Steffie helps people use the Kieskompas voter support tool

Kieskompas

Kieskompas is a Dutch research agency dedicated to the clear presentation of political and social debates. The agency — whose name means 'Election Compass' — undertakes panel-based studies and develops online voter support tools. As well as helping voters in the Netherlands, Kieskompas is active in more than forty other countries. Its best-known product is the eponymous Kieskompas support tool. "All the information available from the Kieskompas has been independently compiled," says Kyra. "The tool is based on reliable, scientific principles. And we use an expert team to verify that Kieskompas responses and statements are truthful and accurate by cross-checking against the political parties' official publications." Users get information about the similarities and differences between political parties' policies; they don't get advice on how to vote.

Straightforward explanations from Steffie

"Parties that put up election candidates explain their policies in large manifestos, often written in quite challenging language," Kyra continues. "And there are a lot of them: eighty-nine parties are contesting the Dutch parliamentary elections in March, for example. At Kieskompas, we believe that everyone should have access to information about what the various parties say in their manifestos, so that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process." "So, last summer, we got together with Leer Zelf Online to develop a new, even more accessible version of the Kieskompas. Leer Zelf Online, or 'Teach Yourself Online' is a foundation that works to help vulnerable groups to be more self-sufficient. They develop accessible apps and websites, for example. The basic idea behind the new tool is to integrate Steffie into the existing Kieskompas. Steffie is an avatar developed by Leer Zelf Online, who explains difficult subjects in a way that's easy to understand. Steffie has already been used to provide insight into topics such as health insurance and COVID-19. In the Kieskompas, Steffie's role is explaining difficult words and ideas in a way that users can grasp. Her explanations have been developed in consultation with Leer Zelf Online and five focus groups made up people with mild mental disabilities. Group members were asked which words and ideas they found hard to understand, and how they would explain them. The word 'privacy' is a good example. Our focus group's interpretation of that was, 'Having a private life and time for yourself'. The various groups provided us with really good, useful definitions, which we then carefully checked. Input from the focus groups has led to various other improvements to the Kieskompas as well, including improved visual contrast and clearer design."

Support from SIDN Fund

Development work on the new tool was supported by SIDN Fund. "As well as providing financial support, SIDN Fund enabled us to access a wide network of valuable contacts. For example, the Fund put us in touch with a special education advisor, because the Steffie-enhanced Kieskompas has great potential for pupils in the special education sector. SIDN Fund's network can also help us with project rollout and publicity," says Kyra.

Participation open to all

"SIDN Fund is dedicated to helping to build a strong internet for everyone," says Valerie Frissen, CEO of SIDN Fund. "Participation should be open to all. The Kieskompas tool is a great example of a project aimed at promoting inclusion and access. By making complex political issues understandable, the tool will help to strengthen the position of vulnerable internet user groups."

Rollout of the Steffie-enhanced Kieskompas

"After the parliamentary elections in March, we'll evaluate the Steffie-enhanced Kieskompas and make appropriate refinements. Our ambition is then to make the tool available for use during other elections, such as municipal, provincial and European elections. Once the basic development is complete, keeping the texts and policy lines updated should be relatively straightforward. Ultimately, we want this accessible version of the Kieskompas to be available for all elections, so that as many people as possible can make informed voting decisions."

Want to know how accessible your website is for vulnerable user groups? A quick-scan tool is available at www.leerzelfonline.nl/quickscan. More information about the Steffie-enhanced Kieskompas is available from the Kieskompas website.