Q&A
Potential improvements for language access services structure
2:30:39
·
81 sec
Francisco Navarro and Dan Steinberg discuss potential improvements to the Language Access Secret Shopper program and its structure. They consider ways to strengthen the program and make it more effective.
- Suggestions include incorporating more staff members into secret shopping activities
- The current reliance on summer interns limits the program's scope and consistency
- There's consideration of professionalizing the program for a more robust approach
- The internship aspect of the program is valued for providing exposure to city services for young New Yorkers
Alexa Avilés
2:30:39
you think the structure makes sense?
2:30:43
Would you make any recommendations around how to shift the structure to respond to current needs context?
Francisco Navarro
2:30:49
I I think we there may be ways for us to strengthen the secret shopper program.
2:30:53
We've had discussions in the past about.
2:30:55
You know, right now, it's basically summer interns.
2:30:58
We'll come into this over the summer.
2:31:00
We are, you know, somewhat limited by who decides to apply for for, you know, the the the internships, some languages that we get, that we can test might be limited in a particular year.
2:31:13
They tend to be younger.
2:31:14
There may be certain locations with that.
2:31:17
They're not you know, they would stand out.
2:31:20
So we've had discussions about incorporating, you know, the more staff, more into doing secret shopping, to strengthen the secret shopper, you know, program.
Dan Steinberg
2:31:30
I do wanna plug it as an internship program, though.
2:31:32
Also, it's it's got it really does give young New Yorkers exposure to to the frontline of city services, and many of those interns come from immigrant families themselves.
2:31:43
It can be a very powerful experience, and I think one of our former interns is currently one of the the language coordinators at an agency.
Francisco Navarro
2:31:49
Yeah.
2:31:49
T l c
Dan Steinberg
2:31:50
at t l c.
2:31:51
So so it it it is a rich program, but but Francis goes from you know, obviously, right, that it could be professionalized if approached differently.
