PROGRAMME BG 11
"CAPACITY-BUILDING AND INSTITUTIONAL COOPERATION"

Online platform provides information for cross-border regions in the Balkans

Online platform Patchwork Balkan (developed under the Project "Bulgarian border dialogue. Development of a regional database CBC" of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, with the co-financing of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism) was presented to participants in a training within the project annual conference. The project is supported by the National Statistical Offices of Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia and Macedonia, Institute "Jefferson" and the Norwegian Barents Secretariat.
The platform is available completely for free at www.patchworkbalkan.org. The system is interactive and can be updated and supplemented by users allowing them to extract and visualize various socio-economic, geographic, demographic and other data, related to cross-border regions of partner countries. It is available for free use by wide range of stakeholders - citizens, journalists, NGOs, companies, local and national authorities. The data platform will enable the development of analytical materials which give information for the development of the regions.
Through the joint efforts of the statistical offices of the countries participating in the project some data and indicators were synchronized in order to be comparable and proportionate. They will be useful in the formulation of the region policies will allow comparison and analysis of socio-economic indicators and measuring the impact of the implementation of various projects, initiatives and policies to improve the quality of life from border regions.
The creation of a single database, independent of national borders, is of a great importance for the cooperation between regions and in the same time is a step in the statistical area, which provides many future opportunities for collaboration in the Balkan region.
The seminar, organized by project partners: "Jefferson" Institute, the Norwegian Barents Secretariat and Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is focusing different channels, methods and tools for demand and supply of specialized information, which is based on media reports and analyzes. It brought together students in journalism and journalists from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
During the training rectors from "Jefferson" Institute and representatives of leading media demonstrated the benefits and the need of a data based journalism, as well as how to incorporate the information for the purposes of journalism and journalistic analyzes.
Information about the Project "Bulgarian border dialogue. Development of a regional database CBC" can be found at: www.bbdstats.org.