Improving Catalyst Voting: Addressing Low Participation and Random Voting.

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Afia Owusu

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

afia@wada.com

Additional applicants

Mercy

Megan

CATH

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

4

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Education

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Who is a dRep and what is a dRep suppose to do. The duties of a dRep will be explore and research into extensively, to be able to develop the right materials to be used for the program.

This program will consist of various components designed to educate, engage, and empower community members. The program for now will be geared towards the English and French speaking communities, with the possibility to extend it to the Sawhili and Arabic speaking communities. It can also be adopted to other languages within the ecosystem, the project is completely open source.

Where necessary educational materials will be develop to provide clear guidance on how and who can be a dRep and how to access information about the proposals, their potential impact, and the evaluation process. This is to help dReps make an informed decision on which proposals they decide to vote and its impact to the Cardano ecosystem.

The Catalyst Africa Town Hall, aside the main Town Hall will be a place where the project will leverage on to deliver its objectives. Also workshops, and webinars specifically aimed at the Cardano African Community will be used. These interactive sessions will facilitate discussions on what to look for in a proposals before voting on.

To ensure sustained engagement, we will establish social media platforms like telegram, discord etc. for dReps to provide ongoing support, answering questions, and they interacting with each other. The aim is bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the decision-making process, we can foster more informed voting, enhance proposal evaluation, and ensure that funds are allocated effectively and in alignment with the needs and aspirations of the Cardano Community.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The proposed solution will comprise the following:

Research: In depth research into voting patterns within the ecosystem to inform the project

Onboarding:

• Develop a comprehensive onboarding strategy for the Cardano African Community.
• Develop educational materials informed by the initial research undertaken

 Awareness and Education:

• Organize community events, workshops, and webinars.
• Conduct awareness campaigns about Catalyst's significance and benefits.
• Educate community members on proposal evaluation and decision-making processes.
• Offer support in understanding the nearly 1,000 proposals to facilitate informed voting.

Key Metrics to Measure Success:

• Measure the diversity of dReps onboarded.
• Track the increase in the number of delegates participating in Catalyst.
• Evaluate the accuracy of delegate decisions through content and tools provided.
• Assess the accuracy of dReps' decisions by offering resources for proposal evaluation.

Collaborative Partnerships:

• Collaborate with existing African organizations, groups, and initiatives aligned with Cardano's vision.
• Leverage their expertise, resources, and community connections to amplify outreach efforts.
• Establish local community hubs or ambassador programs to foster sustained engagement and support.

Objective:

• The aim is to train between 100 to 150 dReps within the Cardano ecosystem especially from the African Community.
• The target is to get quite a number of voters making careful rightful decisions to benefit the Cardano ecosystem through effective allocation of funds to worthwhile projects.
• The problem of low participation and random voting in Catalyst will also be addressed 

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

The number of dReps who actively participate in the Catalyst voting and proposal evaluation processes. By monitoring the increase in the overall number of dReps, we can evaluate the project's success in attracting and engaging new participants from the Cardano African Community and beyond.

The quality of dReps onboarded into the ecosystem and the readiness of the community to delegate their votes to them. Indicating the trust of the community to delegate their voting power to trusted representatives, enhancing the collective decision-making process.

It will also reflect in the quality of proposals voted not people coming to just vote.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

Produce detailed reports and documentation on project's objectives, activities, and outcome.

Also engage the Cardano community through town hall presentations.

Create channels like telegram and discord to share all information

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Established Track Record: The team is made up of Cardano ecosystem community members with proven records of delivering on funded projects. And we will maintain an open and transparent communication channels with all stakeholders involved in the project. Giving evidence report at the end of each milestone

We will also provide documentation and reporting with a systematic approach on project activities, milestones, and outcome.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

Increase the participation rate of Catalyst voting.

Encourage informed voting by reducing random voting without proposal review.

Improve accessibility for Catalyst users with limited technological and English language skills.

In the approach, we will employ the following strategies:

Research and Analysis will conduct thorough assess to the current state of Catalyst voting and identify the underlying causes of the challenges mentioned in the overview. This will involve studying participation rates, voting patterns, and understanding user demographics and preferences.

The Cardano community, will be used to gather feedback on the existing challenges and possible solutions through surveys, interviews and discussions.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: Research and Analysis

Task 1: Review and research on Catalyst voting participation and challenges. (1 week)

Task 2: Analyse voting data to identify key issues. (1 week)

Task 3: Gather feedback from the Cardano community through surveys and interviews. (1 week)

Task 4: Compile research findings and identify potential solutions. (1 week)

Expected Timeline: 3 weeks (some of the activities will be running concurrently)

Milestone 2: Solution Design and Development

Task 1: Develop an onboarding framework for dReps, including application process and selection criteria. (1 week)

Task 2: Create educational resources and guidelines for dReps to understand their roles and responsibilities. (2 weeks)

Task 3: Establish a communication platform for proposed dReps to collaborate and share information. (1 week)

Task 4: Design and implement a system to onboard dReps. (1 week)

Expected Timeline: 4 weeks.

Milestone 3: Program Implementation

Task 1: Identify Catalyst users as potential dReps for the pilot program. (1 week)

Task 2: Launch the application process for dReps and review submissions. (2 weeks)

Task 3: Select a diverse group of dReps based on established criteria. (1 week)

Task 4: Provide training and orientation sessions for the selected dReps. (2 weeks)

Expected Timeline: 4 weeks

Milestone 4: Evaluation and Refinement

Task 1: Gather feedback from selected dReps and the Cardano community regarding the onboarding process. (1 week)

Task 2: Analyse the effectiveness of the onboarding framework and identify areas for improvement. (2 weeks)

Task 3: Refine the onboarding process based on evaluation results and feedback if necessary. (1 week)

Expected Timeline: 4 weeks

Milestone 5: Full-Scale Implementation

Task 1: Outdoor the official onboarding process for dReps. (2 weeks)

Task 2: Create ongoing support and communication channels for selected dReps. (2 weeks)

Task 3: Monitor the participation and diversity of dReps on an ongoing basis. 

Task 4: Evaluate the impact of the onboarding process and make further adjustments if necessary. (1 week)

EXPECTED TIMELINE: 20 WEEKS (some of the milestones will be done currently)

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Research and Analysis

• Deliverables: Research report, and feedback on issues.
• Outputs: Understanding of challenges in voting and issues arising.
• Outcomes: Informed decision-making, clear understanding of issues.

Milestone 2: Solution Design and Development

• Deliverables: Development of framework for onboarding, and educational resources.
• Outputs: Standardized process, informative resources, collaboration platform, functional system.
• Outcomes: Streamlined onboarding, engaged dReps, improved communication.

Milestone 3: Program Implementation

• Deliverables: Selection of potential dReps through application process, and train selected group.
• Outputs: Identified dReps, trained group, and compilation of valuable feedback.
• Outcomes: Trained dReps

Milestone 4: Evaluation and Refinement

• Deliverables: Analysis performance and feedback reports, for effectiveness assessment and refine the process if needed.
• Outputs: Performance evaluation, feedback assessment, revised framework.
• Outcomes: Optimized onboarding process, increased confidence, ongoing improvements.

Milestone 5: Full-Scale Implementation

• Deliverables: Implement official onboarding process, create support channels like telegram and discord, monitoring feedback and recommendations.
• Outputs: dReps in place with supporting materials available for effective responsibility.
• Outcomes: Enhance voting system with continuous reforms improvement.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Budget Breakdown (55000 ADA):

Research and Analysis: 7000 ADA

Solution Design and Development: 15000 ADA

Pilot Program Implementation: 10000 ADA

Evaluation and Refinement: 8000 ADA

Full-Scale Implementation: 15000 ADA

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem through several key factors:

*Improved Catalyst Voting Participation: By addressing the challenges outlined in the overview, such as low participation rates and random voting, the project aims to enhance the engagement of dReps and improve Catalyst voter participation

*The project's outcomes, such as increased dRep participation, careful voting, and a well-defined onboarding process, contribute to the long-term sustainability and growth of the Cardano ecosystem

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept