We are proud to announce that Sophie Stalla-Bourdillon, Co-Director of the Brussels Privacy Hub, together with Niko Tsakalakis, Trung Dong Huynh, and Luc Moreau, has published a paper, A Typology of Explanations for Explainability-by-Design. The paper presents a novel approach to enhancing explainability in automated decision-making systems and is accepted for publication in the Journal on Responsible Computing (not published in the journal just yet).

The study introduces a typology of explanations organized around nine hierarchical dimensions, forming the basis of an explainability-by-design (EbD) strategy. This innovative framework bridges compliance, engineering, and system design, ensuring that explanations meet regulatory, business, and stakeholder needs. A key highlight is the conceptualization of the “legal engineer,” a professional who collaborates across teams to translate legal and regulatory requirements into actionable technical specifications.

Co-created with industry partners in the finance and education sectors, the typology was tested in pilot studies that showcased its practical potential for improving transparency and accountability. The paper also provides machine-readable, computable outputs, designed to support auditors, regulators, and decision-makers in understanding automated systems.

Read the full paper Here.