Data and design in service of the community in Maipú, Chile

Maipú, one of the largest and second most populous cities in Chile, with approximately 600,000 residents, had endured years of public mismanagement and underinvestment, which eroded the internal capabilities, innovation, and motivation of its teams.

Recently, a new administration adopted a bold strategy centred on building data skills and integrating new technologies to drive change.

One of the city’s main priorities revolved around the perception of insecurity, which remained high despite many investments in public infrastructure and citizen security presence in the streets. The perception of insecurity has become a complex problem, with multiple causes and ramifications. Could data and service design drive new solutions?

After facilitating multiple user research sessions with the teams, we were able to identify two key user needs of residents: 

1.  the possibility of accessing public information about citizen security in Maipú, and
2. to provide support to residents when they make a citizen complaint.

The team worked on these needs to design and develop two beacon services.

The Data Security Observatory is a data service that provides information on citizen security in a comprehensive, transparent and accessible way to citizens. It also provides teams within the city with relevant data to learn more about insecurity in Maipú and make decisions for the development of better public policies.

The portal has both public access, so that citizens can visualise information on investments and citizen security projects implemented in their neighbourhoods; and private access, focused on the city security intelligence teams with more sensitive data such as the history of crimes in the city.

Follow your report is prototype web application that allows users to follow the progress of their report in real-time, from the moment they call the emergency base until the security patrol arrives and takes action. In addition, residents can receive relevant security guidance, access emergency contacts and download their case reports.

This data service has a scalable impact on the entire city. Once the update and notification logic has been tested out, there are plans to implement it in other areas, such as tracking local health appointments or the status of utility claims.

Typically, project achievements are visible at the end. What makes the Data as a Service initiative in Maipú so exciting is that significant milestones became evident throughout the 12 months of work.

Data as a service for residents: Teams no longer see data as an end in itself but as part of a service with a purpose. This approach allows for a more holistic gathering and use of data, better aligned with the genuine needs of users.

Developing new skills: Curiosity and willingness to learn were essential. The team acquired skills in user research, prototyping and agile methodologies. Some team members even taught themselves how to use APIs, tokens and good design practices.

Building multidisciplinary teams and collaborative networks: Cross-departmental collaboration and the creation of a Network of Data Leaders led to new relationships and perspectives. This approach enhanced project results and created stronger ties between the teams, which had previously worked in isolation

New tools and methodologies: One of the greatest achievements was replicating the methodologies and tools in other initiatives. This “cascade effect” allowed knowledge to be transferred to other teams, scaling up capabilities throughout the City.

Raise necessary and difficult questions: The project encouraged the teams to question and improve the handling of sensitive data, addressing key issues such as privacy and data sharing between departments. These discussions led to the team’s commitment to develop new security protocols in the near future.