Johannes Boshuizen has started a new position within the Groningen National Program. On April 1, he said goodbye as program manager of Toukomst and started a new challenge for Nij Begun. Johannes looks back with great pleasure and pride on his time at Toukomst and the many special projects. “It’s great that the initiators went for it so fully!”
Johannes finds it very special that Toukomst has been able to bring so many different people together in five years. “Initiators who came up with innovative ideas and collaborate with local companies, all kinds of organizations and municipalities… that is really new. This is reflected in a large number of projects, for example ‘Every village has its own food garden’ and ‘Strong Museums’. I am especially proud that more and more people are participating in the projects; now more than 750. Last year, projects were really in the process of being implemented. And we can all be proud of that, but especially the initiators.”
The program was set up as a democratic experiment and a new way of financing residents’ initiatives.
Future evaluation
In addition to the many successes, there are also things that went less well. Johannes: “The program was set up as a democratic experiment and a new way of financing residents’ initiatives. With a program on this scale, where everything is new, with these budgets and where so many people work together, it is not surprising that there are lessons to be learned.” To do this properly, an evaluation of the program will be carried out this year: “This will examine how the process went and how initiators experienced it. But also: what are the results of the projects, are they as expected? The first part of Toukomst up to the selection of the Toukomst panel has already been evaluated by the Hanze University of Applied Sciences and the University of Groningen. The new evaluation concerns the follow-up and also the results per project. The intention is for the evaluation to start sometime in the coming months and to be completed in early 2025,” says Johannes.
Future of Toukomst
There is still a lot to happen with Toukomst. “That is of course too much to mention now. Almost all projects have started. ‘The Landscape Workshop’ is the largest project, which includes ten initiatives. A good example: an initiator with a great wish for a connection between Foxhol and the nature reserve towards the Zuidlaardermeer. So that people from Foxhol can cycle and walk there more easily in the future. The initiator is further developing the plan together with the Landscape Workshop, the municipality of Midden-Groningen and ProRail. Getting all those parties together is quite a job. Or take, for example, ‘This is how we want to live’. There a community of groups of elderly people is created who are working on new initiatives for shared living arrangements. Make no mistake about what it means for people if they can live longer in their village with the support of people they know.”
Johannes finds it special that residents do not avoid difficult topics. “Yes, I really admire that. For example, ‘EPIQ’ is working with all kinds of partners to tell the story of gas extraction and everything it means for Groningen. It is quite something that residents are committed to such a topic. Very logical actually: the story about the mines in South Limburg is also told in a museum. Or look at ‘Harvest van Groningen’ and ‘Route 2040’, both of which have to do with the future of agriculture. It’s amazing how they are doing that. And the initiators of ‘Touripedia’, who, as initiators with different backgrounds, have focused on the role of the government in tourist data. Quite difficult when outsiders suddenly say that things can be smarter and better, but gradually something good comes out of it; I’m convinced of that.”
People are really attached to the uniqueness of Groningen.
Positive feeling
Johannes looks back on the Toukomst process with a positive feeling: “For me it is mainly about: how do you ensure that as a government you work well with residents and other parties? But of course there are rules and you can’t favor anyone. I didn’t quite expect it to be as complex as it is. If we had known that, we would have made it clearer to the initiators: Brace yourself, it can get quite complicated. Because that’s what it is sometimes. Setting up collaborations in the region is also sometimes very complicated. Bridging the differences and contradictions is truly an enormous opportunity for everyone in the province.” Seeing how much the residents of Groningen are fond of the character and individuality of the province is what Johannes finds inspiring about Toukomst: “People are really very attached to the uniqueness of Groningen.”
Criticism
Johannes finds it understandable but also painful that there is sometimes quite a bit of criticism, for example in the media. “While many initiators are very positive, and therefore sometimes do not receive the attention they deserve. I find that difficult, because initiators are so committed to it and want to make a positive contribution to the province. Anyway: criticism is part of it, Toukomst is also something completely new. We learned a lot. Looking back now, some things could have been done differently. We should have paid more attention to everyone’s expectations. A terribly bureaucratic term, of course, but things would undoubtedly have gone more smoothly if everyone knew much better what the intention was and what it would mean. Various studies in the country also show that the government does not always have the instruments to support initiatives. We sometimes have to come up with quite complicated constructions together to make something possible. Another thing is that I see a dilemma in the role of directors. On the one hand, a director wants to give the initiators space, not ‘take over’ matters. On the other hand, a director also wants to be able to advocate for a good initiative. This may be subject to further consideration in the future.”
I will be working on the economic agenda: preparing the province for the future. This also involves the question: how can you ensure that residents throughout the province benefit from it in the future?
New function
Johannes will join the team of the economic quartermaster for Nij Begun. “I will be working on the economic agenda: preparing the province for the future. This also involves the question: how can you ensure that residents throughout the province benefit from it in the future? In particular, I will focus on the leisure economy, where I also see a great deal of common ground with Toukomst projects: experiencing the province, showing the beautiful places.” The whole of Groningen and the Kop van Drenthe should benefit from the new Nij Begun program. For the economic agenda, sometimes even the entire North. Johannes: “Toukomst will continue as normal until 2030. Nij Begun is currently being built up and developed, we will know more about what exactly that will look like at the end of the year.”
Successor
Mara Bosboom takes over from Johannes at Toukomst. “I stopped on April 1, but I still work in the background as a source of information. Mara has a lot of experience: she comes from the Arts Council and has a great affinity with culture and small-scale initiatives. She understands what is involved.” The location where Johannes works is partly the same. “Yes, it’s nice that I’m still staying in Ten Boer. I also now work in the city. It’s also nice to work there with other colleagues: I’m really looking forward to it!”
