Objectives of the Hackathon
The mission of the hackathon is to bring together 10+ teams from across the country, to develop their concrete solutions through a creative and highly collaborative approach for designing and implementing inclusive digital solutions to solve the problem of low average agricultural yield in the country. This way, the Authority is creating an environment where Zimbabweans can come together to solve this common problem affecting the country, whilst at the same time creating a culture of innovation through teamwork.
Activities to be performed in Phase 1 of the Hackathon
The following activities will be performed in preparation and during the first phase of the Hackathon:
Problem Identification – This activity has already been done jointly with the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS), and has resulted in the identification of the problem of low agricultural yields in the country. The two organisations have agreed to jointly host a Hackathon in July which is aimed at finding solutions to increase productivity and yields in the agriculture sector, under the hashtag ‘# Hack against low agricultural yields’.
- Hackathon Announcement – This activity opens the application process where all people interested in participating in the Hackathon will be invited to apply during the application period which will run from 03 – 21 June 2019. Applicants are free to apply as teams or as individuals.
- Participants Selection – This activity will begin after the application deadline. All applications will be screened by the selection committee, composed of the organising team, as well as subject matter experts and innovation experts, in order to choose the best hack teams and hackers to participate in the Hackathon.
- Participants Notification and Confirmation – Selected hackers will be informed by email not later than 05 July 2019. Selected participants will be given up to 12 July 2019 to confirm their availability to participate in the Hackathon and submit the necessary documents.
- Hack Team formation and Briefing – As soon as all hackers have confirmed their availability, final hack teams will be formed and announced by 19 July 2019. The organising team will provide all necessary logistical information for participant to prepare for the Hackathon.
- Introduction and kick-off – The Hackathon will start on 24 July 2019 with an introduction about the event and a kickoff session where the objectives of the Hackathon and the expected end result will be explained, taking note of any suggestions which may be made by the participants. The organizing team will provide guidelines on the rules of the hackathon. The kick off process will end with participants pitching their ideas and forming teams based on their interests and specific skills.
- Hacking Time – The kick-off will be followed by the Hacking Time, which will run from 24 – 26 July 2019. During this activity, participants are expected to work in their teams, on their own, without any external supervision. They will manage their own time and are free to work round the clock, if they want. The Authority will take full care of the hackers during the Hackathon, including meals and drinks, in order for participants to be able to focus 100% on ideation, prototyping and progressing with their solution.
- Prototype Pitching – After the work has been done, and on 26 July 2019, the hacking teams will pitch their ideas and prototypes to a panel of adjudicators who will choose the five (5) winners in accordance with pre-set criteria.
- Official Launch & Presentation of Grants – On 26 July 2019, the Hackathon programme will be officially launched during the ‘Agriculture Innovation for Improved Productivity Conference’. Each of the 5 winning teams will also receive seed capital, in the form of a grant equivalent to USD 5,000 in RTGS, using the interbank rate. This will enable them to further develop their prototypes into fully-fledged solutions for the identified problem and prepare for the second phase of the Hackathon.
Activities to be performed in Phase 2 of the Hackathon
The second phase will involve the following activities:
- Product Development – During this activity, the 5 successful teams from phase 1 will be given three months to further develop their prototype into a solution for the identified problem, using the seed capital provided by the Grant.
- Product Presentation – At the end of 3 months, the teams will participate in the Hackathon finals for the year, where the 5 teams will provide an update on the progress on their solutions before a panel of adjudicators who will evaluate the progress made and choose the top three national winners for the year, in accordance with pre-set criteria.
- Presentation of National Awards – The 3 national winners will then be provided with more assistance towards completion of their projects.
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