Government to hold procurement ‘hackathon’

MANILA, Philippines - The government is set to hold a “hackathon” to bring together various sectors to help develop applications or software to help citizens understand and monitor the procurement process in government.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, whose office is part of the government’s Open Data Task Force, said the event “aims to harness the potential of civic technology in fostering government transparency and increasing public awareness of the procurement process.”

Organized in partnership with the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System and Globe Telecom, the hackathon will gather developers, designers, researchers and data gurus in the country.

“Potential app ideas and challenges include helping citizens understand and monitor the procurement process, matching government needs with prospective bidders, and assembling a history or track record of previous bidders,” said Lacierda.

The hackathon will be held on Nov. 23 and 24. Participants are invited to form groups of three to four people with a mix of developers and designers.

Online registration will be on Nov. 10 at data.gov.ph/events/procurementhack.

“By bringing together different sectors, the hackathon provides a platform for collaboration among various groups – government, the private sector, civil society and international partners,” said Lacierda.

“It is also in line with the Aquino administration’s commitment to tuwid na daan and to reforms in public expenditure,” he added.