OVERIJSSEL

 Housing, Retail and Spatial Planning

Policy advice at the Province of Overijssel

Overijssel is a province in the east of the Netherlands with 1.16 million inhabitants. Between 2019 and 2024, I worked at the research department, as an advisor in the field of Housing, Retail and Spatial Planning. As an account manager, I liaised between my department and the policy makers working on these themes. I was supported by three researchers in my cluster.

Information-based decision-making

I provided research input to the policy department, to ensure policy was grounded in sound data. To do this, I verified which information was required, coordinated research and made the results accessible for policy makers. The Housing Dashboard is a good example of this. I also provided advice on data and research as a member of the Stadsbeweging ('City Movement'), a programme that aimed at improving the vitality of city centres and ensuring that they are 'future-proof'. In this role, I was a member of the supervisory board of a large-scale study into shopping patterns in the Eastern Netherlands, took the initiative for the Vitality Benchmark for City and Town Centres and helped organise a series of workshops on Smart Cities.

Monitoring and evaluation

I monitored and evaluated the province’s policy, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. For example, I led the evaluation of the programme ‘Ruimte voor de Vecht’, a long-term cooperation between the province and 12 partners to invest in the development of the region along the Vecht river. I also evaluated the Provincial Strategy on Spatial Planning and the Environment (Omgevingsvisie).