AI Tools

Polco’s AI tools are designed to help local governments, community organizations, and administrators work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. These AI-powered assistants connect your data, answer questions, and provide actionable insights reducing the time it takes to move from information to decision.

What Are Polco’s AI Tools?

Polco’s AI tools combine natural language processing, secure data integrations, and contextual understanding of local government workflows. This means you can ask questions in plain language and receive accurate, relevant, and actionable responses whether you are reviewing resident feedback, analyzing performance indicators, or preparing a report for council.

Core AI Assistants

  • Polly – Your data and insights assistant. Polly can answer questions about your Track indicators, benchmark survey results, and internal data. She can summarize trends, identify correlations, and recommend actions.
  • Grace – Your engagement and content assistant. Grace helps you create and schedule posts, surveys, and outreach campaigns, and ensures content is on-brand, inclusive, and engaging.
  • Custom Assistants – Purpose-built AI agents tailored to your community’s needs, such as specialized grant research assistants, department-specific data advisors, or policy simulation guides.

Key Capabilities

  • Plain Language Queries – Ask questions like “What are the top three challenges identified in the last NCS?” or “Show me housing cost burden trends for renters.”
  • Data Integration – AI assistants can access your Track indicators, benchmark surveys, internal datasets, and connected systems like SharePoint or Google Drive (if configured).
  • Insight Generation – Automatically identify patterns, trends, and outliers in your data.
  • Workflow Automation – Trigger surveys, send notifications, or generate reports based on your input or preset conditions.
  • Custom Training – Assistants can be trained on your community’s plans, policies, and terminology for more precise responses.

Benefits of Using AI Tools

  • Time Savings – Reduce hours spent searching, compiling, and analyzing information.
  • Better Decision-Making – Gain a fuller understanding of issues by combining multiple data sources into a single answer.
  • Consistency – Ensure communications, reports, and analysis follow a consistent voice and structure.
  • Accessibility – Make complex data easier to understand for staff, elected officials, and the public.

Security and Privacy

  • Secure Data Handling – All data accessed by AI tools is handled according to Polco’s privacy and security standards.
  • Controlled Access – Assistants can be configured to limit which data sources and actions are available to each user.
  • Audit Trails – AI queries and actions are logged for transparency and compliance.

Getting Started

To begin using AI tools in Polco:

  1. Ensure your data sources (Track indicators, surveys, internal files) are connected and up to date.
  2. Select the AI assistant best suited to your task Polly for data analysis, Grace for engagement, or a custom assistant for specialized needs.
  3. Ask your question in plain language or select from suggested prompts.
  4. Review, refine, and act on the insights provided.

With Polco’s AI tools, you can move from raw data to informed action in seconds helping you focus more on solutions and less on searching for information.

 

 

 

Polly – Your Data and Insights Assistant

Polly is Polco’s AI-powered data and insights assistant. She is designed to help you quickly find, understand, and act on information from across your community’s data sources. Whether you’re looking for trends in benchmark survey results, analyzing Track indicators, or summarizing resident feedback, Polly can deliver clear, actionable insights in seconds.

What Polly Can Do

  • Answer Data Questions – Ask questions in plain language, such as “What’s our current unemployment rate compared to two years ago?” or “Summarize housing affordability trends in the last five years.”
  • Analyze Trends – Identify upward or downward trends in Track indicators, survey results, or internal datasets.
  • Correlate Data – Connect related data points to uncover underlying relationships (e.g., linking public safety perceptions to crime statistics).
  • Generate Recommendations – Suggest evidence-based actions based on your data and benchmarks.
  • Summarize Findings – Create concise summaries for reports, council presentations, or public communications.

Data Sources Polly Can Access

Polly can be connected to multiple data sources, including:

  • Track Indicators – Publicly available datasets on demographics, economy, housing, environment, and more.
  • Benchmark Surveys – Results from The NCS, NBS, NES, NLES, NES-LE, CASOA, and other surveys.
  • Internal Data – Uploaded reports, strategic plans, departmental KPIs, and other local datasets.
  • Connected Systems – Integrations with platforms like SharePoint, Google Drive, or ArcGIS (if configured).

Example Queries for Polly

  • “What are the top three priorities residents identified in the last NCS?”
  • “Compare our housing cost burden to the national average.”
  • “Find any indicators showing a negative trend over the past three years.”
  • “Summarize our economic development data for a council briefing.”
  • “Which neighborhoods have the lowest ratings for park accessibility?”

Best Practices for Using Polly

  • Be Specific – The more detail you include in your question, the more precise Polly’s answer will be.
  • Reference Time Frames – Specify the period you’re interested in (“last year,” “past five years,” “since 2020”).
  • Ask Follow-Up Questions – Drill deeper into responses to uncover context and nuances.
  • Combine Data Sources – Request analysis that brings together multiple datasets for richer insights.
  • Verify Before Publishing – Always review generated content before sharing publicly.

Security and Privacy

  • Role-Based Access – Polly only shows data you are authorized to view.
  • Secure Data Handling – All data interactions meet Polco’s privacy and security standards.
  • Audit Logging – Queries and responses are logged for accountability.

Getting Started with Polly

  1. Ensure your Track indicators, survey data, and any internal datasets are connected to Polco.
  2. Open the Polly assistant from your AI Tools menu.
  3. Ask your question in plain language or select a suggested query.
  4. Review Polly’s response, refine your question if needed, and act on the insights provided.

With Polly, you can transform raw data into meaningful insights helping you make faster, better-informed decisions and communicate with clarity.

 

 

 

Grace – Your Engagement and Content Assistant

Grace is Polco’s AI-powered engagement and content assistant. She helps you plan, create, and manage communications that connect with your community. Whether you’re launching a new survey, announcing a policy update, or running a long-term engagement campaign, Grace ensures your content is clear, accessible, and impactful.

What Grace Can Do

  • Create Engagement Content – Draft posts, emails, and announcements tailored to your community and goals.
  • Write Survey and Poll Questions – Suggest clear, unbiased questions that maximize response quality.
  • Optimize for Multiple Channels – Adapt messaging for email, social media, websites, and printed materials.
  • Plan Campaigns – Develop multi-step engagement strategies with scheduled outreach over time.
  • Ensure Inclusivity – Recommend language and formats that are accessible to diverse audiences.
  • Refine Messaging – Improve clarity, tone, and persuasiveness of existing content.

Data and Insights Grace Can Use

Grace can tailor content by drawing on:

  • Benchmark Survey Results – Frame messages around residents’ top priorities and concerns.
  • Track Indicators – Highlight relevant statistics and trends to support engagement topics.
  • Community Plans and Policies – Align content with your strategic objectives and branding.
  • Past Engagement Data – Reference what has worked (or not) in previous campaigns.

Example Uses for Grace

  • “Write a Facebook post inviting residents to take our new budget survey.”
  • “Draft a plain-language email explaining our parks improvement plan.”
  • “Create a series of three posts promoting the results of our NCS.”
  • “Adapt this press release for social media and an e-newsletter.”
  • “Suggest ways to improve participation among younger residents.”

Best Practices for Using Grace

  • Provide Context – Include the purpose, audience, and key points for each message.
  • Review Before Publishing – AI-generated content should always be checked for accuracy and tone.
  • Stay On-Brand – Use your community’s style guide and branding assets.
  • Test and Iterate – Use A/B testing to refine messaging over time.

Security and Privacy

  • No Sensitive Data in Public Posts – Ensure confidential or restricted information is not shared.
  • Role-Based Access – Limit who can create or publish content through Grace.

Getting Started with Grace

  1. Gather your key details: purpose, audience, desired outcome, and any supporting data.
  2. Open the Grace assistant from your AI Tools menu.
  3. Describe your content request in plain language.
  4. Review, edit, and approve Grace’s suggestions.
  5. Publish content through Polco or export it for other channels.

Grace helps you turn engagement goals into action making it easier to connect with residents, build trust, and keep your community informed.

 

 

 

Custom Assistants – AI Tailored to Your Community

Custom Assistants are AI-powered tools built specifically for your community’s needs. They combine Polco’s AI infrastructure with your unique data, policies, and workflows helping staff work more efficiently, make informed decisions, and deliver better outcomes for residents.

What Are Custom Assistants?

Unlike Polly or Grace, which are general-purpose assistants, Custom Assistants are trained on a focused set of information and designed for specialized use cases. They can be created for specific departments, initiatives, or ongoing programs, allowing for deep expertise in targeted areas.

Possible Uses for Custom Assistants

  • Grant Research Assistant – Search available funding opportunities, summarize eligibility criteria, and track deadlines.
  • Policy Simulation Guide – Walk staff or residents through budget scenarios, development plans, or zoning proposals.
  • Public Works Data Advisor – Monitor infrastructure data, identify maintenance priorities, and prepare project summaries.
  • Department Knowledge Base – Provide instant answers to staff questions using internal documents and SOPs.
  • Community Resource Navigator – Help residents find services, programs, and support based on their needs.

Key Features

  • Custom Training – Load policies, procedures, plans, and datasets specific to your community or department.
  • Role-Based Access – Restrict sensitive information to authorized staff members.
  • Natural Language Queries – Ask questions conversationally for quick, relevant answers.
  • Integration with Existing Systems – Connect to platforms like SharePoint, Google Drive, or GIS databases (if configured).
  • Regular Updates – Keep the assistant current by adding new documents, data, and rules.

Example Queries

  • “What are the current ADA compliance requirements for city facilities?”
  • “Summarize all grant opportunities for community development in the next 6 months.”
  • “Show me all road repair projects scheduled in Q3.”
  • “Which zoning changes were discussed in the last two council meetings?”
  • “Provide a public-friendly explanation of our water conservation plan.”

Best Practices for Custom Assistants

  • Define the Scope – Decide exactly what the assistant should know and be able to do.
  • Curate the Data – Use accurate, up-to-date, and well-organized sources for training.
  • Test Before Launch – Ask a wide range of questions to ensure reliable performance.
  • Assign Ownership – Designate a staff member to maintain and update the assistant’s knowledge base.
  • Review Outputs – Regularly check answers for accuracy and relevance.

Security and Privacy

  • Data Access Controls – Ensure only authorized users can view or update sensitive content.
  • Audit Logs – Track interactions for compliance and transparency.
  • Secure Integrations – Use encrypted connections for linked data sources.

Getting Started with a Custom Assistant

  1. Identify the department, initiative, or function that needs AI support.
  2. Gather relevant documents, datasets, and reference materials.
  3. Work with Polco to configure and train your assistant.
  4. Test the assistant with real-world scenarios before rollout.
  5. Deploy to staff or public users as appropriate, and continue refining over time.

Custom Assistants give you the power of AI exactly where you need it bringing deep, tailored expertise into daily workflows while staying aligned with your community’s goals and security requirements.

 

 

 

Bring Your Own Data (BYOD) – Powering AI Agents

Bring Your Own Data (BYOD) is Polco’s framework for securely connecting your organization’s unique data sources to our AI agents, such as Polly, Grace, and Custom Assistants. With BYOD, your AI tools can deliver precise, context-aware answers and recommendations based on the information you already have without requiring you to migrate all your data into a single system.

What Is BYOD?

BYOD allows you to integrate your internal documents, datasets, and systems into Polco’s AI infrastructure. This means your AI assistants can respond with answers that reflect your specific community’s policies, plans, and historical context rather than relying only on generic information.

Supported Data Types

  • Documents – PDFs, Word docs, spreadsheets, and presentations containing policies, reports, and operational procedures.
  • Structured Data – Databases, CSV files, and APIs containing metrics, KPIs, and performance data.
  • Web Content – Public websites, council meeting archives, and project pages.
  • Cloud Storage – Connections to platforms like SharePoint, Google Drive, or OneDrive (if configured).

How BYOD Powers AI Agents

  • Custom Context – AI agents use your specific data as a knowledge base, ensuring responses match your local policies and priorities.
  • Integrated Analysis – Combine BYOD sources with Track indicators, benchmark surveys, and engagement results for richer insights.
  • Dynamic Updates – Refresh data connections regularly so agents always have the most current information.
  • Multi-Agent Collaboration – Different AI assistants can work from the same BYOD sources, ensuring consistent answers across functions.

Example Use Cases

  • Upload your Comprehensive Plan so Polly can answer policy-related questions and track progress toward goals.
  • Connect your budget spreadsheets so an AI Budget Assistant can run real-time scenario analysis.
  • Link departmental SOPs so a Public Works AI Assistant can guide staff through standard processes.
  • Integrate a database of past grant applications so a Grant Research Assistant can identify patterns and suggest improvements.

Security and Privacy

  • Role-Based Access – Control which users and assistants can access each data source.
  • Data Residency – Keep data stored in its original system when possible, with only necessary excerpts processed for AI use.
  • Audit Trails – Track all AI interactions for compliance and transparency.

Getting Started with BYOD

  1. Identify the data sources most relevant to your AI use cases.
  2. Confirm that documents and datasets are accurate, organized, and up to date.
  3. Work with Polco to connect your sources using secure integration methods.
  4. Test AI agents with real-world queries to ensure responses meet your needs.
  5. Maintain and update connected data to keep insights relevant over time.

With BYOD, you can unlock the full potential of Polco’s AI agents making them not just smart, but truly your AI assistants, informed by the data that matters most to your organization.

 

 

 

Custom Chatbots – AI Agents Anywhere You Need Them

Polco’s Custom Chatbots let you embed powerful AI assistants directly into any internal or external website. These chatbots are powered by your organization’s trained AI agents fully customized to your data, workflows, and audience. They make it easy for staff, residents, or partners to get instant, accurate answers without needing to search through documents or dashboards.

What Are Custom Chatbots?

Custom Chatbots are web-based interfaces connected to a Polco AI agent. They can be dropped onto your site with a simple embed code and branded to match your organization’s look and feel. Behind the scenes, each chatbot is trained and prompted on your chosen data sources, ensuring every response is context-aware and relevant.

Data Sources They Can Use

  • Your Data – Policies, strategic plans, reports, budgets, meeting notes, and other internal documents.
  • Polco GPAL Data – Access to national, state, and local indicators for context and benchmarking.
  • Benchmark Surveys – The NCS, NBS, NES, NLES, NES-LE, CASOA, and other validated survey results.
  • Operational Data – Departmental KPIs, project updates, and service statistics.

Examples of Custom Chatbots in Action

  • MA Civics AI – An AI agent trained on the DKP MA 8th grade civics curriculum, embedded on an educational site to assist students and teachers.
  • GFOA AI – An AI agent trained on data provided by GFOA, helping members find best practices, resources, and answers quickly.

Key Features

  • Full Branding Control – Match your chatbot’s colors, logo, and typography to your organization’s identity.
  • Embed Anywhere – Works on intranets, public websites, partner portals, or standalone landing pages.
  • Natural Language Interaction – Users can ask questions conversationally for quick, relevant answers.
  • Role-Based Responses – Configure separate bots for public, internal, or department-specific use.
  • Secure and Compliant – Data handling meets Polco’s security and privacy standards.

Benefits

  • Instant Answers – Reduce staff workload by letting users find information themselves.
  • Improved Access – Make complex documents and datasets accessible through simple conversation.
  • Always Current – Update connected data sources and the chatbot instantly reflects new information.
  • Scalable Engagement – Serve multiple audiences with different bots tailored to their needs.

Getting Started with a Custom Chatbot

  1. Choose the AI agent (Polly, Grace, or a Custom Assistant) and define its scope.
  2. Connect your desired data sources, including GPAL indicators if needed.
  3. Brand the chatbot to match your website or portal design.
  4. Embed the provided code snippet on your site.
  5. Test and launch, then monitor interactions for quality and improvement.

With Polco’s Custom Chatbots, you can put your AI agent directly where people need it on the sites they already use ensuring better access to information, faster responses, and more engaged communities.

 

 

 

AI Agent Feedback & History Features

All Polco AI agents whether embedded as custom chatbots, used internally, or integrated into your workflows include built-in feedback and session history tools. These features improve transparency, help refine performance over time, and give users the ability to revisit past conversations.

Feedback System

  • Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down – Users can rate each individual AI response, helping identify high-quality answers and areas for improvement.
  • Star Ratings – At the end of each session, users can provide an overall rating (1–5 stars) of their experience.
  • Leave a Comment – A dedicated feedback button allows users to share detailed notes about their session or specific responses.
  • Quality Monitoring – Ratings and comments are stored for review, enabling ongoing optimization of the AI’s performance.

Session History

  • Full Conversation Logs – Users can view complete transcripts of past AI sessions for reference.
  • Time and Date Tracking – Each session is labeled with start and end times, along with the last interaction date.
  • Assistant Filter – Filter history by AI assistant name (e.g., Polly, Grace, or a Custom Assistant).
  • View Session Button – Open any past conversation to review the dialogue and copy information as needed.
  • Persistent Storage – Sessions remain available for future review unless intentionally cleared by the administrator.

Benefits of Feedback & History Features

  • Continuous Improvement – Feedback helps train and refine AI agents for better accuracy and usability.
  • Transparency – Users can review exactly what was said in previous conversations.
  • Reference Value – Past conversations can be used as knowledge sources for future tasks.
  • Accountability – Administrators can track how AI agents are being used and where improvements are needed.

How to Access

  1. During any AI conversation, use the thumbs up/down icons to rate a specific response.
  2. At the end of the session, provide a star rating and optional written feedback.
  3. Click Leave a Comment to share more detailed input at any time.
  4. Visit the AI Chat History section to browse and review past sessions.

With built-in feedback and history tools, Polco AI agents are continuously learning and improving making each interaction more accurate, more relevant, and more valuable over time.

 

 

 

AI Agent Infrastructure

Polco’s AI agent infrastructure is designed for safety, security, flexibility, and performance. Every aspect of the system is built to protect sensitive data, comply with applicable regulations, and deliver reliable AI-powered insights and engagement.

Secure, Proprietary Platform

  • Purpose-Built by Polco – The entire engagement layer, prompt engineering system, and data-handling pipeline are proprietary to Polco.
  • Hosted on AWS – All infrastructure runs on secure AWS servers, leveraging AWS security best practices for encryption, access control, and uptime.
  • Data Isolation – Each organization’s data is logically separated to prevent cross-access between clients.

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Framework

  • Custom RAG Implementation – AI agents retrieve relevant, verified data from connected sources before generating responses.
  • Traceable Answers – Responses can be tied back to original source documents or datasets for transparency.
  • Dynamic Context Injection – Agents adapt their context in real-time to match the user’s request, improving accuracy.

LLM-Agnostic Design

  • Interchangeable AI Engines – The large language model (LLM) component is agnostic, allowing Polco to switch engines as technology advances.
  • Currently Using ChatGPT – Polco’s agents currently run on the ChatGPT API for natural language processing.
  • Future-Ready – The architecture supports migration to other LLMs for performance, compliance, or cost optimization.

Data Sources and Connectivity

  • Bring Your Own Data (BYOD) – Secure integration of client documents, datasets, and policies.
  • GPAL Data – Access to national, state, and local indicators for benchmarking.
  • Polco Platform Data – Direct connection to benchmark surveys, engagement tools, and Track indicators.
  • Optional External Integrations – Support for systems like SharePoint, Google Drive, ArcGIS, and other APIs (if configured).

Security and Compliance

  • Encryption – All data in transit is encrypted using TLS 1.2+; all data at rest is encrypted using AES-256.
  • Role-Based Access Control – Fine-grained permissions ensure that users only see and interact with the data they are authorized to access.
  • Audit Logging – All AI interactions are logged for accountability and traceability.
  • Compliance – Designed to align with applicable data privacy and security standards (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) where required.

Monitoring and Optimization

  • Performance Tracking – Continuous monitoring of AI accuracy, latency, and reliability.
  • Feedback Loop – User ratings and comments feed directly into model refinement and prompt tuning.
  • Automated Updates – System improvements are deployed without disrupting client usage.

Polco’s AI agent infrastructure is built to deliver powerful, secure, and adaptable AI experiences ensuring your organization can take advantage of AI innovation without compromising on trust, security, or control.

 

 

 

AI Tools Best Practices

Polco’s AI tools Polly, Grace, Custom Assistants, and embedded chatbots are most effective when used with clear goals, well-curated data, and ongoing refinement. Following these best practices will help you get the most accurate, relevant, and actionable results from your AI agents.

1. Define Your Objective

  • Start with a specific purpose for each AI interaction (e.g., generate a resident newsletter, compare housing affordability data, summarize a grant opportunity).
  • Choose the AI assistant that best fits the task Polly for data and insights, Grace for communications, or a Custom Assistant for specialized topics.

2. Provide Clear Context

  • Include all relevant background details in your request so the AI understands the scope and intent.
  • When asking about data, specify the timeframe, location, and dataset you want analyzed.
  • For content creation, share the target audience, tone, and desired length.

3. Use BYOD and Connected Data Sources

  • Enhance accuracy by connecting your own documents, policies, datasets, and reports via BYOD (Bring Your Own Data).
  • Integrate GPAL, benchmark survey results, and internal KPIs for richer, more informed answers.

4. Ask Follow-Up Questions

  • Drill deeper into responses to uncover details, explanations, or alternative perspectives.
  • Use iterative questioning to refine your understanding and improve the AI’s output.

5. Review and Validate Outputs

  • Always verify AI-generated content for accuracy, especially before publishing or sharing publicly.
  • Cross-check data insights with source documents to ensure correctness.

6. Leverage Feedback Tools

  • Use the thumbs up/down icons to rate individual AI responses.
  • Leave comments to help improve future performance.
  • Review session history to revisit and reuse valuable outputs.

7. Maintain and Update Data Sources

  • Regularly refresh connected datasets so your AI agents always have current, relevant information.
  • Remove outdated or obsolete files to prevent confusion or inaccurate answers.

8. Follow Security and Privacy Guidelines

  • Do not enter confidential or personally identifiable information into public-facing AI agents.
  • Use role-based access controls to limit who can view or modify sensitive data.
  • Ensure all integrations comply with your organization’s security policies.

9. Experiment and Iterate

  • Test different ways of phrasing your questions to see which yields the best results.
  • Encourage staff to explore AI capabilities and share successful prompts with colleagues.

By following these best practices, you can maximize the value of Polco’s AI tools turning them into trusted partners that support data-driven decisions, clear communication, and efficient workflows.