FIXAM

Facilitating Issue eXchange for Accountable Municipalities
Event: Big 5 Game Changers Hackathon (MoCTI, Sierra Leone)
Theme: Public Service Architecture Revamp
Team: Kenneth V.S. Koker (Lead Developer) & Ibrahim Jalloh (Researcher)

1. Executive Summary

FIXAM is a comprehensive civic engagement ecosystem that empowers citizens to report municipal issues via WhatsApp and enables authorities to manage, analyze, and resolve them efficiently through advanced AI and automation.

By utilizing a "Hybrid Bridge" architecture, the system combines the accessibility of conversational interfaces (WhatsApp) with the analytical power of geospatial technology (GIS/Maps), bridging the gap between informal community grievances and formal government infrastructure planning.

2. The Solution: "Chat-to-Map" Ecosystem

FIXAM introduces a seamless workflow where the input is conversational (low barrier to entry) but the output is structured operational intelligence.

Step A: 🤖 Intelligent WhatsApp Bot

The primary reporting channel, designed for maximum accessibility.

  • Conversational Reporting: Guided flow for citizens to report issues naturally.
  • Voice-to-Text: Native support for Voice Notes (Krio/English), transcribed locally via Whisper.
  • Evidence: Users can send photos or videos as proof.
  • Safety First: Automated content moderation filters unsafe images (e.g., nudity) using localized AI.
  • Location Intelligence: Accepts GPS pins or text addresses with reverse geocoding.
  • Automated Feedback Loop: Citizens receive real-time status updates via WhatsApp when their issue is acknowledged or resolved.

Step B: 🧠 The AI Engine

The "Sanitizing Layer" that converts raw user data into government-ready data.

  • Text Classification: Automatically tags issues (e.g., "Pothole" → "Road Infrastructure").
  • Summarization: Converts detailed descriptions into concise summaries using TextRank.
  • Duplicate Detection: Smart detection of similar issues within a 100m radius to prevent redundancy.

Step C: 🌍 Public Civic Map & Dashboard

Transparent real-time visualization for the community.

  • Visuals: Interactive map with color-coded markers (Critical, In Progress, Resolved).
  • Status Indicators: Real-time tracking of repair progress.
  • Democratic Prioritization: Voting system allows communities to signal urgency.

Step D: 🛡️ Admin Command Center

A powerful suite for government and operational teams.

  • Issue Management: Detailed audit trails, timelines, and status workflows.
  • Hotspot Analysis: Aggregates upvotes to show "Hotspots" for budget allocation.
  • User & Group Management: Organize personnel into operational departments (e.g., "Roads Authority", "Water Board").

Step E: ⚡ Automatic Operational Alerts

Closing the loop from report to action.

  • Smart Routing: Issues are automatically forwarded to the relevant department based on category.
  • Instant Notifications: Operational teams receive immediate WhatsApp alerts with location, details, and direct links.

Step F: 🏆 Citizen Rewards

Encouraging adoption through gamification.

  • Digital Points System: Citizens earn points for every contribution (+10 per Report, +50 per Resolution, +1 per Upvote).
  • Feedback Loop: Users see the direct value of their actions, transforming passive residents into active community guardians.
  • Social Credit: Future integrations can allow these points to be redeemed for non-financial government incentives (e.g., priority service access).

3. Technical Stack

The project prioritizes open-source technologies to ensure sustainability.

Frontend: Vanilla JS, Leaflet JS Backend: Node.js, Express, Socket.io Database: PostgreSQL + PostGIS AI: Whisper, NudeNet, Embeddings, TextRank Integration: Meta WhatsApp Business API

4. Impact Potential

  1. Democratizing Infrastructure Data: Giving every citizen with a phone the power to act as a city inspector.
  2. Enabling Data-Driven Governance: Moving from reactive, anecdote-based planning to proactive, heatmap-based resource allocation.
  3. Increasing Trust: The transparent status tracking (Red to Green pins) rebuilds trust between the government and the public.
  4. Citizen Rewards (Gamification): Earning digital points for reporting and verifying issues incentivizes consistent participation and civic pride.