Hackathon 2017 tackles rates and taxes management

–pressure leaves contestants frazzled but optimistic

SEVEN teams have begun blazing the 48-hour-long trail of creating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions in this year’s hackathon competition which began on Friday at the Pegasus Hotel.

This year’s participants are required to create an innovative and ICT-based solution to Rates and Taxes Management and Reporting for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
This should be done through building a web or mobile application with several functions aimed at making it easier for taxpayers to make payments and manage their property details.

At last November’s inaugural competition, participating teams had quite a few challenges to choose from in areas such as incident reporting and agriculture.
This year, however, all participating teams have just one challenge to create an ICT solution for.

According to the ICT Adviser to the Minister of Public Telecommunications, Mr Lance Hinds, “What we want to judge is one product coming from the various participants.”
In addition to being able to judge the solutions without subjectivity, Hinds said, this method allows for each participating team to be innovative in their approach to tackling the challenge.

Asked what has become of last year’s winners, Team Verizon 75 (V75), Mr Hinds said they have since been engaging with the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) to refine their solution. In like manner, he said, this year’s winning team will seek to have their solution implemented in the sector with which their project is associated.
“Every time we get a product, the idea is to see how it can be used for in the local context,” Hinds said.

While only seven teams have signed up for the non-stop event this year as opposed to eight on the last occasion, Hinds said that this time around, the competition has taken on a more focused approach.

Meanwhile, when the Guyana Chronicle paid participants a visit on Saturday after they had completed the initial 24-hour haul, the fatigue was evident.
Some had found the oddest of positions in which to get comfy, while others decided to press on to finish the project.

“The project in itself is not that complex; it’s just that the scope of it lends to complexity, because of the different departments you have to consider,” explained Kenneth Parris during a quick break from designing.

He said that with the more focused approach being taken this year, all of the teams should be confident with creating an application that satisfies all the requisite functions, never mind that is the more efficient and innovative of the lot that would obviously clinch the top prizes.

Parris is a returning participant from last year’s inaugural competition, where his team was unable to finish in the top three. Nevertheless, he and the rest of “Team myMarket” are seeking to create the superior solution this year.

Hackathon 2017 will conclude today at 12:00 hrs, following which the applications will be judged, and participants required to make their presentations.
The prizes up for grabs are $300,000, $200,000 and $150,000.

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