### **Civic Voices - Lens Protocol Grant**

**Title:** Civic Voice
**Summary**: Employing block chain technology to enhance public participation and citizen-led accountability

#### **Problem Statement**

Civic Voice aims to solve the problem of lack of transparency and accountability in government by providing a platform for the public to track the activities and progress of elected officials. It aims to address the issue of citizens not having access to information about what their elected representatives are doing, how they are fulfilling their campaign promises and how they are representing their constituents. By providing this information, Civic Voice empowers citizens to hold their officials accountable, and also helps citizens to be informed and engage in the political process. Additionally, Civic Voice can also help to improve trust in government and strengthen the democratic process.

#### **Solution**

Civic Voice addresses the problem of lack of transparency and accountability in government by providing a platform for the public to access information about the activities and progress of elected officials. This is done in the following ways:
1. Tracking elected officials' activities: The platform allows users to see what their elected officials are doing, including information on their voting records, public statements, and other actions.
2. Fulfillment of manifesto: It allows citizens to track the progress of elected officials in fulfilling their campaign promises or manifesto, and compare it with the official's actions and performance.
3. Engagement: It provides an avenue for citizens to engage with their elected officials, by providing a platform for citizens to provide feedback on their performance in office, and also ask questions.
4. Transparency: By providing easy access to information, Civic Voice also helps to increase transparency in government and allows citizens to better understand the workings of government.
5. Informing citizens: It also helps to inform citizens and improve their understanding of the political process, by providing them with the information they need to make informed decisions about who to vote for and how to engage with their elected representatives.
Overall, Civic Voice aims to empower citizens to hold their elected officials accountable, and to improve transparency and trust in government.

#### **Why Blockchain**

Implementing Civic Voice on blockchain technology addresses the problem of threats and intimidation that those who have previously attempted similar projects in Kenya have faced. Blockchain technology is a decentralized and distributed digital ledger that can store and record information in a secure and tamper-proof way.
By using blockchain, the records of elected officials' activities and progress can be permanently stored and cannot be altered or deleted. This would ensure that the information is always available for public scrutiny, even if the organization or individuals behind the platform face threats or intimidation.

Evidence of threats the previous team that worked on a similar idea received.
https://twitter.com/bonifacemwangi/status/1500424677432385538?t=AEDTXFu0A2Y7eA4mYnkt_w&s=19

#### **Why Lens Protocol**

Integrating Civic Voice with the Lens Protocol can provide several benefits, such as:
1. Secure and transparent data integration: By using the Lens Protocol, the data on elected officials' activities and progress can be securely and transparently integrated into the Civic Voice platform, ensuring that the information is always accurate and tamper-proof.
2. Decentralized oracle network: The Lens Protocol provides a decentralized oracle network that can connect the Civic Voice platform with various external data sources, such as government databases, voting records, and other public data. This allows for a more comprehensive and accurate view of elected officials' activities and progress.
3. Easy access to external data: The Lens Protocol allows for the creation of "lenses," which are smart contract templates that can be customized to access specific data sources. This allows for easy access to external data, such as voting records and public statements, without needing to write complex code.
4. Improved trust and transparency: By integrating with the Lens Protocol, the Civic Voice platform can provide a higher level of trust and transparency, as the data is tamper-proof and can be easily verified by anyone on the blockchain.
5. Scalability: By integrating with the Lens Protocol, the Civic Voice platform can scale more easily, as it can connect to various external data sources, and also allows for the creation of smart contract templates that can be easily customized to access specific data sources.

#### **Civic Voice Theory of Change**

Civic Voice's theory of change is the idea or set of ideas that describes how the platform aims to bring about desired change in the political and social landscape. The theory of change outlines the steps or actions that the platform will take in order to achieve its goals and objectives, and the intended impact on the target audience.

In general, the theory of change for Civic Voice is likely to be focused on increasing transparency, accountability, and engagement in the political process by providing citizens with accurate and up-to-date information about the activities and progress of elected officials. The platform aims to empower citizens by giving them access to information that will allow them to hold elected officials accountable for their actions and progress in office.

Some specific steps or actions that Civic Voice may take in order to achieve its goals and objectives include:
• Tracking the activities of elected officials and making this information available to the public.
• Providing a platform for citizens to engage with elected officials and hold them accountable for their actions.
• Providing a platform for citizens to track the progress of elected officials against their manifesto.
• Providing a platform for citizens to share their opinions and feedback on the performance of elected officials.
The intended impact of Civic Voice is likely to be increased transparency, accountability, and engagement in the political process, resulting in improved governance and a more responsive political system.

#### **Team**

**Allan Okoth** - A Near Certified Developer with a background in Computer Science, coupled with more than 5 years’ worth of startup experience in Product & Engineering ( allanokothdev.near)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanokoth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/allanokothdev
Github: https://github.com/allanokothdev

**Don Collins Ouma** - is a Social Entrepreneur, Project Manager and Digital Marketer. He has spent the last six years developing and implementing impact projects, as an individual and with organization he has worked with. Having trained and worked in both social and political spaces, he brings on experience and expertise in planning and strategy, while leveraging on community building. He is the Director of Programs at Pan African Congress Kenya.