WBAA Project: Developing Participatory Methodology For Addressing Trans-Regional Issues Bridging Science & Practice
Use case of Intelligent Transport Systems from managerial and technical perspective
The overall aim of the project was to develop a new model for collaboration among identified different stakeholders (in this case: academia, policymakers, community, and non-profit organizations) aiming to address community problems and facilitating value with co-creation towards an integral approach in developing a methodology for addressing trans-regional issue for innovative managerial and technical access in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
The multidisciplinary project team is composed of professionals with different skills and expertise:
- Daniela Koltovska Nechoska, St. Kliment Ohridski University, Bitola, North Macedonia - project coordinator
- Renata Petrevska Nechkoska, St. Kliment Ohridski University, Bitola, North Macedonia, UGent BE - project co-organizer
- Tihomir Latinovic, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina - project partner
- Klejda Harasani, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania - project partner
- Albana Veseli, University of Prishtina, Kosovo - project partner
The three webinars were successfully organized on 30th September, 28th October, and 30th November 2021, where the panellists from North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, Serbia, and Slovenia from academia, Ministry of Transport, policymakers, WBAA members, students, nongovernmental organizations shared their knowledge, expertise, constructive and progressive ideas focused on the state-of-the-art in the relevant area, tracing the road maps for WB countries and their transport network from the technical and managerial aspects. The webinars were dedicated to gaining knowledge in establishing new, innovative, and efficient approaches to environmental management, decision making, and problem-solving within the context of national and corporate environmental and development policies. The e-learning platform was created and all presentations are set to disseminate a project result and make its results and deliverables available to the stakeholders and to the general audience. Link to project web page:
The major challenges include infrastructure improvement, reduction of congestion, increased safety and negative impact on the environment. These challenges are even more pressing for non-EU countries. Western Balkan countries are struggling with the following issues: Can it revitalize its infrastructure? Can it revitalize its environment? Even more... Can it revitalize its economy and society overall? In order to tackle above mentioned problems and challenges at the regional level, it is important to identify the institutional, economic, technological, infrastructure, environmental components that countries face when promoting sustainability in the cross-border region.
An integrated methodology for innovative managerial technical access in ITS will be developed and plotted through this project. The methodology is based on a multi-creation approach and critical success factor method (CSF) as a means for identifying important elements of success. Systematic and successful approaches set priorities and establish the long-term vision; promote convergence for addressing trans-regional uses for innovative managerial technical access in ITS. The created methodology brings together the WBAA members, researchers, government, academia, civil society, to create a vision tactically; identifies the integration between approaches, or provides a framework for making choices where integration is not possible. Additionally, this project drew a roadmap, describing in detail how this methodology can be used efficiently.
By networking knowledge and expertise of WBAA members from North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo, this 6-month project had enriched regional cooperation, tackled existing challenges and contributed to the following goals: identified potentials and weaknesses in the ITS legal, organizational, technology and application implementation; developed of actions and measures to be addressed for full legal, institutional, technical and operational deployment of ITS on a national and regional level, aligned with international standards; recommendations for priority areas and indicators of progress monitoring; designed and published of conceptual handbook intended for further support and assistance for local authorities, relevant institutions for each project partner included in the project. Designed with integrated activities, the developed guidance enables them to select suitable actions and measures in several categories such as legal liability, economical and technical aspects, political factors and social issues; creating an e-learning Moodle page related to the WBAA official web page for the placement of project webinar sessions, different support materials, etc. to be disseminated for public improvement and learning.
Text by Daniela Koltovska Nechoska, Project Coordinator
Edited by Service Provider
19.01.2022
