CORDIS

Software features that enable the users to socially interact with others regarding the visualisations and share them with the social networks they are members of.

The implementation and use of tools in at least 3 municipalities in Spain.

A prototype of the OpenBudgets.eu platform that integrates the finished tools from WP2, WP3 and WP7.

Using the approach described in D1.1.3 a data structure definition will be formalized for the domain of public spending data.

The final version of the system after any modifications required from the system testing and the use-cases.

This report will focus on the Data Mining and Statistical Analytics technique developed in T2.3.

This report is the result of a number of prototypes created in T2.1. The prototypes will consist of a number of RDF conversion tools that effectively perform transformation (semantic lifting) of provided financial data in heterogeneous format into one representational format, RDF, based on the data model defined in WP1.

Developing the tool for citizens to influence budget allocation and integrating it in OpenBudgets.eu

A collection of budget and spending visualisation that demonstrates the usability and completeness of the visualisation framework for each of the stakeholders.

In cases where external vocabulary terms are not suitable for direct reuse in data structure definitions, while being semantically related, they may be interlinked with internal vocabulary terms. Such mappings will determine relations to external RDF vocabularies and ontologies and hence contribute to alignment with external data. These links will make it easier to integrate OpenBudgets.eu datasets with third party data and applications. Links of data structure definition components will be created and curated manually, due to their small size and high quality that is required of them.

A graphical user interface that assists the end users to define the parameters required for the comparative analysis services offered by WP2.

Based on the feedback received during early use of the developed data structure definitions their updated versions will be prepared. The prime objective of the update will be to fix detected errors and improve the data structure definitions in general. In particular, the update will feature amend-ments prompted by other work packages of the OpenBudgets.eu project. The nature of these amendments will be incremental and as backwards compatible as possible.

Code lists used for OpenBudgets.eu data will be interlinked both internally and with external datasets. In this way, connections between equivalent or similar concepts will be made machine readable. Due to larger size of data in question, the interlinking will be done semi-automatically using link discovery frameworks, such as Silk. Manual intervention will be included for validation of the produced links. Links will be expressed in RDF using mainly SKOS mapping properties. The result of this deliverable will be a set of publicly available linksets, so that both OpenBudgets.eu platform and third parties may make use of it.

Based on input collected by surveying the domain of publishing public budgets data on the Web a data structure definition for this domain will be specified using the Data Cube Vocabulary. Compo-nents of the data structure definition will be assembled mainly from parts of the reused data models.

A set of web application modules and best practices on their deployment. The modules will reuse existing visualisation libraries to compose a flexible ecosystem of tools for the stakeholders.

The data transformed by the prototypes reported in D2.1 might contain inconsistencies or non-optimal states. This report will document the prototype developed in T2.2, integrating methods required for cleaning, transformation and semantic enrichment of the data to improve its quality.

Code lists selected to be used with the data structure definitions will be either readily reused, if available in RDF and SKOS, or else converted to SKOS-based RDF. The transformation will be executed using existing tools by applying declarative mappings, such as with XSLT or SPARQL. If required, the repurposed code lists will be complemented by manually developed auxiliary code lists. All but the reused code lists will be published on the OpenBudgets.eu web site as linked open data allowing third parties to make use of them.

The prototype deliverable will consist in data mining result interfaces produced in T2.4. The performance of the interfaces will be quantitatively evaluated and feedback will be used in the final phase of the project to provide a fully convenient OpenBudgets.org platform.

Developing the tool for citizens to monitor budget execution and integrating it in OpenBudgets.eu

A report with proposals for legislative change or clarification at EU-level or requests to better oversee the implementation of transparency provisions will be produced, linking examples and analysis from Task 2 to the need for change.

The second and final version of the yearly Dissemination report.

A detailed report containing the classification and the description of the collected budget & spending visualisations. This document will be used to determine the visualisations that the Deliverable 3.2 framework will need to support. The report will be updated every two months, mainly after organised hackathons.

Publicly available reports on the uptake and reception to tools constructed under this grant. These reports will correspond to the refined user requirements exploration gathered in T5.1.

A specification describing a methodology for the encapsulation of a visualisation plus its data into a file package and the process of digitally signing the package as authentic.

Publicly available reports on the uptake and reception to tools constructed under this grant. These reports will correspond to the user requirements exploration gathered in T5.1.

Short briefing papers (1-2 pages) based on an analysis and comparison of structural funds will be made available to officials in national authorities that are managing structural funds and European Commission officials. These will be produced on a continuous ‘as needed’ basis, but there will be at least 6.

A yearly Dissemination report will document the different events and dissemination activities that are conducted through the project. It will also focus on analysing the impact of the dissemination activities conducted throughout the duration of the project.

An exploitation impact report will document the actual exploitation of project results by analysing the success measures.

This report will focus on the prototypes developed in T5.3 and changes made to external tools such as SpendingStories.org based on data available on OpenBudgets.eu.

A report defining the required functionality of OpenBudgets.eu for acquiring, transforming, storing, viewing, analysing, sharing and publishing of data. This report will include the system architecture and the information interchange between the mentioned functions.

A final analysis of the data quality of EU funds included in the Openbudgets.eu platform, including an analysis of which needs identified in Task 0 cannot be met.

A simple benchmark will be produced based on an analysis of the provision EU structural funds data in at least 14 EU countries. The benchmark will be published in 2015 and in 2016.

Trials involving European municipalities or regions as additional subcontractors for evaluating and using the platform.

A report that documents the assessment on identified gaps and needs by different stakeholders regarding citizen participation in pre and post budget approval.

A report documenting the intended use of the OpenBudgets.eu platform, whilst providing guidance to the target users.

A short report (10 pages) analysing whether the data structures, tools and architecture foreseen or implemented in Openbudgets.eu correspond with the needs of EU policy-makers.

The designed data structure definitions will be equipped with documentation providing guidance to their users. Documentation will consist of reference documents explaining components of data structure definitions and illustrating their intended use with examples. The reference part of the documentation will be accompanied by brief manuals covering the use of data structure defini-tions in broader context, including examples of recommended modelling patterns and URI patterns for identifying described data.

Publicly available reports on the uptake and reception to tools constructed under this grant. These reports will correspond to the final user requirements exploration gathered in T5.1.

Survey of approaches related to modelling public budgets and spending data and their use in practice will be prepared. This review will assess what relevant data models are fit to reuse, in order to prevent reinventing previous work. The delivered report will primarily draw on an overview of related initiatives, projects and applications, that aim to publish public budgets or spending data on the Web. Knowledge elicitation with domain experts and prospective users of the developed data structure definitions will serve both as source of requirements for further work and as means of validation for components from existing data models identified as reusable. Domain knowledge will be elicited by conducting interviews and performing example tasks, which will help reveal key concepts in the given domain, its established terminology, and competency questions with which the fitness of the developed data model can be evaluated.

A strategy and outreach plan to identify stakeholders and target groups and analyse their specific need both on the demand and on the supply side of the open budget and spending data.

This report will focus on the requirements needed to process RDF data for statistical analytics and data mining. In particular, this report will focus on those tools that exploit Linked Open Data either as their main technological layer or as an extension.

Data structure definitions for public budgets and spending data will include dimensions that restrict their values to codes drawn from prescribed controlled vocabularies. For each dimension expressed as coded property, relevant code lists available for reuse will be surveyed. The adopted selection criteria will prefer code lists published by standardisation bodies, so that their stability is ensured, and emphasize those that are widely adopted. Preference will be given to code lists available in RDF and described using SKOS. Reuse will be restricted to code lists available under open licence. The survey will be done mainly using data catalogues, such as the EU Open Data Portal (http://open-data.europa.eu/) or PublicData.eu (http://publicdata.eu/).

A short questionnaire that will be sent to all members of European Parliament BUDG and CONT committees, to assess the data and data analysis needs of EU parliamentarians.

A detailed report defining the specifications for the interfaces for WP2, WP3 and WP7, based on D4.1.2.

This report will gather all the feedback given during the workshops organised for the Journalism Test-Bed. Three (3) workshops will be organised by Month 12 and seven (7) by the end of month 17.

The exploitation plan will analyse potentials for the exploitation of the results of the project and establish success measures the impact.

Education material/resources which is integrated in the previous tools to promote citizens’ awareness, education and participation.

The publication of the benchmark will be accompanied by a media advisory, press release, infographics and other media products.

The dissemination strategy will describe the approach used for dissemination and outreach to different stakeholders and target groups. It will also describe the approach for organising events and workshops, and for raising awareness of the research conducted across the different technical areas and case studies. A collection of press releases from each project partner will be published on the website for dissemination to identified stakeholders and target groups and the general public. A collection of testimonials from high profile representatives of each stakeholder and target group will be published on the project website as a means to highlight the importance of using best practice, tools and standards for the publication of public budget and spending data and the value of financial transparency and accountability.

The Fact Sheet will outline the project's objectives and approach, specify technical work areas and intended case studies and target groups, and detail intermediate and final outputs. The public website of the project will have collaborative tools and mechanisms for discussions and information exchange. The site will provide project overviews and highlights; up-to-date information on intermediate and final project results, including public reports and publications. The collaboration platform will be constantly updated, being populated with all the project events, including conferences and workshops, best practice and learning materials, etc.

An open call for public administrations to perform trials as subcontractors will be published, where the applying public administrations and municipalities will be selected based on specific criteria.

This deliverable will outline a Data Management Plan for the Linked Data generated by the OpenBudgets.eu platform. This plan will include the suitable applicable licenses (such as ODBL), possibility and suitability for reuse, and the long term management of the semantic resources in compliance with the LOD lifecycle and best practices. This plan will be updated at every milestone cycle.