The scientific aim of the SIPRI Information Portal was to create a user-friendly web portal containing time-series data and detailed analyses on issues relating to peace, conflict, arms control and disarmament, with the ultimate aim that users would be able to search these four data areas, produce reports in a variety of formats (PDF, XLS, CSV, RTF and online) and generate charts and graphs.

In addition to completely rebuilding the internal SIPRI database structure in order to provide a combined database from which to power the portal, an initial external site was designed and built that will allow external users to access SIPRI data. The four datasets are available in two ways: independently of each other and in combined searches. For the latter, considerable resources were invested in order to determine how best to combine the data in meaningful ways, as not all our data were initially comparable directly with each other. This was a very useful process, which will result in a deepening of the users' abilities to understand the nature of the data and how to use it.

The new portal will assist scholars in enhancing ongoing research, in generating new avenues of research, and will help enhancing teaching and learning processes. In addition, easy access to systematic and multi-facetted information on issues relating to peace, conflict, arms control and disarmament will be of great value to policymakers, and for journalists in presenting this information in an easily accessible manner for public audiences.

Some Comments

In this project SIPRI re-organized and restructured its four disparate databases systems and combined them into one, with the help of contracted database specialists. This constitutes the basis for the management of the external user portal.

During the process of restructuring and consolidating the SIPRI databases multiple entries of key data points were eliminated, and unified currency codes and definitions for regions were created. By outsourcing the software development to portal specialists, an iterative process was established through which multiple functionalities were developed simultaneously. This was made in close cooperation with the developers.

Unforeseen changes—including the turnover of portal specialists and SIPRI database experts—made a series of strategic internal changes necessary during the course of the implementation of the project. Specifically, some planned functionalities were discontinued and the efforts were redirected and focused on the main developing work providing the public with SIPRI’s most ‘famous’ data on global military spending, global arms transfers and the global arms industry.

The project finally cost more than foreseen yet SIPRI and its reputation are based on the data and due to its importance SIPRI both already matched up with own funds and is also still continuing to invest into the project.

The result of this focused software development activity is a new, united platform, from which SIPRI can share its data as a combined dataset, and which contains new and improved functionalities. The platform also enables the integration of more datasets and additional functionalities in the future.

Overall, eight SIPRI staff were involved during the different phases of the project implementation from the start to finish, with others contributing along the way. In addition, a decision was taken to employ a software development management process labelled ‘agile management’. With this type of software management, the various parts of the portal were developed in parallel rather than sequentially. That means that at any given point in time up to seven developers worked for SIPRI in this project. It led to that SIPRI could continuously provide useful input regarding how the portal was developed.

In summary
Achievements
• The internal software groundwork has been created for the SIPRI to be able to offer public access to arms industry, arms transfers and military expenditure data from a unified, state-of-the-art interactive web portal when? It is a little vague expressed like this.
• SIPRI has a modern, unified database system, which also provides a foundation for future applications and functions.
• The SIPRI project team has cultivated the skills required in order to run software development projects using agile management.

Remaining challenges
• Integrating additional data and functionalities into the system, and keeping in sync with technology developments. This will be an ongoing and integral part of SIPRI’s future work with its data and interface.

We would like to add here that SIPRI's own contribution for this implementation of the project is 161 941 SEK. This amount has increased after the formal completion of the project since SIPRI has the responsibility of maintenance and further development of the database, for which no additional external funding has been secured yet.

Publications

Trends in international arms transfers, 2013
Pieter D. Wezeman and Siemon T. Wezeman
SIPRI Fact Sheet March 2014

Measuring Turkish military expenditure
Nurhan Yentürk
SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security no. 2014/1

Trends in world military expenditure, 2012
Sam Perlo-Freeman, Elisabeth Sköns, Carina Solmirano and Helen Wilandh
SIPRI Fact Sheet April 2013

Trends in international arms transfers, 2012
Paul Holtom, Mark Bromley, Pieter D. Wezeman and Siemon T. Wezeman
SIPRI Fact Sheet March 2013

Arms trade control capacity building: lessons from dual-use trade controls
Sibylle Bauer
SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security no. 2013/2

Transfers of small arms and light weapons to fragile states: strengthening oversight and control
Mark Bromley, Lawrence Dermody, Hugh Griffiths, Paul Holtom and Michael Jenks
SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security no. 2013/1

Measuring international arms transfers
Paul Holtom, Mark Bromley and Verena Simmel
SIPRI Fact Sheet December 2012

Implementing an arms trade treaty: mapping assistance to strengthen arms transfer controls
Paul Holtom and Mark Bromley
SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security no. 2012/2