Please note: The algorithm descriptions in English have been automatically translated. Errors may have been introduced in this process. For the original descriptions, go to the Dutch version of the Algorithm Register.

Pol.is

Province of Groningen

Pol.is a participation platform that allows propositions to be presented to a specific target group. The algorithm shows the shared values as well as the contradictions of the group. This provides important insights into a participation process around a complex issue.

Last change on 28th of January 2025, at 12:55 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

Publication category: Other algorithms
Impact assessment: DPIA
Status: In development

Theme

Organisation and business operations

Begin date

Field not filled in.

Contact information

info@provinciegroningen.nl

Goal and impact

The intended goal to be achieved with the use of this tool concerns understanding the wishes of Groningers and thereby involving them in decision-making. There is no direct impact on citizens and businesses.

Considerations

Much of the public debate around social issues currently takes place on commercial platforms. The functioning of-and what choices are made by-the algorithms are only visible to the supplier. In many cases, these use algorithms that polarize the conversation.

The algorithms used in the Pol.is platform are chosen to explore the range of opinions on a topic and reach consensus. In doing so, the algorithms used are open source, so that further research can take place into how the models work.

Human intervention

The results of Pol.is are never a conclusion but are used as input for decision-making or further processing. This interpretation of Pol.is's output is always done by people.

Risk management

Risks regarding the use of Pol.is are monitored on an ongoing basis, as part of the regular management processes within the organisation. No specific risks are foreseen for these algorithms.

Legal basis

Environment Act

Impact assessment

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

Data

Policy users register via Keycloak (an Identity and Access Management application). The admin can set what data to register in the Keycloak database. The minimum data is a user (name), which is linked to an ID hash (a willikeurige code).

Technical design

Pol.is a participation tool, it can be used to get a global understanding of what is going on in the province. However, it can also be used internally such as at meetings. The tool presents a series of statements to a group, they can then vote on these; after which Pol.is can display differences and similarities in opinions to gain insights.

External provider

The original Pol.is codebase was developed by the Computational Democracy Project. In the Netherlands, BetaBreak and ICTU are currently working to further develop the code.

Link to code base

https://gitlab.com/particiapp https://github.com/compdemocracy/polis https://github.com/ICTU https://compdemocracy.org/algorithms

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Policy
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Polis is a participation platform that lets you present statements to your target group. The algorithm shows you both the shared values and the contradictions of the group. This gives you important insights into a participation process around a complex issue.
Last change on 21st of May 2024, at 9:34 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0
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