Beheer

Beheer is a Dutch noun that denotes the act of managing, administering, or controlling something to ensure its proper operation, preservation, or use. It encompasses planning, decision-making, supervision, and the allocation of resources needed to maintain and develop assets, services, or institutions. The related verb is beheren, meaning to manage or oversee; in many contexts, beheer also carries a sense of stewardship or guardianship over what is being governed.

Beheer is used across sectors. In the private and public sectors, it covers governance, strategy, and day-to-day administration within organizations, as well as the management of budgets, personnel, and operations. In infrastructure and utilities, it often refers to ensuring reliability and long-term viability of facilities and networks, including asset management, maintenance, and renewal. In public policy, beheer includes planning and supervising services such as education, healthcare, housing, and transport.

Specific fields with established compound forms include waterbeheer (water management), natuurbeheer (nature management), en gebiedsbeheer (area management), and energiebeheer (energy management). In information technology, IT-beheer or systembeheer refers to the administration and operation of computer systems and networks. Across these domains, beheer is typically governed by policy frameworks, contracts, standards, and performance indicators to manage risk and accountability.

Beheer emphasizes stewardship and value preservation rather than ownership, depending on legal and organizational context. The term is common in Dutch-language discourse and is used to describe processes that maintain, protect, or enhance assets and services over time.