DATA expert Deborah Nwankwo has revealed an initiative fast gaining attention in the United States of America.

According to her, the project known as Critical Operations and Contract Integrity is a data-driven framework focused on embedding integrity directly into the infrastructure procurement process.

Explain how it works to the media, she further disclosed that the growing global conversation around fraud, waste and inefficiency in the United States infrastructure spending has renewed scrutiny on how public funds are protected.

As federal and state governments deploy historic levels of capital into transportation, energy, healthcare, and public utilities, weaknesses in procurement oversight have become increasingly difficult to ignore.

In this context, preventive approaches to fraud control are gaining attention.

She expressed optimism that her initiative, Project COCI (Critical Operations and Contract Integrity), a data-driven framework focused on embedding integrity directly into the infrastructure procurement process is helping in this regard.

Adding that her work sits at the intersection of supply chain strategy, accounting and risk analytics, she said, “Preventive approaches to fraud control are no longer a luxury, but a necessity.”

Her academic foundation reflects a deliberate alignment with the challenges posed by large-scale public investment. She holds a STEM-designated MBA in Strategy, Supply Chain and Data-Driven Management Science from Washington University in St. Louis, complemented by a four degree in Accounting from the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike.

Her professional career spans technology, retail, healthcare, and consulting, providing broad exposure to how procurement failures manifest across industries.

In her current role at Amazon, Nwankwo leads large-scale U.S. operations focused on optimising national distribution networks, deploying AI-enabled demand forecasting, strengthening supplier performance management and ensuring continuity of critical material flows.

Project COCI is designed as a preventive framework that embeds integrity directly into the procurement lifecycle. By integrating forensic accounting principles, supply chain analytics, and predictive risk modelling, the initiative links financial approvals with verified supplier performance, historical delivery data, and market-based cost benchmarks.

This, she said, allows oversight bodies to identify anomalies and risk concentrations before contracts are finalised. Beyond fraud prevention, the initiative addresses the broader operational consequences of weak procurement governance. Ineffective oversight often leads to substandard infrastructure quality, cost overruns, delayed project delivery and erosion of public confidence in essential services.

As infrastructure investment continues to expand, she said Project COCI illustrates how applied expertise in supply chain strategy and risk management can strengthen national governance.

By shifting fraud prevention from a reactive compliance function to a proactive operational capability, the initiative contributes to more resilient infrastructure systems and greater confidence in how funds are deployed.