2024
Monitoring Economic and Investment Plan infrastructure projects:
A data scientist’s perspective
Monitoring EIP infrastructure projects: A data scientist’s perspective
CRM Update | North Macedonia
November 26, 2024
The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) is a collaborative initiative of the EU, of international financial institutions, of bilateral donors, and of South East Europe 6 (SEE6) beneficiary countries. It aims to promoting harmonization and cooperation in investments that drive the socio-economic development of the region and serves as the primary mechanism for implementing the Economic and Investment Plan. Additionally, WBIF is central to ensuring outreach, transparency, and accountability in the EU’s financial support to the region.
The WBIF website is a critical and trusted source of information on EU-supported strategic infrastructure projects in the SEE6. However, gaps between rapid technological advancements and policy-making practices often hinder the effective utilization of such resources by its potential beneficiaries.
As technology increasingly shapes governance and impacts transparency and accountability, researchers, think tanks, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are beginning to adopt data science methods to analyze institutional data more effectively. Despite progress, their efforts often remain constrained by technical barriers and outdated data practices.
This paper explores the challenges associated with accessing and analyzing WBIF data as presented on its website. It highlights the technical shortcomings that impede a deeper quantitative research and discusses the implications it has for transparency and accountability. While the study focuses on the WBIF, its findings are relevant to broader discussions on improving data accessibility in SEE6 public institutions.
Tags: SEE6, WBIF, Data Science, EIP
