Artur Capela (CSIG)

Artur Capela (CSIG)

“As part of an R&TD project with the Ordem dos Arquitectos (OA), a CSIG team concluded the development of an electronic voting platform, with Artur Capela leading the entire process: from the specification to the installation of the platform, in a production environment. It is important to mention that only two elements carried out the development of the platform, in a difficult context, which included organic changes and certain requirements by the OA. In a real ‘trial by fire’ – the OA elections for the 2020-2023 triennium -, the use of the voting platform was a complete success, without a single failure; and Artur Capela’s dedication deserved the public recognition by the OA (which was recorded in the minutes). Despite the responsibility associated with such a relevant project, Artur Capela withstood the pressure and was able to comply with a plan whose risks were great, right at the outset.”

– CSIG coordinators

Taking into account the whole context (small team, several changes, etc.), what additional challenges did you face while carrying out your tasks?

I could say 1001 things about this endeavour. I could even write a book about it! However, I think that the biggest challenge was making sure that the voting platform was properly prepared, according to all essential aspects (e.g., practical level, robustness, security, assessment, production environment, loading and validation of the election). In other words, people should be able to use it – in a totally reliable way, and with all the necessary assurance – during the voting period previously scheduled, without any delay, interruption or serious failure that could hinder the electoral act – namely on the last day, when all votes were closed and counted. For reasons outside the team’s control, the production environment itself had to be prepared in record time. If we think about it, an election platform is a critical system, due to several factors: the need to safeguard and ensure secret, unique and non-transferrable votes, protection against attacks and rigged elections, etc. Considering the context, all of these complex issues took on greater, and more demanding proportions. Keeping our focus while managing priorities, making choices and following efficient approaches to address the issues before the event was a tough challenge. The current pandemic influenced the most critical phase of the project: concluding the platform and preparing it for the elections; it led to additional complications, and we had to deal with them, without delaying the whole process. There were many other issues, namely associated with the OA’ elections operation, and the interaction with other systems. Again… I could write a book about it!

How did you overcome these challenges?

In cases like this, it’s crucial to “buckle down” and give everything we got, in order to actually be able to overcome the challenges. Some of the words that can actually define overcoming these challenges are dedication, commitment, focus and sense of accountability. Knowledge is also important, and the team, despite being small, was up to the task. However, issues like these are very difficult to overcome without the elements I’ve mentioned, and without addressing the situation as seriously as possible, accepting the reality of things and keeping in mind that success is the only possible outcome. We’ve also carried out a progressive election simulation testing methodology, so OA and our team could to validate the platform’s performance. This was vital to overcome some of the challenges mentioned.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

There are several elements, some on a more personal level, and others on a more general level. On a personal level, I really appreciate the flexibility and the working environment/conditions at INESC TEC. Despite some quite complicated challenges, as this project, it feels good to overcome them. The R&D nature of certain projects also enables a more creative approach towards innovative solutions. On a more general level, I enjoy the fact that my work does not “stay in the drawer”, since thousands of people use it, thus causing a more immediate impact – similarly to what happened, and my role in the OA elections.

How do you comment on this nomination? And the fact that your work has been publicly acknowledged by the OA?

I’m surprised; but not that surprised, actually. In other words, I wasn’t expecting it, but given the whole situation (which was quite complex), having played such a key role, and being responsible for the tasks – which I carried out successfully, with dedication and commitment – this acknowledgement is fair, and I’m very happy with it. I’m proud of being accredited by all parties involved, including the Ordem dos Arquitectos, the coordinators of CSIG and the project manager. It was a challenge of “terabyte” proportions, but I think the result could not have been better. Hence, another chapter was closed in a very positive way, with a sense of a “job well done”, thus preserving INESC TEC’s positive image. It is important to mention that the support of all those involved was crucial to the project’s success, and I would like to thank everyone for the way they contributed.