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Overview of the Language Access Secret Shopper program

2:29:25

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Francisco Navarro explains the Language Access Secret Shopper program, which identifies gaps in language access services provided by city agencies. The program involves interns who test language access services across various city departments.

The program was initially part of a citywide customer service initiative started in 2008
Interns, often from immigrant families, conduct the secret shopping during summers
The program provides young New Yorkers exposure to frontline city services
Some limitations of the program include reliance on summer interns and potential language limitations based on applicants

Francisco Navarro

2:29:25

You know, the the recent contributions that we make to language access is to the language access secret shopper program.

2:29:30

Right?

2:29:30

So we identify caps, as you've noticed.

2:29:33

We do tell the agencies what we found and the expectations is that that they will correct them.

2:29:38

We find particular issues that need to be escalated.

2:29:41

We do that.

2:29:42

Historically, when the office of management service coordinator was in the office of operations, we literally had a think, 4 interpreters.

2:29:49

I remember Spanish 1 and Chinese 1, and they were doing interpretations and I I think mostly translations of documents, not interpretations.

2:29:57

Uh-huh.

2:29:58

When mayor Bloomberg created the the mayor's office in in the interference, all that was moved over to Noya.

2:30:06

And when the office of language services coordinator was within operators, I really was not involved in that.

2:30:11

So I can't speak to, like, what specific ways they may have met the the requirements.

2:30:19

Yeah.

2:30:19

So that you know, Maria, we started the first director was, I think, Guillermo Nares with Beckland.

2:30:26

And, you know, we took over the language head secret shopper, and it was a part of the citywide customer service initiative that that that was started back in 2008 by me at Bloomberg.

2:30:36

Mhmm.

2:30:37

Yeah.

2:30:38

So Do

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Potential improvements for language access services structure