Tech pilots

Effective policing requires citizen cooperation (Alpert et al. 1998; Skogan, 1998). To stimulate such cooperation, many policing initiatives attempt to make police part of the community. Integrating police into the community can be challenging, however, especially in communities with a history of poor resident-police relations, fragile and conflict settings.  One means of improving resident cooperation with police is to increase residents’ perceptions of police legitimacy and trustworthiness (Hawdon, 2008).

Though widely acknowledged, but there is a lack of evidence of institutionalising practices or strategies for building ‘citizen trust of police’ and ‘perceptions of police legitimacy’, especially within fragile context of post-conflict countries, with few exceptions. Within this context, though there is high technology prevalence within policing, but there’s little relationship between the choice of technologies and strategies to build trust with citizens. Most popular technologies used in policing include: car cameras, information-sharing platforms, like social media, body-worn cameras (BWCs), geographic information system technology cell phone tracking software, or investigative case-management softwares, analytical and visual-based technology (like license plate readers), (Strom, 2017).

This said, in our work while exploring this relationship empirically, we did find that trust and legitimacy operate different within different social settings, this may be dependent on local levels of social capital. Also we have tried to understand ‘community policing’ with three dimensions: developing community partnerships, engaging in problem solving, and implementing community policing organizational features. 

• Research context

  Post-conflict societies, although they vary in most respects, have something in common: public institutions are considered weak, fragile and untrustworthy. This is true for policing institutions as well. Abuse of policing powers, corrupt practices, and impunity are characteristics people often ascribe to their authorities. Meanwhile, conflicts have regional and global ramifications. Citizens everywhere are endangered by problems arising from conflict, such as human and drug trafficking, and terrorism.

  This project has tried to address this challenge by conducting integrated social and technical research on Community-based policing (COP) in post-conflict countries. With the aim that, the project will lead to a better understanding of police-community relations, as well as strategies to enable innovation in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) solutions for enhancing these relations in post-conflict countries undergoing serious security and police reform.

  The research question for us was: To what degree can information and communications technologies contribute to or detract from improved human security for vulnerable populations?

  We have tried to empirically to answer this research question, by implementing ICT pilots in four countries. Pilot implementation in each research site includes workshops, training, building technology solutions (where required), supporting already working systems, building guides and translation services.

  In this context, the Department of Informatics (IFI) at Universitetet i Oslo (UiO), joined the project in 2018 as the Technology Partner.

  We have tried to empirically to answer this research question, by implementing ICT pilots in four countries. Pilot implementation in each research site includes – workshops, trainings, building technology solutions (where required), supporting already working systems, building guides and translation services.

• Methodology

  This section, presents details of our empirical engagement which has helped in inductively developing an understanding of these concepts and enable their conversations with available research and theoretical perspectives. The session has four main sections. First, describes our/UiO’s role in the research. In the second section, we discuss overall research design including the philosophical basis, action research approach, case study method, and the multi-level engagement. In the third section, we approach to data collection, which is followed by data analysis.

  Role of the University of Oslo (UiO)

  • ICT pilots have been our primary responsibility, right from conceptualization, to implementation, to design and development of technologies used in the pilots (except Kosovo).
  • UiO got local researchers on board in Kenya, Kosovo, Guatemala and Pakistan.
  • The Guatemala team has three anthropologists, while the Kenya team has social science researcher from peace studies, Pakistan researchers came from Gender studies and the Kosovo researcher from security studies. This mix of academic backgrounds, complemented by the informatics expertise from UiO, enabled the development of rich multi-disciplinary perspectives. All researchers have been UiO employees for the project period. Work package leader at UiO has participated in field work in each pilot country upto the end of February (before the pandemic lock downs began).
  • The UiO team (pilot country and Oslo researchers) have worked together with weekly scheduled online meetings since September 2019. We have together planned, discussed, prepared training material etc using the medium of our weekly meetings.

  Overview from the University of Oslo (UiO) project team

  Research strategy of action research

  UiO follow the idea that technologies do not come ready with a ‘perfect fit’ for a context and these need to be cultivated and designed to fit the context, especially in the fragile post-conflict context of resource constrained environments.

  This process of cultivation and design is an ongoing, reflective and an iterative process, influenced by culture, social structures and user perceptions. Action research provides the tools and framework to carry out such cultivation through  ongoing processes and analyze a multidimensional world where it is very difficult to ascribe  cause and effect conditions (Wood-Harper 1984, p. 180).  

  Baskerville and Wood-Harper (1996) describe action research as the touchstone for the development of good practice, and since our research involved contributing to practices of system development and project management, action research was valuable to our approach. Further, the value of action research lies in providing a mechanism for understanding complex social events in the real world and the challenges in attempting to change them. Therefore, this mode of research requires researchers to be reflective as well as iterative in bringing about intended changes (Baskerville and Wood-Harper 1998).  By design, the researcher collaboratively participates in the change processes, actively trying to improve the stated problem by introducing change and observing the effects of these efforts (Baskerville 1999).

  In this pilot, the action research efforts have had two fundamental bases. The first concerns at Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, where the researchers were exposed to theoretical ideas and approaches, and also how other researchers have addressed similar and different problems in other geographical and use contexts. Our other base is at pilot sites in the countries where the ICT pilots are being implemented. 

  Our research is conducted within the HISP research program at UiO, which has pioneered the action research approach of “networks of action” (Braa et al 2004), rooted in the Scandinavian tradition of participatory design and workplace democracy. The networks of action approach works on the simple principle that we learn better in collectives (termed as networks) than in isolated settings, and action research is about creating and sustaining these collectives and enabling sharing across elements in this network. Specific actions identified by Braa et al. includes sharing of open source software and resource materials (such as training manuals), circulating of ideas and experiences across members in the network.

  In each of the pilot country, we have tried to build a ‘local networks of action’

  1. In Kenya our research team engaged in building ‘community-based peace networks’ with members including – local police, security agencies, Red Cross, community based organisations, Mercy Corp, World Vision, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), NCIC, Red Cross, and Youth Bunge.
     
  2. In Guatemala the local network includes – Office for the Defense of Indigenous Women (DEMI), civil police, Human Rights Ombundsperson’s Office (PDH); the office of Attorney General’s Office (PGN) and regional Office for the Defence of Indigenous Women (DEMI) and Population Council.
     
  3. In Pakistan, we created a local network with Peshawar police, and NGOs working on gender based violence.
     
  4. In Kosovo, the local network includes the Directorate of Police in Community and Prevention, Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) and local NGOs

  In all these countries, the aim was to initiate a process of dialogue and trust between different ethnic groups and strengthen communities to understand early conflict warnings and build shared understanding on the nature and determinants of violence.  The further aim of the project was to develop similar “networks of action” across the different research sites so as to build a coherent community on ICT4COP globally, but time and COVID-19 related restrictions prevented this aim from being fully materialized.

  The process of participatory design carried out in collectives was inspired by the networks of action approach. These principles also guided other areas of action such as capacity building, strengthening linkages of development teams.

  In the table below, we summarize key characteristics of the action research carried out:

  

  Design & Implementation Principles for ICT solutions

  The key principles guiding our projects, included the following:

  • Embedded in social context and existing practices
  • Participatory design approach
  • Strengthening collaborative ‘networks of action’
  • Appropriate and frugal technologies
  • Scalable and sustainable design

  Research Approach

  Our intervention strategy based on research approach:

  

  
  

• Ethical framework

  Research ethics, for us at UiO, is defined as “values, principles, norms and institutional arrangements, which together contribute to honest, truthful and accountable research. While the basic ethos of research is the search for truth, at the same time, the research ethics emphasize that research has a further social responsibility. Research ethics is also about the relationship between researchers, and the relationship between researchers and other people.

  Following the institutional research guidelines, under the project we have worked in creating common collective knowledge and solving challenges that the community in pilot sites face. Our research has not violated the rights of people in any way – civil, political, economic, social and  cultural human rights. We have ensured that scientific and technological development has in no way abused to weaken individuals’ self-determination, human dignity and democratic rights.

  We as researcher have an independent responsibility for the research being able to benefit society directly or indirectly and to minimize risk.

  Ethical issues related to implementation and use of ICTs is important since these issues constitutes the conditions for human vulnerabilities and values. In our pilots we have considered the intrinsic relation between ethics and technology is important to be established, as we are well aware of ethical challenges that the use of technologies can pose, especially to the vulnerable populations, in fragile contexts.

  The ethical framework designed for the pilots include:

  1. Setting 8 member Project Ethics Board set-up.
     • Members from domain of : development studies, human rights, security systems, informatics, ICTs for development, anthropology
  2. Minimum Ethical Standards for ICT4D Research (MESICT4D) was taken as a guide for ethical check of the pilots
  3. Self-appraisal of each pilot was done by UiO using MESICT4D
  4. This self was submitted to the Ethics Board for review
  5. Three rounds of ethical checks were completed for Kenya and Guatemala pilots
  6. Feedback from Ethics Board was incorporated in the pilot implementation
• Results

  Positive role of ICTs in mitigating conflict conditions

  ICTs can play a positive enabling role in mitigating conditions of conflict, but they must be integrated deeply within locally existing social-institutional cultural structures:

  Kenya – embedded in community based “peace networks”
  Guatemala – within different institutions engaged in gender-based violence
  Kosovo – within the community policing department
   
  Key learning: ICTs on their own (for example, a standalone App) can do nothing, unless and until they become an integrated and an integral component of a larger heterogeneous socio-technical- institutional network collectively engaged in peace building efforts.

  ICTs can play multiple enabling roles

  ICTs can play different enabling roles in varying contexts for conflict mitigation, such as:

  • Enhance anonymity of citizens, which gives them build confidence to report on potential conflict situations (example, Kenya)
  • Information provides the glue to link and share information across different (and conflicting) groups, helping to build shared understanding of the issues and how they may be resolved (example, Kenya)
  • Creates visibility of information of the conflict situation that promotes accountability of decision makers to take peace building actions (example, Kenya)
  • Integration of relevant information in one point, helps enabling initiating conversations/dialogues between multiple entities engaged in peace building efforts, providing a basis for creating and monitoring coordinated actions (example, Guatemala)
  • Use of ICTs by the state for the perceived good of citizens can help to build trust of citizens towards the state, a key ingredient for peace building efforts (eg. Kosovo)

   
  Key learning: Need to understand what specific roles ICTs can play in peace building efforts in different socio-institutional contexts, and design and implement them accordingly.

  1.3. Making ICTs work is an intensive, long-term effort
  Contexts of conflicts are fragile, and intensive and continuous efforts are needed to make ICTs work in these settings:

  Long-term efforts (of many years) rather than short and adhoc project-based initiatives are needed for ICTs to be effective (eg: Kenya, dedicated efforts ongoing over a decade).
  There needs to be dedicated support group to ensure ICTs are working and continuously being enhanced and adapted to changing informational needs (eg. Kenya)
  It is important to make use of current and state of art developments in ICTs, to help provide required enabling functionalities for supporting peace building efforts (eg: Android use in Kosovo and visualization dashboards in Guatemala)
  To address key challenges of sustainability and scalability of the ICT application, dedicated institutional ownership and supporting resources are required.
   
  Key learning: ICTs don’t work on their own, dedicated support structures, institutional ownership and adequate financial and technical resources need to be provisioned.

  Non-traditional research methods 

  Researching ICTs in conflict settings requires research methods which are unique and different from traditional settings, such as:

  • They must be driven by local actors who have a stake in creating conditions of peace (example, Kenya)
  • Bringing in the victims of violence into the peace building efforts provides for building sensitive and grounded understanding of the issues (example, the use of “life story” methodology in Guatemala)
  • Building anthropologically grounded understandings of the issues are important to get into the “why” of conflicts (example, use of the “life story” methods in Guatemala
  • Need for strongly defined ethical frameworks to ensure the voices of the locals are heard and meaningfully acted upon (example, Guatemala and Kenya)

   
  Key learning: Need to build anthropologically informed understandings of the research issues within strong ethical frameworks of conducting research.

• Pilot case: Guatemala

  The pilot sought to open a space for dialogue on gender-based violence (GBV), between institutions responsible for protection of women, by building visualization of the data shared by each institution in departments of two counties: Sololá and Santa Rosa.

  • To initiate a process of dialogue amongst the stakeholders on gender based violence against indigenous women, mediated by data & ICTs.
  • Taking data on gender based violence from 5 public institutions and 2 civil society organization, to design and develop data visualizations which could help build easy communication amongst different stakeholders.
  • Using this data as a medium to build dialogue on gender based violence amongst stakeholders

  Stakeholder and Institutions include:

  • Local municipalities
  • Civil police
  • Human Rights Ombundsperson’s Office (PDH)
  • Office of Attorney General’s Office (PGN)
  • Regional Office for the Defence of Indigenous Women (DEMI)
  • Population Council (NGO)

  What is the ICT in this pilot?

  • Use the DHIS2, a free and open source digital platform (see dhis2.org) to design and develop a data visualization tool around gender based violence.
  • All stakeholders shared data collected and reported, by their respective offices, on gender based violence.
  • This data was imported into the system, to process and create graphical and spatial visualization for people to understand their own data in relation to the other stakeholder data, and  through this seek to build a shared understanding of the problem.
  • These visualizations were shown in multi-partner workshops, for different institutions to start dialogue and discuss the problem of gender based violence and build process of shared understanding and responsibilities.

  For which actors/stakeholders will be this pilot useful?

  • For organisations – academic, civil society, or public, and/or individual researchers, activists; interested in building process of shared accountability and responsibility across multiple partners.
  • Organisation/individuals will need to get partners to share their data and use this data to initiate process of share accountability

  How is this pilot relevant for different actors/stakeholders from the local communities in the region?

  • In case of Guatemala, high rates of gender based violence, as researchers we felt need to initiate a process of dialogue across different stakeholder groups to address this issue. Similarly in other places, individuals or organisation wanting to work towards a cause which they would like to address, similar processes could be designed
  • Role of the local stakeholder in the future dissemination of this pilot?
  • Local NGO (population council) and University has agreed to continue to work with this system and take it forward
• Pilot case: Kenya

  Design, development and implementation of Conflict Early Warning & Early Reponses System in Turkana-Pokot counties. 

  Context of the pilot

  • 2015 Elections in the region were peaceful, with not single incident of violence in the area
  • Community peace network, with – volunteers, community peace representatives, ethinic groups, state and non-state actors – working well to ensure peace building efforts.
  • Processes of strengthening peace network works well – monthly volunteer and CPR meetings, indicators mapping, identifying conflict hotspots, engaging communities in dialogue.
  • ICTs playing a mediating role in strengthening this peace network.
  • Challenges with the ICT platform which limits the use and sharing of information within peace network due to limited SMS traffic and unable to keep sender anonymous.

   
  What is in the pilot?

  • The pilot builds on and addresses challenges experienced in Mt Elgon region over ten years.
  • The pilot includes:
    
    • - Identifying new conflict area in Pokot Central sub-county of West Pokot County and Turkana South sub-county of Turkana County
      
      - Building Peace Network in new area
      
      - Enhancing technology platform by design and development of Conflict Early Warning and Response System on DHIS2 platform
      
      - Pilot scales methodology used in Mt Elgon region with appropriate contextualizations for building the peace network.-

  What is ‘ICT’ in the pilot?

  • Design and development of Early Warning and Response System based on DHIS2
  • How does the system work:
    
    - Community members/ field monitors send SMS to a 5 digit number
    
    - SMS is received at response centre, where someone checks and confirms the message
    
    - Message is anonymized, to ensure confidentiality of the sender
    
    - After confirmation, SMS is further sent to mandated responders for response and taking action

  

  Approach to building the peace network

  • Broad approach creating collective learning across stakeholders
  • Stakeholder mapping – of peace network members, their interests and motivations
  • Participatory Conflict Analysis: understanding with community the context, including triggers and indicators
  • Mapping violent hotspots areas jointly with police and community
  • Network coordination and reflections through trainings and monthly meetings , dialogue sessions, observations
  • Design, building use of CEWERS, coordinating discussions based on data
     

  Methodology for the pilot

  

  Results

  • Enhanced confidence in field monitors to report cases of potential violence, inspired by:
  • Anonymity provided by EWERS
  • Evidence that the information sent was being acted upon by authorities
  • Timely response to reported data by security actors at local & national levels
  • Increased community participation in sharing information with the security agencies
  • Reduction in cases of i) cattle rustling; ii) raids; and, iii) banditry, due to:
  • More widespread and rapid reporting
  • Speedy response in conflict mitigation efforts
  • Enhanced collective learning in the peace network, and widespread benefits

   Learnings

  • Creation of collective peace networks enables collective learning and action within frameworks of reciprocity and trust
  • Women and children highly effective in reporting cases of potential violence
  • Effective and speedy response is enabled through visibility of information, which enhances accountability of authorities
  • ICT-enabled inclusion of both victims and perpetrators in monitoring violence indicators is key in realization of results
  • ICTs are enabling tools, and when socially embedded in peace networks, leads to effective peace building efforts
• Pilot case: Kosovo

  The key objective of the Understanding how Kosovo Police is leveraging on ICTs to strengthen community participation in newly institutionalised Community Based Policing Division

  What is in the pilot?

  Focus of ICT pilot implementation of an App of the Kosovo Community Police Department in building trust with the community
  UiO has research collaboration agreement with Kosovo Police, which includes:

  • Following projects under each sector to understand the community policing approach, methods and communication
  • Participate in implementation of Community Policing App (called Lajmero Policine)
  • UiO is following five projects with Community Policing department:
  • Capacity building of police supervisors on conducting gender sensitive investigation, enable them to identify early indicators for domestic violence and early response
  • Following sensitization of school children on bullying, abuse
  • Participating in Security Forum meetings in 3 Municipalities
  • Participate in launch and implementation of Community Policing App
  • Participate in getting community feedback on the Community Policing App

  To analyze the role of ICTs in enabling community policing in multiple domains:

  • Domestic violence
  • Youth delinquencies
  • Fight against crime
  • COVID-19 quarantine enforcement

  What is the ICT in the pilot?  

  • Following Kosovo Community Police department to understand how ICTs are being used by Police to reach out to the community
  • Supporting implementation of Community Policing App
  • Supporting in getting feedback from community on their use of the  App
  • Participating in other trainings, sensitisation and capacity building to understand use of ICTs 

  Methodology & Empirical Approach

  Our pilot entailed following the Directorate of Police in Community and Prevention in how they used ICTs under the following sectors in reaching out to the community:

  • Prevention of domestic violence
  • Prevention of violent extremism and narcotics
  • Prevention of child delinquency and minors
  • Security forums
  • Public safety forums
  • Key intervention: Community Policing App

  Findings

  • Due to pandemic lockdown, reporting through the app was not optimal
  • Out of total 816 cases reported, 90% cases were of domestic violence
  • The majority of cases were reported from the capital city of the country.
  • Optimal lockdown rule compliance by the citizens enabled by the App, although the App was relatively premature to be implemented for this purpose
  • Overall, the Community Policing is well trusted

  Learnings

  • ICTs has helped in increase of reported cases – creating visibility
  • Visibility of cases helps the police proactively engage with crime
  • Helps enhance citizen awareness of avenues of police support
  • Provides information support contributing to crime decline
  • Contributes to the rise of trust in the work of Community Police
  • Facilitates lockdown rule compliances
• Pilot case: Pakistan

  The key objective of the study is to understand in the context of Pakistan: i) what are the kinds of violence do local women and minor experience in their everyday lives; ii) what is the kind of information should women receive to empower them in their fight against gender based violence; and, iii) to understand what forms of media would be most relevant to disseminate identified information to women. 

  What is the pilot?

  Focus of the pilot was to conduct a multi-stakeholder analysis to understand the issues around gender-based violence in a holistic manner, including:

  1. Conduct focus group discussions and personal interviews with community women and those in shelter homes in districts Peshawar and Nowshera to understand: i) the kinds of violence they experience and their underlying causes in their everyday lives; ii) their levels of awareness of the different forms of support services they can access when experiencing such violence; and, iii) what information do they need to be empowered in their engagement against gender-based violence.
  2. Conduct interviews NGOs engaged in the fight against gender-based violence (Aurat Foundation, Khwendo Kor and Sungi Foundation) to identify what barriers they saw in women accessing support services, and what are ways to circumvent these barriers.
  3. Have discussions with hospitals in Islamabad, (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Poly Clinic hospitals) and with public prosecutors on what are the medico-legal support systems available to women, what are the gaps, and how could they be best overcome.
  4. Discuss in the context of a shelter home (Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Human Rights Crises Centre), and state agencies (National Commission on the Status of Women, Social Welfare Department, Peshawar, Ayub Medical Hospital, Abbottabad) on issues they saw relevant in their efforts against gender-based-violence and the information support processes they have in place.
  5. Discuss with the Police Department in Islamabad on the different committees and structures that they have in place to provide support against gender-based violence and how effective they are and what are gaps that need to be addressed and how.
     • UiO has research collaboration the Peshawar police department to follow processes of gender-based violence and provide recommendations on building an information strategy to strengthen their interventions against gender-based violence.

  What is the ICT in the pilot?

  • The focus was not perse on the ICT but more on the information gaps experienced in the delivery of support services around gender-based violence and the developing of information strategies to address these gaps.
  • Explore the potential that community radio provides in supporting the implementation of an effective information strategy.

  Methodology & Empirical Approach

  Our pilot entailed following a multi-stakeholder approach to understand information gaps and build understand of potential information strategies. These stakeholders included:

  • Community women and from shelter homes
  • Medico legal institutions and experts
  • Hospital staff
  • State agencies dealing with gender-based violence
  • Police department
  • Other relevant expert groups

  Primary mode of collection of data was focus group discussions, personal interviews, discussions and meetings, and some observations. All data collected was compiled and then discussed amongst the UiO-Pakistan research teams to develop a thematic analysis which was consolidated in the project report.

  Findings

  • There are multiple forms of gender-based violence that women and minors experience in Pakistan, with underlying causes that span social-cultural-institutional factors.
  • There are multiple political-social-institutional-cultural barriers to women accessing support services against gender-based violence.
  • There is very limited awareness amongst community women and shelter homes on what kind of support services are available to them.
  • Institutions and groups dealing with gender-based violence have very weak ICT based support to guide their efforts.
  • The mode of community radio provides a rich potential on developing and implementing an information strategy for empowering women.