Civic Observatory launched: AI provides clarity on decisions taken by local councils, from Tari to nurseries

From waste collection charges to the IMU property tax, via public transport, nurseries, school canteens and much more, the decisions taken by local councils will no longer be a mystery to the public. A free service is now being launched that uses artificial intelligence to bring citizens closer to the public administration and make life easier for users. It is called ‘Osservatorio Civico’ (https://osservatoriocivico.org/), an online platform developed by Matchme Srl and Visionari Ets Aps – a non-profit organisation that promotes science and technology for the betterment of society – which will enable citizens to find out quickly and easily about the decisions taken by their local council that directly affect them. The service is already up and running in the cities of Milan, Rome, Bari, Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto, but over the coming weeks it will be gradually extended to all Italian provinces.

Every Italian local authority publishes dozens of documents every day, such as resolutions, appointments, grants and taxes, and much more, explains a press release. These public documents are often difficult for members of the public to understand and are rarely read by users. In fact, according to Istat, only 28.1 per cent of people in Italia visit public administration websites to obtain information on laws, services, benefits and rights: this is due both to the limited time available to study the published documents in depth and to the unclear language used by the public administration. Thanks to this AI-based project, every day the ‘Osservatorio civico’ platform scans all the records and documents published by local authorities, selects only those that have a direct impact on users’ lives (services, taxes, waste, the environment, culture, welfare, etc.) and sends subscribers a free email containing a concise, clear and understandable summary of the decisions taken by local councils, using simple, non-bureaucratic language that helps them quickly grasp the content of the various documents. ““Our aim is to make it easier for citizens to find out about the choices, decisions and actions of their local council,” explains Andrea Mazziotti, president of Visionari Ets-Aps. “Today, public information is widely available thanks to the ‘Transparent Administration’ initiative, but the real challenge lies in navigating an ever-increasing volume of content.”