Creating a Comprehensive Citizen Engagement Platform

Joseph outlines the core functionality of the digital democracy application being developed for municipalities and government organisations:

"So what we are doing with this app is the citizens are going to be able to attend the decisions the government organisations are making. [...] They are going to be able to propose new projects or they are going to be given feedback on ongoing and upcoming projects that are being implemented by the government organisations. They are going to be also able to report some incidents around them happening [...] where they live."

The platform incorporates democratic participation tools that enable direct citizen involvement in governance:

"So there will be some digital voting features in the application. So if there will be an upcoming project, the people living in there are going to be able to say something about that project. So there will be a feedback mechanism in the application."

AI-Powered Analytics for Enhanced Decision-Making

A distinguishing feature of the INNOVADE application is its integration of artificial intelligence to support governmental decision-making processes:

"And most importantly, it's going to be AI-powered analytics in the application. So there will be some insight provided to the decision makers about the projects or whatever is happening in that area they are responsible for."

Innovative Features Beyond Current Solutions

Joseph emphasises how the application differentiates itself from existing digital democracy tools through several unique features:

"One of the most important aspects of the application is there will be some different features in our application when we compare to the current ones in the market. So we are going to be providing test automation tools in the application. [...] Let's say a citizen opens a ticket in the application; the relevant authority is going to be responsible for the ticket that's opened by them. So there will be a task assigned to the relevant institution."

This automated task management system ensures that citizen concerns are systematically addressed by the appropriate authorities, creating accountability and tracking mechanisms within the democratic process.

Gamification to Drive Citizen Engagement

To encourage sustained participation, the application incorporates gamification elements designed to make civic engagement more rewarding:

"And there will be some badges in the application which are added to improve engagement of citizens. There will be a scoring system in the application, so [...] the time you spend on the application or you give some feedback, you are going to get some points from the application. And there will be some badges assigned to the user, which will increase the engagement of the citizens."

Integrated Learning Management System

The platform extends beyond participation tools to include educational components for both citizens and government employees:

"And there will be a learning management system integrated into the system, both for citizens and the workers of government officials. They are going to be able to train citizens, and they're going to be able to train their employees in the government organizations using this learning management system integrated into the system."

This comprehensive approach ensures that all users have the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively utilise the digital democracy tools, promoting informed participation and efficient governance.

Joseph's work demonstrates how technical innovation can be applied to strengthen democratic processes, creating a platform that not only facilitates citizen participation but also enhances governmental responsiveness and accountability through advanced digital features.

For further information on the INNOVADE project and its initiatives, you can follow us on BlueSky and LinkedIn