Jennifer Pahlka: Coding a better government

Translator: Adrián Levices Casal Reviewer: Raquel Uzal

So a couple of years ago I started a program

Hai un par de anos comecei un programa

to try to get the rockstar tech and design people

co fin de intentar convencer aos mellores informáticos e deseñadores

to take a year off

para que collesen un ano libre

and work in the one environment

e traballasen nun medio

that represents pretty much everything they're supposed to hate;

que representa en boa medida o que moita xente odia;

we have them work in government.

púxenos a traballar para o governo.

The program is called Code for America,

O programa chámase "Code for America",

and it's a little bit like a Peace Corps for geeks.

é algo coma un Corpo de Paz para chapóns.

We select a few fellows every year

Seleccionamos algúns cada ano

and we have them work with city governments.

e mandámolos traballar en concellos.

Instead of sending them off into the Third World,

No canto de envialos ao Terceiro Mundo,

we send them into the wilds of City Hall.

enviámolos ás xunglas municipais.

And there they make great apps, they work with city staffers.

Onde poden desenvolver grandes aplicacións, traballar con funcionarios.

But really what they're doing is they're showing what's possible

Pero o que fan é amosar o que é posíbel

with technology today.

coa tecnoloxía de hoxe.

So meet Al.

Preséntovos a AI.

Al is a fire hydrant in the city of Boston.

AI é unha boca de incendios de Boston.

Here it kind of looks like he's looking for a date,

Aquí parece que está a buscar moza,

but what he's really looking for is for someone to shovel him out when he gets snowed in,

pero en realidade busca a alguén que lle saque a neve de enriba,

because he knows he's not very good at fighting fires

porque sabe que non ha valer para loitar contra o lume

when he's covered in four feet of snow.

cando estea cuberto por un metro de neve.

Now how did he come to be looking for help

Como fixo para pedir axuda

in this very unique manner?

deste xeito único?

We had a team of fellows in Boston last year

Tivemos un grupo en Boston o ano pasado

through the Code for America program.

grazas ao programa Code for America.

They were there in February, and it snowed a lot in February last year.

Estiveron alí en febreiro, e nevou moito o febreiro pasado.

And they noticed that the city never gets

E decatáronse de que a cidade nunca

to digging out these fire hydrants.

limpaba estas bocas de incendios.

But one fellow in particular,

Pero un deles,

a guy named Erik Michaels-Ober,

un rapaz chamado Erik Michaels-Ober,

noticed something else,

decatouse de algo,

and that's that citizens are shoveling out sidewalks

e é que os cidadáns retiraban a neve das rúas

right in front of these things.

xusto diante destas cousas.

So he did what any good developer would do,

Así que fixo o que faría calquera programador,

he wrote an app.

creou unha aplicación.

It's a cute little app where you can adopt a fire hydrant.

Unha aplicación moi xeitosa que che permite adoptar unha boca de incendios.

So you agree to dig it out when it snows.

Así que aceptas limpalo cando neva.

If you do, you get to name it,

Se o fas podes pórlle nome,

and he called the first one Al.

e el chamou ao primeiro AI.

And if you don't, someone can steal it from you.

E se non o fas, outra persoa poderá roubarcho.

So it's got cute little game dynamics on it.

Vedes que a dinámica é a dun inocente xogo.

This is a modest little app.

Trátase dunha pequena aplicación modesta.

It's probably the smallest

Se callar a máis pequena

of the 21 apps that the fellows wrote last year.

das 21 que se crearon o ano pasado.

But it's doing something

Pero está a facer algo

that no other government technology does.

que ningunha outra tecnoloxía gobernamental fai.

It's spreading virally.

Esténdese axiña.

There's a guy in the I.T. department of the City of Honolulu

Hai un tipo no departamento de tecnoloxía informática de Honolulu

who saw this app and realized

que viu esta aplicación e decatouse

that he could use it, not for snow,

de que podería empregala, non para a neve,

but to get citizens to adopt tsunami sirens.

pero para que os cidadáns adoptaran sirenas contra os tsunamis.

It's very important that these tsunami sirens work,

É moi importante que estas sirenas funcionen,

but people steal the batteries out of them.

pero a xente róuballes as baterías.

So he's getting citizens to check on them.

Así que fai que os cidadáns se preocupen por elas.

And then Seattle decided to use it

E en Seattle decidiron empregala

to get citizens to clear out clogged storm drains.

para que os cidadáns limpasen os sumidoiros atascados.

And Chicago just rolled it out

E Chicago estendeuna

to get people to sign up to shovel sidewalks when it snows.

para que a xente se rexistrase para limpar as beirarrúas cando neva.

So we now know of nine cities

Xa que logo sabemos de nove cidades

that are planning to use this.

que pensan utilizala.

And this has spread just frictionlessly,

E isto espallouse en harmonía,

organically, naturally.

orgánica e naturalmente.

If you know anything about government technology,

Se sabedes algo sobre tecnoloxía gobernamental,

you know that this isn't how it normally goes.

sabedes que non adoita funcionar así.

Procuring software usually takes a couple of years.

Desenvolver un software adoita levar un par de anos.

We had a team that worked on a project in Boston last year

Tiñamos un equipo que traballou nun proxecto en Boston o ano pasado

that took three people about two and a half months.

que ocupou a tres persoas durante dous meses e medio.

It was a way that parents could figure out

Era un xeito para que os pais viran

which were the right public schools for their kids.

onde estaban as escolas públicas axeitadas para os seus fillos.

We were told afterward that if that had gone through normal channels,

Dixéronnos que de termos feito isto a través das canles normais,

it would have taken at least two years

teríanos levado dous anos polo menos

and it would have cost about two million dollars.

e teríanos costado uns dous millóns de dólares.

And that's nothing.

E iso non é nada.

There is one project in the California court system right now

Hai un proxecto no sistema xurídico de California

that so far cost taxpayers

que lles está a custar aos contribuíntes

two billion dollars,

dous mil millóns de dólares,

and it doesn't work.

e que non funciona.

And there are projects like this

E existen proxectos coma este

at every level of government.

en tódolos niveis gobernamentais.

So an app that takes a couple of days to write

Tárdase dous días en desenvolver unha aplicación

and then spreads virally,

e logo espállase viralmente,

that's sort of a shot across the bow

e é toda unha axuda

to the institution of government.

para as institucións gobernamentais.

It suggests how government could work better --

Axuda a un mellor funcionamento do goberno,

not more like a private company,

non coma faría una empresa privada,

as many people think it should.

que é o que moitos pensan.

And not even like a tech company,

E non coma unha compañía tecnolóxica,

but more like the Internet itself.

se non coma a propia rede.

And that means permissionless,

É dicir, sen permisos,

it means open, it means generative.

aberto, xenerativo.

And that's important.

E iso é importante.

But what's more important about this app

Pero o máis importante desta aplicación

is that it represents how a new generation

é que representa como unha nova xeración

is tackling the problem of government --

fai fronte aos problemas do goberno

not as the problem of an ossified institution,

non coma un problema dunha institución ríxida,

but as a problem of collective action.

máis ben coma un problema de acción colectiva.

And that's great news,

E é algo incrible,

because, it turns out, we're very good at collective action

porque resulta que somos moi bos nas accións colectivas

with digital technology.

con tecnoloxías dixitais.

Now there's a very large community of people

Hai unha ampla comunidade de xente

that are building the tools that we need

que desenvolve as ferramentas que precisamos

to do things together effectively.

para facer cousas xuntos de xeito eficiente.

It's not just Code for America fellows,

Non son só os tipos do Code for America,

there are hundreds of people all over the country

hai centos de persoas por todo o país

that are standing and writing civic apps

que desenvolven aplicacións cidadás

every day in their own communities.

cada día nas súas propias comunidades.

They haven't given up on government.

Non perderon a esperanza no goberno.

They are frustrated as hell with it,

Están moi frustrados con el,

but they're not complaining about it,

pero non se queixan,

they're fixing it.

arránxano.

And these folks know something

E esta xente sabe algo

that we've lost sight of.

que perdemos de vista.

And that's that when you strip away all your feelings

E é que cando eliminas tódolos teus sentimentos

about politics and the line at the DMV

sobre política e as oficinas do goberno

and all those other things

e todas esas cousas

that we're really mad about,

que nos poñen de mal humor,

government is, at its core,

o goberno é, en esencia,

in the words of Tim O'Reilly,

en palabras de Tim O'Reilly,

"What we do together that we can't do alone."

"O que facemos xuntos que non podemos facer sós".

Now a lot of people have given up on government.

Moita xente perdeu a esperanza no goberno.

And if you're one of those people,

E se sodes unha desas persoas,

I would ask that you reconsider,

prégovos que o reconsideredes,

because things are changing.

porque as cousas están a cambiar.

Politics is not changing;

A política non muda,

government is changing.

o goberno muda.

And because government

E xa que o goberno

ultimately derives its power from us --

acada o poder grazas a nós

remember "We the people?" --

lembrades "Nós o pobo"?

how we think about it

como o vexamos

is going to effect how that change happens.

ha afectar como os cambios acontecen.

Now I didn't know very much about government when I started this program.

Non sabía moito sobre o goberno cando comecei este programa.

And like a lot of people,

E ó igual que moita xente,

I thought government was basically about getting people elected to office.

pensaba que o goberno consistía en elixir ás persoas para uns cargos.

Well after two years, I've come to the conclusion

Ben, logo de dous anos, cheguei á conclusión

that, especially local government,

de que, en especial o goberno local,

is about opossums.

é cuestión de donicelas.

This is the call center for the services and information line.

Este é o centro de chamadas para servizos e liña de información.

It's generally where you will get

É onde acabas

if you call 311 in your city.

se chamas ao 911 da túa cidade.

If you should ever have the chance

Se algunha vez tiveches a oportunidade

to staff your city's call center,

de ver o centro de chamadas da túa cidade,

as our fellow Scott Silverman did as part of the program --

como fixo o noso compañeiro Scott Silverman como parte do programa

in fact, they all do that --

en realidade, todos o fan

you will find that people call government

veredes que a xente chama ao goberno,

with a very wide range of issues,

por un amplo abano de cousas,

including having an opossum stuck in your house.

mesmo que haxa unha donicela na túa casa.

So Scott gets this call.

Scott recibiu esta chamada.

He types "Opossum" into this official knowledge base.

Escribiu "Donicela" na base de datos oficial.

He doesn't really come up with anything. He starts with animal control.

E non conseguiu nada. Probou con control de animais.

And finally, he says, "Look, can you just open all the doors to your house

E por fin, díxolle, "Mire, pode abrir as portas da súa casa

and play music really loud

e poñer a música moi alta

and see if the thing leaves?"

e agardar a que marche?"

So that worked. So booya for Scott.

E funcionou. Ben por Scott.

But that wasn't the end of the opossums.

Pero non foi a fin das donicelas.

Boston doesn't just have a call center.

Boston non só ten un centro de chamadas.

It has an app, a Web and mobile app,

Ten unha aplicación para Internet e móbil,

called Citizens Connect.

chamada Citizens Connect.

Now we didn't write this app.

Non desenvolvemos nós esta aplicación.

This is the work of the very smart people

É o traballo de moita xente válida

at the Office of New Urban Mechanics in Boston.

da oficina de novas tecnoloxías urbanas de Boston.

So one day -- this is an actual report -- this came in:

Un día -é un informe actual- presentouse isto:

"Opossum in my trashcan. Can't tell if it's dead.

"Donicela no meu cubo do lixo. Non sei se está morta.

How do I get this removed?"

Como a saco de aquí?

But what happens with Citizens Connect is different.

Pero o que ocorre con Citizens Connect é distinto.

So Scott was speaking person-to-person.

Polo que Scott estaba falando de persoa a persoa.

But on Citizens Connect everything is public,

Pero en Citizens Connect todo é público,

so everybody can see this.

todos poden velo.

And in this case, a neighbor saw it.

E neste caso, un veciño viuno.

And the next report we got said,

E vimos o seguinte informe que dicía,

"I walked over to this location,

"Fun á súa casa,

found the trashcan behind the house.

encontrei o cubo detrás da casa.

Opossum? Check. Living? Yep.

Donicela? Comprobado. Viva? Si.

Turned trashcan on its side. Walked home.

Baleirei o cubo. Marchei a asa.

Goodnight sweet opossum."

Boas noites doce donicela".

(Laughter)

(Risos)

Pretty simple.

Moi sinxelo.

So this is great. This is the digital meeting the physical.

É incrible. Isto é o encontro do dixital co físico.

And it's also a great example

E tamén é moi bo exemplo

of government getting in on the crowd-sourcing game.

dun goberno entrando no xogo das masas.

But it's also a great example of government as a platform.

Pero tamén é un bo exemplo de goberno como plataforma.

And I don't mean necessarily

E aquí non é necesariamente

a technological definition of platform here.

unha definición tecnolóxica de plataforma.

I'm just talking about a platform for people

Só falo sobre unha plataforma para a xente

to help themselves and to help others.

para que se axuden a si mesmos e a outros.

So one citizen helped another citizen,

Así que un cidadán axuda a outro cidadán,

but government played a key role here.

pero o goberno xoga un papel esencial aquí.

It connected those two people.

Conecta a esas persoas.

And it could have connected them with government services if they'd been needed,

E podería conectalas cos servizos gobernamentais se o precisaran,

but a neighbor is a far better and cheaper alternative

pero un veciño é moito mellor e unha alternativa máis barata

to government services.

cós servizos gobernamentais.

When one neighbor helps another,

Cando un veciño axuda a outro,

we strengthen our communities.

fortalecemos as nosas comunidades.

We call animal control, it just costs a lot of money.

Chamar ao control de animais custa moitos cartos.

Now one of the important things we need to think about government

Unha cousa importante que debemos saber sobre os gobernos

is that it's not the same thing as politics.

é que non é o mesmo ca política.

And most people get that,

Moita xente enténdeo,

but they think that one is the input to the other.

pero pensan que unha cousa vai da man da outra.

That our input to the system of government

Que a nosa achega ao sistema gobernamental

is voting.

é o voto.

Now how many times have we elected a political leader --

Cantas veces eliximos un líder político,

and sometimes we spend a lot of energy

e ás veces gastamos moita enerxía

getting a new political leader elected --

elixindo un novo líder político,

and then we sit back and we expect government

e logo sentámonos e agardamos a que o goberno

to reflect our values and meet our needs,

reflicta os nosos valores e cubra as nosas necesidades,

and then not that much changes?

e logo case que nada muda?

That's because government is like a vast ocean

Iso é porque o goberno é un amplo océano

and politics is the six-inch layer on top.

e a política é o recheo da cima.

And what's under that

E o que está debaixo

is what we call bureaucracy.

é o que chamamos burocracia.

And we say that word with such contempt.

E dicimos esa palabra con desprezo.

But it's that contempt

Pero é ese desprezo

that keeps this thing that we own

o que fai que as cousas que nos pertencen

and we pay for

e polas que pagamos

as something that's working against us, this other thing,

sexan algo que vaia na nosa contra,

and then we're disempowering ourselves.

e entón quitámonos poder a nós mesmos.

People seem to think politics is sexy.

A xente parece que pensa que a política é sexy.

If we want this institution to work for us,

Se queremos que esta institución traballe para nós,

we're going to have to make bureaucracy sexy.

imos ter que facer que a burocracia sexa sexy.

Because that's where the real work of government happens.

Porque alí é onde o traballo real dos gobernos ten lugar.

We have to engage with the machinery of government.

Temos que relacionarnos coas máquinas do goberno.

So that's OccupytheSEC movement has done.

Iso fixo o movemento OccupytheSEC.

Have you seen these guys?

Vistes a esta xente?

It's a group of concerned citizens

É un grupo de cidadáns preocupados

that have written a very detailed

que escribiron un detallado

325-page report

informe de 325 páxinas

that's a response to the SEC's request for comment

que é unha resposta á petición do SEC para comentar

on the Financial Reform Bill.

o proxecto de reforma financeira.

That's not being politically active,

Iso non é ser politicamente activo,

that's being bureaucratically active.

iso é ser burocraticamente activo.

Now for those of us who've given up on government,

Agora para aqueles que perderon a esperanza no goberno,

it's time that we asked ourselves

é hora de que se vos preguntedes

about the world that we want to leave for our children.

que mundo lle queredes deixar aos vosos fillos.

You have to see the enormous challenges

Tedes que ver os enormes retos

that they're going to face.

que van ter que afrontar.

Do we really think we're going to get where we need to go

Pensamos que imos ir onde temos que ir

without fixing the one institution

sen arranxar a única institución

that can act on behalf of all of us?

que pode actuar e preocuparse por todos nós?

We can't do without government,

Non podemos vivir sen o goberno,

but we do need it

pero necesitámolo

to be more effective.

para sermos máis efectivos.

The good news is that technology is making it possible

O bo é que a tecnoloxía fai posíbel

to fundamentally reframe

reformular fundamentalmente

the function of government

a función do goberno

in a way that can actually scale

dun xeito que poida escalar

by strengthening civil society.

fortalecendo a sociedade civil.

And there's a generation out there that's grown up on the Internet,

E hai unha xeración aí fóra que medrou con Internet,

and they know that it's not that hard

e saben que non é tan difícil

to do things together,

facermos as cousas xuntos,

you just have to architect the systems the right way.

só hai que crear os sistemas axeitados.

Now the average age of our fellows is 28,

A idade media dos nosos compañeiros é de 28,

so I am, begrudgingly,

polo que son, mal que me pese,

almost a generation older than most of them.

case unha xeración máis vella ca maioría deles.

This is a generation

Esta é unha xeración

that's grown up taking their voices pretty much for granted.

que medrou dando por descontadas as súas voces.

They're not fighting that battle that we're all fighting

Non loitan na batalla que todos loitamos

about who gets to speak;

sobre quen pode falar,

they all get to speak.

todos poden falar.

They can express their opinion

Poden dar as súas opinións

on any channel at any time,

mediante calquera canal en calquera momento,

and they do.

e fano.

So when they're faced with the problem of government,

Cando se enfrontan co problema do goberno,

they don't care as much

non se preocupan

about using their voices.

de usar as súas voces.

They're using their hands.

Usan as súas mans.

They're using their hands

Usan as súas mans

to write applications that make government work better.

para crear aplicacións para que o goberno funcione mellor.

And those applications let us use our hands

E esas aplicacións déixannos empregar as nosas mans

to make our communities better.

para mellorar as nosas comunidades.

That could be shoveling out a hydrant, pulling a weed,

Que pode ir dende limpar unha boca de incendio, podar unhas pólas,

turning over a garbage can with an opossum in it.

sacar unha donicela dun cubo do lixo.

And certainly, we could have been shoveling out those fire hydrants all along,

E de certo, podemos limpar esas bocas de incendios sen máis,

and many people do.

moita xente faino.

But these apps are like little digital reminders

Pero estas aplicacións son pequenos recordatorios

that we're not just consumers,

de que non só somos consumidores,

and we're not just consumers of government,

non somos consumidores de gobernos,

putting in our taxes and getting back services.

pagando os nosos impostos e tendo servizos.

We're more than that,

Somos máis ca iso,

we're citizens.

somos cidadáns.

And we're not going to fix government

E non imos arranxar os problemas do goberno

until we fix citizenship.

ata que non arranxemos a nosa cidadanía.

So the question I have for all of you here:

A pregunta que teño:

When it comes to the big, important things

cando se trata de cousas grandes e importantes

that we need to do together,

que precisamos facer xuntos,

all of us together,

todos nós xuntos,

are we just going to be a crowd of voices,

imos ser unha gran masa de voces,

or are we also going to be

ou imos tamén ser

a crowd of hands?

unha masa de mans?

Thank you.

Grazas.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)