GovTech Poland

The challenge of the Kolobrzeg city

A challenge identified by the City of Kołobrzeg was the lack of an effective platform for the exchange of information and cooperation between NGOs, of which there are more than 200 in the city. The city and the organisations did not have a communication channel that would facilitate the transfer of information about available funding sources, allow them to volunteer for ongoing events or act as a calendar for meetings. The lack of such a solution limited the development potential of the sector as a whole and hindered effective cooperation between organisations.

Dissolution of the RBCSuccession team

In response to this challenge, the winning RBCSukcesja team proposed the portal 'Wavvy - on the wave of help'. Wavvy is a tool to help local government organisations, local small and medium-sized businesses and residents exchange information in an efficient way. The main aim of the application is to facilitate networking between identified stakeholders by creating a space for sharing information and providing a common base for all needs, which will translate into a more efficient use of available resources. The ecosystem prepared by the team consists of two applications - a web application and a mobile application.

The basic functionality of the web application is a database of calls for proposals and grants offered to NGOs, in addition to which organisations can subscribe to thematic categories of interest in which funding opportunities arise. In addition, organisations can create their own profiles, where they can indicate what resources they are able to share. This tool allows them to effectively manage information about available resources, such as expertise, volunteers, space, materials, or skills that may be relevant to other organisations. Another key functionality is for an organisation to add planned events so that information about them goes out to residents. NGOs will have the opportunity to let others know what stage of project preparation they are at and who or what they need when implementing the project. This will also enable potential support for the project from local businesses. Wavvy is managed in a simple and intuitive way and allows content to be added via forms.

The Wavvy mobile app is primarily designed for residents, allowing them to access a database of events and projects implemented by NGOs, which will translate into broader participation in local community activities. In the mobile application, residents can volunteer to support organisations in their status activities. Participants can express their opinions and interest in selected events and organisations.

During the hackathon, the RCB Succession team created an MVP of an ecosystem to take the city's cooperation with the third sector to a new digital level.

The Dąbrowa Górnicza City Challenge

In the city challenge, the city of Dąbrowa Górnicza noted the need to increase the biodiversity of green spaces. A solution to this problem could be to develop an application that would directly indicate the Biotope Area Factor (BAF) of a given plot of land.  Dąbrowa Górnicza needed a tool that would take into account not only the quantity, but also the quality of the vegetation and the relevant species in order to reduce the degradation of inner-city areas and provide enough high-quality greenery for residents.

SeaTea team solution

In preparation for the task during the hackathon, the SeaTea team made a study visit to Dąbrowa Górnicza on their own initiative to better understand the challenge set before them, conduct interviews, and get a feel for Dąbrowa.  From their observations, it was clear that the city was green and that the residents were satisfied with the areas available. So the team decided to take a different perspective - and literally - as they took pictures of the city with a drone, which highlighted phenomena such as 'concretosis' (i.e. the covering of squares and plazas with impermeable surfaces), spatial chaos, and the low biodiversity of green areas with grass cover dominating. Current biodiversity design solutions are based on user-unfriendly tools.

The solution proposed by the SeaTea team is simple and transparent. It guides the resident step by step through the calculation of the BAF area. The tool allows to dynamically determine the BAF for a given plot of land. When the BAF is lower than the accepted BAF for a given plot type, the application suggests possible changes to be made. After using the calculator, both the official, the resident, and the entrepreneur receive a personalised report with a list of things to improve.

The SeaTea team also plans to use a component in the app that will generate an image of the space after the introduction of new green elements, whether in the form of new plant species or green facades and roofs, based on a selected photo.

The calculator, prepared by SeaTea MVP, brings added value to investors (in the form of assistance in obtaining planning permission), officials (by making their daily work easier) and residents by visualising how a high BAF would affect the appearance of their neighbourhood.

Łomianki city challenge

The challenge proposed by the City of Łomianki concerns the preparation of a personal data retention scanner that would search through files and records to detect and protect sensitive data. 

The sth_fishy team's solution

The sth_fishy team proposed a solution in the form of a personal data retention scanner. During the diagnosis phase, the team noticed that data stored in offices is valuable prey for cybercriminals. If irregularities are detected, high penalties can be imposed on offices for non-compliance with RODO regulations.

The proposed solution was created with the employees of Łomianki City Hall in mind, so that it is simple and intuitive to use. As a next step, the team plans to conduct tests with users to tailor the application to their needs as much as possible.

The scanner allows the location, classification, and deletion of files containing personal data. The software is installed locally, on users' computers. This makes the solution easily scalable and simple to use in another office - installation is all that is needed. For security reasons, the device does not use cloud resources and can operate offline.

The scanner can classify files as: safe, false positive (containing little personal data) and containing personal data. In order for the scanner to successfully recognise files containing personal data, the team used a machine learning model. Based on this, the user has a choice of specific actions: delete the file, keep it, or place it in quarantine.

The MVP prepared by sth_fishy has the potential to support many Polish local authorities in better protecting personal data.

A challenge for the City of Otwock

In an era of urban development and services for residents and climate change, which has now become a challenge for emergency management specialists, Otwock submitted a challenge to create a service that alerts residents and visitors about utility interruptions or street closures.

Netconcept team solution

Netkoncept prepared a solution based on a mobile application and a web platform. The application is to be easy to use, offer broad accessibility on both Android and iOS, and be WCAG compliant.  It is to allow any number of users and to open it in any browser. Officials will be able to send push notifications to their phones to registered participants and those in the affected area.

The Netkoncept team also proposed a number of ideas for developing the app in the future, such as:

• automatic retrieval of data from other sources via an API,
• reporting of needs and problems by residents,
• events and news,
• information for tourists and residents,
• contact between residents and authorities and authorities and residents.

We would like to thank all the teams who decided to take part in Hack2React. We are glad that this event was an opportunity for you to test and develop your skills and learn how to work under pressure. We hope that the feedback you received from the mentors was helpful to you, and that taking part in the hackathon showed you that cities can be an interesting audience for new technologies. We hope to see you at the next Programme Cities with Govtech by PFR events soon.

Organisers: GovTech Centre, Polish Development Fund

Funding: GovTech Centre

Partner: Józef Piłsudski Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw

Honorary patronage: Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Minister of Education and Science, Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy