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Client
Fundacja Demokracja Przyszłości
Industry
Civic participation
Product
Webapp
Date
May 2025
Skills
Ruby on Rails
Dokku
UI/UX design
Tailwind
Estimation
Demokracja Przyszłości Foundation is a modern organization whose mission is to strengthen democratic processes and promote active citizen participation in public life in Poland. Recently, the foundation reached out to us through the Tech To The Rescue platform, which connects socially driven organizations with technology partners. The foundation’s main goal is to empower citizens, encourage public engagement, and foster a culture of open dialogue and collaboration between society and decision-makers. One of its key projects is the creation of an innovative online platform that will facilitate public consultations and support civic legislative initiatives. This portal is intended to become a central space where individuals, social groups, and organizations can engage in substantive discussions about proposed legal changes, share their opinions, and participate constructively in the legislative process. Poland has long lacked a unified and easily accessible space where citizens can engage in open and transparent debates on legislative matters. Demokracja Przyszłości Foundation aims to fill this gap by creating a platform that not only streamlines public consultations but also promotes conscious, respectful, and inclusive dialogue. By leveraging modern technologies, the foundation seeks to make public participation more accessible, effective, and impactful.
Decydujemy is a portal utilizing Decidim to facilitate civic engagement by enabling citizens to participate in consultations, propose legislative changes, and collaborate on public initiatives. It provides a transparent and user-friendly platform to foster inclusive decision-making and strengthen democratic processes. To enable youth city councils to make binding decisions, Decydujemy introduces optional open voting feature, allowing participants to see how votes are cast, thereby reinforcing accountability and democratic legitimacy.
There was a lack of a Polish web application enabling the fulfillment of the aforementioned goals. Another challenge was ensuring user authentication to prevent potential misuse. Also, the default Decidim implementation lacked the option to vote under one's real name. Thanks to the use of Decidim, along with an integration with SMSAPI and a custom implementation of open votings, Decydujemy addresses these needs and challenges.
We designed and implemented a feature that allows users to vote under their real name and download a PDF report of the voting.
We implemented an integration with SMSAPI to handle user authorization.
The application is deployed using Dokku with a custom Docker setup, ensuring it operates stably and incorporates the features we added.
The successful implementation of Decydujemy, a web platform built using Decidim and customized to meet specific needs, addresses the challenges of fostering civic engagement and transparent decision-making. The platform enables nationwide voting as well as tailored instances for local youth city councils. To ensure user authorization and prevent misuse, a seamless integration with SMSAPI was developed, offering a secure and trustworthy verification process. The platform was deployed using a custom Docker setup, ensuring stability, scalability, and the incorporation of unique features required by the project. This innovative approach combines open-source technology, modern deployment strategies, and tailored functionality, resulting in a reliable and accessible tool for public participation. Decydujemy not only meets the project’s goals but also provides a scalable foundation for future development and broader adoption.