Van der Werff works at the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety, abbreviated as NIPV. In addition to being a program manager for crisis management, he is the team manager for information and data services at the public institute.
Safety and resilience
The NIPV has four core tasks: research, education, information (provision), and support. 'For a safe and resilient Netherlands' is the mission. The independent administrative body primarily focuses on crisis management and fire services. 'We provide resources and expertise,' says Van der Werff, 'and also deliver an IT platform, which includes the National Crisis Management System.' Safety regions and other crisis partners must be able to rely on the information and support of the NIPV in all phases of incidents and crises, the manager continues: 'In the planning phase, the prevention phase, during the manifestation of a crisis, and in the aftercare phase.'
" Objective data helps us to map out the consequences of events and actions and make the situational awareness as relevant as possible."
Data for crisis management
Data are gaining ground in crisis management, says Van der Werff: ‘They have enriched our way of working. Situational Awareness, Judgment, and Decision-Making together form the well-known BOB model for effective decision-making. Nowadays, data analysis precedes this. Let me give an example of a fire in a tire factory: you can extinguish that fire, but if downstream there's a brewery that will be affected by the extinguishing water, the local economic impact could be enormous. Objective data help to map out the consequences of events and actions, making the situational awareness as relevant as possible. This often revolves around networks, and whether you have all the different stakeholders in the loop.’ That data sources are gaining ground over gut feelings seems like a good thing to Van der Werff. ‘I should add that uniformity of data is essential, and that data without interpretation is useless. Only experts can provide that interpretation. So, in addition to data, people are very important, and investing in your network remains essential.’
The NIPV offers crisis partners support with a 'geoserver,' says Van der Werff. ‘It generates enriched map layers to facilitate good decision-making. Think of a geographical presentation of vulnerable objects in a specific area and intuitive visualizations where various sources are combined into valuable information. For example, the purpose of a building and the composition of its residents.’
Data Quality
Data quality and integrity are vital for crisis decision-making, observes Van der Werff. ‘We face cybersecurity risks. Hacks are looming, and the NCTV (National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security) openly communicates about this threat. Additionally, more and more processes are being automated and linked together, which increases the importance of data quality.’ This importance is further amplified by AI, he continues: ‘Previously, it was: garbage in, garbage out. Now, with AI, it's: garbage in, garbage everywhere. I see organizations currently investing heavily in data quality as the foundation for AI's black box. At the Data Expo, I am keen to hear how others are tackling this and what solutions they are using.’
Virtual assistance
The NIPV and several crisis partners are experimenting with an AI-driven virtual assistant, Van der Werff continues. ‘Disaster coordinators have a leadership role during a crisis, such as a large fire in a hospital with heavy smoke development. Using a large language model, we aim to help quickly get a good understanding of such a disaster and the relevant factors, like what vulnerable objects are in the direction of the smoke that may need to be evacuated. The output is based on similar incidents in the past, the lessons learned from them, and so on. With this rudimentary AI, we can try to make even faster and better decisions.’
Ethics
This brings him to another data challenge, the ethical aspect: what can you conscientiously leave to technology? Can you later transparently show how decisions were made if you let an opaque neural network run its course? Van der Werff says, ‘For example, we have the AI Act. At the Data Expo, I am eager to hear stories from experienced professionals in this field: can they offer concrete guidelines, things you need to consider in practice?’
Human capital
Van der Werff also attends the Data Expo to learn how companies are reorganizing themselves to be ready for an AI-driven future: ‘Recently, I was with a group of CIOs (Chief Information Officers), where much discussion focused on the impact of AI on human capital. It's something where we at the NIPV are not yet leading; we are primarily at the forefront of exploring AI. I want to prevent us from being too late. We have all the expertise in-house, from knowledge development to infrastructure and tools. We can't just put everything in an American cloud. Therefore, it is crucial for us to think about the IT organization in approximately ten years. What does that mean, for example, for our workforce?’
Data literacy
Van der Werff is also interested in sessions on data literacy at the Data Expo: ‘When working with data, it's crucial that you can formulate the right question, the prompting. And you must be able to answer for yourself why you want to know something. During the pandemic, I experienced that leaders wanted to know how many fines were issued for non-compliance with measures. However, I believe it wasn't about the number of fines, but rather about whether the measures and their enforcement were effective in relation to public health. Finally, as a recipient, you should always ask for interpretation of the numbers. As an educational institution, we can develop these skills for everyone. I'm curious to hear how other organizations have approached this.’
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At the Data Expo, significant attention is devoted to data quality, (generative) AI, ethics, IT organization, and data literacy. You can gain essential knowledge, explore technological possibilities, and establish useful contacts to advance on Wednesday, September 11, and Thursday, September 12 at the Jaarbeurs. Visiting the Data Expo will help you find answers to all your data-related questions. Registration as a visitor is free and can be done here.
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Read the interview with returning visitor Wiet de Ronde, Strategic Project Officer at HeatTransformers: ‘Big AI dreams are realized in small steps.’