The project aims to develop a web application that serves as a digital repository of the deliberations of Barcelos City Council. It will facilitate public access to municipal information in an organised and searchable manner, using an artificial intelligence service capable of processing documents directly.
Incorporated into SETE JORNAL but hosted on an autonomous platform, Portulano Digital will continuously publish information that is not otherwise made available to the public but supports decisions made by the Municipality of Barcelos, which manages an annual budget of €150 million. This documentation is generated during each fortnightly council meeting and consists of hundreds of pages essential for citizens to assess the transparency, accuracy, and legality of municipal decisions.
In Barcelos, Portulano Digital is positioned to become the most powerful tool for scrutinising municipal activity. Once implemented, it will provide documentation from over 200 executive meetings, equivalent to 7,500 deliberations. Each calendar year, the repository is expected to be expanded with information on approximately 1,000 additional deliberations.
Once operational, Portulano Digital will be updated promptly and continuously, ensuring that citizens have timely access to council decisions. It is anticipated that the project will later be extended to the neighbouring municipality of Viana do Castelo, thereby expanding its reach and impact across local communities.
SETE JORNAL is a regional digital media outlet operating in the Cávado and Lima river basins in northern Portugal, with a focus on investigative journalism. It is majority-owned by a journalist and has been in operation since 28 December 2023. Access to its content is subscription-based and, together with donations from individuals and businesses, constitutes the publication’s primary source of funding.
Goals (Expected) of the Project
Due to its exclusive nature and its relevance to the wider community, Portulano Digital is uniquely positioned to become a vital instrument for the oversight and control of municipal public management. This oversight is particularly significant because, through access to information, reports, files, opinions, and other resolutions, civil society can gain systematic, robust, and up-to-date knowledge essential for the strengthening of democracy.
A significant impact is anticipated following the project’s implementation, given the volume, diversity, and scope of the information to be made available. It is also expected that Portulano Digital will become a valuable tool for other media outlets, including those located geographically further afield, which may wish to scrutinise the municipality’s activities—thereby contributing to the dissemination of accurate and pluralistic information.
As disadvantaged groups are often the most marginalised due to their economic and social status, it is important to note that this project will serve as a channel for accessing information of public interest that would otherwise be available only to a limited number of people.
It should also be emphasised that Portulano Digital is, by nature, a project strongly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Universal access to decisions that affect citizens’ lives promotes diversity in its broadest sense. Furthermore, the project seeks to achieve fairness in the treatment of all people through the detailed disclosure of municipal decisions.
Inclusion is also a key component of the project. By holding public authorities accountable and promoting fair and transparent practices, the initiative rewards equal opportunities and exposes biased or discriminatory actions.
