Q&A
Roles of Mayor's Office of Operations and MOIA in language access coordination
2:23:54
·
3 min
Council Member Alexa Avilés asks about the respective roles of the Mayor's Office of Operations and MOIA in language access coordination. Dan Steinberg from the Mayor's Office of Operations explains the division of responsibilities and the evolution of their roles in ensuring language access compliance.
- MOIA serves as subject matter experts with dedicated staff for language access issues
- Mayor's Office of Operations has formal responsibility for ensuring compliance and institutionalizing practices
- Operations runs the language access secret shopper program to assess customer service at city agency sites
- Discussion on the difference between enforceable components and recommended practices in language access requirements
Alexa Avilés
2:23:54
It's we're excited to follow with that data.
2:24:00
Can you since can you explain for the record, like the respective roles of the mayor's office of operation and Moya pertaining to the office of the language service coordinator?
Dan Steinberg
2:24:16
Sure.
2:24:17
It is it's not an obvious divisional labor, and part of that reflects the the evolution of these responsibilities, Ops worked on translation issues far beyond before any of these local laws existed, and and I'm not allowed to tell you enter into the record.
2:24:33
Francisco's full history on these issues, but Francisco is a huge source of institutional knowledge and and has helped the city adapt to new technologies and practices over the years.
2:24:45
The way that we approach the the sort of collaboration is that Moia are the subject matter experts and and they have designated staff, dedicated staff to work on these issues.
2:24:58
Operations has both a formal responsibility to ensure compliance, but but it's really the fact that we have the tools and the city wide purview and and and the mission to institutionalize these practices, as you've said, and and and and to look for any opportunity to institutionalize.
2:25:19
The criteria in these local laws.
2:25:21
So so our most material contribution is that we we run the language access secret shopper program, which is, you know, a way to get snapshot firsthand insights into customer service at at the customer facing sites.
2:25:37
And and, you know, it it's obviously a method of testing.
2:25:41
The the quality of services based on objective criteria.
2:25:47
The objective is to find gaps to flag and escalate them to we meet with the agencies afterward.
2:25:53
And if we have to escalate beyond that, that that's certainly part of our performance management.
2:26:00
Protocols.
2:26:01
And and as I mentioned, the state is now in the public realm.
2:26:06
And so it we really do hope that it's a tool that that everybody from the council to advocates to agencies use as a way to have some mutual accountability and some shared kind of insights into where we are.
2:26:22
But I should stress that it really is a secret shopper program and not an inspection program.
2:26:27
Obviously, that the super toppers don't have the ability to to enforce anything.
2:26:33
And and the purpose really is to sort of reveal problems.
2:26:38
It's not the same as a comprehensive audit, but but I do think it brings a lot of value to the work.
Alexa Avilés
2:26:43
Yeah.
2:26:44
No.
2:26:44
I I think we I think we've established for the record there is no formal auditing and there is no enforcement mechanism here, although you did say ensure compliance.
Dan Steinberg
2:26:57
Compliance with the the very straightforward, enforceable components of it, which are to designated.
2:27:03
Right?
2:27:04
There there are components of it that are very straightforward and required, and there are other components that are that are suggested and recommended.
2:27:11
And and I do think some clarity around the difference is productive.
2:27:15
But but I hear you.
2:27:16
And and and compliance is something we take seriously, which is probably why I'm being so literal.
