Digital Parliaments Project

Supporting legislative modernization for the 21st century and beyond

About the Project

The Digital Parliaments Project (DPP) is an initiative of POPVOX Foundation that aims to support legislatures around the world as they modernize to remain strong and resilient into and beyond the 21st century. We work with parliaments, civil society, and technologists to build open, secure, and interoperable systems that enhance transparency, legislative efficiency, continuity, and public trust.

POPVOX Foundation works to "help democratic institutions keep pace with a rapidly changing world." Strong legislatures are key to that mission. However, many parliaments around the world are constrained by outdated technology, paper-based systems, siloed information, and a lack of resources to support technological expertise and skill development.

Our Mission

POPVOX Foundation’s Digital Parliaments Project exists to:

Digitize and preserve legislative records

Moving parliaments from paper-based systems to interactive and interoperable structured digital archives

Empower parliaments with data infrastructure and tools

Providing the technical foundation for modern legislative operations that may continually empower parliaments to retain independence and continuity

Support regional collaboration and open standards

Enabling parliaments to share knowledge and build interoperable systems where deemed appropriate

Build sustainable, local capacity

Training parliamentary staff to manage and maintain systems over the long term

Bridge the gap between civic tech and public institutions

Connecting technology innovation with democratic governance needs

Our Philosophy

The Digital Parliaments Project is founded on the belief that digital transformation describes a journey of innovation, modernization and renewal that leverages technology to ensure that people are at the heart of democratic institutions. We work to bridge the gap between civic technology and public institutions, creating sustainable and easily implementable solutions built with parliaments, not just for them.

Our philosophy centers on several core principles:

Democratic Resilience

A modern legislature is a resilient and adaptable one—able to respond to crises, misinformation, emerging technologies, and the evolving expectations of their constituents. The continual adoption of customized digital tools strengthens democracy by making legislative processes more efficient, transparent, and accessible to citizens.

Data First Approach

We work to help parliaments transition from a reliance on paper-based records to a system built on structured data, enabling searchable laws, bills, hansards, and legislative records. Structured, accessible data bolsters the legitimacy of global democracies while building public trust and supporting civic participation. In addition, it creates a foundation for local developers, journalists, and researchers to continually build civic tools and insights.

Collaborative Partnership

We focus on practical, sustainable digital transformation—built with parliaments, not just for them. Each parliament starts from a different place, moves forward at its own pace, and travels as far as it feels able. Our philosophy emphasizes learning from shared experiences across the global parliamentary community and supporting each parliament in its unique approach to modernization.

Accessible Innovation

We believe all countries should be able to access the tools of digital governance transformation. We prioritize solutions that make users' experiences seamless while building local capacity to ensure long-term sustainability.

Regional Collaboration

We start with pilot parliaments and scale through shared standards, cooperation, and collaboration, enabling legislatures to learn from each other and build upon collective knowledge.

Governance Structure

Strategic Leadership

The Digital Parliaments Project operates under a transparent governance framework that ensures accountability, effectiveness, and democratic oversight:

With our partner countries, we communicate at the Executive Level

  • Strong leadership and good planning, clear communication, and productive stakeholder engagement and partnerships form the foundation of our governance

  • Secretary General-level leadership provides strategic direction and owns the vision for digital transformation

With those welcomed into the DPP Working Groups

Our governance model includes specialized working groups that bring together:

  • Senior parliamentary staff and administrators

  • ICT specialists and digital transformation experts

  • Members of parliament and political representatives

  • External partners and subject-matter experts

Innovation & Future Vision

Emerging Technologies

The project actively explores cutting-edge technologies including:

  • AI and machine learning for legislative analysis, automated transcription, and natural language processing

  • Cloud computing for scalable and flexible infrastructure

  • Distributed storage solutions for secure, resilient legislative record keeping

  • Voice technology and accessibility features for inclusive parliamentary participation

  • API development for interoperable data sharing and civic application development

Open Standards and Interoperability

Our approach emphasizes:

  • Development of shared metadata standards across parliamentary systems

  • Open-source tools that can be adapted for different legislative contexts

  • API-first architecture enabling data sharing and third-party innovation

  • Collaborative development reducing duplication of effort and costs

Sustainable Scaling

We maintain focus on:

  • Replicable models that can adapt to different regional and institutional contexts

  • Local capacity building ensuring long-term system maintenance and development

  • Regional cooperation networks that support peer-to-peer learning

  • Integration with existing international parliamentary support frameworks

Governance Principles

Transparency and Accountability

  • All initiatives follow clear reporting structures and measurable outcomes, often outlined and agreed upon as part of an MOU

  • Regular assessment and evaluation processes ensure continuous progress

  • Open communication channels with clear points of contacts (POCs) maintain stakeholder engagement

Risk Management

  • Cybersecurity frameworks protect democratic institutions

  • Data protection policies safeguard citizen information

  • Business continuity planning ensures uninterrupted parliamentary functions

Standards and Compliance

  • Adherence to international best practices and democratic norms

  • Compliance with relevant legal frameworks and regulations

  • Integration with broader government digital strategies and initiatives where appropriate

Partnership Framework

POPVOX Foundation

As the lead organization, POPVOX Foundation provides strategic direction, technical expertise, and project management for digital parliamentary transformation initiatives worldwide.

Key Partners

ParlAmericas

The premier forum for parliamentary diplomacy in the Americas, ParlAmericas brings regional expertise and political leadership to the project.

Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world, providing global coordination and knowledge sharing.

Westminster Foundation on Democracy

Contributing democratic governance expertise and institutional development support for parliamentary strengthening.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

Providing access to the Commonwealth parliamentary network and specialized knowledge of parliamentary systems across member countries.

Mozilla Common Voice

Contributing voice technology and AI expertise to support advanced legislative tools and accessibility features.

Filecoin Foundation for the Distributed Web (FFDW)

Providing decentralized storage solutions and distributed web technologies for secure, resilient legislative record keeping.

House Democracy Partnership (HDP)

Operating in collaboration to provide U.S. Congressional expertise and support for international parliamentary development.

POPVOX.com

Providing technical expertise and services, particularly in the creation of custom-built digital tools to support the needs of democratic institutions around the globe.

Advisory Board

EM Lewis-Jong, Mozilla Common Voice

Bringing expertise in voice technology and inclusive AI development

Galen Hines-Pierce, Recoding America Fund

Contributing public sector technology transformation experience

Bettina Warburg

Providing strategic guidance on emerging technologies and digital transformation

Featured Initiative: Caribbean Digital Parliaments

In response to a request from regional Members of Parliament, POPVOX Foundation launched a three-year initiative to digitize legislative records, develop shared data infrastructure, and support regional capacity across the Caribbean.

Phase 1 Implementation Countries

Jamaica - Parliament of Jamaica

Saint Lucia - Parliament of Saint Lucia

Belize - National Assembly of Belize

Grenada - Parliament of Grenada

Dominica - Commonwealth of Dominica House of Assembly

Bahamas - Commonwealth of The Bahamas Parliament

A Scalable Model

Small island developing states across the Caribbean face unique but shared challenges including climate vulnerability and resource constraints. By establishing a foundation of shared legislative data standards and fostering collaborative development of modern digital parliamentary tools, institutions can experience reduced costs and improved continuity while enabling knowledge transfer between parliaments with similar challenges and governance structures. Additionally, by creating a culture of open data standards and practices, local developers, journalists, and researchers may be empowered to build civic tools that serve regional needs and foster democratic participation for decades to come.

Success in the Caribbean creates a replicable model that can be adapted for other regional groupings and small state networks globally.

Innovation Roadmap

Our Core Focus Areas Across the Caribbean

  • Mapping and optimizing parliamentary workflows

  • Digitizing legislative processes and procedures to support open data initiatives

  • Improving efficiency and effectiveness of democratic functions

  • Developing enterprise-wide technology roadmaps and data governance frameworks

  • Implementing cloud-based solutions and modern legislative data platforms that support interoperability and system integration

  • Creating a foundation for leveraging data analytics to support evidence-based decision making

  • Developing digital platforms for public participation

  • Enhancing transparency through improved information sharing

  • Offering training and skill development opportunities for parliamentarians and staff

  • Change management support for institutional transformation

Get Involved

Are you a member of parliament, funder, technologist, or civil society partner interested in joining us to build the future of democratic infrastructure? Contact us to explore possible collaborations!

Commitment to Excellence

The Digital Parliaments Project represents POPVOX Foundation’s commitment to building modern, digital institutions ready for the future while maintaining the fundamental principles of democratic governance. Through collaborative partnership, innovative thinking, and principled leadership, we are committed to ensuring that digital transformation serves to strengthen rather than diminish democratic institutions and processes.

The Digital Parliaments Project stands as a testament to the power of international cooperation in advancing democratic innovation, bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise to create solutions that serve parliaments and citizens worldwide.

Additional Resources

  • Public Witness Testimony on Strengthen Congressional Capacity and Constituent Service

    POPVOX Foundation submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch for FY26 requesting the subcommittee's consideration of three initiatives to improve Congressional capacity.

    Read

  • What is Congressional Proxy Voting and Why is it Important Now?

    To make Congress more family-friendly and reflective of a modern workforce, allowing for a limited proxy voting option would ensure all Members could fully participate in the legislative process.

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  • POPVOX Foundation Creates Children’s Book for New Members with Kids

    To support Congressional families as they approach this big life change together, POPVOX Foundation created “Welcome to Washington,” a children’s book designed to enhance their experience in Washington, DC.

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