Throughout history, great quotes about ethics have shaped our understanding of right and wrong. One such quote comes from the late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who said, “Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.”
In practice, distinguishing between what is allowed and what is ethical can be difficult, particularly in professions like local governance, where the line is often subjective. To help guide public servants, the International City/County Management Association published a code of ethics 100 years ago. Since 1924, this code has evolved with societal changes, including gender-neutral language in 1974 and recent amendments that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion.
The centennial was a central theme at the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference last week. Let’s explore key takeaways from the event, including ethical challenges surrounding AI, workplace dynamics, public engagement and disaster preparedness.
The public sector’s ethical AI curiosity
Shawn Kanungo, the Sunday keynote for the conference, believes that AI marks “the absolute end of trust” because of the uphill battle people face in distinguishing between AI-generated content and human-created content.
In the public sector, and particularly among ICMA members, simply discerning what is or isn’t AI is just the tip of the iceberg. The far graver concern is ensuring it is used ethically. ICMA’s 100-year-old code of ethics doesn’t explicitly address generative artificial intelligence. And it might come as a surprise that, according to ICMA Ethics Director Jessica Cowles, it doesn’t appear as though there are imminent plans to update the ICMA Code of Ethics to include direct guidance about generative AI.
However, that doesn’t mean that ICMA and its members have cast the conversation aside. Rather, Cowles implied that the core tenets of the code, such as honesty, integrity and maintaining public trust, are foundational principles that should guide how local government leaders approach the use of new technologies like AI. The context and intent behind transparent AI use, rather than the technology itself, are what should drive the conversation, Cowles said.
In her presentation, Cowles discussed some of the biggest ethical concerns regarding AI in the public sector. She cited surveillance scenarios, such as parking enforcement and airport security, as notable examples of how algorithmic bias and cultural insensitivity can creep in without human intervention.
“AI is a mirror of those biases and prejudices and subjectivity that we find within the greater society itself,” she said.
The session also explored the GovAI Coalition’s model policy as a framework for local governments to address these issues. Cowles stressed the importance of having model policies for AI technologies in local governments, emphasizing the need for ethical governance, accountability and flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing AI systems. She also highlighted the role of cross-agency collaboration, privacy concerns and the importance of fostering public trust in the implementation of AI, while acknowledging that learning about and implementing AI can be challenging and outside many people’s comfort zones.
Some session attendees asked questions about the need for transparency around disclosing AI use, potential Freedom of Information Act-based liability concerns if AI-generated content is misinterpreted, the sustainability challenge of AI’s energy consumption and use of copyrighted data. Ultimately, these are all individual judgment calls.
Generational context of workplace dynamics
The conference featured two powerful keynote addresses that touched on different aspects of workplace dynamics that are relevant to every industry. However, one of those keynotes, researcher and author Jason Dorsey, connected his message about the need to contextualize generational profiles and trends to the high stakes of local government.
“Y’all have a really tough job,” Dorsey said. “You have every generation of team members. Y’all are one of the only occupations in the world that serves every generation of stakeholders.”
Dorsey invited the crowd to write things down a lot during his speech. Among the most provocative declarations were:
- Parenting is the first big behavioral term to study when it comes to generations. Technology and our relationship to it, and the differences between urban and rural areas within the same generation are also important.
- The pandemic had a major effect on the way Gen Z sees work. As Dorsey said: “If you entered the workforce during COVID, how do you think all job interviews are? Virtual.”
- Millennials are going through a new life stage called “delayed adulthood.” They are breaking into two different trajectories or paths within the generation. They are not tech-savvy, but rather tech-dependent.
- Generation X is being pulled in three directions – caring for children, navigating their career, and caring for aging parents. Retaining Generation X is the most important for organizations over the next 2-3 years.
- Baby Boomers are the most influential generation and are deeply important due to their extensive work experience in many different environments and their ingenuity predating many of the technological advancements younger generations do not function as well without.
Former journalist Brigid Schulte used her keynote to add another layer to the conversation – the US’ “greedy” work culture, which she believes sets an expectation of total work devotion in exchange for low pay for certain professions that are deemed “lesser” than others.
Her insight centered on the five stages of change as outlined by author Allen Wheelis in the 1973 book “How People Change.” They are identifying pain points, gaining insight, having the will to change, taking action and making change. She bemoaned the overwork culture in the US, with 44% of the workforce earning less than $10/hour, and the impact of long work hours on health, leading to 120,000 unnecessary deaths annually. The keynote also highlighted initiatives like the Born of Brain Heroes Foundation, which aims to reduce stigma around mental health treatment, and Oregon’s law guaranteeing predictable schedules for workers.
She highlighted the role of “change agents” in driving systemic change and called for policies that support work-life balance, such as gender-neutral leave and predictable scheduling. She urged organizations to focus on meaningful work and to foster environments that encourage rest and innovation. Schulte also encouraged a cultural shift towards valuing rest and creativity, challenging the notion that more work, which includes performative “stupid work,” equates to better performance.
Getting creative with public engagement
During the conference, two sessions highlighted areas in Ohio as interesting case studies on how to engage the public in creative ways. The first one explained how a public art project involving a bridge in Kettering was successful due to an emphasis on detailed artist contracts, a $100,000 contingency fund for major changes and the integration of public feedback into the project. The bridge, which carries 900 vehicles daily, was rebuilt due to safety concerns and community sentiment. A virtual public meeting process gathered over 600 comments, emphasizing the bridge’s importance as a gathering place, as opposed to simply a means from Point A to Point B.
In the other session, Cincinnati planners showcased “Simcinnati,” a game designed to make zoning and land use policy more accessible to the public. Using a simple game board, participants added housing to a neighborhood grid, mimicking real-world planning concepts. This hands-on approach helped them understand trade-offs involved in planning. The game, supported by other feedback activities, was tested to ensure it was both engaging and effective. The planners believe it exemplifies how gamification can turn complex topics into interactive experiences, fostering learning and generating valuable input for the city’s zoning reforms.
Navigating the unthinkable
One session posed an interesting question: How would you deliver vital services to your community in the aftermath of a catastrophic event, which causes the loss of power for a month or longer and affects everyone within a 1,500-mile radius?
David Gassaway, city manager for Fairfield, Calif., explained how the city has made significant investments in cybersecurity to harden its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems and critical infrastructure, including partnering with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to conduct a comprehensive review and develop a strategic plan to improve its cybersecurity posture.
Nat Rojanasathira, assistant city manager for Monterey, Calif., shared how Monterey faced extensive power outages, downed communication lines and flooding during the 2023 “Pineapple Express” storm, leading the city to establish community resilience centers, leverage its robust Community Emergency Response Team program for neighborhood-level support and recognize the need to strengthen direct communication channels with major utility providers.
Another well-attended session offered a detailed overview of Baltimore’s response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which has been described as one of the worst maritime incidents in US history. The speakers, Faith Leech, the city’s chief administrative officer, and James Wallace of the Baltimore City Fire Department, highlighted the city’s transition from an initial search and rescue operation to a broader recovery effort, which involved bringing in a unified command structure with various city agencies and partners. Leech and Wallace emphasized the importance of having the mayor and city administrator directly involved and coordinating the response, as well as the need to engage seemingly peripheral offices like the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to address the full scope of the incident. Wallace drove home a key point about the importance of a joint information center, while Leech touted the ability to adapt to the evolving nature of the incident and remain engaged with those affected long after the tragedy.
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