Development of information system for enhancing communication between members of parliament and citizens: A study of dodoma, Tanzania
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Date
2026-04-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier Inc.
Abstract
In Tanzania, members of parliament rely on both traditional channels and social media to gather citizens’ concerns. However, limited access to internet-enabled devices, the unavailability of members of parliament, poor attendance at public meetings, and high internet costs create a communication gap in civic participation. Existing civic technology solutions often depend on internet-based platforms, excluding users who rely on feature phones and highlighting a technical gap in prior research and system design. This study develops a context-aware, inclusive digital communication system that bridges infrastructural and technological barriers to foster civic engagement in low-resource environments. Through a literature review, gaps in existing civic technology implementations were identified, and the system was developed using the Extreme Programming Agile Methodology to produce a hybrid platform combining a web application and a two-way messaging system. The resulting Public Participation Information System allows citizens to raise concerns offline via feature phones or online through a bilingual web application in Swahili and English. The system prioritizes accessibility for low-resource users and incorporates features such as availability scheduling, task delegation, and concern tracking. Feedback indicates that it effectively reaches under-connected populations and promotes more inclusive civic engagement. Overall, the system addresses the digital divide in civic communication and offers a scalable framework that integrates low-technology access with modern information systems to support democratic participation in resource-constrained settings.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Keywords
Civic technology, Feature phone communication, Human-centric system, Two-way messaging, Member of parliament, Public participation, Information system, Web application