Ministry of Justice & Security: AI journey of discovery

How a ministry is steering the AI revolution in the right direction

With more than 33,000 employees, the Ministry of Justice and Security (MinJenV) is one of the largest ministries in the Netherlands. As responsible for the rule of law, security and migration, the ministry is active in making, implementing and evaluating policies in these crucial social areas. In doing so, MinJenV works closely with organizations such as the police, Public Prosecutor's Office, courts and many other chain partners in the judicial domain.

Preparing for a new reality full of AI opportunities

The MinjeNV faced an interesting challenge. It wanted to experience for itself what impact this technology could have on the daily work of policy officers. Although AI tools are not yet available organization-wide due to the lack of clear guidelines, there was a strong need to gain practical experience. This experience would be valuable for formulating future policy.

The ministry was looking for a partner who, based on the Microsoft AI platform, could guide a group of around ten policy officers in an AI experience. This experience should not only inspire but also lead to the identification, prioritization and realization of concrete AI applications in their work practice.

A roadmap for AI adoption

Together with a consulting firm, we have Content Strategy developed a program that not only introduced policy officers to AI technology, but also actively experimented with practical applications. Our approach consisted of several phases:

In the preparation phase, we identified who the participants would be and invited them to the AI experience. We studied the current workplace, the document management system that forms the basis for the policy process, and other relevant applications to get a good idea of the work environment. In addition, we identified which activities and activities are part of the policy process, in order to develop targeted AI applications that are in line with daily practice

The first workshop — AI Inspiration — consisted of two parts. First, we demonstrated relevant AI applications for policy officials to inspire. We then identified and prioritized relevant use cases with an interactive working method. This revealed various valuable applications, including:

• Supporting policy development through AI-driven summaries of relevant files and documents.
• Bringing together different channels within the collaborative environment for a clear overview of the most important tasks.
• Applying simple functions within Teams that allow meetings to be transcribed and automatically converted into action lists and minutes.

After this workshop, we developed the prioritized use cases using the Microsoft Platform, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot for Teams, Azure OpenAI and Copilot Studio.

For the second workshop, we designed concrete cases based on a public dataset and specific issues that were provided directly from the Ministry of JenV. During this workshop, we demonstrated the detailed AI applications and allowed participants to experience them for themselves. Here, we specifically focused on two cases: collecting and creating information, and analyzing and summarizing data.”

Knowledge sharing via “Broodje AI” webinar

The project ended with a presentation to 120 AI-interested colleagues at a “Broodje AI” webinar on April 1, 2024 and the presentation of a final report describing this process and the outcomes, recommendations and next steps.

The webinar was received with great enthusiasm. Many participants indicated that they wanted to get started with AI immediately, but ran into practical barriers: the J&V work environment currently does not allow AI to be used. A frequently asked question was therefore how employees can experiment responsibly and thus gain experience with AI. In response, we shared several practical tips to help employees safely gain first experiences with this technology, in line with, among other things, government policy on generative AI.

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Multidisciplinary team brings knowledge together

The AI experience was designed by a diverse team of specialists. From Blis Digital, we brought the technical knowledge of AI and the Microsoft technology used. Content Strategy was involved as an expert in the field of information management in the public domain. This knowledge was complemented by the practical experience of various policy officers from various departments of the Min JeNV.

Insights that shape the future of policy

The AI experience provided valuable insights for both participants and the AI management. The participants discovered that AI can be used very effectively to support research, analysis, meetings and meetings. They also saw the potential of AI for facilitating brainstorming sessions and idea development, although they emphasized that these processes should not be left entirely to AI.

An important learning point was the question when it is effective to use AI and when processes can be better executed by people. During the hands-on second session, participants experienced the high applicability of AI for information processing, but they also discovered new technical and ethical concerns. For example, transparency about the data used and regulatory compliance proved essential, and it became clear that AI results are not always complete and accurate.

The results of the project are now being incorporated into the further development of policy frameworks for AI within the ministry.

The overall conclusion was clear: given the rapid developments in AI, downtime is not an option. It remains very important to continuously explore and implement AI applications, but within the applicable legal frameworks.

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