Browsing by Author "Mark S"

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    Digital Council for Aotearoa New Zealand. (2020). Towards trustworthy and trusted automated decision-making in Aotearoa.
    (Toi Āria: Design for Public Good, 2021-04-16) Brown A; Law M; Mark S; Parkin T; Reade A; Shibata S; Tobin A
    We spoke to over 180 people throughout Aotearoa about different situations where ADM has specific impacts on the lives of individuals, whānau and communities. We heard loud and clear that ADM and other decision-making systems should be built for — and with — the people who are impacted. This is essential for ensuring trusted and trustworthy systems. When workshop participants talked about ADM, they focused on more than the technology itself. Instead, they talked about algorithms as being part of a much wider system that also included the way data is collected and used, the people and organisations that develop the systems, and the interventions resulting from decisions. Participants thought that ADM, with its ability to process data fast and at scale, is well suited to some situations. However, they were clear that it can be harmful in other situations and can intensify pre-existing bias and discrimination — especially when the decision has major impacts on the lives of individuals and their whānau. Participants provided clear and concise suggestions of what would make them feel more comfortable in situations where ADM is used. They want systems that are built to meet the needs and reflect the values of the communities impacted. To achieve this, it is important to participants that people who have similar lived experience to them are involved in the development of decision-making systems and the interventions that result from them. Participants told us they would be more comfortable if there was transparency and clear communication about how the government uses ADM and how it is used to make decisions. We took these clear and urgent suggestions and used them as a basis to develop a set of recommendations to the government. We looked at work already underway and the barriers preventing systemic change, and gathered input from experts to inform our thinking
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    New Zealand’s public diplomacy in the Pacific: a reset, or more of the same?
    Mark S
    In May 2018, the New Zealand Government announced a new foreign policy initiative, the Pacific Reset, launched in the context of ‘an increasingly contested strategic environment’ that was challenging New Zealand’s ability to pursue its interests and eroding its influence. The new initiative aims to increase New Zealand influence and connections by developing deeper partnerships, through a greater focus on soft diplomacy, public diplomacy and people-to-people measures. The Pacific Reset is supported by an extra $150 million for New Zealand’s foreign ministry and $714 million for New Zealand’s aid programme. Is New Zealand’s public diplomacy calibrated right to meet these new objectives? This paper critically examines recent New Zealand foreign ministry public diplomacy in the context of the objectives set out in the Pacific Reset. In particular, it assesses whether New Zealand public diplomacy reflects the conceptual shift from the ‘old’ one-way public diplomacy to the two-way engagement ethos of the ‘new’ public diplomacy.