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Colombia 2

PROJECT CONTEXT: Transforming citizen engagement in Ghana through AI and parliamentary data

Ghana is recognized as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa. It operates as a presidential republic with a tripartite structure: executive, legislative, and judicial powers, combining elements of customary law and the Anglo-Saxon legal system. Despite its democratic progress, Ghana faces challenges regarding transparency and access to information. Parliamentary debates, officially recorded in the Hansard, are published in flat, hard-to-navigate PDF formats. These documents are essential for political oversight and decision-making, but their current structure prevents efficient searches, automated analysis, and data visualization—limiting citizen participation, journalistic work, and academic research.

In this context, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), in partnership with the Parliament of Ghana, is participating in NGDA 2025 to lead a digital innovation challenge. The goal is to develop an artificial intelligence-based solution that uses technologies such as OCR and language models to digitize and structure the parliamentary Hansard. This will enable fast searches, intuitive information organization, and easier visualization through a platform accessible to legislators, journalists, researchers, and the general public.

REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATION

The proposed system for digitizing and structuring the Ghanaian Parliamentary Hansard is based on four core pillars : sustainability, accessibility, security, and efficient information management.

SUSTAINABILITY

The solution must support long-term use by allowing regular updates and ensuring compatibility across different devices. It should be designed with scalability and portability in mind to remain functional as technology evolves

ACCESSIBILITY

To ensure broad usability, the platform must be easily readable, offer visual aids, support both online and offline access, and include an intuitive interface and intelligent search features. It should accommodate diverse user needs through flexible interaction modes (text and audio).

SECURITY

The system must manage data ethically and securely, implementing encrypted communications, and user credentialing. It should be resilient against disruptions while ensuring responsible access to sensitive legislative data.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

The platform must allow the classification of discussions by topic, offer efficient organization, and include advanced search filters. It should support automated topic modeling to structure data meaningfully and help users find relevant information quickly.

OUR SOLUTION (Hansard At Hand)

How might we digitise parliamentary registers and develop user-friendly platforms that enhance the use of data and statistics in legislative processes?

TARGET GROUP

The primary users of this solution include members of parliament, data analysts in the Ghanaian Parliament’s Data Management Department, media professionals, researchers, civil society organizations, NGOs, and academia. These groups frequently consult Hansards for insights into legislative processes, debates, and decision-making, yet face challenges due to the current document format and lack of digital accessibility.

PROBLEM

Currently, parliamentary records in Ghana are published in unstructured PDF documents, making it difficult for users to locate specific information, analyze discussion patterns, or interpret the content of legislative debates. The search process is time-consuming and often discourages public engagement, particularly for those without specialized knowledge or digital skills. Citizens, journalists, and policymakers struggle to extract actionable insights, which affects participation, transparency, and decision-making. Additionally, members of parliament face difficulties understanding and revisiting transcribed documents efficiently, reducing the time available for other legislative activities.

CONCEPT

The project proposes the development of a mobile application that digitizes and restructures the Parliamentary Hansard using artificial intelligence. By leveraging OCR technology and natural language processing, the application would extract and classify the content of debates, enabling intuitive navigation through filters, search tools, and visual dashboards. The solution also supports multimodal interactions, such as audio and text-based access, and aims to be available both online and offline. This user-friendly platform transforms Hansards into an accessible resource, promoting timely, inclusive, and informed engagement with parliamentary data.

Example of graphic elements

STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The solution enables greater transparency and citizen participation by improving access to vital legislative information. Through graphical and audio-visual aids, it enhances understanding for a broad audience and supports diverse learning preferences. It reduces the time required for information retrieval, improves clarity, and makes key insights from debates more actionable. For parliamentarians, it streamlines data access, aiding in preparation and decision-making. The ability to update records after each session ensures that users are accessing the most current data, while also encouraging reuse and knowledge continuity.

BENEFITS

This project will lead to more efficient data management and improved comprehension of parliamentary content for both internal and external users. Stakeholders will benefit from faster, more accurate information access, which supports better decision-making, media reporting, academic research, and citizen oversight. For MPs, the system offers clear visualizations of debate trends and speaker participation, contributing to more effective legislative planning. The public gains the ability to engage meaningfully with parliamentary content, reinforcing democratic participation and informed citizenship.

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OUR TEAM

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