June 6-7 hackathon will develop mobile applications to report governance irregularities
SOFIA, May 27, 2015 — A team of young Bulgarian nationals working at the World Bank in Sofia is organizing a live competition for IT developers in the country to work on mobile applications for reporting governance irregularities.
Sponsored by the Youth Innovation Thrust Fund at the World Bank Group and supported by the leading IT companies and universities in the country, the goal of the event is to develop a one-stop shop mobile application that allows citizens to send signals from their cell phones about governance irregularities directly to the responsible government institution. This application allows people to take a bigger part in governance and urges institutions to act upon on citizens’ concerns.
The two-day event, scheduled for June 6-7, 2015 at the Software University in Sofia, is expected to get together young IT developers to work on a comprehensive mobile application. At the hackathon teams will compete to develop the best mobile application ideas, guided by experienced mentors and the winners will complete the product as part of an internship with leading IT companies.
"Bulgaria has a vibrant IT and ICT sector, and has positioned itself amongst the best outsourcing IT destinations in the world,” said Tony Thompson, World Bank Country Manager for Bulgaria. “Through this event, we are supporting the government’s efforts to strengthen governance and promote citizen’s participation. But the most intriguing element, is mobilizing and encouraging young people through technologies to make a contribution to improving governance in the country.”
For those interested in taking part in the competition, please visit here.