Select one of the cases that we have studied this summer. You may choose one of the following
systems:
The Workflow Management System (system to decide access to public assistance in Indiana)
Project Green Light (networked surveillance system installed in Detroit, MI offering “premium” policing
The VI-SPDAT (system to decide whether unhoused people are eligible for housing in Los Angeles)
Your analysis does not need to take the form of a formal essay, meaning that you can respond to each
question with section headers or bullet points. You should still present thorough analysis in writing.
You are encouraged to draw on any of the course materials (readings, videos, lectures, etc.) that help you to
make your point in each section. You may also need to conduct some external research to answer the critical
questions that you may have about the system you are examining.
Your analysis should include:
- An introduction to the sociotechnical system. Identify and explain the system to your reader, assuming that
they have never encountered the system before – Who are the stakeholders of the system? What is the
system used for? (400 words) - An analysis of what decisions are being automated by the system. There is most likely one broad decision
that is being automated, but what supplemental decisions are being automated? What are the affordances and
limitations of automating these decisions? (500 words) - The history of the system – What are the past developments that are useful for understanding why the
system was deemed necessary? What decisions shaped the development of the system? How were the
decisions you identified in part 2 made before being automated? (300 words) - The desired outcome of the system – What was the goal of the system and the projected outcome? What
did the stakeholders who designed and built the system want it to do? Note that different stakeholders could
have multiple desired outcomes (400 words) - What additional outcomes have developed from the use of the system? This is where you should consider
unintended consequences and realities that may differ from the stated purpose of the system. Were any of
these consequences the result of the system being a black box? (400 words)
Sample Solution
