e-Representative: A virtual desktop to support the mobile elected Representative

Project Description

The eRepresentative package is a virtual desktop for elected representatives. It enables them to continue their legislative and policy work anytime and from anywhere with secure access to relevant and appropriate information. 
Prior to the project, few European parliaments or assemblies had integrated strategies to support mobile representatives. eRepresentative aimed to supply a pan-European solution, based on open source tools, that could be adapted to the context of individual assemblies.

The project surveyed representatives in 20 EU assemblies and found a need for elected members to work from a variety of locations and still have the ability to securely access and share relevant information and working knowledge with other committee members. Legislative work is specific and complex. The eRepresentative team included 5 elected assemblies and these helped to model processes and identify guidelines for secure mobile services.

The eRepresentative portal includes an events calendar, committee workspace, notifications, discussion space, polling, searchable documents repository and e-voting. One of the most innovative aspects of the project was the introduction of application level cryptography to grant end-to-end protection to the information. An electronic voting solution is integrated, enabling members to vote, even if they are unable to be physically present during the session. The e-vote is guaranteed to be as secure as the traditional one, based on electric systems or in a show of hands. 

During the pilot, eRepresentative was successfully deployed within the participating parliaments and legislative assemblies in the Netherlands, Spain, Lithuania, Hungary and Ireland.

The depth of research into the elected members’ requirements and the legislative processes, combined with the emphasis on providing transferable solutions, mean that EU parliaments and assemblies, whatever their current ICT set-up, can base their systems on eRepresentative. This has potential to significantly reduce the level of consultancy and integration needed for each to develop a custom solution and reduce implementation problems.
You can watch demonstrations or download reports and publications from the eRepresentative site.