As government technology increasingly mediates people’s access to essential services – and impacts their rights – technology purchasing has never been more high stakes. Yet government technology decision-making processes rarely feature robust public input. This report argues that such input is essential, and that the most strategically important time to elicit it is before a procurement process begins.

When technology decisions proceed without input from affected communities, it risks creating systems that cause real harm through misguided assumptions. Pre-procurement engagement acknowledges citizens’ critical expertise on how technologies
will affect their lives – expertise that technologists and government employees often lack. 

This primer explores why public agencies do not typically look to affected people for input on technology design and explains why technology purchasing will be a focal point for needed change. It calls for a deeper gear shift, in which community input is prioritised before the government has even begun a pilot project, and outlines specific opportunities and tactics to this end.