13 August 2024
Jeremy Piven
[FYI request #27989 email]
Dear Jeremy Piven
Request for Information – Local Government Official Information and Meetings
Act (the Act) 1987
We refer to your email dated 9 August 2024 for Information. We wil answer each
of your questions in turn.
- AI Strategy
Please find this attached.
- AI Action Plan
Please find this attached. Note that this is a draft and may not be the final
document.
- Business case or financial model ing on the likely benefits, or reduction of
FTE, by your AI activities
We are refusing this part of your request under section 17(e) of the Act, as
the information requested does not exist.
- Any other related project documentation on this initiative
At a Council Leadership Team (CLT) meeting on 22 April 2024, CLT noted an
appetite to explore further AI use, and Jarred Griffiths Director Strategy and
Engagement noted that work wil get underway on an appropriate strategy
development to guide any investment/organisation effort on this.
- Your Cultural Impact Assessment or equivalent discussions with Mana
Whenua of your AI activities
We are refusing this part of your request under section 17(e) of the Act, as
the information requested does not exist.
30 Laings Road, Lower Hutt
Private Bag 31912, Lower Hutt 5040
/huttcitycouncil
0800 488 824
[email address]
www.huttcity.govt.nz
▲The pattern at the top of this page is inspired by the natural landforms, hil s, river, and coastline surrounding Lower Hutt. It represents our people, our place, and our home.
- Your Privacy Impact Assessment on how your plan to use AI.
We are refusing this part of your request under section 17(e) of the Act, as
the information requested does not exist.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this
decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that this response to your information request may be published on
Hutt City Council’s website. Please refer to the following link:
www.huttcity.govt.nz/council/contactus/make-an-official-information-act-
request/proactive-releases
Yours sincerely
Philip Rossiter
Senior Advisor, Official Information and Privacy
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AI Strategy for Hutt City
Council
Division
Strategy and Engagement
Date created
June 2024
Publication date
July 2024
Review period
July 2025
Owner
Jarred Griffiths
Approved by
Corporate Leadership Team
Version
Author
Date
Description
V 1.0
Julianne Hickey
June 2024
Initial AI Strategy
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Introduction
Hutt City Council's 'AI Strategy' is our explicit commitment to a future where
technology enhances our community's wel being and prosperity.
AI, or artificial intel igence, is the use of computer systems to perform tasks that
normal y require human intel igence, such as perception, reasoning, learning,
decision making, and problem solving. AI has the potential to transform the way
we deliver our services, enhance our staff's effectiveness, and improve our
community's wel being. However, AI also poses significant chal enges and risks,
such as ethical, legal, social, and environmental implications. Therefore, we need
a robust and comprehensive strategy to guide our use of AI, ensuring that it
aligns with our values, policies, and obligations, and that it benefits people.
This strategy has been developed at pace and reflects our commitment to adapt
swiftly to the fast-paced evolution of AI, while ensuring our foundational
principles of Tika and Pono guide our journey. The execution of our strategy is
also intended to be at pace.
Our strategy is built upon key elements that align with our vision of supporting Te
Awa Kairangi ki Tai and its people to thrive.
Key elements of our AI Strategy include:
• Positioning Hutt City Council as a leader in ethical AI practices within the
local government sector.
• Investing in AI capabilities within our teams to foster a culture of curiosity,
innovation and responsible AI use.
• Partnering with others to enhance collaboration and share knowledge in
our AI journey.
• Honouring the Whakapapa of our data, ensuring its traceability and
responsible use.
• Ensuring our AI initiatives lead to tangible community benefits.
Our AI Strategy complements our other key strategies and our Long-Term Plan,
al working together to achieve the 'Integrated Vision' for Hutt City. It's crucial that
our strategies align, particularly in areas such as urban design, land-use,
wel being, and risk management.
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We wil review this strategy annual y, al owing us to respond proactively to the
rapid advancements in AI, while maintaining a strategy that is both short-term in
its adaptability and long-term in setting us up for an AI-enabled future that
remains human at its core.
This strategy must be read alongside the AI Policy, and the related documents
that are included in Appendix 3 of that Policy.
The Strategy on a Page
We have developed the
AI Strategy on a Page to encapsulate the strategic
intent of Hutt City Council's AI initiatives. This concise guide distils the essence of
our strategy, providing a high-level overview which contains the key messages
for our staff and stakeholders. While it serves as a quick reference, it is supported
by further detail within the broader AI Strategic Framework.
Our Vision
Our vision for AI is to help us support Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai and all its people to
thrive.
Our vision reflects our belief in the transformative benefits of AI technology, and
how this can be harnessed for public good and effective delivery of public
services through making smarter decisions, and fostering innovation and
learning in our teams.
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This vision is not standalone; it is intricately linked to our broader purpose and
organisational objectives. AI is a strategic tool that can accelerate our journey
towards our goals, enabling us to achieve more, faster, and with greater impact.
It reflects our commitment to innovation and our dedication to the community,
ensuring that every technological advancement translates into real-world
benefits for the people we serve.
Our Case for Change
We have four main drivers for creating this AI strategy. They are:
1. We face significant financial pressures
The financial chal enges that Hutt City Council and other local government
entities face are ongoing and significant. They result from inflation,
substantial infrastructure needs, and increased service demands from
central government. AI can help us cope with these chal enges by making
some of our processes more automated and optimal, cutting down on
mistakes and inefficiencies, and boosting our output and effectiveness.
2. Our current systems and processes can better support our staff
We have invested in our digital transformation through the Go Digital
Programme, where we wil integrate digital technology into all areas of our
business. Utilising AI will be an important step in this transformation
journey. By equipping our staff with suitable AI tools, we aim to further
enhance their growth, learning, skil s, and work experience. We also want
to foster a culture of innovation, curiosity, and learning, and support our
staff to adapt to new ways of working with AI. This will increase their
current satisfaction at the Council, and develop their skil s and knowledge
for work opportunities now and in the future.
3. We don’t want to be left behind as technology advances
The pace of AI technological advancement is remarkable. We aim to lead
in adapting to these changes, influencing how they affect our operations
and ways of working. We also want to experiment appropriately with new
AI ideas and learn from the results to improve and innovate.
4. We want to be better at meeting community expectations
We’re committed to delivering responsive, quality services tailored to the
individual, whānau, and community needs. AI-driven solutions may enable
us to personalise, customise, and enhance our service delivery, offering
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more channels and options for engagement and feedback. With AI, we’re
likely to achieve these service improvements at a lower cost than would
otherwise be possible.
Our Goals
We have four main goals for our AI strategy. They are:
1. We want to be leaders in responsible local government AI use in Aotearoa
New Zealand/Australasia. We want to set an example for other councils and
organisations on how to use AI ethical y, transparently, and accountably, and
how to ensure that AI benefits al our stakeholders.
2. We want our policies, investment and resource decisions to be better
informed by evidence and data. We want to use AI to enhance our data
analysis and decision-making, ensuring that we use reliable, relevant, and
accurate data, and that we can explain and justify our AI decisions.
3. We want to use AI to help us tackle financial chal enges. We want to use AI to
achieve efficiencies and savings, ensuring that our investments enhance
frontline services and lead to measurable community improvement.
4. We want to make it easy for our customers/residents to work with us. We want
to use AI to improve our customer service, providing more options,
convenience, and satisfaction for our customers. We also want to use AI to
increase our community engagement, providing more opportunities for
feedback, participation, and collaboration.
These goals are not only aspirational, but also operational. They serve as criteria
for evaluating our current and future AI initiatives, as wel as indicators of our
progress and success. Whenever we plan, implement, or monitor an AI project,
we should ask ourselves the fol owing questions:
- Does this help to position us as technology leaders?
- Does it enhance our data capability?
- Wil this help reduce costs?
- Does it improve public engagement and enhance citizen centricity?
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By answering these questions, we can ensure that our AI strategy is aligned with
our vision, and that we are using AI in line with our Foundational Principles.
Our Foundational Principles
We have four foundational principles that guide our AI strategy. They are:
•
Tika and Pono: Our AI strategy is grounded in the principles of Tika and
Pono, ensuring our use of AI is correct, right, accurate, and true. To be Tika
means to be correct, true, fair and accurate. Te be Pono is to be true, valid,
honest and genuine. We wil use AI in ways that are consistent with our
values, policies, and legal obligations, and that respect the rights and
interests of al our stakeholders.
•
Ethical Use: We are committed to the ethical use of AI, built on trust and
ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability in al our AI
applications. We wil use AI in ways that are ethical, responsible, and
beneficial for all, and that avoid harm, bias, and discrimination. As a
public service organisation we see AI as a force for good, but are mindful
or its use and application for harm.
•
Mana Enhancing: Our use of AI wil be mana enhancing, uplifting the
dignity and autonomy of al people and the communities they belong to.
We wil use AI in ways that are empowering, inclusive, and respectful, and
that acknowledge and support the diversity and needs of al our
stakeholders.
•
Continuous Improvement: We wil regularly review and update our
policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure they are relevant and
effective for an AI-enabled organisation, reflecting our commitment to
Tika and Pono. We wil also monitor and evaluate our AI initiatives, ensuring
that they are aligned with our goals and vision, and that they deliver the
intended benefits and outcomes.
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Our Enabling Pillars and Key
Priorities
We have four enabling pil ars that support us to deliver our AI vision and purpose
for Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai and all its people to thrive.
These pil ars are: Governance and Risk systems, People and Culture, Data and
Information management, and Partnerships and col aborations. Each pil ar
includes a set of key priorities that wil guide our activities and action plan for
implementing AI tools and technology solutions in our organisation.
Our Pil ars are all needed to give effect to our strategy. Each one is integral to
delivering the ful strategy – and investment and resources are essential across
all pillars, as they are not optional but rather collectively necessary. Within each
pillar, we have identified coordinated actions, identified through extensive
stakeholder engagement, which are crucial for realising the ful potential and
benefits of AI.
1. Governance and Risk systems
The “Governance and Risk systems” pil ar is a cornerstone of our AI Strategy. It
emphasises the importance of embedding a robust AI governance framework
into our current governance framework.
As outlined in our AI Policy, the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) wil function as
the AI Governance Committee. This will provide clarity for the roles,
responsibilities, and processes for overseeing, managing and monitoring our AI
initiatives. It will enable us to use our risk management framework and system
that identifies, assesses, and mitigates the potential risks and challenges of
using AI. Aligning our AI initiatives with Long Term Plan will provide us with a focus
on achieving our goals such as those related to carbon reduction, sustainability,
and climate change.
The key priorities for this pil ar are:
• We wil develop a robust AI governance framework that aligns with our
values, policies, and legal obligations.
• We wil review and update our policies, procedures, and guidelines to
ensure they are relevant and effective for an AI-enabled organisation.
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• We wil identify and improve processes that can benefit from AI solutions
and achieve efficiencies and savings.
• We will align our AI initiatives with our Long Term Plan commitments.
• We wil track and measure the benefits of our AI projects and ensure they
are realised and communicated.
2. People and Culture
The “People and Culture” pil ar is a crucial aspect of our AI Strategy. It
underscores the significance of investing in our people and fostering a culture
that values transparency, innovation, curiosity, and learning.
This focus is vital as it ensures the effective, ethical, and responsible use of AI,
which is integral to our success. The key priorities for this pil ar are:
• We wil invest in training and provide our teams with the right tools and
skills to use AI effectively and ethically.
• We will expect that staff will use AI tools responsibly and in line with the
expectations outlined in the AI Policy.
• We wil create a community of AI Navigators to ensure no one is left
behind.
• We wil experiment appropriately with new AI ideas and learn from the
results to improve and innovate.
• We wil foster a culture of transparency, innovation, curiosity, and learning,
and support our staff to adapt to new ways of working with AI.
3. Data and Information
management
The “Data and Information Management” pil ar is a vital part of our AI Strategy. It
underscores the importance of understanding and respecting the Whakapapa of
our data, which involves tracing its origins, context, and usage.
This pil ar also highlights the need for automating and digitising our processes to
enable seamless data flow, laying the groundwork for future AI integration.
Furthermore, it emphasises the establishment of a continuous data quality
management system and an AI data registry to ensure data quality,
accessibility, and security.
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The key priorities for this pil ar are:
• We wil know and honour the Whakapapa of our data, ensuring we can
always trace its origins, context, and usage.
• We wil begin by automating and digitising our processes, breaking down
silos to enable seamless data flow. This wil lay the groundwork for future
AI integration.
• We wil establish a continuous data quality management system, using AI
to enhance our data analysis and decision-making.
• We wil create an AI data registry to ensure data quality, accessibility, and
security, supporting our evolving AI needs.
4. Partnerships and
collaborations
This pil ar focuses on sharing our AI experiences and insights with the local
government sector and others and learning from their best practices.
We wil develop partnerships with tech providers who can offer us innovative and
tailored AI solutions and help us establish our use cases. We wil explore strategic
partnerships with the private sector, who can provide us with expert advice and
guidance on our AI journey. The key priorities for this pil ar are:
• We wil share our AI experiences and insights with the local government
sector and others and learn from their best practices.
• We wil develop partnerships with tech providers who can offer us
innovative and tailored AI solutions and help us establish our use cases.
• We will leverage a strategic partnership with PwC, who can provide us with
expert advice and guidance on our AI journey.
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Implementation
An Ambitious Strategy to guide us
This strategy sets out our how we plan to use AI to support Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai
and al its people to thrive. We recognise the transformative potential of AI
technology, and how it can help us better support our community. We have
articulated our case for change, our goals, our foundational principles, and our
enabling pil ars, which wil guide our actions and decisions as we embark on our
AI journey.
This strategy is ambitious and was developed at pace, but we are not
complacent about the challenges and risks ahead.
An embedded Governance Framework to keep us safe
We recognise that AI is a fast-changing and complex field, and that we need to
be continuously learning, testing, and improving our capabilities and practices.
We also acknowledge that we have a duty to use AI in a responsible and ethical
manner to build trust, and to monitor its impacts and outcomes on our
community and environment.
Our governance framework will oversee the implementation and evaluation of
this strategy and ensure ongoing alignment with our vision and values.
An Action Plan to deliver
This strategy is accompanied by an action plan for 2024-25, which outlines the
specific initiatives and projects that we will deliver. The implementation of the
action plan will also proceed at pace, but it wil also be flexible in response to
what we learn.
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Document Outline
