Increasing transparency and accountability

Editor’s note: This is part 3 of our 2021 Year in Review Series. You can read the intro post here, Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. You can follow along with these and other projects on our (new!) Instagram account (@newurbanmechanics) or Twitter (@newurbanmechs).

In striving to do meaningful work, we step back every so often to evaluate our approach. Taking a critical look at not just our “what,” but our “how”, means being honest with ourselves about tensions that exist in the work.

We’ve talked about supporting each other in new ways. We’ve talked about tinkering with what already exists. But we recognize that we’re still a government organization. If we’re not thoughtful about how we approach our projects, even caring services or structural improvements that have the best intention could fall short.

That’s why we believe that care, creativity, and innovation shouldn’t happen behind closed doors. Transparency and accountability aren’t just add-ons or nice-to-haves on projects; they’re at the heart of the work. They’re at the heart of our Year-in-Review practice. We try to be candid and clear about our own process — so that it can be replicated in its successes, but also so that it can be critiqued in its failures. We want to open up our work to the people we’re trying to serve, our partners, and ourselves. It’s through this process that we learn, project by project, year by year, and try to grow better, kinder, and clearer.

Here are three projects where we tried to increase transparency and accountability in Boston.

Surveillance Oversight

When Mayor Wu was in City Council, she pushed for greater transparency around law enforcement technology and restrictions on how people in Boston can be surveilled. In 2021, working with community organizations like the ACLU and across City departments, MONUM carried on the Mayor’s work by helping develop and push through a surveillance oversight ordinance that legislates just this kind of transparency and accountability. With the ordinance now passed, the work expands: bringing together City stakeholders to build transparent and accountable processes, and opening up public conversations around use of technology and privacy.

What was “the question” this project was answering?

• How can Boston lead, rather than react, in the spaces of digital trust and ethical public safety?
• How can Boston create new standards of ethical technological behavior for City departments?

What lessons did you learn from this work?

With how fast technology is advancing, and with the City’s varied needs, there can be a strong drive to push new technology through and get things done right away. Part of what we’re learning is about time. It takes time to get everyone at the table — not just the people who are using the technology, but the people who could be most adversely affected by it. It takes time to get things right — to thoroughly understand new technologies and what will help City departments provide services more effectively and efficiently. Doing what’s right can mean slowing down existing processes. So we’re learning about how to make time, about how to make the right sacrifices, and how to still keep things moving forward.

How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?

As the working group moves forward, we’ll be sharing information about the sessions and holding meetings that people who are interested can attend. Keep an eye out for public meetings and events about surveillance technology that we’ll be holding in partnership with neighborhood and community organizations. And after the group has developed recommendations for the City, we’ll be sharing public reports about recommendations and progress on the initiatives.

Digital Curbs + Parking Studies

Using a tool refined by a Summer Fellow in 2020 (the inimitable Nick Brenner) we piloted the use of lightweight parking studies to inform future curb-use and parking policies.

What was “the question” this project was answering?

Can we reduce the friction, cost, and time needed to understand the uses of our curbs?

What lessons did you learn from this work?

Having real-time data doesn’t always mean it’s easier to make a policy decision.

How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?

Stay tuned to planning processes in your neighborhood.

Building Trust: An Approach to Technology and Data

Building on MONUM’s work with Beta Blocks to make community discussions on technology more transparent and engaging, this year we focused on City processes and tried new communication strategies to build trust. In 2021 MONUM worked with a range of stakeholders and City Council to pass an ordinance that, among other things, will form a working group to tackle the processes for deploying new technologies and collecting data for front line departments. We also deployed additional DTPR signage in collaboration with BTD to study curb-use and launched What the Tech, our first web series that focuses on the purpose of technologies found on our streets and sidewalks.

What was “the question” this project was answering?

Can we build trust in government by being more transparent, honest, and creating clear guidelines around technology?

What lessons did you learn from this work?

There is a balance between adding layers of bureaucracy and effective city operations. We are on a course to thread the needle between them with a little bit of delightful communication as the hook to engage on a wonky topic.

How can the public be involved moving forward? Where can folks follow along with the progress?

We will be running public engagement sessions on a few pilots of technology this summer and fall.

What are you trying to be more open about this year? In what ways have you practiced self-accountability? We’d love to hear what you’re working toward for the balance of this year and are happy to be partners with you in that work. You can follow us on Twitter (@newurbanmechs) and Instagram (@newurbanmechanics) to keep up with us until our next Year in Review.