2017 Hawaii Annual Code Challenge Kicks Off Aug. 26

Posted on Jun 30, 2017 in News, Press Release
A group photo of the 200 HACC participants

At the 2016 HACC, more than 200 individual coders and innovators answered the state’s call. Photo courtesy of Russel Cheng.

HONOLULU – The State of Hawaii is calling all computer programmers, software developers, and tech-minded innovators to lend their collective creativity toward improving state government at the 2017 Hawaii Annual Code Challenge (HACC), the state’s second event of its kind.

The month-long competition will begin with the HACC Kickoff on Saturday, Aug. 26, at the East-West Center, Keoni Auditorium, and culminate with the HACC Judging and Awards on Saturday, Sept. 23, at the same location. Doors will open at 9 a.m. on both days.

Open to everyone, from students to amateurs to professionals, the HACC is a hackathon-inspired competition designed to engage the local tech community in modernizing state functions and services for a more effective, efficient and open government. Conceived by Gov. David Y. Ige, the event is coordinated by the Office of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) in partnership with the High Technology Development Corporation, local nonprofit Hawaii Open Data, and multiple state departments and agencies that will put forth challenges to community participants for identifying innovative ways to improve government services.

“We are inviting Hawaii’s tech community to accept the challenge of transforming how the state does business,” said state Chief Information Officer (CIO) Todd Nacapuy, who leads ETS. “The HACC provides a venue for the state to work together with the tech community to improve how state government engages and serves the public, while also helping to develop our local IT workforce.”

The HACC breaks the mold of a traditional hackathon, which typically takes place over a single day or weekend. The HACC provides an expanded four-week timeframe meant to encourage interaction between community teams and state department personnel, ultimately resulting in sustainable solutions that are appropriately matched with technologies and platforms in use or being considered by the state. Beginning at the HACC Kickoff, community participants form teams and select from a list of challenges themed around key problems facing the state. The teams then work over the next several weeks to develop their solutions. Participants return one month later to present their solutions for judging and the selection of winners. Awards go to the top teams, with outstanding solutions considered for implementation by the state.

The HACC is the result of collaboration across public and private sectors. It is made possible with support from Hawaiian Electric Companies, Kaiser Permanente, Kamehameha Schools, KPMG, and Verizon Wireless. Additional support is being provided by DRFortress and eWorld as well as other partners such as DevLeague and XLR8UH.

Last year, more than 200 individual coders and innovators answered the state’s call, addressing challenges presented by the Departments of Accounting and General Services, Agriculture, Health, and Public Safety, and others. Solutions tackling homelessness and jail facility visitation received top honors.

Rules and judging criteria will be announced prior to the kickoff event, with the list of challenges to be announced at the event itself. For participant registration and more information, visit HACC.hawaii.gov.

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Link to high-resolution images from the 2016 HACC:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/144304884@N07/albums/72157682819417224

Media Contact:
Keith DeMello
Senior Communications Manager
Office of Enterprise Technology Services
(808) 586-1866
[email protected]
ets.hawaii.gov