Governance of the Delta Programme after 2014
After 2014, the implementation of the Delta Programme will still require a high-quality, programme-based approach. In this way, the Delta Decisions can be fleshed out and implemented intelligently and properly. The role of the Delta Commissioner will also remain of great importance after 2014. He is the one who, pursuant to the Delta Act, produces the annual Delta Programme, monitors its cohesion and progress, and ensures that there is room for adjustment where it is promising and would deliver more than existing preferences. This is stated in the Advisory Report entitled Samen verder werken aan de Delta, governance van het Nationaal Deltaprogramma na 2014 (Working Further on the Delta Together: governance of the national Delta Programme after 2014) written by Prof. Dr G.R. Teisman (engineer) and Dr A. van Buuren of Erasmus University Rotterdam at the request of the Delta Commissioner.
Over the past years, the Delta Programme has been successful in several important areas. The new form of collaboration between the government and regional authorities, the adaptive approach and linking water and spatial planning issues are major plus points which can be built on in the next phase of the Delta Programme, according to the report. Direct stakeholders give the Delta Programme an average score that is close to 8 out of 10.
The recommendations contain several draft criteria that can be used to further build the organisation of the Delta Programme: shoulders to the wheel where necessary and working actively on intelligent combinations beyond the boundaries of the various authorities where possible. Programme-based working means that the Delta Programme focuses on the quality of the implementation in which there should be room for innovation and the early involvement of the market. In this regard, the Delta Commissioner acts as the figurehead of an innovative sector. According to the Advisory Report, the water sector can benefit from this in terms of international visibility and export strength.
The Advisory Report also includes the results of the survey about the Delta Programme (in Dutch only).
In the Delta Programme 2015 (DP2015), in addition to his proposal for the Delta Decisions, the Delta Commissioner will also set out a proposal for the cabinet regarding the structure of the Delta Programme after 2014. The DP2015 will be presented this year on Prinsjesdag (the state opening of parliament).