Overview:
The work packages in Open Budgets fall into two main categories: technical development, and test bed / use cases. The program is structured in this way to guarantee that its output resonates with the needs of its future users. The dissemination and project management work packages ensure the efficient coordination of the project and the thorough dissemination of its results among the whole range of stakeholder groups.
Technical development
Work Package 1: Data structure and Definition for Budgets and Public Spending.
A flexible, semantic data model that describes public finance is developed. This model will act as the base for the other tools within the OpenBudgets framework. It allows for analysis and comparisons across government levels, regions, and countries.
Work Package 2: Infrastructure for Data Collection and Mining
The infrastructure that allows the semantic lifting of heterogeneous budgetary data is developed. It acts as the input channel for the data and its analysis and allows users from differing contextual circumstances to implement their open budget data.
Work Package 3: Budget and Spending Data Visualisation
A set of budget data visualisation tools is developed that enable the user to reveal anomalies within and between datasets. The generated visual output and its standardised way of exporting serves as a powerful tool to understand complex nexuses and to discover (in-)coherences.
Work Package 4: Platform Architecture Integration and Development
This work package integrates the data mining, comparative analysis, data visualisation, data exploration, and feedback services (from WP1-3) into the OpenBudgets.eu platform. System-wide tests are run to ensure all the tools and services are integrated correctly.
Test Bed / Use Cases
Work Package 5: Journalism
With specific regard to the needs and requirements of journalists, the tools for creating and sharing visualisations and analysing the data comparatively are refined in an iterative process in this work package.
Work Package 6: Advocacy
WP6 is focused on creating an ‘advocacy test bed’ with the aim of assessing the requirements of EU policy makers as end-users of the OpenBudgets.eu platform, and consequently incorporating this feedback into the development of the platform.
Work Package 7: Citizens
The objective of WP7 is to engage citizens and other stakeholders in the pre- and post-budget decision-making process. Apart from the initial use-case for participatory budget, WP7 is also in charge of the large-scale trials for the OpenBudgets.eu portal.
Dissemination and Exploitation
Work Package 8:
The Europe-wide dissemination and exploitation is ensured by the promotion of the its results to the whole range of stakeholder groups through various media channels. The exploitation strategy is developed based on a Software-as-a-Service operation model.
Project Management
Work Package 9:
The coordination of the project, its consortium members and the timely delivery of the work packages is executed through the overall project management. This ensures the quality and efficiency throughout the project’s lifetime.