A new free online service is using artificial intelligence to make municipal decisions easier for Italian citizens to understand. Osservatorio Civico, created by Matchme Srl and the nonprofit organization Visionari Ets Aps, monitors documents published by local administrations and summarizes those with a direct impact on residents.
The platform covers measures involving waste taxes, IMU property tax, public transport, nurseries, school meals, the environment, culture and welfare, among other areas. It reviews municipal acts such as resolutions, appointments, grants and tax measures, selecting the documents considered most relevant to users.
Subscribers receive an email containing a concise explanation of the decisions adopted by their municipality. The summaries are written in plain language rather than bureaucratic terminology, with the aim of helping residents understand public acts without having to read the full documents themselves.
Osservatorio Civico is already available in Milan, Rome, Bari, Lecce, Brindisi and Taranto. According to the information provided about the service, its coverage will be progressively extended to all Italian provinces in the coming weeks.
The project addresses the difficulty many citizens face when navigating the large volume of information published through municipal transparency portals. The material is publicly accessible, but it can be complex and time-consuming to consult. The service’s stated goal is to make it easier for people to follow the choices, decisions and actions of their local administration.
“Today public information is widely available through Transparent Administration, but the real difficulty is finding one’s way through a growing amount of content,” said Andrea Mazziotti, president of Visionari Ets-Aps.
Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore Italia.