AFF Flagit
Enhancing the accountability of govt agencies on societal issues
Overview
AFF FLAGIT is a transformative app aimed at improving the reporting and response mechanisms of government parastatals on critical societal issues such as bribery, domestic abuse, extortion, and other forms of misconduct in Nigeria. The app empowers citizens to report these issues efficiently while ensuring that their reports reach the appropriate authorities.
Problem statement
In Nigeria, issues like bribery, domestic violence, and extortion are pervasive, yet reporting such abuses often remains a challenging task for citizens. Existing reporting channels can be inefficient, unresponsive, and sometimes dangerous, leading to under-reporting of incidents. Citizens often lack confidence that their reports will be addressed adequately or that the right authorities will take necessary actions. There’s a clear need for a platform that not only simplifies the reporting process but also provides a secure and anonymous way for users to gather and share evidence of abuse and misconduct.
Research findings
Given the nature of the project, I needed to gather information from individuals who are either in the academic and public environment who could give information on incidents around their vicinity. Research interview done with 15 participants revealed concerns about;
- Safety,
- Anonymity, and
- Inefficiency in the reporting process from the users.
These insights guided the development of the app's features, focusing on ease of use, security, and transparency.
Ideation and user flow
To effectively report excesses, users should be able to;
- Easily report incidents of abuse, misconduct, and corruption by providing necessary details through the app with the option to do so anonymously. Reports are then routed to the appropriate government agencies for swift action.
- Attach evidences to their report for effective follow-up
- Receive updates on their reports, from the initial submission to the resolution stage, ensuring transparency and accountability in the response process
- Discreetly record conversations or incidents of abuse and misconduct. This feature enables users to gather critical evidence without exposing themselves to danger, which can then be used to support their reports.
Visualizing the solutions
Once I had a clear direction of the user flow, I proceeded to capture these visually. The goal was to minimize decision-making and simplify the user experience by providing user needs at a glance
Outcome
The number of reports submitted to government agencies through the app has significantly increased. Since inception last year, we’ve had 353 reported cases and over 40% resolved cases.
The anonymous and discreet recording feature has proven to be impactful in reporting cases that previously went unaddressed. With this feature, users can now report incidents anonymously, leading to swift action.
Continuous improvement is key to every user-centered business. Therefore, we will keep refining the app based on user feedback to ensure it meets evolving needs.
