1. World e-Parliament Conference 2016
#eParliament
28-30 June 2016 // Chamber of Deputies of Chile // Valparaiso
Citizen-centered digital tools
Dr Rebecca Rumbul /
Head of Research, mySociety

2. The rise of ‘PMO’ sites
Alternatives to official parliamentary websites
 ‘PMOs’ are alternative sources of
parliamentary information and data
 Majority of sites are built using data
parliaments and governments are making
digitally available
 Aim of such sites is to make parliamentary
information more readily available

3. PMO sites compared
Kenya, South Africa, UK, USA, India
 UK TheyWorkForYou.com
 South Africa PA.org.za
 Kenya http://info.mzalendo.com/
 USA www.govtrack.us

4. What do people want to know?
Citizens are demanding more information!
 Biographical information on individual
politicians, including work experience and
financial interests
 Contact information
 Individual politicians voting history and
policy position
 What is being said during parliamentary
debates

5. Why are PMO sites effective?
Aren’t they just repackaging data that is already out there?
 PMO sites tend to be built by frustrated
citizens/NGOs with digital expertise
 They tend to package data in a way that is
more logical to the user, rather than the
institution
 They are able to package data from
multiple sources
 They add narrative and context to data
 Used widely by infomediaries

6. Q: Do you believe that being able to
see this information enables you to
hold politicians/government to
account?

7. There are digital pitfalls . . .
Elite capture is a significant potential issue
 Users of PMO sites in UK / USA are clearly
more educated, older and more affluent
than the general populations
 Users in Kenya / South Africa are younger,
but still comparatively educated/wealthy
 Usage differs geographically
 The existence of these sites can
fundamentally change parliamentary
behaviour

8. PMO Users: Gender Breakdown

9. PMO Users: Educational Achievement

10. PMO Users: Employment Sector

11. How can we do better?
And how can we do it together?
 Communication and collaboration between
parliaments and PMOs can be mutually
beneficial
 Parliaments and PMOs that work together
can create better tools for citizens
 Awareness of the digital divide and its
potential impact can ensure all
organisations work and innovate together to
eliminate it

12. www.mySociety.org