Joep Steenbeek worked for NS for ten years before starting his new job in the capital in September 2024.“Transforming Amsterdam into a more data-driven city,”reads his job description on LinkedIn. “Of course, you can make decisions based on gut feeling, but decision-making improves when you base it on data. That also applies to solutions for various challenges facing the city.”
Data as a Raw Material
The head of Amsterdam’s Data Office studied in Delft. “I trained as an industrial designer,” Steenbeek explains. “Looking back, I’ve always worked somewhere between raw material and end product. Earlier in my career, that was literally the case—I used steel to build cranes; now I use data as a raw material for information products. I really enjoy the world of data. I’m highly motivated, and I love working with smart people on complex projects, especially in the public sector.”
Data.amsterdam.nl
How data-driven will the City of Amsterdam be in 2026? According to Steenbeek, the foundation is solid: “We have a strong central data platform, and we work with more than 1,100 different dashboards within the city government. All public datasets can be found at data.amsterdam.nl, ranging from aerial photos to grants. It’s accessed about 4,000 times a day by colleagues and residents. For example, using tree maps, you can see how to avoid certain types of pollen on your route, or where oak processionary caterpillars or Japanese knotweed have been found. The interface is constantly improving; we’re considering making front-end searches easier with AI.” Users will then be able to start a conversation about the city’s data. “The challenge with such a conversational solution, of course, lies in the reliability of the results.”
Faster Passport Processing
Using a concrete example, Steenbeek explains how data adds value for all Amsterdammers: “After the pandemic, a spike in passport applications was expected because people were unable to travel during the pandemic and let their passports expire.” The city could have used time slots—common practice nowadays—and required citizens to make appointments, but it decided to do things differently. “People could simply drop by to request a renewal, without an appointment. Staffing levels at the service counters and phone lines were based on demand forecasts. As a result, staff were deployed more effectively, while the barrier to access for residents was lowered and their wait times at city hall were reduced.”
From Data-Driven to Value-Driven
This is an example of the value-driven approach that Steenbeek advocates.“Value for end users is central to our data strategy. The first question is always where we can add the most visible value. Think of it like a library: you can neatly arrange all the books alphabetically or by color, but what do you do when you know that 80 percent of those books will never be read? We focus on that 20 percent—on what users really need. We don’t start by asking what data we’re still missing, but by asking what social or organizational value we want to achieve. Not only is this better for users, it’s also more cost-effective. Take data definitions, for example. We create those first for the areas where they’re needed most right now.”
From Top-Down to Bottom-Up
The municipality’s new data strategy not only has a different goal; it’s also developed differently. “Previously, the data strategy was full of technical jargon,”says Steenbeek. “When terms like ‘data management’ came up, people within the organization would tune out. It was difficult to get the ideas conceived at the desk across to the rest of the organization.” So the approach was overhauled: the top-down approach gave way to a bottom-up approach: “To build support, we decided to gather information from within the organization and explain everything in clear language.”
Key Issues and Dilemmas
That’s quite a challenge, with more than twenty-one thousand employees and fifty organizational units. Steenbeek and his colleagues are actively engaging in discussions with representatives from the various units, product owners from the data teams, and employees: “We’re currently working to define about fifteen key points within the organization when it comes to data. In doing so, we’re drawing on dilemmas, among other things. Risk management or innovation? Foundation or visible value? The pillars of our new strategy stem from these.”
According to Steenbeek, these are“really engaging discussions.”“As a central data organization, we naturally have certain assumptions, and sometimes those assumptions simply turn out to be wrong. Meanwhile, we’re also having discussions with other municipalities to learn from one another and discover synergies. Because on your own, you might move fast, but together, you go further.”
Building from the ground up
Developing a data strategy isn’t a linear process, Steenbeek knows. “That’s certainly true of the way we’re doing it now, with feedback coming from all sides. We’re essentially using an agile approach, in which we’re constantly testing and adjusting.” He’s convinced of the value-driven focus and the bottom-up development of Amsterdam’s new data strategy. “I’d almost say that more organizations should do that. How often do you see an architecture diagram with a story woven around it? We start with the end user’s needs. We build from the ground up and focus on what truly delivers value. At Data Expo, I’d love to talk about the challenges and successes, but also about the mistakes I’ve made along the way at the municipality. I think this honest account will be of interest to many organizations.”
Joep Steenbeek will speak on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:15 a.m. about the City of Amsterdam’s new data strategy.