Decentralized Voting and Authentication System

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Ben Tairea

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Not Incorporated)

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

6

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

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We will research, prototype, and document a Verifiable Credential-based authentication system for secure, decentralized voting, compatible with Identus tools.

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

Yes

[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.”

Yes, our project has several essential dependencies:

• Mātou (Āhau Platform/TribalDIDs): Will be leading the project and provide a decentralised identifier (DID) system for communities, enabling self-sovereign identity management. The secure voting and authentication system will be built into the Ahau Platform further scaling the diversity and quantity of transactions on Cardano.

• Identus Tools: We rely on the Identus ecosystem for compatibility with Verifiable Credentials and secure voting mechanisms, enabling both online and offline functionality. We are also working with the developers who maintain: Hyperledger Identus who supply the underlying identity infrastructure supporting secure issuance and verification of DIDs and VCs, ensuring compatibility with global standards (e.g., W3C).

• Standards Organisations: Collaboration with organisations developing standards like OpenID4VC is crucial for maintaining compliance and interoperability, supporting user trust and system integrity.

• Whangaroa Papa Hapū (Papa Hapū): A key community partner of Mātou since our Fund 9 TribalDIDs Project and this Fund13 proposal, are moving to the next phase of mandate development with their members which requires secure voting mechanisms to enable their reparations process with the Crown Office in Aotearoa, New Zealand. 

• Community Partnerships: Engaging with community organisations and tribal leaders is vital for gathering insights and ensuring the solution meets the needs of Māori communities, particularly in areas with limited internet access.

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

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

All of our work to date and future use open-source licences. Our project is fundamentally about building free and open commons infrastructure.

[METADATA] Horizons

Infrastructure

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

We perceive the problem as centralised tools holding the definition of a "group," rather than the people themselves. Groups should be able to exist independently of the tools they use, approaching platforms as pre-existing entities. This solves multiple issues:

• Eliminating Logins: Users will no longer need separate logins and passwords for each platform.
• Streamlining Management: Group definitions will be maintained in one place, simplifying onboarding.

To address these challenges, we will research existing standards like OpenID4VC or Verifiable Presentation Requests and implement a prototype, ensuring compatibility with Identus tools.

Our project will engage Indigenous partners in New Zealand who urgently need accessible, self-hosted tools for governance. Starting with Whangaroa Papa Hapū, who are moving to the next phase of mandate development with their members which requires secure voting mechanisms to enable their reparations process with the Crown Office in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Additionally, we will explore collaboration with Loomio, a democratic decision-making software tool that some of our team helped build, and begin conversations with the Catalyst community regarding future voting tools and governance infrastructure for Cardano.

To demonstrate our impact, we will create a demo application where tribal community members can post proposals, and verified users (with VCs issued by tribal administrators) can securely access and vote. This will showcase the potential for Verifiable Credentials in real-world governance scenarios.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

This project will demonstrate the utility of Cardano to enhance democratic processes, fostering greater adoption of the technology by showcasing its effectiveness in secure and decentralised voting and authentication.

Measuring Impact

To evaluate our project's success, we will measure impact through:

• Qualitative feedback from Whangaroa Papa Hapū, their members and other community partners.
• Metrics about usage of the demo application and VC’s issued to vote
• Measure success through follow-up discussions within the Cardano community about using VCs for voting, indicating broader interest and adoption.

Sharing Outputs

We will share our outcomes through:

• Publishing real-world Case Studies and Blog Posts: Regular updates detailing our findings and experiences throughout the project.
• Open-Source Repositories: All documentation, designs, and source code will be publicly available, enabling the Cardano community to explore, replicate, or build upon our work.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

We have a proven track record of delivering Verifiable Credential (VC) solutions, particularly in supporting Indigenous tribes in New Zealand to implement sovereign infrastructure. Our team has successfully deployed working prototypes for VC issuance and presentation within the Āhau Platform. Key strengths include:

• Experienced Team: Proven contributions to open-source and decentralised tools, including decentralised voting (built on Scuttlebutt).
• Community Engagement: We have years of experience building tools with and for Indigenous partners to ensure solutions that are empowering and fit for purpose.
• Transparency: Open communication and regular updates on progress.

Validating Feasibility

To validate our approach, we will:

• Pilot Testing: Gather feedback from community partners, Whangaroa Papa Hapū and its members to refine our solution.
• Expert Collaboration: Consult with experts in decentralised identity for best practices.
• Iterative Development: Adapt our design based on user feedback.
• Stakeholder Input: Leverage our ongoing work with Whangaroa Papa Hapū to ensure alignment with their needs. Apply lessons learned from our experience with this project in Indigenous communities to this new context to scale the diversity and quantity of transactions on Cardano.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Research and Community Engagement

Milestone outputs:

• Conduct research to gather requirements from relevant stakeholders, including community partners, Whangaroa Papa Hapū and its members, regarding their needs for decentralised governance tools, including both VC voting and authentication solutions.
• Research OpenID4VC and Verifiable Presentation Request standards to ensure compatibility and interoperability with existing technologies.
• Analyse and evaluate current tools available for VC voting and authentication, assessing their strengths, weaknesses, and applicability to our project.
• Document findings in a comprehensive report that highlights community needs, potential solutions, and insights into existing tools.

Acceptance criteria:

• Engage with community partners, Whangaroa Papa Hapū and its members and complete structured interviews to gather feedback.
• Conduct a thorough analysis of OpenID4VC and Verifiable Presentation Request standards, summarising key insights and implications for the project.
• Evaluate existing VC voting tools and authentication tools, providing a comparative analysis of each.
• Produce a report capturing the needs of the community with actionable insights, along with findings from the standards and tools research.

Evidence of milestone completion:

• Interview transcripts or meeting notes from engagements with community partners, Whangaroa Papa Hapū and its members.
• Research documentation detailing the analysis of OpenID4VC and Verifiable Presentation Request standards.
• Comparative analysis report of current VC voting and authentication tools, including strengths and weaknesses.
• Completed report summarising research findings, community needs, and insights from standards and tools analysis.

Prototype Development

Milestone outputs:

• Develop a prototype of the Verifiable Credential-based authentication system for secure, decentralised voting.
• Create a user interface for the prototype that facilitates easy interaction for community members.
• Document the design and development process, including user stories and technical specifications.

Acceptance criteria:

• Complete the initial version of the prototype with core functionalities.
• Conduct usability testing with community members to gather feedback on the user interface.
• Provide documentation that clearly outlines the development process and user interactions.

Evidence of milestone completion:

• Screenshots or recordings of the prototype in action.
• Usability testing feedback reports from community members.
• Design documentation and technical specifications.

Pilot Implementation

Milestone outputs:

• Implement the prototype in a real-world pilot scenario within selected Indigenous communities (Confirmed: Whangaroa Papa Hapū).

• Monitor and evaluate the performance of the prototype during the pilot phase, collecting data on user engagement and technical functionality.

• Compile a report on pilot outcomes, including successes and areas for improvement.

Acceptance criteria:

• Successfully deploy the prototype for community use in the pilot scenario.
• Collect user feedback and performance metrics throughout the pilot phase.
• Produce a comprehensive report analysing the pilot implementation and providing recommendations for future development.

Evidence of milestone completion:

• Pilot implementation reports detailing user engagement and feedback.
• Performance metrics and analytics data collected during the pilot.
• Final report summarising pilot outcomes and recommendations.

Final Documentation and Community Training

Milestone outputs:

• Finalise comprehensive documentation for the developed system, including user manuals, technical specifications, and maintenance guidelines.
• Develop and deliver training sessions for community members to ensure effective use of the system.
• Create promotional materials to raise awareness about the decentralised voting and authentication system within the broader community.

Acceptance criteria:

• Complete all documentation with clear instructions and resources for users and developers.
• Conduct training sessions with community members, receiving feedback on their effectiveness.
• Distribute promotional materials and gather community interest and engagement data.

Evidence of milestone completion:

• Copies of finalised documentation materials.
• Training session materials and attendance records.
• Feedback from community members on the training effectiveness and promotional outreach.

Documentation and Community Training

Milestone outputs:

• Finalise comprehensive documentation for the developed system, including user manuals, technical specifications, and maintenance guidelines.
• Develop and deliver training sessions for community members to ensure effective use of the system.
• Create promotional materials to raise awareness about the decentralised voting and authentication system within the broader community.

Acceptance criteria:

• Complete all documentation with clear instructions and resources for users and developers.
• Conduct training sessions with community members, receiving feedback on their effectiveness.
• Distribute promotional materials and gather community interest and engagement data.

Evidence of milestone completion:

• Copies of finalised documentation materials.
• Training session materials and attendance records.
• Feedback from community members on the training effectiveness and promotional outreach.

Project Close-out Report and Video

Milestone Outputs:

• Comprehensive project close-out report detailing outcomes, lessons learned, and future recommendations; promotional video showcasing the project impact.

Acceptance Criteria: 

• Completion of the report and video; positive feedback from stakeholders and users on the documentation and video content.

Evidence of Completion:

• Submission of the project report and video; presentation of findings to stakeholders.

Key Challenges: Ensuring thorough documentation of all project phases; coordinating the creation of the promotional video.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

For the past five years our team has successfully built and delivered community designed technologies. Below are our team members that are leading this project:

Ben Tairea

As Product Owner of the project solution, Ben will play a pivotal role in driving the development and success of the project. Ben will be responsible for ensuring the product meets the needs of both the development team and the diverse communities it aims to serve.

Professional Experience:

• Proven experience as the Product Owner with Ahau since 2017
• Strong familiarity with AtalaPrism and Cardano as the core contributor to the ssb-atalaprism module
• Strong understanding of decentralised identity concepts, verifiable credentials, and related technologies, serving as chair of Digital Identity NZ 2019-23 and Member of the Identity Product Advisory Group for New Zealand Government (current)
• Clear understanding of user base and product vision as Earth Defenders Toolkit Community Steward since 2022

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and communicate a clear product vision aligned with the goals of the project.
• Curate and manage the product backlog, ensuring it reflects project priorities.
• Champion user-centric design principles, working closely with UI/UX designers to implement feedback and improve usability.
• Collaborate with QA teams to establish and maintain quality standards, participating in testing processes.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, defining tasks, timelines, and dependencies.
• Track project timelines, identifying and addressing potential delays, and ensuring the timely delivery of milestones.
• Facilitate clear communication between project stakeholders, ensuring everyone is informed about project progress and changes.
• Work closely with the project's financial team to manage and monitor the budget, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently.

Engie Matene:

Is our community liaison for the project leading our co-development approach between the product development team and the communities we aim to serve. Engie will be responsible for developing an engaged communities user base, fostering collaboration, addressing concerns, and ensuring a positive and inclusive experience.

Personal experience:

• Strong understanding of community registrations as lead research and community engagement for TribalDID's = Indigenous sovereignty project.
• Secretary for Te Riingi Marae (Marae Trustee)
• Delivery Experience Developer for Trade Me & Flick Electric
• Strong technical understanding and community product development working as a community software developer since 2017
• Founder of He Tāngata Tech - Community Tech Support for rural, remote and indigenous communities of Te Tai Tokerau, Aotearoa, NZ

Key Responsibilities:

• Actively engage with potential user communities to build strong relationships.
• Gather and synthesise user feedback, ensuring the community's voice is heard and considered in project development.
• Address community concerns, inquiries, and issues promptly, working closely with the development team to find resolutions.
• Act as the bridge between development teams, community stakeholders, and other relevant parties.
• Be an advocate for the community within the development team, ensuring their needs and perspectives are considered in decision-making processes.

Mix Irving:

As the senior developer for the project, Mix is a key player in the design, development, and implementation of our decentralised identity solution on the Cardano blockchain. His expertise will drive technical excellence, innovation, and the successful delivery of a robust and scalable open-source product.

Personal Experience:

• Core developer for Loomio governance tool
• Key contributor to Dark Crystal v1
• Core developer and community organiser of Scuttlebutt
• Lead developer for Āhau
• Founder of commons.garden
• a new project working to build a stronger p2p commons, sharing learning, fostering collaborations

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership within the development team, guiding the implementation of decentralised identity solutions.
• Lead blockchain development efforts, particularly on the Cardano and AtalaPrism platform, ensuring secure and efficient integration
• Enforce coding standards and best practices to maintain high-quality, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Implement robust security measures, including encryption and secure key management, to ensure the integrity of the decentralised identity system.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Development Team (60% - ₳90,000):

• Salaries and compensation for developers, and technical team members.
• Software development tools and licences.

Feature design (10% - ₳15,000):

• Compensation for solution architecture services, development team and stakeholder input costs

Project management (7% - ₳10,500):

• Compensation for project management resource responsible for reporting and communications

Documentation (5% - ₳7,500)

• Technical writers for creating comprehensive documentation.

Community engagement (15% - ₳22,500)

• Facilitation for stakeholder feedback, user testing and onboarding event

Contingency (3% - ₳4,500):

• A reserve fund for unexpected expenses or scope changes.

The budget will be regularly revisited throughout the duration of the project with shared responsibility between the project leads to ensure that funds are allocated optimally and to accommodate any emerging needs or changes in scope. Additionally, maintaining a detailed and transparent record of expenditures will aid in effective budget management throughout the project lifecycle.

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

This project is evolving the Tribal DIDs work we completed in Fund9 and will demonstrate the utility of Cardano to enhance democratic processes, fostering greater adoption of the technology by showcasing its effectiveness in secure and decentralised voting and authentication. It will surface critical learnings, identify limitations, and uncover adaptations needed for wider implementation. 

Further, by developing open-source tools, we aim to replicate this solution across multiple communities in New Zealand and internationally, making it a scalable model. The costs reflect the level of expertise required to build this foundational phase, ensuring value for money as it lays the groundwork for broader adoption of VCs in real-world applications.