Citizen Assembly Digital Platform – Net Zero Sarajevo

Project Overview

The Citizen Assembly Digital Platform is a comprehensive digital solution designed to support the Sarajevo Functional Urban Area's (FUA) Net Zero Mission 2030. It enables transparent, data-driven, and inclusive citizen participation in climate neutrality planning.

Developed by SquareX ApS, the platform digitalizes the entire Citizen Assembly (CA) process — from citizen registration and eligibility screening to selection, event management, and feedback collection. This approach ensures that civic deliberations are efficient, fair, and representative, in line with the principles of deliberative democracy.

The platform directly supports the EU Mission "100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030", facilitating Sarajevo's transition toward climate neutrality by enabling data-supported decision-making and active citizen engagement.

Client: European Union (EU)
Beneficiary: Sarajevo Functional Urban Area (FUA)
Implementation Partner: NTU International
Developer: SquareX ApS
Mission: Net Zero Sarajevo 2030
EU Initiative: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030

Users

The platform is designed for multiple user groups:

• City Administrations and Policymakers: Manage the Citizen Assembly process, analyze engagement data, and integrate public input into Net Zero policy planning
• Citizen Assembly Participants: Register, receive invitations, participate in events, and contribute feedback through an intuitive mobile and web interface
• Researchers and Facilitators: Access structured, anonymized data for evaluation, transparency, and impact analysis

Digital Solution Overview

1. Registration and Survey

Citizens register through a secure portal or mobile app. Surveyors can conduct outreach through integrated tools.

Key functions:

• Digital registration and identity verification
• Survey-based profiling
• Address and eligibility validation
• Automated feasibility checks

2. Selection Algorithms

The platform applies Fair and Transparent Algorithms (FASCA), validated by Nature and used globally in over 60 Citizen Assemblies. It integrates several sampling methodologies:

• Quota Sampling
• Weighted Lottery
• Systematic and Multi-stage Sampling
• Deliberative Polling
• Proportional Representation Algorithms

These methods ensure demographic balance, fair representation, and statistical validity in participant selection.

3. Event Management

A central module for planning and managing all assembly-related activities:

• Integrated calendar and digital invites
• Push notifications and attendance tracking
• Interactive agendas and session materials
• Support for hybrid and in-person events

4. Knowledge and Feedback

A real-time engagement hub that fosters learning and participation:

• Knowledge repository and resource library
• Polls, digital notes, and surveys
• Q&A sessions and post-event feedback forms
• Analytics dashboard for insight generation

Key Advantages

• Transparency & Fairness: Algorithmic selection ensures unbiased representation
• Efficiency: Fully digital workflow reduces administrative effort and manual processing
• Inclusivity: Enables participation from diverse citizen groups, including underrepresented communities
• Scalability: Can be customized for other cities or policy topics
• Data-driven Decision-Making: Collects structured data to inform policy, monitor engagement, and evaluate outcomes

Impact

The Citizen Assembly Digital Platform sets a new standard for participatory governance in Southeast Europe. It combines cutting-edge digital technologies with democratic innovation, empowering citizens to actively shape Sarajevo's green transition toward a climate-neutral future by 2030.

Key Outcomes

• Enables transparent and fair citizen participation in climate policy development
• Supports EU Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030
• Provides data-driven insights for policymakers and researchers
• Facilitates inclusive participation from diverse demographic groups
• Creates replicable model for participatory governance in other cities
• Strengthens democratic engagement in climate action planning

Potential Improvements

• Integration with existing e-Government systems for seamless data exchange
• AI-powered sentiment and opinion analysis from citizen feedback
• Enhanced mobile accessibility and multilingual interfaces to increase participation
• Open data API for researchers and civic organizations to analyze engagement trends