GovHack SA 2021 - Regional Awards Event
~ Contributed by Helia Bornaki, GovHack Regional Operation Team (ROT)
GovHack held their annual Open Data competition on the 20th-22nd of August 2021 with GovHack SA Regional physical event located at Torrens University, Adelaide. The international challenge ran over the weekend starting on Friday, 20th August, 5 PM - 9:30 PM; over Saturday, 21st August, 8 AM - 9:30 PM; before the final sprint on Sunday, 22nd August, 8 AM - 5:30 PM.
The free event was open for anyone who wanted to not only be challenged, but to create better solutions for any of a number of the 31 challenges defined by a range of sponsors. The South Australian regional event was supported by one sponsor and five partners: Pernix (Silver Sponsor); Stone & Chalk (Event Partner), Torrens University Australia (Venue Partner), Adelaide University Entrepreneur Club (Community Partner), Founder Institute (Community Partner) and Moonshots (Community Partner).
Sponsors posted a range of topical challenge questions such as: "How can data help us better understand and meet the needs of vulnerable Australians such as older Australians and Australians with a disability as we navigate through the complexities of a global pandemic?" and "In order to access online services, citizens need to give their consent for their data to be used. How do you gain their trust that their data will be used appropriately?"
GovHack SA hosted options for both an in-person Adelaide Physical Event and an online SA Digital Event, allowing for inclusivity, accommodating changing conditions with Covid-19, extending oportunities for SA regional participants where distance was an intervening factor, and allowing for competitors who for many reasons participate remotely.
Teams at the Adelaide Physical Event held at Torrens University, created a project page, proof of concept, and a video telling the story of how their government datasets can be reused for the product within 46 hours over the weekend. Five teams consisting of 1 to 6 members, submitted six separate projects (one of the teams applied for two separate projects) across different challenges and a range of datasets. In the SA Digital Event for those participating away from a physical location with 24/7 operating hours, five teams of 2 to 4 members submitted five separate projects.
The winners of GovHack SA 2021 were announced on the 14th of October 2021, with The South Australian State Awards presented to eight teams.
1. Building Citizen’s Trust in this Digital World – Sponsored by Pernix
In order to access online services, citizens need to give their consent for their data to be used. How do you gain their trust that their data will be used appropriately?
Winner: DigiKey by Big Sunday (Queensland) with their >>Video Presentation
Runner Up: PII Access Notifications by Nothing to See Here (Victoria)
Honourable Mention: ATOMIC by Atomic Northerners (Victoria)
2. The digital future of agriculture – Sponsored by GovHack Australia
How might we use data and digital technology to make agriculture more sustainable, more ethical, and more efficient?
Winner: SuperCattle by The Lone Alpaca (Tasmania)
Honourable Mentions:
- Market sure by MBCC GovHackers (Western Australia)
- TwoFold – Predictive and Detective Disease Management System by ElectronicallyE (South Australia)
3. Meeting the needs of vulnerable Australians during a global pandemic – Sponsored by GovHack Australia
How can data help us better understand and meet the needs of vulnerable Australians such as older Australians and Australians with a disability as we navigate through the complexities of a global pandemic?
Winner: Support Access Portal by Ken Behrens Collective (Australian Capital Territory)
Honourable Mentions:
- DigiKey by Big Sunday (Queensland)
- Digi-Van by Charlotte’s Web (South Australia)
Interested in Volunteering with GovHack?
Find out from GovHack Volunteer Helia Bornaki about why she chose to join:
"Joining the GovHack SA operation team as a volunteer provides an opportunity for me to not only develop my skills but also build on my existing experience and knowledge. Also, it provides a golden opportunity to build my community by meeting new people.
I believe GovHack is an event that offers the chance to give something back to the community and make a difference to the people. So, It is an honour to be a volunteer member for this valuable event."
If you would like more information about GovHack for 2022 visit https://govhack.org/ or Hackerspace hackerspace.govhack.org/ or contact GovHack SA for the local regional lead.
