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Hackathon

Timeframe: short term

Degree of participation: high

Type of participants: Local associations and NGO’s, Citizens, Local / National Authorities (municipalities, ministries, local councils),  Companies, Cultural actors

Specific target of the method: To solve a pre-defined problem together.

 

 

WHAT IS IT?

Hackathons are short-term and intense events. Diverse groups gather to solve a defined problem or create a joint project that meets a specific need determined by the event organizer. The method varies, but it usually entails competition or collaboration between teams for a common goal.

Hackathons benefit both the organizers and the participants: by strengthening and developing employees by breaking routines, encouraging creativity, and increasing employees’ skillset. Other positive effects are networking between employees and strengthening their connection with the organization. Finally, organizations benefit from the acceleration and initiation of novel processes, the creation of a large pool of ideas, the identification of new talents, the opportunity to integrate external knowledge, and the contribution to the organization’s public image.

 

Design choices:

Selective or open recruitment (for the participants):

  • Open is focused on obtaining as wide a range of participants from various filed and industries as possible to encourage interdisciplinarity connections. The advantage is that such diversity has been shown to promote good results. This recruitment approach is appropriate when goals include building a community around a particular subject. BUT TO PAY ATTENTION OF is that there is a little control over the choice of participants and to expose some sensitive inside information to external players.
  • Selective it means that the organizer invites participants who meet specific knowledge requirements and participants who can accurately contribute to or benefit from the event. These closed events are suitable for organizations which require to maintain confidentiality.

Competitive or collaborative

  • Competitive, in which the primary goal of the participants is to win prizes and benefits. It is less suitable when the primary purposes are to foster collaboration and networking or to promote a solution for a common problem.
  • Collaborative in which participants cooperate to achieve a shared goal, it can also increase creativity. A possible solution is to offer small prizes instead of “the winner takes it all” approach.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Advantages

  • Capacity to find innovative and tangible solutions quickly.
  • Action ready result updated according to market needs quickly and cost effectively

Disadvantages

  • Finding and recruiting participants with the appropriate professional background
  • Maybe costly and challenging to organize.
  • Not really short term result