directive in Denmark. Members are state, regional and local public authorities, private sector, universities and NGOs. The committee’s main areas of work are:

• to assist the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities in implementing the INSPIRE directive
• to oversee decisions on initiatives that can develop and promote the geographic information infrastructure in Denmark

Common Public Digital Strategy Steering Committees

Within each period of its Common Public Digital Strategy, Denmark establishes dedicated steering committees to progress priority tasks. Currently there are steering committees for:

• common public digital infrastructure
• digital communication with citizens and enterprises
• new technology and better use of data

Nordic Region Digital Cooperation

The Nordic Council of Ministers cooperates on solutions where countries can achieve more together than working alone. One such area is digitalisation. The goal is to turn the Nordic/Baltic region into a coherent and integrated digital region. There is a long-standing Nordic cooperation of NMCAs in the field of spatial data and land administration, built on a mutual agreement. Several working groups and networks act within the frame of this cooperation, including the Nordic INSPIRE network, with participants from NMCAs and Environment agencies.

Recommendations: Return on Investment (14); Governance, Partnerships and Capabilities (17, 18)