Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TRANSCEND (Transdisciplinary methods for societal impact assessment and impact creation for security research technologies)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-10-01 al 2024-03-31
Citizens’ interest in scientific and technological research is high. Yet despite this interest, levels of actual citizen involvement in R&D remains limited. This means that citizens have no other option but to trust that those governing science and technology are taking the right decisions for their benefit and that of society.
This situation is exaggerated in the security research context where citizens are rarely or restrictively involved. At the same time, security technologies present risks that if not managed properly, can infringe human rights, reproduce and reinforce power imbalances and perpetuate social injustice.
Designing responsible, ethically acceptable, and socially desirable security technologies requires methods that facilitate the identification of potential diverse adverse impacts on society. TRANSCEND aims to address this context by improving practices of societal and citizen engagement in security R&D. To achieve this goal, TRANSCEND has the following objectives:
Objective 1: Carry out systematic review and stock-taking of technologies to enhance societal resilience in civil security, and assess the societal acceptability, directionality, desirability of these systems or applications.
Objective 2: Identify and evaluate ways, including the use of ethical, societal and human rights impact assessments, to mitigate or significantly reduce negative impacts of these technologies on citizens’ privacy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, or the environment.
Objective 3: Implement, test and validate a methodology for stakeholder-engaged responsible research and innovation (RRI) in different fields of security research.
Objective 4: Build on existing knowledge on lessons learned and best practices, to support the further development of the skills and knowledge that organisations need to use innovative security technologies responsibly, i.e. in line with needs and concerns of citizens and civil society., in timely and
TRANSCEND’s pathway to impact is as follows:
• We will identify the state-of-the-art on available methods for citizen and societal engagement and societal impact assessment in the development and deployment of security technologies, to ensure ethical acceptability and societal desirability.
• We will then apply and evaluate these methods, in close collaboration with organisations ‘on the ground’, notably to enable meaningful participation of people, including from vulnerable or marginalised groups and people with different access needs, and of organisations that speak on their behalf and represent their perspectives.
• We will deliver these engagement methods in an accessible and engaging format, together with recommendations to apply them in practice—based on an analysis of barriers and enablers.
• We will create a positive impact in society by enabling societal actors to participate in the development and deployment of security technologies, in a Quadruple Helix context (academia, government, industry, society).
This situation is exaggerated in the security research context where citizens are rarely or restrictively involved. At the same time, security technologies present risks that if not managed properly, can infringe human rights, reproduce and reinforce power imbalances and perpetuate social injustice.
Designing responsible, ethically acceptable, and socially desirable security technologies requires methods that facilitate the identification of potential diverse adverse impacts on society. TRANSCEND aims to address this context by improving practices of societal and citizen engagement in security R&D. To achieve this goal, TRANSCEND has the following objectives:
Objective 1: Carry out systematic review and stock-taking of technologies to enhance societal resilience in civil security, and assess the societal acceptability, directionality, desirability of these systems or applications.
Objective 2: Identify and evaluate ways, including the use of ethical, societal and human rights impact assessments, to mitigate or significantly reduce negative impacts of these technologies on citizens’ privacy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, or the environment.
Objective 3: Implement, test and validate a methodology for stakeholder-engaged responsible research and innovation (RRI) in different fields of security research.
Objective 4: Build on existing knowledge on lessons learned and best practices, to support the further development of the skills and knowledge that organisations need to use innovative security technologies responsibly, i.e. in line with needs and concerns of citizens and civil society., in timely and
TRANSCEND’s pathway to impact is as follows:
• We will identify the state-of-the-art on available methods for citizen and societal engagement and societal impact assessment in the development and deployment of security technologies, to ensure ethical acceptability and societal desirability.
• We will then apply and evaluate these methods, in close collaboration with organisations ‘on the ground’, notably to enable meaningful participation of people, including from vulnerable or marginalised groups and people with different access needs, and of organisations that speak on their behalf and represent their perspectives.
• We will deliver these engagement methods in an accessible and engaging format, together with recommendations to apply them in practice—based on an analysis of barriers and enablers.
• We will create a positive impact in society by enabling societal actors to participate in the development and deployment of security technologies, in a Quadruple Helix context (academia, government, industry, society).
Activities contributing to the realisation of Objective 1 took place in WP1 and WP2:
• A survey was circulated by partner Efus to its ‘local authorities/cities’ network to explore how the cities and regions associated with Efus incorporate ethical, human rights, and societal considerations when using security technologies and to assess the desirability, directionality and social acceptability of these practices. 14 responses were received from the network circulation of 250. The results are included in D1.2.
• A second and similar survey was circulated by partner EOS to its ‘security industry’ network to understand how solution providers and the industry used impact assessment methods. This survey included details on the TRL and the technology field. 5 responses were received from the network circulation of 38. The results are included in D1.2.
• Partner PRIO conducted an extensive mapping of the H2020 and Horizon Europe security research domain identifying the levels and nature of CSOs involvement. The results are included in D2.1.
Activities contributing to the realisation of Objective 2 took place in WP1 and WP3:
• A state-of-the-art review on the use of ethical, societal and human rights impact assessments (IA) in the 4 security domains has been completed. The results are presented in D1.2.
• Two versions of a novel IA methodology for security research have been developed (two further iterations will follow till the end of the project). The results are included in D1.3 (Toolbox v1) and D1.4 (Toolbox v2).
• In RP1, the IA methodology has been tested in the disaster resilient societies (DRS) pilot and feedback gathered from the Stakeholder Board and CSOs.
Activities contributing to the realisation of Objective 3 took place in WP1 and WP3:
• A state-of-the-art review of citizen engagement methods in the 4 security domains has been completed. The results are presented in D1.1.
• Two versions of a novel citizen engagement methodology for security research have been developed (two further iterations will follow till the end of the project). The results are included in D1.3 (Toolbox v1) and D1.4 (Toolbox v2).
• In RP1, the citizen engagement methodology has been tested in the DRS pilot and feedback gathered from the Stakeholder Board and CSOs.
Activities contributing to the realisation of Objective 4 took place in WP2:
• TRANSCEND citizen engagement methodology selected eight methods considered most suitable based on the comprehensive learnings of the ENGAGE 2020 project (2014). See ‘methodology’ in D1.1.
• The TRANSCEND Network has been established on LinkedIN, encompassing partners from several security projects, currently at 99 members.
• TRANSCEND cities recruited and introduced to consortium. Lead city is Mechelen; four associated cities/regions are: the Hague, Mannheim, Matosinhos, Region Sud.
• Stakeholder Board established and ongoing. It comprises six members from: EU Fundamental Rights Agency, NI Human Rights Commission, Bavarian Red Cross, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Law and Internet Foundation and the Police Academy Netherlands.
• A survey was circulated by partner Efus to its ‘local authorities/cities’ network to explore how the cities and regions associated with Efus incorporate ethical, human rights, and societal considerations when using security technologies and to assess the desirability, directionality and social acceptability of these practices. 14 responses were received from the network circulation of 250. The results are included in D1.2.
• A second and similar survey was circulated by partner EOS to its ‘security industry’ network to understand how solution providers and the industry used impact assessment methods. This survey included details on the TRL and the technology field. 5 responses were received from the network circulation of 38. The results are included in D1.2.
• Partner PRIO conducted an extensive mapping of the H2020 and Horizon Europe security research domain identifying the levels and nature of CSOs involvement. The results are included in D2.1.
Activities contributing to the realisation of Objective 2 took place in WP1 and WP3:
• A state-of-the-art review on the use of ethical, societal and human rights impact assessments (IA) in the 4 security domains has been completed. The results are presented in D1.2.
• Two versions of a novel IA methodology for security research have been developed (two further iterations will follow till the end of the project). The results are included in D1.3 (Toolbox v1) and D1.4 (Toolbox v2).
• In RP1, the IA methodology has been tested in the disaster resilient societies (DRS) pilot and feedback gathered from the Stakeholder Board and CSOs.
Activities contributing to the realisation of Objective 3 took place in WP1 and WP3:
• A state-of-the-art review of citizen engagement methods in the 4 security domains has been completed. The results are presented in D1.1.
• Two versions of a novel citizen engagement methodology for security research have been developed (two further iterations will follow till the end of the project). The results are included in D1.3 (Toolbox v1) and D1.4 (Toolbox v2).
• In RP1, the citizen engagement methodology has been tested in the DRS pilot and feedback gathered from the Stakeholder Board and CSOs.
Activities contributing to the realisation of Objective 4 took place in WP2:
• TRANSCEND citizen engagement methodology selected eight methods considered most suitable based on the comprehensive learnings of the ENGAGE 2020 project (2014). See ‘methodology’ in D1.1.
• The TRANSCEND Network has been established on LinkedIN, encompassing partners from several security projects, currently at 99 members.
• TRANSCEND cities recruited and introduced to consortium. Lead city is Mechelen; four associated cities/regions are: the Hague, Mannheim, Matosinhos, Region Sud.
• Stakeholder Board established and ongoing. It comprises six members from: EU Fundamental Rights Agency, NI Human Rights Commission, Bavarian Red Cross, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Law and Internet Foundation and the Police Academy Netherlands.
TRANSCEND aims to be an enabler for organisations in security R&D such that they are better equipped than currently is the state to overcome barriers to citizen engagement in security research, in active and creative roles, at an early stage of the R&D process. TRANSCEND does that by taking inspiration from existing methods to engage citizens and understand societal needs and applying select methods to ongoing security research in four security domains of CS, DRS, FCT and BM. This enables TRANSCEND to more specifically apply existing methods to the security research arena.