Please describe your proposed solution

Overview:

The Catalyst Africa website serves as a hub for the African Cardano community, helping to foster innovation and collaboration across the continent. As Delegated Representatives (DReps) become central to the governance of Cardano through Catalyst, it is crucial that their roles, credentials, and activities are transparently displayed to the community.

This proposal seeks to integrate a dedicated feature for DReps on the Catalyst Africa website, allowing for the display of verified credentials, voting history, and governance activities. By doing so, we enhance transparency, build trust, and foster deeper engagement between DReps and the wider Cardano Africa community. The feature will also provide an easy way for community members to evaluate and select DReps based on their credentials and governance track record.

FOCUS AREA

The success of Catalyst governance depends on the trust between DReps and the community. As more community members delegate their voting power, they need clear, accessible, and reliable information about the DReps who represent them. By integrating this feature, the Catalyst Africa website will become a critical tool for improving governance transparency, building trust in the DRep role, and empowering the African Cardano community.

This feature will provide a secure, accessible, and decentralized way for the African Cardano community to engage with the governance process, helping to strengthen Catalyst’s mission across the continent. This proposal aims to create a DRep-specific feature for the Catalyst Africa website, ensuring that credentials are verified and publicly visible. It enhances transparency and gives the African community the tools they need to engage more effectively in Catalyst governance by helping identify DReps with good credentials. This process seeks to streamline the DRep selection process particularly in Africa.

This proposal aims to design and implement a DRep feature on the Catalyst Africa website that will include the following core functionalities:

DRep Profiles with Verified Credentials:

Create dedicated profiles for each DRep, displaying verified credentials such as educational background, work experience, and relevant blockchain governance experience.*Credentials will be stored and verified on the Cardano blockchain, ensuring transparency and trustworthiness.

*Voting History and Participation (future)

Each DRep profile will include a voting history section that showcases past votes on Catalyst proposals. Community members will be able to view how DReps voted on various proposals, providing insight into their decision-making process. The system will also show the participation rate of DReps, ensuring community members can see how active and engaged they are.

Governance Activities and Contributions:

DRep profiles will highlight other governance-related activities, such as participation in community discussions, proposal reviews, and contributions to governance frameworks. A reputation score based on their contributions and community feedback will be displayed to help community members evaluate DReps.

Delegation System

The feature will integrate with Catalyst’s voting infrastructure to allow easy delegation of voting power. Community members will be able to browse DReps by credentials, voting history, and other key metrics and delegate their voting rights directly through the website.

*Blockchain-Verified Credentials

All credentials submitted by DReps will be stored and verified on the Cardano blockchain, ensuring immutability, security, and transparency. This helps to eliminate fraudulent claims and builds trust in the governance process.

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY

The "Integrating DRep Credentials and Governance Features into the Catalyst Africa Website" project offers several significant benefits to the Cardano community:

1. Enhanced Transparency and Trust in Governance

By providing verified credentials, voting history, and governance activities of Delegated Representatives (DReps), the project promotes greater transparency. This allows Cardano community members to make informed decisions when delegating their voting power, strengthening trust in the governance process of Project Catalyst.

2. Increased Participation and Engagement

The platform lowers the barriers for community members to engage in governance by making it easier to identify and delegate voting power to trustworthy DReps. By fostering more informed participation, it boosts overall engagement in the governance of Project Catalyst, especially among African community members who may have felt disconnected from the process.

3. Improved DRep Accountability

The project helps hold DReps accountable by making their credentials, voting history, and governance activities publicly visible. This ensures that DReps remain transparent and responsible to the community they represent, ultimately leading to more reliable decision-making and governance outcomes.

4. Strengthening Decentralization

The platform supports Cardano’s mission of decentralization by enabling more informed delegation of governance rights. As more community members can participate meaningfully in governance by selecting qualified DReps, it further decentralizes decision-making power and strengthens the Cardano ecosystem.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The Catalyst African Town Hall has an established and long-standing track record of transparency, expertise, capacity, and deep community engagement. Our reputation for upholding high standards of accountability is a testament to our ability to deliver projects with unwavering trust and professionalism.

Proven Transparency and Trustworthiness

Our team’s commitment to transparency has been demonstrated repeatedly through clear governance structures, open decision-making processes, and rigorous financial management. This transparency ensures that community members can trust our work, as we consistently deliver results that align with their expectations and needs.

Specialized Expertise

Our team brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in blockchain technology, particularly within the Cardano ecosystem. With our specialized expertise, we are well-equipped to navigate the unique challenges of promoting Cardano in Africa, ensuring that the project is driven by informed decisions and strategic action.

Strong Capacity to Deliver

Our ability to execute large-scale community initiatives is proven by our extensive experience in organizing successful events and projects. Our capacity to deliver impactful outcomes is rooted in meticulous planning, project management, and collaboration with key stakeholders in the African blockchain community.

Deep Community Engagement

We prioritize active and ongoing engagement with the Cardano community, ensuring that our initiatives are aligned with the needs and priorities of the people we serve. Through regular feedback loops, open communication, and inclusive collaboration, we foster trust and create a project that truly reflects the community’s aspirations.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Milestone 1: Design and Development of DRep Profiles (Weeks 1-6)

OUTCOME

• Collaborate with DReps and governance experts to finalize the design of DRep profiles.
• Draft a comprehensive list of verifiable credentials and data points for DReps.
• Develop the technical framework for DRep profiles, integrating with the Cardano blockchain for credential verification.

ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME

• Completed design mockups for DRep profiles.
• A database schema for storing DRep credentials and governance activities.
• Implementation of blockchain verification for credentials.

Milestone 2: Beta Testing and Refinement (Weeks 7-8)

• Conduct beta testing with a select group of DReps and community members to gather feedback on the usability and functionality of the DRep feature.

• Refine the DRep profiles based on feedback, ensuring the interface is user-friendly and effective.

ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME

• A report summarizing beta testing feedback and identified areas for improvement.
• Updated DRep profiles incorporating feedback adjustments.

Milestone 3: Official Launch and Community Engagement Campaign (Weeks 9-10)

• Launch the DRep feature on the Catalyst Africa website, making it accessible to the entire community.
• Implement a community awareness campaign to educate users on how to navigate the DRep feature and delegate their voting power effectively.

ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME

• Live DRep feature on the Catalyst Africa website.
• Community engagement materials, including tutorials, webinars, and social media outreach.

Final Milestone: CLOSE OUT REPORT

CLOSE OUT VIDEO

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Daniel is currently the President of FinTech and Blockchain Society at the University of Aberdeen and also Cardano Ambassador. He was a Host for the Cardano Summit 2022. He is currently acting as the Community Manager and Regional Integration for the Catalyst Africa Town Hall.

He is the Co-host at the Catalyst Africa School. Projects Manager for Cardano Peer Education (A Catalyst funded project to educate students about blockchain and how to guide students and bring their innovative ideas to be funded on Idea-scale.

He was a Community Advisor in Catalyst fund 7 and Catalyst Challenge Team Lead for ‘Scale-UP Cardano’s Community Hubs’ challenge settings for fund 8. Daniel envisioned using Blockchain Technology to bridge the gap between human capabilities and machine learning (AI & IoT) in developing countries.

Role: Programmes Manager

Telegram: :@ddlezu

Twitter: <span class="mention" data-denotation-char="" data-id="134019" data-index="0" data-value="<member id='28552' communityId='163'>ddlezu01</member>"><span contenteditable="false"><span class="ql-mention-denotation-char"></span><member communityid="163" id="28552">ddlezu01</member></span></span>

Innocent Norvinu

He is a cryptocurrency enthusiast with a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Professional Studies in Ghana. He is the Cofounder of gateway to blockchain. A former marketing specialist at Tech markets solutions. His over 7 years of experience within the finance industry as a risk and compliance officer has been key in ensuring that Unique Step Microfinance survive financial sanctions emanating from lack of regulatory compliance and also helping banks and micro-finance institutions survive various financial clean-up exercise in Ghana. He is a fund 7, 8 and 9 community Advisor, a voter and a proponent with two community funded and executed project. He was also a fund 10 challenge team member.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/innocent-norvinu-a096931a9

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

ROADMAP

Phase 1: Design and Planning (Weeks 1-2)

Collaborate with Researchers, DReps and Catalyst governance experts to design the DRep profile and credential system.

Draft a list of verifiable credentials and data points to be included in the profiles.

Budget allocation :Total for Phase 1: ₳7,00

Phase 2: Development (Weeks 3-6)

Begin technical development of the DRep profile system, including integration with the Cardano blockchain for credential verification.

Implement a front-end interface that allows users to browse DRep profiles, view voting history, and delegate voting power.

Budget allocation: Total for Phase 2: ₳50,000

Phase 3: Testing and Feedback (Weeks 7-8)

Conduct beta testing with a small group of DReps and community members to gather feedback and refine the system.

Test the credential verification process on the Cardano blockchain to ensure accuracy and security.

Budget allocation: Total for Phase 3: ₳10,000

Phase 4: Launch and Community Engagement (Week 9-10)

Officially launch the DRep feature on the Catalyst Africa website.

Run a community awareness campaign to educate users about how to use the DRep feature and delegate voting power.

Budget allocation: Total for Phase 4: ₳5,000

Estimated Budget Breakdown

Phase 1: Design and Planning (Weeks 1-2)

• Collaboration with DReps and Catalyst experts: ₳5,000
• Drafting verifiable credentials and data points: ₳2,000

Phase 2: Development (Weeks 3-6)

• Technical development of DRep profile system: ₳25,000
• Blockchain integration for credential verification: ₳15,000
• Front-end interface design for browsing profiles and delegation: ₳10,000

Phase 3: Testing and Feedback (Weeks 7-8)

• Beta testing with community members and DReps: ₳5,000
• Feedback adjustments and refinements: ₳5,000
• Total for Phase 3: ₳10,000

Phase 4: Launch and Community Engagement (Week 9-10)

• Community awareness campaign and educational outreach: ₳7,000

Contingency (10% of total):

• For any unforeseen expenses or adjustments: ₳6,500

Grand Total Estimate:

• ₳80,500

No dependency

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Value Proposition:

The value proposition of the project is rooted in its ability to significantly enhance trust, transparency, and participation in Cardano’s governance processes, particularly through Project Catalyst. The platform offers a solution that addresses key challenges in decentralized governance by providing community members with verifiable, transparent information on Delegated Representatives (DReps), fostering a more informed and engaged community.

Improved Governance Transparency: The project provides a clear view into the qualifications, voting history, and activities of DReps. This transparency enables community members to make informed decisions about whom to delegate their voting power to. This would improve trust in the governance system.

Increased Participation and Inclusivity: By making the process of selecting DReps more accessible and transparent, the project empowers more users, especially those in African communities, to actively engage in Cardano’s decentralized governance. This helps foster a more inclusive ecosystem where diverse voices are represented.

Strengthened Ecosystem Governance: With better tools for selecting DReps, Cardano’s governance will become more decentralized and accountable, ensuring that decisions made within Project Catalyst reflect the informed preferences of a broader community

Empowering the African Cardano Community: By focusing on the African context, the project fills a significant gap in governance participation. It drives African innovation and leadership within the Cardano ecosystem, contributing to the platform’s global growth.