From the field to Brussels: Monithon’s experience in the iMonitor project

On 27 March 2025, our own Luigi Reggi and Giulia Renzi had the opportunity to present the results of their work in Italy at the final conference of the European iMonitor project, held in Brussels. The event marked the conclusion of the iMonitor project, a two-year effort aimed at combining public procurement data analytics with civic monitoring across four countries: Italy, Lithuania, Romania, and Spain (Catalonia).

While the conference was an important moment to reflect on results and share experiences among project partners, it also served as a launchpad for iMonitor 2.0, which will begin in May 2025 with an expanded reach and new thematic priorities — particularly climate and construction-related investments.

Here we offer a closer look at Monithon’s contribution to iMonitor in Italy, as well as insights from the other participating countries and institutions.

iMonitor

iMonitor 1.0 is a two-year European project that combined data analytics and civic monitoring to improve transparency in public procurement across four countries: Italy, Lithuania, Romania, and Catalonia (Spain).

The project used a three-step approach — Select, Monitor, Report — enabling citizen monitors to investigate high-risk contracts identified via OpenTender.eu. These were supported with training, fieldwork tools, and reporting platforms, with findings shared with public enforcement partners.

Key achievements included:

• 96 contracts monitored
• 120 active monitors, supported by 27 organizations
• A tailored 2-module training program
• Enhanced data infrastructure with new integrity indicators

The final event was not only a showcase of results, but a real forum for dialogue. With keynote remarks from Nicolae Ştefănuță, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and contributions from Mihály Fazekas and Bianca Vaz Mondo of the Government Transparency Institute and national partners, the stage was set for reflecting on what we achieved and what comes next in iMonitor 2.0 — a phase that promises broader geographic reach and more innovation.

🇮🇹 Monithon’s approach to the monitoring of public tenders

Monithon led the Italian chapter of the project with a very specific focus: how to engage local communities in using data to monitor real public projects — not from a place of confrontation, but through dialogue and collaboration.

Our work started with assessing the risk of corruption of individual tenders, so public contracts were initially selected among those with high values of the potential corruption risk indicator developed by the project and accessible through the OpenTender portal.  However, our approach has always been rooted in the belief that civic monitoring works best when it encourages constructive relationships with public institutions.

Over the course of the year, we contacted more than 80 organizations and individuals. Thirteen of them completed the full journey: they joined our training sessions, selected public contracts through OpenTender.eu, conducted field visits, and published full civic monitoring reports.

What made this possible — and meaningful — was the link between local relevance and European funding. Communities weren’t randomly assigned projects to monitor; they chose investments that mattered to them — schools, hospitals, urban regeneration — often funded by EU or national programs.

Thanks to the availability of open data from ANAC – the Italian Anticorruption Authority that supported the project, we were able to connect each CUP (project identifier) to the corresponding CIG (tender ID), allowing citizens to trace the full lifecycle of a public investment — from funding source to contracting and execution. This level of transparency was key to turning abstract data into something concrete and monitorable at the local level.

Some participants were already active in civic life. Others came through a social media call we launched. Most participants had never done anything like this before, but together, we created something powerful:

• 16 monitoring reports
• 8 identified issues (delays, lack of transparency)
• 2 suspicious cases now under further review.

A story from the field: Urban renovation and a hedgehog colony in Turin

During the panel on national contributions, Giulia Renzi, a Monithon volunteer and a recent graduate, shared a compelling story from her civic monitoring experience in Turin. She investigated a public investment project focused on urban regeneration, only to discover that the works had been significantly delayed.

Rather than stopping at the surface, Giulia submitted a formal request for information to the Municipality — and received a detailed explanation. Among the reasons for the delay? The unexpected discovery of a hedgehog colony on-site — a protected species in Italy — which required careful relocation before construction could resume.

While the story may sound unusual, it captured one of the key messages we aimed to share throughout the project: civic monitoring isn’t about confrontation, but understanding. When public officials are willing to explain their choices, and citizens are willing to ask the right questions, the result can be a win-win dialogue — one based on transparency, respect, and shared responsibility.

🇷🇴 Romania: from civic monitoring to corruption alerts and asset declarations

In Romania, the iMonitor initiative was coordinated by the Romanian Academic Society (SAR), focusing on a grassroots approach that engaged young, first-time civic monitors across ten counties and Bucharest. Of the 36 volunteers initially involved, 15 remained actively engaged throughout the project.

The monitors reviewed 26 public contracts, submitted 11 full reports, and conducted 10 on-site visits. One notable negative case involved a traffic monitoring system that was flagged by an iMonitor volunteer for irregularities. The suspicions raised eventually triggered a broader corruption investigation — a powerful example of how community-led monitoring can act as an early warning system when paired with effective institutional follow-up.

In parallel, Romania also introduced a second monitoring track focused on transparency in local governance. Volunteers collected and systematized 1,145 mayoral asset declarations from municipalities across the country. An outlier analysis is currently underway to identify unusual patterns or discrepancies that could merit further investigation.

This dual focus — on both procurement contracts and asset declarations — demonstrated how civic monitors can play a valuable role in detecting risk and improving accountability across multiple dimensions of public integrity.

🇪🇸 Catalonia: Local engagement meets institutional collaboration

In Catalonia, the iMonitor project was led by COLPIS, focusing on strengthening local civic engagement while leveraging institutional collaboration — particularly with the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia (OAC). The team trained over 40 participants through in-person and online sessions, ultimately involving 31 civic monitors who reviewed 38 contracts across multiple levels of government, from local to state level.

Selection of contracts was guided by OpenTender’s risk indicators and red flags provided by the OAC. While access to execution-related data remained a challenge, six contracts revealed irregularities, with five reports submitted to enforcement bodies. Participants came from diverse backgrounds — including students, public officials, and neighborhood activists — showing how civic monitoring can mobilize a wide cross-section of society when supported by trusted institutions and targeted training.

🇱🇹 Lithuania: From the classroom to real-world oversight

In Lithuania, Transparency International Lithuania (TILS) implemented iMonitor in close partnership with Mykolas Romeris University, embedding the monitoring process directly into academic programs. Over 60 students from law and public administration programs were trained to assess low-integrity contracts using OpenTender and field-based tools.

They monitored 21 procurement procedures across several regions, covering sectors like vehicle procurement, IT, and environmental maintenance. Despite finding limited availability of information on supplier ownership and bidder participation, the initiative had a clear educational and practical impact. Many students reported increased confidence in identifying corruption risks and used FOIA requests to access additional data. The project demonstrated how academic institutions can serve as incubators for long-term civic engagement, combining data literacy with real-world applications.

Reflections from key speakers

The iMonitor final conference was not only a space for presenting results — it was a moment of reflection on the role of civil society, data, and institutions in defending democracy and integrity in public spending.

The event opened with welcoming remarks by Jeroen Blomsma (DG JUST) and Mihály Fazekas (Government Transparency Institute), who underlined the importance of the iMonitor project within the broader European anti-corruption framework. Blomsma noted that public procurement is among the sectors most vulnerable to corruption, according to a recent analysis by the European Commission, with an estimated cost of at least €180 billion per year. He also emphasized the growing attention of EU institutions toward technological tools and data analysis to guide public action in this field, highlighting the importance of collaboration between public authorities and civil society. Finally, he announced that a new EU Anti-Corruption Strategy is expected in 2026, potentially opening up new opportunities for initiatives like iMonitor.

Nicolae Ştefănuță, Vice-President of the European Parliament, delivered a powerful keynote in support of civic initiatives like iMonitor. He warned of a global “MAGA-wave” that undermines democratic norms, including transparency in public spending. Arguing that “democracy defence is also part of defence,” he called for increased investment in civil society and investigative media — particularly at a time when rising defence budgets may crowd out support for oversight mechanisms. He encouraged stronger advocacy toward EU institutions like the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and OLAF, and warned against the misuse of emergency powers to limit democratic freedoms.

During the panel on big data and civic engagement, several valuable insights emerged:

• Angelos Binis (SG REFORM) shared lessons from participatory budgeting pilots and civic tech platforms in Greece. While access to procurement and lobbying data has improved, he noted that true civic impact depends on the serious commitment of civil society and the responsiveness of public authorities. He referenced international practices, including social audits in Latin America and strategic citizen consultations in Australia.
• Antonio Greco (Transparency International) discussed the Integrity Pact model, a preventive anti-corruption tool tested in different EU Countries thanks to the support of the European Commission. Unlike iMonitor, which emphasizes grassroots engagement, the Integrity Pact relies on experts and pre-emptive oversight. Greco emphasized that the two models are complementary: Integrity Pacts are well suited for high-value, high-risk contracts, while the iMonitor method can scale across smaller, locally relevant projects.
• Benedetta Biancardi (ANAC – Italian Anti-Corruption Authority) underlined the need for a structured, institutionalized dialogue between public authorities and civil society. She stressed four conditions for effective civic monitoring:
  1. Clear legal and policy frameworks, including practical guidance for civil servants;
  2. Adequate funding, both for civil society and public bodies;
  3. Shared training programs to build mutual understanding and trust;
  4. Visibility for success stories, to help shift the perception of civic engagement from burden to opportunity.

Biancardi also highlighted ANAC’s leadership in implementing Italy’s Open Government Partnership commitments, especially in making procurement data both accessible and usable. Her remarks echoed one of the key takeaways from the Italian iMonitor experience: data is only useful when paired with dialogue, capacity, and human relationships.

What we learned (and what worked)

We quickly realized that motivation doesn’t come from dashboards. It comes from support, trust, and shared purpose.

That’s why our strategy in Italy focused on human contact:

• Constant tutoring via calls and chats
• Field visits that created bonds between people and places
• Legal support throughout the process
• Open badges and recognition that made participants feel part of something meaningful
• Even small playful touches — like the “Selfie with the RUP (public manager responsible for the tender)” challenge — made it approachable

The most important lesson? When people feel they belong, they contribute more than you’d ever expect.

Looking Ahead

While the Brussels conference marked the end of iMonitor 1.0, we already see what’s next.

In Italy, six of the communities we worked with have committed to continuing their monitoring activities. Many others expressed interest in replicating the method or teaching it to others.

The seeds of a community of practice are clearly there. And if iMonitor 2.0 builds on this momentum — giving citizens even more space to engage — I believe we’ll see a real transformation in how public spending is monitored across Europe.

For Monithon, this project was a confirmation of what we’ve always believed: open data becomes truly powerful when it’s used by people who care. Civic monitoring isn’t about catching someone doing wrong. It’s about making public investment better, together.

We’re proud of what we achieved in Italy — not just because of the reports we published, but because of the people we brought together.