1) The document discusses BA Obras, a civic tech project in Buenos Aires that created an open public works observatory to increase transparency around public works projects. 2) The observatory initially covered 70 public works but the government saw benefits to expanding it to include all ministries. This led to unexpected governmental changes promoting more transparency. 3) The observatory grew to cover over 800 public works across 13 government areas, resulting in over 1000% data growth in one year. It provides detailed, geo-located information for citizens and journalists on the city's public works projects.

1. Buenos Aires Ciudad
Alvaro Herrero - Undersecretary of Strategic
Development and Institutional Quality
@alvarojherrero
Civic Tech for Governmental Change

2. Vamos Buenos Aires
AbCAbC
http://www.buenosaires.gob.ar/baobras
Link to video
BA OBRAS: A story of how civic tech fostered governmental change in the city of Buenos Aires

3. Vamos Buenos Aires
AbCAbC
Our goal was to increase accountability, transparency and
provide useful information to citizens on the works that are
transforming the city.
Open public works observatory Vision
Type of work:
Architecture
Transport
Public space
Infrastructure
Hydraulics
All information about 70 public works
classified according to:
Type of work
Location (geo-referred by communes)
Contract amount
We want the neighbours to access all
data about public works and see how
the city is being transformed.
The Idea and its vision

4. Vamos Buenos Aires
AbCAbC
The “Crusade”
Works by Ministry of
Urban Development
and Transport (MDU)
Expanding the platform to other ministries At that moment the platform
showed only 70 public works.
It was an incomplete map:
didn´t showed all the government work
We knew that adding all ministries would
bring multiple benefits:
+ density
of public work on the map
+ diversify
on the type of work
+ transparency
for the whole government administration

5. This appropriation by the government of this
civic tech tool created a dynamic of change
inside government which was largely unexpected.
The “Crusade”
Vamos Buenos Aires
AbCAbC
We went from 70 public works and
1 Ministry involved to:
+ 800
public works
13 government
areas involved
Take the leap and win:
1121% data growth in 1 year

6. A new way to dialogue about public works
Every public work project in the city of Buenos Aires is geo-referred
with detailed information on one platform
Promotes transparency on public works administration
Participatory index review and co creation
Dataset in open format being used by citizens and journalists
Tool used in town hall meetings and neighbors visits to
construction sites
+ than 800 Urban Public Works
Works on
schools
Works on
public space
Works on
architecture
Works on
public health
Works on
transport
Works on
Housing
+
people employed
on BA public works
Works on infrastructure
and hydraulics
Vamos Buenos Aires
AbCAbC

7. Vamos Buenos Aires
@alvarojherrero
aherrero@buenosaires.gob.ar