Transparent Local Government Budget Tracker

[gabin-dongmo]

Introduction

A civic tech platform that visualizes local government budgets and projects to promote transparency and citizen accountability.

Description

In many Sub-Saharan African communities, public budgets and projects are opaque, difficult to understand, or not available at all. Citizens are often unaware of how much money is allocated to their regions or how it's being used. This fosters corruption, mismanagement, and disengagement. There’s a need for an open, accessible tool that demystifies public spending and invites community participation.

This project aims to provide a web and mobile platform that promotes transparency and citizen engagement by publishing local government budgets, projects, tenders, and spending in an easy-to-understand, visual format. Citizens can monitor public infrastructure projects (e.g., schools, roads, boreholes), submit feedback, and report discrepancies. The system aims to fight corruption, empower citizens, and increase accountability at the local level.

Target Users:

• Local citizens and community leaders
• Civil society organizations and NGOs
• Local government officials (transparency champions)
• Journalists and civic technologists

Expected Outcomes:

• Improved transparency in budget planning and execution
• Empowered citizens who can track and report on local development projects
• Reduced corruption through public oversight
• Availability of machine-readable open government financial data

Relevant Technology

Backend: ASP.NET Core / Node.js / Django / Spring Boot

Frontend: Angular / React / Vue

Database: PostgreSQL + PostGIS (for map features)

Mobile support: PWA or Flutter

Visualizations: D3.js or Chart.js

Maps: Leaflet or OpenStreetMap

Open data import/export: JSON, CSV, OpenSpending standard

Optional integrations: SMS, WhatsApp bot

Complexity

• Beginner - This project requires no or little prior knowledge of the technolog(y|ies) specified to contribute to the project
• Intermediate - The user should have some prior knowledge of the technolog(y|ies) to the point where they know how to use it, but not necessarily all the nooks and crannies of the technology
• Advanced - The project requires the user to have a good understanding of all components of the project to contribute

Required time

• Little work - A couple of days
• Medium work - A week or two
• Much work - The project will take more than a couple of weeks and serious planning is required

Categories

• Mobile app
• IoT
• Web app
• Frontend/UI
• AI/ML
• APIs/Backend
• Voice Assistant
• Developer Tooling
• Extension/Plugin/Add-On
• Design/UX
• AR/VR
• Bots
• Security
• Blockchain
• Futuristic Tech/Something Unique

[github-actions]

It's great having you contribute to this project

Welcome to the community 🤓, we will carefully review your project idea and get back to you.

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[monkeyK1n9]

1- where will the data come from ?
2- what guarantee do you have about the credibility of the data ?
3- why do we need a mobile app ?

[gabin-dongmo]

Thank you for the questions.

I think the data can come from official government portals, public procurement APIs (such as PrideSoft API from the ARMP in Cameroon), open budget datasets, and civic organizations. Where such sources are unavailable, data can be manually uploaded by local officials or community groups, or simulated for development and prototyping.

Credibility is supported by using verifiable sources and tracking data provenance (source, date, uploader). Public visibility and citizen feedback further enhance accountability and highlight inconsistencies.

A mobile app or mobile-first web interface is critical in Sub-Saharan Africa, where mobile is the primary internet access point. It supports rural outreach, offline usage, and real-time citizen engagement via feedback and notifications.

Moreover, the platform itself can catalyze transparency by creating demand, enabling citizen-sourced data, and serving as a proof of concept for NGOs or governments. It also builds public awareness and lays the groundwork for future collaboration once data becomes accessible.