Signalling birds

Municipality of Utrecht

We would like to know if and where birds are in Utrecht in the near future. The presence of birds indicates a green and environmentally friendly environment. In doing so, we contribute to Healthy Urban Living in Utrecht.

Last change on 12th of July 2024, at 9:13 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

• Publication category: Impactful algorithms
• Impact assessment: DPIA, ...
• Status: In use

General information

Theme

Nature and Environment

Begin date

-

Contact information

[e-mail]

Responsible use

Goal and impact

Predicting the number of birds in a given area

Considerations

Results Uthiek Assessment: with this approach on bird signalling, we indirectly encourage sufficient green habitat in Utrecht. Indeed, there is a direct link between the presence of birds and green habitat in Utrecht. In doing so, we contribute to the Health value, to that sufficient green habitat leads to a more liveable, environmentally friendly and animal-friendly city.

Human intervention

The algorithm (with direct impact on Utrecht residents and their living environment) only serves as a source of information for an employee, who takes the right follow-up step based on this information and the context of the situation. This principle is included in our Utrecht framework Internal Guidelines for Algorithm Application.

Risk management

The Utrecht data scientists, Information and Process Advisors (IPA) and Decentralised Information Security Officers (DISO) within the Utrecht municipality have a controlling and monitoring role in the application of the algorithm, in addition to the employees directly involved. By doing so, we want to prevent the following risks from occurring:

- data leak by making personal data of Utrecht residents publicly available

- algorithm takes a decision completely independently, without the intervention of an employee and without interpreting the relevant context of the situation

- 'function creep' regarding data in the application of the algorithm, as a result of which the algorithm gives a distorted picture of what is going on. This can occur because the same type of data is used when applying the algorithm, and the algorithm uses that as confirmation of what comes out as information

Impact assessment

• Utrechts Uthiek Assessment
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

Operations

Data

- number of birds in a certain area in Utrecht

- locations of birds in a specific area in Utrecht

- period presence of birds in a specific area in Utrecht