IODC18 – International Open Data Conference

February 27th, 2018 Posted by No Comment yet

The International Open Data Conference (IODC) is a biannual event to bring the global open data community together in order to learn, share, plan, and collaborate on the future of open data.

The unique nature of this event is that it gathers together in one location a diverse range of participants from the northern and southern hemispheres who are seeking to define strategies to advance open data both globally and locally.

 

Call for proposals open until | April 1, 2018.

Publication of conference programme | June 1, 2018

Big data with local impact: Using open data to improve public procurement

December 22nd, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

The DIGIWHIST Project Team is pleased to invite you to the Final Project Conference

Big Data with Local Impact: Using Open Data to Improve Public Procurement

hosted by Benedek Jávor, MEP

Date: 29 January 2018, 13:00-17.30

Venue: European Parliament, ASP5E1 (Altiero Spinelli building), Brussels

 

Are you interested in how big data can be used to support government performance and accountability? Would you like to learn more about the evidence of government favoritism in public procurement across the EU and beyond? Would you like to discover what practical tools governments, journalists and civil society members can use to better understand public procurement performance? Do you want to discuss, together with European Commission experts, how the EU can help promote greater openness and transparency in the future? Join us in Brussels to debate these and other issues as we present the DIGIWHIST project results!

See the attached agenda for more details. A light sandwich lunch will be served before the event, starting at 12:00.

IMPORTANT! You will need to provide personal details in order to access the European Parliament building (unless you possess prior authorization).

Registration deadline was January 18. Please remember to bring your ID card or passport to enter the venue.

The conference will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel, ERCAS Berlin.

Speakers and commentators:

Conference Host: Benedek Jávor, MEP, European Green Party

Pascal Boijmans, Head of Unit Administrative Capacity Building and European Solidarity Fund, DG REGIO
Francesco Calderoni (DIGIWHIST), Researcher, Transcrime (Joint Research Centre on Transnational Crime)
Carl Dolan, Director, Transparency International EU
Mihaly Fazekas (DIGIWHIST), anti-corruption expert and research fellow, University of Cambridge
Ana Gomes, MEP, Alliance of Socialists
Gavin Hayman, Executive Director, Open Contracting Partnership
Monica Macovei, MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists Group
Jean-François Junger, Deputy Head of Unit e-Government and Trust, DG CONNECT
Aram Khaghaghordyan (DIGIWHIST), anti-corruption expert, Hertie School of Governance
Friedrich Lindenberg, Investigative Journalist, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
Ella McPherson (DIGIWHIST), Lecturer in the Sociology of New Media and Digital Technology, University of Cambridge
Mara Mendes (DIGIWHIST), Project Manager, Open Knowledge Foundation Germany
Frank Michlik, Head of Unit Fraud & Prevention, European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Alina Mungiu-Pippidi (DIGIWHIST), Professor of Democracy Studies, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin
Gustavo Piga, Professor of Economics, University of Rome
Francesca Recanatini, Senior Public Sector Specialist, World Bank
Jiri Skuhrovec (DIGIWHIST), economist, programmer and procurement expert
Nikita Stampa, Head of Unit Innovative and e-Procurement, DG GROW

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Brussels!

DIGIWHIST Project Team

DIGIWHIST Conference agenda updated Jan 29

Brussels DIGIWHIST Workshop “Big data on public procurement”

December 13th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

Venue: Conference room, Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels

Register here

The main goal of the DIGIWHIST is the systematic collection, structuring, analysis, and broad dissemination of information on public procurement in all EU, and some neighbouring, countries.

To achieve its main goal, DIGIWHIST created the Opentender.euportal, that gathers the available data on public procurement at national level for 35 jurisdictions (28 EU member states, Armenia, Norway, the European Commission, Iceland, Switzerland, Serbia, and Georgia). Beyond the possibility of download the databases, the portal will also include some indicators of transparency and administrative quality.

What is the goal of the workshop?

The goals of this workshop will be:

  • to introduce the large amounts of public procurement data unlocked by Opentender.eu;
  • to explore ways through which it can be use in improving transparency in public administrations.

The workshop includes also user feedback by end-users (e.g. public officials, journalists, developers and civil society). Participants will have the chance:

  • to improve their knowledge on transparency and public procurement data;
  • to work with big data on public procurement;
  • to create a network among different experts on anti-corruption and transparency.

How is the workshop organised?

  • 09.45-10.00: Participants registration
  • 10.00-10.45: Presentation of DIGIWHIST
    • DIGIWHIST goals, data type and their collection, cleaning and sharing
    • Red flags of inefficiency and opacity
    • Presentation of opentender.eu.
  • 10:45-11.30: How to use Opentender.eu.
    • Participants will be guided through the use of the portal: download, analysis and evaluation of the public procurement data on the portal. The data can be used for simple analysis or analysis of specific cases.
  • 11.30-12.00: Evaluation phase and workshop closure

The contact persons are Prof. Francesco Calderoni (francesco.calderoni@unicatt.it) and Martina Rotondi (martina.rotondi@unicatt.it).

Save the date: Barcelona DIGIWHIST Workshop

December 8th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

This workshop is jointly organized by XNet and DIGIWHIST and hosted by the Barcelona City Council.


When:

Thursday, January 18, 2018 starting at 4pm. We kindly ask you to be there at 3.45pm.

Where:

Pati Llimona: Carrer Regomir nº 3, Barcelona (https://patillimona.net/).

Agenda:

4pm-5pm: Presentation of the projects of the different participating institutions
5pm-7pm: Workshop on the functionalities and protocols of the DIGIWHIST tools + Q&A


On Friday, January 19, 2018 at 11am there will be a public presentation of the project to the press at the Sala Conservas (Carrer Sant Pau 58, baixos) in Barcelona.

 

Italian DIGIWHIST Workshop in Milan: Big data e appalti pubblici

November 9th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

DIGIWHIST – Big data e appalti pubblici
Workshop in Milano, Italy
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Aula G.016 – Maria Immacolata

 

Introduzione
Lo scopo principale del progetto DIGIWHIST è la sistematica raccolta, analisi e disseminazione delle informazioni sugli appalti pubblici in tutta l’Europa e in alcuni paesi circostanti.

Per raggiungere il suo scopo principale, DIGIWHIST ha creato il portale Opentender.eu, che riunisce i dati disponibili sugli appalti pubblici a livello nazionale in 35 giurisdizioni (i 28 paesi membri dell’UE, la Commissione Europea, Armenia, Islanda, Svizzera, Serbia, e Georgia). Oltre alla possibilità di scaricare i database, il portale prevedrà anche di associare ai diversi appalti alcuni indicatori di trasparenza e di qualità dell’amministrazione.

Quando si svolgerà il workshop?
Il workshop si svolgerà presso l’Università Cattolica di Milano il 10 Novembre 2017, tra le 10 e le 17, in aula G.016 – Maria Immacolata. A seguire, per chi vorrà partecipare, ci sarà un aperitivo informale.

Qual è lo scopo del workshop?
Lo scopo principale del workshop sarà:

  • Mostrare i dati sugli appalti pubblici resi disponibili dal portale Opentender.eu;
  • Esplorare nuovi modi attraverso cui questi dati possono essere usati nel contrasto alla corruzione e nel miglioramento della trasparenza nell’amministrazione pubblica.

Chi sono i partecipanti?
I partecipanti a cui il workshop si rivolge sono: pubblici ufficiali, giornalisti (soprattutto investigativi), sviluppatori, membri di organizzazioni non-governative, studenti e ricercatori nell’ambito degli appalti pubblici.

Per ulteriori dettagli su DIGIWHIST, consultare il sito https://digiwhist.eu

Cosa faranno i partecipanti?
I partecipanti avranno la possibilità di:

  • Migliorare le loro conoscenze sulla trasparenza e sui dati sugli appalti pubblici;
  • Lavorare con grandi database sugli appalti pubblici (big data);
  • Creare un network che discuta di trasparenza e contrasto alla corruzione, condividendo idee e interessi comuni con uno sguardo verso il futuro.

Come sarà strutturato?
10-10.15: Registrazione dei partecipanti
10.15-11.30: Presentazione di DIGIWHIST
– Scopo del progetto DIGIWHIST, tipo di dati e loro raccolta, pulizia e condivisione
– Presentazione delle principali red flag di inefficienza e opacità
– Presentazione del portale opentender.eu.
11.30-11.45: Coffee break
11.45-13.30: Utilizzo del portale Opentender.eu
I partecipanti saranno guidati nell’utilizzo del portale: download, analisi e valutazione dei dati sugli appalti pubblici presenti sul portale. I dati potranno essere usati per semplici analisi o analisi di casi specifici.
13.30-14.30: Pranzo
14.30-16.15: Brainstorming e commenti dei partecipanti
16.45-17.00: Chiusura del workshop

La partecipazione al workshop è gratuita.

Per qualsiasi richiesta o per registrarsi al workshop è possibile contattare il Prof. Francesco Calderoni
(francesco.calderoni@unicatt.it) e Martina Rotondi (martina.rotondi@unicatt.it).

DIGIWHIST and YourDataStories Hackathon and workshop

October 20th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

What is it about: The YourDataStories project in collaboration with the Digiwhist project are organising a joint event. The event consists of a workshop and a hackathon and is addressed to public officials, journalists, developers and civil society representatives.

The goal of the event is to present the tools and platforms developed under both projects and also through the:

  • YourDataStories Hackathon to develop new apps and services using YDS API that could be featured in the YourDataStories platform marketplace
  • Digiwhist workshop to introduce the large amounts of public procurement data unlocked by Opentender.eu and to explore ways through which it can be use in improving transparency in public administrations

When: 20/10/2017

Where: INNOVATHENS – Hub of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

How can you participate: Register here

 


Here are the DIGIWHIST slides presented by Francesco Calderoni and Daniel Tanis before the workshop:

 

10th Global Investigative Journalism Conference

October 16th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

Pulitzer Prize winners, data journalism pioneers and the investigative reporters behind the Panama Papers will be among the speakers, presenters and delegates at the tenth Global Investigative Journalism Conference. Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and human rights attorney Beatrice Mtetwa will be the keynote speakers for this conference in Johannesburg.

This will be the first time the conference is held on African soil. The conference is hosted by Wits Journalism and the Global Investigative Journalism Network from November 16 to 19.

There are over 150 panels, workshops, and special events.

The training sessions will include programming and speakers that incorporate the rich diversity of stories and methods of investigation that have emerged on the continent. Cutting edge reporting methods which are transforming journalism globally — including mobile journalism, drone reporting and virtual reality — will also be covered.

XIII Annual Conference of the Inter-American Network on Government Procurement. Value for Money in Public Procurement

September 12th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

Introduction:

Over the past years, a new vision on how to measure success on public procurement has been
developed. Procurement decisions based only on price have evolved into a multicriteria approach
that considers additional dimensions such as quality and sustainability. A commonly accepted form
to express this change is the idea that procurement should achieve the best Value for Money (VfM).
In practice, this has been interpreted as the capacity to award contracts taking into consideration
economic, environmental and social dimensions of the bids using both monetary and non-monetary
criteria. Under competitive procedures or negotiations, the best VfM can be typically formalized in
an evaluation formula, a rule that assigns common values to different bid elements that are
frequently expressed in different measurement units.
However, VfM, more than a formula, is an approach and a principle which meaning, scope and
relevance is still being discussed in different forums. The Inter-American Network on Government
Procurement joins the debate and dedicates its XII Annual Conference to discuss the key elements
to understand this important concept and its integration to the different stages and modalities of
public procurement.

Organizers:

  • Inter-American Network on Government Procurement
  • ChileCompra
  • Inter-American Development Bank
  • Organization of American States

Meet @digiwhist

Our DIGIWHIST researcher Daniel Tanis (Cambridge University) will be one of the expert speakers in session 4 of the conference titled “Is integrity a good business for public procurement?”

DIGIWHIST Workshop: Big data on public procurement

September 12th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

The goals of this workshop will be:

  • to introduce the large amounts of public procurement data unlocked by Opentender.eu
  • to explore ways through which it can be use in improving transparency in public administrations.
  • The workshop includes also feedback by end-users (e.g. public officials, journalists, developers and civil society).

Participants will have the chance:

  • to improve their knowledge on transparency and public procurement data
  • to work with big data on public procurement
  • to create a network among different experts on anticorruption and transparency

How is the workshop organised?

  • 10-10.15: Participants registration
  • 10.15-11.45: Presentation of DIGIWHIST
    • DIGIWHIST goals, data type and their collection, cleaning and sharing
    • Red flags of inefficiency and opacity
    • Presentation of opentender.eu
  • 11.45-12.00: Coffee break
  • 12.00-12.30: Presentation of YourDataStories project (to be confirmed)
  • 12:30-13:30: Lunch break
  • 13:30-16:00: How to use Opentender.eu
    • Participants will be guided through the use of the portal: download, analysis and evaluation of the public procurement data on the portal. The data can be used for simple analysis or analysis of specific cases.
  • 16.00-16.30: Evaluation phase and workshop closure

Time & Location 

September 30th, 2017 –  10 am – 5 pm BonnLAB – Zingsheimstraße 2, in Bonn-Beuel

Contact Persons

The contact persons are

https://digiwhist.eu/

Send questions about the event to:

Notes

  • This workshop is free-of-charge with limited seats available on a first-come-first-served basis
  • Meals are provided
  • The workshop will be in English

73rd American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting 2017, Philadelphia, USA

May 10th, 2017 Posted by No Comment yet

Theme for the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology in 2017 is: Crime, Legitimacy and Reform: Fifty Years after the President’s Commission

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

Thematic panels, individual paper abstracts, and author meets critics panels due: Friday, March 10, 2017

Posters and roundtable abstracts due: Friday, May 12, 2017

DIGIWHIST  researchers from the Università Cattolica di Santo Cuore (Milan, Italy) will be presenting findings from the project. More information to follow soon.