Abstract: An ecosystem can be used for processing user questions and commands received via a conversational interface in a hierarchical permissioning manner. The questions and commands which a user is permissioned to ask/issue are determined at user logon. The ecosystem may be configured to access and return appropriate answers from a variety of sources, but only for questions which the user is permissioned to ask. In addition, the ecosystem can be configured to execute commands which may be received by the user via the conversational interface, but only for the commands which the user is permissioned to issue. The ecosystem may include a computer system configured to receive a text query representing a question asked from the user, score the questions which the user is permissioned to ask, select a high-scoring question, use an API to receive information responsive to the high-scoring question, and output the answer to the user.