Ten Years of the Hellenic OCR Team: Modernization Through Collaboration
What began as an effort to make parliamentary data accessible has grown into an international network, offering lessons on how institutions can learn from one another
BY BEATRIZ REY
I recently visited Athens for the Athens Democracy Forum, and while I was there, I had the opportunity to tour the Hellenic Parliament with Fotis Fitsilis, the founder of the Hellenic OCR Team. As we strolled through the parliament’s corridors, he shared the team’s origin story and how it evolved beyond his initial vision. This year marks a special milestone: ten years of the Hellenic OCR Team.
In the video below, Fotis recounts this journey. It started with just a small group of people addressing a simple issue and has expanded into a network that now includes over 80 individuals and organizations across approximately 20 countries.
What the video doesn’t capture is the initial challenge the team faced, which seems quite basic by today’s AI standards: accessing parliamentary data. Although these records were supposed to be public, they were in formats that were practically unusable. The team took it upon themselves to gather, verify, and publish this data in a structured and accessible way. Their efforts predated the widespread push for parliamentary digitalization and open data, and in many respects, they anticipated that movement.
During our discussion, I learned about how the network expanded. Eventually, various institutions, including research centers, universities, NGOs, businesses, and even parliaments themselves, began to reach out. Instead of keeping the group exclusive, the team decided to welcome these new partners. In return, they gained what Fotis describes as “hidden knowledge” – the invaluable insights from those who work within parliaments, along with the opportunity to conduct research in contexts beyond their own. “This is beyond useful,” he remarked. “This is gold.”
The frameworks Fotis refers to in the video emerged from this collaborative effort. The AI guidelines for parliaments and the recent cybersecurity framework weren’t created with just one institution in mind. They compile existing knowledge, address gaps, and present them in a way that any parliament can adapt to their needs.
I asked Fotis how a legislator or staff member interested in modernization could benefit from the network. According to him, the network focuses on creating shared resources: standards, frameworks, and open solutions that any institution can utilize. Additionally, it provides training and technology assessments for parliaments seeking more specific assistance. However, the critical final step always relies on the people within each parliament. They possess the unique understanding of their own institution’s complexities, which is essential for making these tools effective.
Perhaps the most important achievement of the Hellenic OCR Team is not just any particular framework or technological solution, but the network itself. After ten years, it offers a compelling example of how legislative modernization can emerge from collaboration rather than being imposed from above.
Happy anniversary to the Hellenic OCR Team!
Modern Parliament (“ModParl”) is a newsletter from POPVOX Foundation that provides insights into the evolution of legislative institutions worldwide. Learn more and subscribe at modparl.substack.com.
