One of our first winning HackCorruption teams has local municipalities interested in their winning idea – an online procurement tool that fights corruption. Looking at government institutions in Namibia, Amon Peter, Baptista Joao, Farida Junior Kyababa, Linda McLeod, and Saudai Sapi created a product that enables a transparent view of the procurement process—allowing both government officials and the public to have a complete overview of the awarding of contracts. It’s just over a year since their victory, and we caught up with Farida and Saudi to learn the secrets behind their team’s success and how they have used the experience and opportunities from the hackathon to enhance the implementation of their product. 

In July 2022, Accountability Lab partnered with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement (INL) at the US State Department to host HackCorruption. This hybrid #tech4good event brought together 100 participants from six Southern and East African countries to gather innovative solutions to tackle anti-corruption challenges. After a competitive judging process, five teams were selected as winners. Each winning team received project funding, continued training and mentorship, and an invitation to the HackCorruption Boot Camp, where they created prototypes of their winning solutions in public procurement, digital security, and open data. 

The team was inspired to create the product after realizing that government institutions’ procurement process was not as transparent and accountable as it ought to be. “We noticed a lot of irregularity being reported, especially on social media. That’s when we had the idea to integrate the procurement process with social media so that the public could hold government officials accountable, have a complete overview of all the steps, and raise, rate, and review issues without interference,” explained Saudai. The team is currently in talks with the Keetmanshoop municipal situated in the administrative capital of southern Namibia after pitching their product at a stakeholder engagement. “We hope this municipal will incorporate our product alongside other municipals. We recognize that this is a significant product that will inspire change. Therefore, we must be sensitive to the pace of adoption and be willing to co-create the product with the municipals,” shared Farida. 

Farida and Linda were part of an online team and later requested to join a team at the facility. The two joined Amon, Baptista, and Saudai without knowing their backgrounds and skill sets. “They accepted us into their team, not knowing how we would contribute. We wanted to be part of a full-facing and interactive team”, recalls Farida. The newly joined team adopted a collaborative approach to their work by leveraging one another’s strengths and dealing with disagreement by having meaningful discussions and avoiding future hiccups. “From the onset, we disclosed our strengths and shortfalls, which helped us to understand what each person should focus on. This, in turn, allowed us to know when and how best we could help one another,” explains Farida. The team also credits diversity and soft skills for success, learning to navigate criticism and motivating one another. “Technical abilities are important, but our strength was in our diversity and willingness to speak freely and engage in healthy debate,” adds Saudai.

The team has also been cautious about how they have decided to use the funding they received from the hackathon. “We have spent some of the funding on hosting the domain and some subscriptions, but we are focusing on the future and looking at ways in which we can build a viable financial model as creators of the product so that we avoid co-dependency and ensure a smooth-running business,” said Farida. “We have learned that many elements are needed to implement a product,” explains Saudai. “There is branding, stakeholder management, subscriptions, and training, amongst other things. We are using our time to study the different channels and forecast changes in the tech environment. We intend on spending the funding wisely.”

When asked if they have advice for others in the digital space seeking to use technology for good, Farida and Saudai offered sound advice. “Start with a problem you face single-handedly,” said Farida. “Think carefully about all the aspects of the problem and then how that problem can be solved using technology. Even if you don’t have all the technical skills, collaborate with others. It’s essential to work with the community.” Saudai shared, “It’s all about trial and error. Don’t doubt your idea and think that it’s not good enough. Usually, the small problem is the one that needs attention before jumping to the big problem.” He adds, “Be willing to work with others and try to find a mentor, as you need to be able to talk about your ideas. Accountability Lab made a huge difference for us and others participating in the event. Accountability Lab’s guidance has helped us to complete activities, engage with others, and ultimately find the confidence to fail forward.”

Naseera Noor-Mahomed