Last updated 5 months ago
Lack of structured, in-depth review of Cardano Governance Actions weakens decision quality and limits informed decision making by dReps, delegators, and the community.
Provide structured, in-depth research on Governance Actions to support transparent, informed, and accountable decision-making in Cardano governance.
This is the total amount allocated to Agora Research Bureau - Voltaire.
Please provide your proposal title
Agora Research Bureau - Voltaire
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
59834
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
12
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Lack of structured, in-depth review of Cardano Governance Actions weakens decision quality and limits informed decision making by dReps, delegators, and the community.
Supporting links
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No relevant dependencies.
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
License and Additional Information
All research documentation aassociated content will be made available in public repositories such as GitHub and Gitbook. Reports, vote rationes and on-chain data will be dispatched under the license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Governance
Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.
I am targeting Cardano dReps, delegators, and active community members seeking informed governance decisions. I will reach them via governance reports, educational threads, and public discussions in key community channels (X, forums, workshops). This matters to Cardano because it strengthens informed voting, decentralization, and accountability in on-chain decision-making, ultimately enhancing ecosystem resilience.
Provide a list of key activities of your project?
Research and analyze on-chain Governance Actions and off-chain governance votes, such as Constitutional Committee elections, Intersect committee selections, and other governance-related ballots; produce structured bilingual reports; maintain a public rationale repository; develop and refine evaluation frameworks; host educational threads and discussions; and engage with dReps, delegators, and community channels to promote informed, decentralized decision-making.
What are your success metrics?
Engagement on voting-related threads
Likes
Shares
Comments
Impressions
Number of PDF report views
Number of delegators of Agora dRep
Total ADA voting power of Agora dRep
≥4% engagement rate (considered strong for profiles under 10,000 followers, indicating above-average interaction in blockchain/governance content)
≥75% of satisfaction survey responses rate reports as good or excellent
Achieve and maintain position in the top 100 dReps by unique wallets during project conclusion
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
The Agora Research Bureau – Voltaire project proposes the creation of a continuous, methodologically robust research and analysis workflow focused on Cardano Governance Actions (GAs), off-chain governance votes, and other decision-making processes over a 12-month period. The goal is to strengthen the quality, depth, and transparency of governance decision-making by producing structured, public research outputs that can be used by dReps, delegators, and the wider Cardano community.
This solution directly addresses the problem of insufficient depth and transparency in governance reviews, while also confronting a critical decentralization challenge: voting power in Cardano governance is highly concentrated among a small number of dReps, many of whom are based in developed countries such as Japan and the United States. While Cardano’s 1 ADA = 1 vote consensus principle is fair in principle, in practice it can lead to imbalances in geographic, economic, and social representation within the decision-making process.
Drawing on the experience of the Manifesto Cardano Brasil initiative — funded in Project Catalyst Fund 10 — we were able to map the community’s governance-related interests and identify core values considered essential by participants, such as decentralization, honesty, transparency, and knowledge. The project also revealed preferred service types, including discussion groups on social media and in-depth governance action reviews. Through this work, we engaged the community in structured debates, identified local priorities, and built trust through consistent educational outreach. This experience now informs our approach as active dReps, allowing us to operate as scouts of governance information and research, bridging the gap between complex governance processes and the wider community.
The project will operate in three main stages:
At project start, a Research Framework Document will be produced, defining:
Criteria for selecting which GAs and off-chain votes to review.
Prioritization methodology to ensure high-impact decisions are analyzed first.
Time allocation standards for research, documentation, and dissemination.
Quality control measures to ensure consistency and reliability.
This stage also includes configuring public repositories (GitHub, Gitbook) and communication channels (Telegram, X) for full transparency.
Over 10 months, the team will conduct in-depth reviews of:
Governance Actions (on-chain proposals under CIP-1694).
Budget Proposals relevant to governance.
Off-chain Votes, such as Constitutional Committee elections, Intersect governance decisions, and budget bundle selections.
Research will be evidence-based, verifying proposers’ track records, delivery history, and technical and financial feasibility.
Each applicable output will include:
Full written review in English.
On-chain rationale text (EN).
Public hosting in GitHub/Gitbook and announcement on social media.
All research outputs will be published openly.
Summarized findings and rationales will be shared on X (Twitter) for accessibility and reach.
Discussion channels will gather community feedback, enabling responsive prioritization.
This project is designed to be adaptive. Budget estimates are based on historical activity from the past 12 months — approx. 64 GAs, ~200 budget proposals, and several dozen off-chain votes. The exact composition of outputs will be adjusted to match real governance demands during execution.
This flexibility ensures:
No resources wasted on low-relevance reviews.
Priority given to governance processes with highest impact.
300 research outputs, delivered in three batches (100 each).
Outputs are interchangeable between GAs, budget proposals, and off-chain votes.
All outputs methodologically consistent, publicly available, and — when applicable — accompanied by on-chain rationale text.
This solution tackles the identified issues in four ways:
Depth of Review – Ensures decisions are informed by thorough, evidence-based research, including background checks, delivery history analysis, and feasibility assessments.
Transparency – All research and rationales are published openly; concise on-chain rationales are backed by detailed public reports.
Representation – Helps counterbalance geographic and cultural concentration in governance participation by widening access to decision-making insights.
Capacity Building – Establishes a repeatable, transparent research methodology that can be adopted by other governance actors, strengthening decentralization.
While the primary goal is to produce research for the global Cardano community, this proposal also includes — in its pilot phase — the translation of on-chain outputs and selected key off-chain outputs into Brazilian Portuguese. This bilingual component strengthens our global reach while maintaining our social and geographic roots. It also serves a strategic governance goal: contributing to a more equitable distribution of voting power by empowering delegators from underrepresented or developing countries to make informed decisions. Many delegators in these regions currently delegate to already influential dReps or default wallet-recommended pools (such as Eternl’s automatic delegation options), which inadvertently perpetuates governance centralization. By providing accessible, high-quality research in both English and Portuguese, we aim to improve decision quality and diversify representation within Cardano’s governance ecosystem.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This project strengthens Cardano’s governance layer by improving the quality, depth, and transparency of decision-making processes. Its impact will be visible across multiple dimensions:
By producing structured, evidence-based research on Governance Actions, Budget Proposals, and off-chain votes, the project provides dReps, delegators, and the wider community with the information needed to make well-informed decisions.
Increases the proportion of votes backed by clear rationale.
Reduces the risk of decisions being made on incomplete or superficial analysis.
The project helps counterbalance the current concentration of voting power among a small number of dReps, many located in developed countries.
Expands access to governance insights for underrepresented communities, including those in developing countries.
Encourages more diverse delegation choices by improving the visibility of independent dReps.
All outputs will be publicly available, written in clear language, and shared across multiple channels (GitHub, Gitbook, X, Telegram).
Increases participation in governance discussions.
Builds trust through consistent, transparent communication of voting rationales.
Pilot bilingual publication (English + PT-BR) extends reach to the Portuguese-speaking community, a group with historically limited access to governance content.
The Research Framework Document will define a repeatable methodology for governance research, including selection criteria, prioritization methods, and quality standards.
Creates a model that other dReps or governance actors can adopt or adapt.
Establishes a public knowledge base for future governance cycles.
By combining methodological rigor, transparent publication, and targeted engagement, this project lays the groundwork for a healthier governance culture in Cardano — one where decisions are more informed, more representative, and more accountable.
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?
The Agora Research Bureau – Voltaire project is led by Rodrigo Pacini, an experienced governance contributor in the Cardano ecosystem with a proven track record of delivering funded proposals and executing complex governance-related tasks.
Successfully executed a funded proposal in Project Catalyst Fund 10, meeting all deliverables and reporting requirements.
Active dRep since early 2025, with over 40 on-chain votes cast and published rationales available on GitHub.
Lead of the Agora initiative, which has already been producing governance research and public rationales on a voluntary basis.
Works as Milestone Reviewer and Moderator in Project Catalyst since Fund 11, overseeing deliverables, assessing Proof of Achievement submissions, and validating project outputs.
Direct involvement in quality assurance processes for governance proposals ensures that the execution plan in this proposal follows Catalyst’s best practices for accountability and transparency.
The Manifesto Cardano Brasil initiative, funded in Fund 10, demonstrated strong community interest in governance research, transparency, and engagement activities, particularly among Portuguese-speaking participants.
Our values and service model — including structured research, transparent publication, and active governance participation — have already been validated by the community and adopted in our ongoing work as a dRep.
This proposal includes a detailed Statement of Milestones with explicit deliverables, acceptance criteria, and evidence requirements for each stage.
The structure mirrors the review standards used in Catalyst milestone validation, ensuring clarity in execution and measurable progress tracking.
The project scope is based on historical governance activity (approx. 64 Governance Actions, ~200 budget proposals, and several dozen off-chain votes in the past year), ensuring realistic workload planning.
Outputs are interchangeable between Governance Action reviews, Budget Proposal reviews, and Off-chain Vote reviews, allowing flexibility to adapt to governance dynamics without compromising output targets.
Public repositories (GitHub, Gitbook) will ensure that all deliverables are verifiable and accessible.
In summary, the combination of Agora’s governance track record, prior funded delivery, Catalyst milestone review expertise, and the validated engagement model from Manifesto Cardano Brasil provides a high level of confidence that this project will be executed successfully, transparently, and on schedule.
Milestone Title
###Project Setup & Research Framework
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
2
Cost
9834
Progress
10 %
Milestone Title
###Research Batch 1
Milestone Outputs
First batch containing 100 research/analysis reports. These reports could be related to Governance Action reviews, Budget Proposal reviews, and Off-chain vote reviews.
Social media management and publication of reports and voting decisions.
Acceptance Criteria
Completion and publication of 100 research reports.
All reports must follow the workflow defined in the Research Framework Document created in Milestone 1.
Reports may consist of any combination of Governance Action reviews, Budget Proposal reviews, and Off-chain vote reviews. The mix will be determined according to community needs and governance process demands during the period.
Each Governance Action report must include:
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
5
Cost
15000
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
###Research Batch 2
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Completion and publication of 100 research reports.
All reports must follow the workflow defined in the Research Framework Document created in Milestone 1.
Reports may consist of any combination of Governance Action reviews, Budget Proposal reviews, and Off-chain vote reviews. The mix will be determined according to community needs and governance process demands during the period.
Each Governance Action report must include:
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
9
Cost
15000
Progress
70 %
Milestone Title
###Research Batch 3 & Project Completion
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
12
Cost
20000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Covers the operational management of the project’s social media channels, including content scheduling, publication, and community interactions related to governance research content. Includes adaptation and translation of posts into PT-BR to ensure accessibility for Portuguese-speaking audiences, as well as the initial setup of communication platforms (Gitbook, Medium, Discord, X).
Provides access to essential online tools and software subscriptions used for project operations, including AI tools for content optimization (Claude), social media management (X), design (Canva), and translation/image generation (DeepL), maintained throughout the 12-month project cycle.
Covers professional translation with AI-assisted translation (EN↔PT) of all Governance Action rationales/reports and selected off-chain vote rationales, ensuring the research outputs are accessible to both the global and Portuguese-speaking Cardano community. Estimates are based on a standard rationale length of 5,000 characters per GA.
Funds core management tasks such as milestone documentation, Proof of Life and Proof of Achievement submissions, and final reporting and close-out video production. These activities ensure transparent delivery tracking, accountability, and alignment with Catalyst’s reporting standards.
The largest budget allocation is dedicated to the creation of the research framework document* and to in-depth research and analysis of Governance Actions, Budget Proposals, and off-chain votes. The projected workload is based on governance activity data from the past year, which included approximately 64 Governance Actions over a period of nearly twelve months, around 200 budget proposals, and several dozen off-chain votes related to governance. These off-chain processes included activities such as Intersect-organized bundle selections for treasury withdrawals, Constitutional Committee elections, and elections for Intersect-related committees. The budget also includes SME consultations for complex or highly technical governance matters, ensuring accuracy, methodological rigor, and expert validation in the research outputs.
*(A document outlining the methodology used to select Governance Actions for analysis, identify and prioritize off-chain votes, and estimate the time required for each activity — including research, documentation, translation, and related tasks.)
Provides a safety buffer to absorb unforeseen expenses, such as unplanned translation needs, higher-than-expected research volumes, or ADA price fluctuations.
💰 Total: $47,866.50 USD / ₳59,833.13
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This proposal offers exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem by combining cost-efficient design, measurable outcomes, and innovative methods—especially through the strategic and responsible use of AI.
Hourly rates for team members and freelancers were established using reliable global benchmarks from platforms such as Upwork, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor.
We deliberately set compensation within or below average market rates for the expertise required, ensuring fair payment while maximizing cost-efficiency.
Time estimations for each task are based on real past experience, minimizing risk of over-budgeting or inflated timelines. Activities are defined with granularity, underscoring transparent and disciplined resource planning.
We incorporate AI-assisted translation (e.g., DeepL API) for on-chain and key off-chain outputs, followed by human post-editing.
Professional human translation typically costs $0.10–$0.15 per word.
Using AI (e.g., DeepL) with human review will reduce the cost to around $0.05 per word — roughly a 50% saving with comparable quality.
We also use AI to accelerate drafting of rationales and cross-verification of information, with all outputs reviewed and refined by our team. This saves dozens of hours of human effort, delivering substantial price-performance gains.
The community acknowledges that dReps should be compensated (as surfaced during Manifesto Cardano Brasil). However, compensation must be justified by quality, consistency, and accountability, not status.
In reality, many votes are cast:
Without a rationale.
With superficial or one-liner justifications.
Without full review of Governance Actions.
Volunteers are more likely to be influenced by lobbying or convenience, especially when complex proposals require significant effort, posing risks to governance integrity.
This project avoids volunteer-compensation paradox by tying funding directly to verifiable deliverables, ensuring each dollar spent maps to transparent, high-quality outputs published publicly.
We will produce 300 structured research outputs over 12 months, each documented and shared openly.
Our Statement of Milestones clearly outlines deliverables, criteria, and evidence for each batch—enabling predictable, verifiable, and responsible budget tracking.
Comparing cost per output with international research or translation labor rates shows our model is highly competitive—especially given the depth, bilingual rigor, and governance focus involved.
The Research Framework we create offers a replicable methodology for transparent governance research—adoptable by future dReps or community groups.
Delegators gain access to rich analysis, improving the quality of decision-making across the voting pool.
The project promotes diversification of representation, giving underrepresented communities tools to participate knowledgeably instead of defaulting to high-power dReps or automated delegation pools.
In summary, this proposal ensures excellent value for money by aligning global-standard compensation, AI-driven efficiency, proven methodology, and public transparency to yield governance outcomes that are informed, decentralized, and sustainable.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
Rodrigo Pacini – Governance Researcher, Project Management
Researcher, active dRep, and project manager with extensive experience in Cardano governance. Active in Project Catalyst since Fund 2 as Veteran Community Advisor, Reviewer Level 2, Moderator, and Funded Proposer (Fund 10). Over 1,000 proposals reviewed, 3,000+ community reviews moderated, and 100+ milestones validated. Author of nine funded Challenge Settings mobilizing ~$3M in treasury funding. Former Cardano Ambassador Moderator.
Founder of AGORA,%5D(https://agora-cardano.carrd.co/)**,) an independent research and advocacy initiative focused on improving governance quality and decentralization in Cardano through frameworks, analysis, and community education.
Project manager of DReps LATAM – Brasil – Exploration & Community Sensing and co-lead of Manifesto Cardano Brasil,%5D(https://manifestocardanobrasil.gitbook.io/manifesto)**,) a funded research project exploring political identity, representation, and governance in the Brazilian Cardano community. Has participated in over 40 on-chain governance votes as a dRep. Background in economics, blockchain, and DeFi research since 2018, with a BTech in Naval Construction.
🔗 Links:
Eduardo Silka - Governance Researcher
Blockchain Researcher focused on governance, public sector applications, and distributed systems. Master’s student in Public Governance and Planning, with research in blockchain governance, exploring how blockchain reshapes transparency, accountability, and decision-making in government. Architect and Urban Planner, with a thesis on blockchain as a technopolitical tool for smart cities. Associate researcher of iCoLab (Collaborative Institute of Blockchain) and former Intersect associate (Cardano).
🔗 Links: