How does a session go, and how do we support it?
Both the agenda, decision list, minutes and excerpts should be signed.
One can sign digitally via Linked Notification. Signing is done based on the identity of the authorised persons. These individuals log in via ACM-IDM, and can then be signed simply by clicking "sign".
Certain documents are required to be published and/or reported: https://lokaalbestuur.vlaanderen.be/werking-bestuur/bekendmakingsplicht [Dutch]
There are different deadlines for each document here:
Agenda: publication 8 days before the session
Decision list: publication and notification 10 days after the meeting
Minutes: publication and notification after approval at the next meeting.
Depending on the type of decision, other agenda items are published and reported separately. These have different deadlines.
One can publish and report without signing. It is important that the board does have a signed version available to be legally compliant.
Our manual gives a clear view on how GN works [Dutch].
The draft agenda, supplemental agenda, and urgent agenda are published linked through the software vendor (such as Gelinkt Notuleren, for example) and are posted on the website. When published through GN, it lands on the publishing environment. Local governments can link to this page.
Reporting can be done automatically through a vendor, semi-automatically through gelinkt Notuleren (with a review in Box office for Local Governments/Loket voor Lokale Besturen) or manually through Box office for Local Governments (Loket voor Lokale Besturen).
Subtitles available in player.
At the next session, the minutes from the previous session are approved (or the session after, if there are still adjustments to be made).
There are certain documents, such as environmental permits, that can be delivered to certain parties even before the minutes are approved. It is possible to sign, publish and report these separately.
This can also be explicitly printed out in Gelinkt Notuleren.
Minutes are generally not completed during the session, but processed asynchronously.
The context in which the agenda items are handled can now be provided.
For each agenda item the attendees, the votes and the decision are entered. Multiple votes can be held per agenda item.
Our manual gives a clear view on how GN works [Dutch].
It is important that each department and all secretarial staff have the role Writer here. This is set on the Gebruikersbeheer (User Management – ACM-IDM), usually by the IT service of the local government.
Readers
can view all agenda items.
Writers
can view and edit all agenda items.
In Gelinkt Notuleren, files can be prepared in the Agendapunten (Agenda Items) tab. It is also possible to create a session directly and add agenda items there - but this is less flexible.
From the moment an agenda item is agendized and linked to a session, the agenda item will have its geagendeerd (planned)
status added to it, and you won't be able to add it to any other session.
Agenda items that were adjourned can be copied so they do not have to be rebuilt.
Part
Information
Linked information
To be published in:
Start date
The day the session went ahead.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Start time
When the session was started by the chair(wo)man.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Attendees session
Who was present at the start of the session.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Absentees session
Who was absent at the start of the session.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
President (or replacement)
Who assumed the role of chairman of the council.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Secretary (or replacement)
Who assumed the role of secretary of the council.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Part
Information
Linked information
To be published in
Attendees agenda item
Who was present for the agenda item.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Absentees agenda item
Who was absent for the agenda item.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Disclosure of agenda item
The actual treatment of the agenda item: public or closed.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Subject vote
What is the vote about?
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Type of vote
Secret or open.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Proponents
Number of proponents: numbers only if it's a secret vote, name of the attendee also if open.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Opponents
Number of opponents: numbers only if it's a secret vote, name of the attendee also if open.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Abstainers
Number of abstainers: numbers only if it's a secret vote, name of the attendee also if open.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Result of a vote
What is the consequence of this vote.
Yes
Minutes, decision list, excerpts
Closure of the session
When did the chair(wo)man close the session
Yes
Minutes
Secretarial staff / Medewerkers van de secretarie Perform administrative work for the public organisation, such as the municipality or public social welfare center.
General Manager / Algemeen directeur The general manager is responsible for the general and coordinating management of the services of the municipality and of the public center for social welfare. The general director, together with his staff, realizes the decreed and legally prescribed tasks and policy objectives.
Agenda item in draft / draft decision / Agendapunt in concept / ontwerpbesluit A draft (possibly to be added to or modified) of the resolution that would result from this agenda item.
Internal agenda / Interne agenda An agenda (possibly to be added to or modified), which can be reviewed internally.
Draft agenda / Ontwerpagenda An agenda (possibly to be added to or modified), which can be reviewed internally.
Additional agenda / Aanvullende agenda The draft agenda may be revised after publication. After revision, it will be republished as a supplementary agenda. It may also be supplemented.
Urgent agenda / Spoedeisende agenda Agenda with items introduced by the council until just before the meeting.
Gelinkt Notuleren gives local governments the opportunity to publish and report decisions in a linked way [Dutch] - even if they do not have a software vendor, or work with a software vendor that cannot meet the decree obligation to use open standards. Linked minutes also shows software vendors how to comply with the decree obligations [Dutch].
Linked minutes also shows software vendors how to comply with the decree obligations.
Find the functionalities here: https://gelinkt-notuleren.vlaanderen.be/login
Read about how they work: https://abb-vlaanderen.gitbook.io/gelinkt-notuleren-handleiding/
Support Linked Decision Making Gelinkt Notuleren aims to support decision making, but does not exist to disrupt the market.
The functionalities we offer exist to enable linked decision making
After the agenda items have been prepared, they are delivered to the secretary's office to be added to the agenda. The agenda is generally prepared by a member of the secretarial staff and/or the managing director. Then it is checked and completed by the general manager.
*This is not an official term. This term is used here to refer to the process.
The draft agenda is communicated to the council before the meeting and published to for citizens. This agenda may still be modified.
Councillors may still submit agenda items up to a few days before the meeting. This will then be re-communicated and published as a supplemental agenda.
Up until just before the meeting, board members can still submit agenda items. The urgent agenda is also communicated and published as a supplementary agenda.
The draft agenda, supplemental agenda and emergency agenda are communicated to council members. This is generally done by a member of the secretarial staff or general manager, via the software package or by mail. Digital communication is encouraged.
The draft agenda, supplemental agenda, and urgent agenda are published linked through the software vendor (such as Gelinkt Notuleren, for example) and are posted on the website. When published via GN, it arrives on a publishing environment such as that of Linked Noticing. Boards can link to this page from their website.
Our manual gives a clear view on how GN works [Dutch].
For agenda setting, you need the role writer
.
Through Gelinkt Notuleren, the people who do not need writing privileges, but do review the agenda, can use the role reader
to view the agenda items that have been put on the agenda.
Within Gelinkt Notuleren, you create an agenda within a session - so it must be created first. You fill in the information from the session that you have available in advance:
After that, the agenda items that were prepared are added to the session.
First, the agenda item is linked to the session. Then a title and description (optional) are added to the session for that agenda item. This title and description are used when publishing the agendas.
This title and description may differ from the title and description of the agenda item itself. The title in the agenda item itself is used in the decision list, minutes and excerpts.
From the moment an agenda item is agendized and linked to a session, the agenda item will have its geagendeerd (planned)
status added to it, and you won't be able to add it to any other session.
Part
Information
Linked information
To be published in
Governing Body
For which body was this session scheduled.
Yes
Agenda
Planned date
The day on which the hearing is scheduled.
Yes
Agenda
Planned hour
When the session was scheduled to begin.
Yes
Agenda
Location
Where will the session take place.
Not yet
/
Part
Information
Linked information
To be published in
Public title (in session, for agenda)
This title is used when publishing the agenda.
Yes
Agenda
Brief public description (in session, for agenda)
Can give more information about the decision. Not every board does this, some copy the title. Used when publishing the agenda
Yes
Agenda
Planned disclosure
The expectation on which the agenda item will be handled: public or closed.
Yes
Agenda
A local government prepares agenda items - also called dossiers or draft decisions - separately. This is done by the assigned department(s) within that local government. It also happens that employees of the secretariat prepare agenda items that do not require specific knowledge, such as the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.
The agenda items are prepared for various governing bodies. In the application you log in as an employee of a Municipality, Autonomous Municipal Corporation or Province.
Municipality (Gemeente)
City Council (Gemeenteraad)
Municipal College (CBS – College Burgemeester & Schepenen)
Mayor Autonomous (Burgemeester)
Autonomous Municipal Corporation (AGB – Autonoom Gemeentebedrijf)
OCMW
Special Committee (Bijzonder comité)
Permanent Office (Vast Bureau)
Province (Provincie)
Provincial Council (Provincieraad)
Deputation (Deputatie)
Autonomous Provincial Administration (APB – Autonoom Provinciebedrijf)
Our manual gives a clear view on how GN works [Dutch].
Roles It is important that each department and all secretarial staff have the role Writer
here. This is set on the Gebruikersbeheer (User Management – ACM-IDM), usually by the IT service of the local government.
Reader
can view all agenda items.
Writer
can view and edit all agenda items.
In Gelinkt Notuleren, files can be prepared in the Agendapunten (Agenda Items) tab. It is also possible to create a session directly and add agenda items there - but that is less flexible.
Agenda items that were adjourned can be copied so they do not have to be rebuilt.
There are 3 statuses
Concept (Draft)
The agenda item is in preparation, but has not yet been linked to a session. The agenda item can be modified at any time.
Geagendeerd (Planned)
The item has been included in a preparation for a meeting. The agenda may still change, and the agenda item may be modified.
Gepubliceerd (Published)
The event has been linked to a meeting and has been published. The item cannot be modified anymore.
At this stage only Concept
is applicable.
Whenever you start a new agenda item, you start with one of 2 generic templates: decisions (with an optional vote) and free text. Examples of agenda items:
Decisions
Approving of minutes of the last session
Regulations
Announcements
Free text
Discussion points
Varia
We offer 2 styles for decisions:
New style: uses headings to separate authorities, legal context and rationale. Some boards use additional headings, but we make no further distinction here.
Classic style: use "gelet op (considering)" and "overwegende dat (whereas)" to separate legal context and rationale.
Part
Information
Linked information
To be published in
Public title (in agenda item itself)
This title is used when publishing the extracts, minutes and decision lists.
Yes
Uittreksels, notulen, besluitenlijst
Brief public description (in agenda item itself)
Can give more information about the decision. Not every board does this, some copy the title. Used when publishing the excerpts, minutes and decision lists
Yes
Excerpts, minutes, decision list
Governing Body
What governing body is this about?
No
Minutes
Authorities
Through the citation plugin, the board enters the legal basis that determines that the body has jurisdiction.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Legal context
Through the citation plugin, the board enters the legal contexts that are related.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Rationale
The board submits the justifications.
No
Minutes, excerpts
Decision
The decision consists of one or more article(s).
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Articles
An item consists of an item number and its contents.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Article number
Sequential numbers.
Yes
Minutes, excerpts
Article content
Content
Yes
Minutes, excerpts