Speaker
Description of the Work
e-Infrastructures receive a considerable support from the EC for the integration and continuous innovation. In this way the evolution of e-Science is catalysed, improving technology and helping the researchers to conduct their inquries.. EC financed 91 e-Infrastructures projects since 2009 and, in a context of limited resources, the impact associated to this financing requires to be carefully assessed making sure that the concrete goals set by the EU for the e-infrastructure domain are achieved and understanding if and how the financed projects contribute to these goals.
ERINA+ studies go exactly in this direction. Pivot of the project is the development of a methodology to assess both the impact of e-Infrastructures on the general economy (and society) and the impact produced by e-Infrastructures projects to the e-Infrastructures themselves, therefore evaluating also the value they add to the general economy and social welfare.
The methodology that will produce an assessment in qualitative and quantitative terms and means, includes the following main components: a mapping of e-Infrastructures and e-Infrastructures projects, the analysis of their socio-economic impacts, an evaluation of e-Infrastructures performance also from the point of view of their users and other stakeholders, and the analysis of the impact on European Research Area development.
A web tool developed by the consortium will enable projects to perform a self-assessment that will help them understandi their impact and improve their sustainability plans.
The workshop will (1) present the web tool, ready in a beta version, and (2) will show the results coming from the methodology testing.
The session proposed will then go deeper into the presentation of these two main points: the web tool and the results from ERINA+ methodology. The web tool, presented at the EGI-TF (September 2011) and now ready in a beta version, will be the means by which projects can self evaluate their performances. Part of
Conclusions
The session will provide general information to attendees on the importance of projects’ assessment and give them a chance to know the potential approaches and complementarities to serve the success of the projects and e-infrastructures in general.
Overview (For the conference guide)
The workshop will provide an overview of different actions and approaches to assessment of e-Infrastructures impact. It will present the results generated by the testing of the ERINA+ methodology on a restricted sample of e-Infrastructures’ initiatives. Beside this, the ERINA+ webtool for projects’ self-assessment will be presented in its beta version and feedback from the attendees will be collected. Other initiatives will present their approach to the data gathering and analysis for assessing e-Infrastructure impact and sustainability, namely the eNventory and e-FISCAL projects.
Impact
The impact will be twofold considering the presentation of the web tool beta version, the possibility for the participants to influence its further developments and the opportunity for projects attendees to better understand the different methodologies, share best practices and experiences and to validate the different instruments. Better understanding costs is also important for the users besides the service providers and policy makers.
