Procurement ­hackathon focusing on expert services

In December 2017, the Hansel Network met for a hackathon. Like previous Hansel Network events, the hackathon brought together a number of procurement specialists to network and develop public procurement.

The participants in what might have been the first procurement-themed hackathon in the world were able to decide in advance which challenge related to the procurement of expert services they wished to solve. On the basis of their wishes, the 30 or so participants were divided into groups of 4–5 persons, and the groups were given free hand in choosing their approach to the challenge. The procurement of expert services was developed from the points of view of occupational health care, measurement of effectiveness, and quality comparison, for example.

Traditional hackathons last several days, but the procurement hackathon required a more efficient approach – the challenges were to be solved in a single afternoon. The objective of each group’s efforts was to create a 3-minute pitch, during which the solution was presented to the jury and the other groups. Participants were also encouraged to continue the development of their ideas after the event, at work. The event was received with enthusiasm, and it was praised especially for its fresh approach and the way it encouraged creativity.