Kategori: SEEDS

Roundtable on “The Importance of Data Archiving and Open Data in Social Science”

On 15 of February 2017 in Prishtina, Centre for Political Courage (CPC), as one of the partners within the project “South Eastern European Data Services” (SEEDS), held a roundtable on “The Importance of Data Archiving and Open Data in Social Science”.

This roundtable aimed at presenting the initiative to establish a “Kosovo Social Sciences Data Center”, networking and promoting the open data and data archiving. SEEDS is a Swiss-funded project aimed at helping to establish new data services in social sciences in Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and in Serbia.

At the roundtable took part 23 participants coming from diverse institutions, including representatives from the University of Prishtina, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, National Agency of Statistics, Think-Tanks, as well as freelance researchers and civil society representatives.

Prof. Arben Hajrullahu from the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Philosophy in Prishtina opened the conference by presenting the SEEDS project, its purpose and aim, as well as what has been achieved so far within this project. Moreover, Prof. Hajrullahu highlighted the importance of open data and its importance for the academic and researcher’s communities.

Ms. Marijana Glavica from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, presented the process of establishment of national data services for the social sciences, emphasizing the lessons learned from previous and current projects such as SERSCIDA and SEEDS, and also the up coming project of CEESDA SaW. Ms. Glavica mentioned as lessons learned from the Croatian case the importance of networking and expressing continuous interests, since the establishment of social data archive it’s a very long process and it requires synergies with as much stakeholders as possible.

Mr. Georges Labreche from Open Data Kosovo presented some of the most successful projects. He shared his experience in working in this field and mentioned that in general there is a lack of knowledge and precise understanding what open data really is.Mr. Shkumbin Brestovci from Prishtina Hackerspace focused on the role and importance of open sources, authors rights, and on the impact of data in the policy making process.

A vivid debate among all participants closed the roundtable where final remarks were drawn by several questions, comments and suggestions. At the roundtable it was concluded that in Kosovo is needed more cooperation with other Western- Balkan and European countries in order to institutionalize a data archive in the years to come, which would definitely increase the level and quality of scientific research.

Roundtable on “The Importance of Data Archiving and Open Data in Social Science”

On 15 of February 2017 in Prishtina, Centre for Political Courage (CPC), as one of the partners within the project “South Eastern European Data Services” (SEEDS), held a roundtable on “The Importance of Data Archiving and Open Data in Social Science”.

This roundtable aimed at presenting the initiative to establish a “Kosovo Social Sciences Data Center”, networking and promoting the open data and data archiving. SEEDS is a Swiss-funded project aimed at helping to establish new data services in social sciences in Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and in Serbia.

At the roundtable took part 23 participants coming from diverse institutions, including representatives from the University of Prishtina, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, National Agency of Statistics, Think-Tanks, as well as freelance researchers and civil society representatives.

Prof. Arben Hajrullahu from the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Philosophy in Prishtina opened the conference by presenting the SEEDS project, its purpose and aim, as well as what has been achieved so far within this project. Moreover, Prof. Hajrullahu highlighted the importance of open data and its importance for the academic and researcher’s communities.

Ms. Marijana Glavica from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, presented the process of establishment of national data services for the social sciences, emphasizing the lessons learned from previous and current projects such as SERSCIDA and SEEDS, and also the up coming project of CEESDA SaW. Ms. Glavica mentioned as lessons learned from the Croatian case the importance of networking and expressing continuous interests, since the establishment of social data archive it’s a very long process and it requires synergies with as much stakeholders as possible.

Mr. Georges Labreche from Open Data Kosovo presented some of the most successful projects. He shared his experience in working in this field and mentioned that in general there is a lack of knowledge and precise understanding what open data really is.Mr. Shkumbin Brestovci from Prishtina Hackerspace focused on the role and importance of open sources, authors rights, and on the impact of data in the policy making process.

A vivid debate among all participants closed the roundtable where final remarks were drawn by several questions, comments and suggestions. At the roundtable it was concluded that in Kosovo is needed more cooperation with other Western- Balkan and European countries in order to institutionalize a data archive in the years to come, which would definitely increase the level and quality of scientific research.

Tryezë e rrumbullakët: Informaliteti dhe Korrupsioni në Kosovë: Një Qasje e Re Empirike

Në tryezën e rrumbullakët të organizuar nga Qendra për Kurajo Politike dhe Universiteti i Prishtinës, hulumtuesi Luca J. Uberti ka prezantuar gjetjet e projektit “Hartëzimi i klientelizmit dhe shkaqet e tij: renta, kërkimi i rentave dhe demokracia në Kosovë dhe Shqipëri” i cili është financuar nga ‘Regional Research Promotion Programme (RRPP)’.

Ky projekt dy vjecar është fokusuar tek përcaktuesit dhe efektet ekonomike të korrupsionit. Nëpërmes një partneriteti me think-tank nga Tirana (Development Sokutions Associates), gjithashtu është zhvilluar një dimension krahasues mbi studimin e korrupsionit në vendet që kanë kaluar tranzicionin pas konfliktit.

Ky projekt është zhvilluar rreth dy pyetjeve kryesore hulumtuese: a është korrupsoni përcaktues në rritjen ekonomike në Shqipëri dhe Kosovë dhe, nëse po, a munden reformat institucionale ta zvogëlojnë korrupsionin?
Pyetja e parë është trajtuar me anë të një ankete të ndërmarrjeve  në dy vende, anketë kjo e dizajnuar për të hetuar perceptimin e nivelit të fortë të korrupsionit, klientelizmit dhe mitmarrje. Duke pasur parasysh rolin vendimtar (edhe pse shpesh neglizhohet) të industrisë dhe, në veçanti, prodhimit për zhvillim dhe ndryshimeve strukturore, anketa ekskluzivisht ka mbuluar një mostër prej mbi 200 firma që veprojnë në disa sektorë të industrisë dhe të minierave – duke përfshirë (ndër të tjera), tekstile dhe veshje , metalet bazë, pulpë dhe letër, ushqim dhe pije, gome dhe plastike, etj

Rezultatet treguan se korrupsioni ka një efekt neto në uljen e rritjes ekonomike në Shqipëri dhe Kosovë: firmat që operojnë në një mjedis jo-korruptiv raportojnë të rriten me një normë mesatare që është më shumë se 8 pikë përqindje më e lartë se kompanitë e tjera, duke mbajtur disa përcaktuesit e tjerë të rritjes së vazhdueshme të firmës.

Megjithatë, studimi tregoi se efekti neto i korrupsionit është i përbërë nga disa nën-efekte, disa prej të cilave janë jo-negative. Për shembull, firmat duhet të mbështeten në rrjetet joformale (të partisë me bazë) të menaxhimit të punës dhe rekrutimin për të disiplinuar punën dhe për të korrur përfitimet e zgjerimit të fuqisë punëtore. Për më tepër, operimi në një mjedis më të korruptuar se sa ‘mesatarja’ nuk sjell ndonjë ulje të mëtejshme në prodhim, dhe korrupsioni duket se nuk ka efekt mbi normën e investimeve kapitale dhe rritjen e punësimit.

Këto rezultate ofrojnë njohuri të vlefshme për të adresuar më mirë luftën anti-korrupsion dhe për të arritur më shumë ‘zhurmë për dre’. Në këtë mënyrë, pjesa e dytë e projektit ka shqyrtuar të dhënat e suksesit të disa reformave anti-korrupsion të nxitura nga komuniteti i donatorëve që nga fundi i 1990.

Për ta bërë këtë, ne jemi mbështetur në të dhëna dytësore mbi kohën e shpërndarjes së licensave për investime të rëndësishme (p.sh. miniera dhe ndërtimtari) dhe kemi përdor zgjedhjet si ‘indikator’ të korrupsionit, ku rritja e fuqishme e dhënies së licensave afër zgjedhjeve është interpretuar si një tregues që licensat janë dhënë si këmbim për ryshfet dhe/apo vota.

Pastaj ne kemi studiuar ndikimin e reformave rregullatore përkatëse dhe ‘qeverisjes së mirë’ në intensitetin e ciklit zgjedhor – që është, në madhësinë e korrupsionit. Gjetjet tona tregojnë se, në sektorin e minierave në Kosovë, reformat rregullatore projektuar për të reduktuar korrupsionin nuk kishin efekt të rëndësishëm në rastet aktuale të korrupsionit. Rezultatet tona hedhin dyshime mbi qëndrueshmërinë e luftimit të korrupsionit duke u ngatërruar me institucionet formale – qasje kjo e cila ka qenë në qendër të strategjive anti-korrupsion deri më sot. Në të kundërt, gjetjet tona tregojnë se agjencitë anti-korrupsion duhet t’i kushtojë vëmendje më të madhe përcaktuesve informal të praktikave korruptive.

Prezenatimi i Luca J. UBERTI u pasua nga një prezantim i Yllka Buzhales (nga Qendra për Hulumtim, Dokumentim dhe Publikim), e cila prezantoj të gjeturat e projektit tjetër të financuar nga RRPP “Rrjetet joformale të pushtetit, patronazhi politik dhe klientelizmi”.  Diskutimi u mbyll me një debat produktiv mbi mësimet e nxjerra dhe rrugen se si të ecet përpara.

 

Roundtable: Informality and Corruption in Kosovo: New Empirical Approaches

In this roundtable hosted by the Centre for Political Courage and the University of Prishtina, researcher Luca J. Uberti presented the findings of a Regional Research Promotion Programme-funded project “Mapping Clientelism and its Causes: Rents, Rent-seeking and Democracy in Kosovo and Albania (1998-2013)”. The two-year project focused on both the determinants and the economic effects of corruption. Through a partnership with a Tirana-based research outfit (Development Solutions Associates), it also developed a comparative dimension in the study of corruption in post-conflict transition countries.

The project work developed around two key research questions: is corruption detrimental to economic growth in Albania and Kosovo and, if so, can institutional reforms help reduce corruption?

The first question was tackled by means of a two-country enterprise survey designed to investigate firm-level perceptions of corruption, clientelism and rent-seeking. Given the crucial (albeit oft-neglected) role of industry and, especially, manufacturing for development and structural change, the survey exclusively covered a sample of over 200 firms operating in several sectors of industry and mining – including (amongst others) textile and apparel, base metals, pulp and paper, food and beverages, rubber and plastic, etc.

The results unequivocally showed that corruption has a net growth-reducing effect in Albania and Kosovo: firms that report operating in a non-corrupt environment grow at an average rate that is over 8 percentage points higher than other firms, holding several other determinants of firm growth constant.

However, the study showed that the net effect of corruption is the composite of several sub-effects, some of which are non-negative. For instance, firms need to rely on informal (party-based) networks of labour management and recruitment in order to discipline labour and reap the benefits of expanding the workforce. Furthermore, operating in a more corrupt environment than the ‘average’ does not bring any further reductions in output, and corruption seems to have no effect on the rate of capital investment and employment growth.

These results offer valuable insights to better target anti-corruption efforts and achieve more ‘bang for the buck’. In this vein, the second part of the project examined the record of success of some of the anti-corruption reforms promoted by the donor community since the late 1990s.

To do this, we relied on secondary data on the time distribution of important investment licenses (e.g. mining and construction permits) and used elections as ‘indicators’ of corruption, with strong increases in licensing around elections interpreted as signs that licenses are awarded in exchange for bribes and/or votes.

We then studied the impact of relevant regulatory and ‘good governance’ reforms on the intensity of the election cycle – that is, on the magnitude of corruption. Our findings showed that, in Kosovo’s mining sector, regulatory reforms designed to reduce corruption had no significant effect on the actual incidence of corruption. Our results cast doubt on the viability of fighting corruption by tinkering with formal institutions – which has been the overwhelming focus of anti-corruption strategies to date. By contrast, our findings suggest that anti-corruption agencies should pay greater attention to the informal determinants of corrupt practices.

Luca J. Uberti’s talk was followed by a presentation by Yllka Buzhala from Centre for Research, Documentation and Publication of the results of other RRPP funded project ”Informal Power Networks, Political Patronage and Clientelism”. The discussion ended with a lively debate on lessons learnt and ways forward.