Date: 19.12.2015

Organizer: AIS in the framework of MG&P

Place: My Office, Tirana

Topic of this year: Life in a Different City

Hackathon (Hacker + Marathon) is an open marathon, where various individuals may participate, work, and finalize an application or map. This year, Hackathon was held on 19 December, and the suggested topic was: Life in a Different City. An open invitation was addressed to ordinary citizens, analysts, storytellers, scout programmers, and designers.

The event was organized as a contest among groups and individuals. Six groups managed to get to the finals, presenting the following topics:

Topic: Health Care in My City. How is money spent in the hospitals for citizens’ health? Where is budgeting done best: Gjirokastra, Fieri, Korça, Dibra, or Kukësi? Students of Economics monitored budget-related facts for regional hospitals. Money means first health services, and then health. Some of the Hackers’ findings include: more money is paid for salaries than medications, equipment, and hospital treatment. .

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/girokaster.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/korce.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/kukes.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/list.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Shendetesia/Totali.html

Topic: Albanian Facing European Tourism. What should know a tourist visiting Tirana, and what those managing tourism should know about other European countries and about countries neighboring Albania? This was the theme of an application presented at Hackathon 2015.

Topic: Infrastructure Expenses. Two municipalities with the biggest budget for Infrastructure: Gjirokastra and Tirana. Public Works and Infrastructure that each citizen would like to have in his/her municipality. One of the Hackathon contestants identified the two municipalities with the biggest budgets and expenses for infrastructure. Gjirokastra and Tirana are on the top of the list, and Hackathon presentation identified the private companies contracted for public works in these two municipalities.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/transporti/Gjirokaster.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/transporti/Tirana.html

Topic: Improve My City#‎Saranda. APP or web page? Do you have problems with infrastructure or urban planning? Do you live in Saranda? Report your problems to ‘Improve My City’!! Afterwards, your report shall be posted on the website of the Mayor or City Council. An APP for e-Participation.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/saranda/test.html

Topic: Employment vs. University in My City. The number of those pursuing their University studies is much higher than the number of new jobs requiring a University degree. An analysis of these figures presented at this Hackthon brings a comparison showing how disintegrated these two trends are. Finding: 6% of the country population is University students. However, the number of jobs that require a University degree is far from that. Study fees are the highest at the University of Medicine, but the highest salaries are paid in the Hydrocarbure Industry. The number of IT students is the lowest, but the highest number of new jobs is found precisely in this sector. There is a need for more research in the labor market and its relation with the University – that is the conclusion of the first presentation at Hackathon Albania.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/Ne qytetin tim cdokush shkon ne Univ. A ja vlen/list.html

Topic: Taxes in a Different City. How do I pay for my Municipality?!! A student of the Faculty of Economics, another one from the Faculty of Medicine, and one from IT joined their efforts in finding out the city, where people pay the highest and the lowest taxes.

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list2.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list3.html

http://ais.al/Hackathon/taksat/list4.html

The six final ideas were presented to a jury composed of the following:

• Anisa RULA, Scientific Researcher, University of Milan, Bicocca, Italy
• Elga MITRE,Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana
• Julia HOXHA, Scientific Researcher, Albanian Institute of Science (AIS), University of Columbia, USA
• Leonid BLLOSHMI, Open Society Foundation Albania
• Rron NUSHI, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana

 

Hackathon took place in the premises of My Office. This is the fourth year that AIS organizes a Hackathon for Albania. The next event to be organized by AIS is Open Data Day 2016 Albania.

In the framework of Money, Government and Politics program, updated data are released in Spending Data Albania portal, “Money and Power” column, about declared assets of newly elected Mayors of June 21st, 2015, as well as their relatives’ assets. The data are published in compliance with access to information, transparency and accountability principles. Through these publications every journalist or citizen can be informed of the annual income of each mayor such us income from rents, bargains, intellectual property, gifts, opening of inheritance acts etc.

• In case of employment of the family members through declarations, we can provide information on labor relations in the public or private sector and in some cases investigative journalists can assess whether it is necessary to undertake an investigation on possible conflict of interest.
• Statements also contain information on their income abroad such as credits in foreign banks and real estate outside the country.
• The release of these data creates the possibility for citizens to monitor, if the Mayors will favor the development of specific properties and businesses.

As we would like to thank you for your attention, we want to remind you on the eventual use of the data contained in our publications without any restriction. But on the other hand we would like that you always cite Spending Data Albania portal, Money and Power column, developed in the framework of our organization program AIS titled  Money, Government and Politics.

e- Participation awards on 8th of December at the European Parliament in Brussels

Albanian Institute of Science as a member of the Telecenter Europe Network within the e-UROPA project during May–September 2015 organized the online competition “My e-participation Story”. The competition aimed the collection of the most significant stories related to the use of e-participation solutions that raised awareness among the young generation on a social problematic. Twelve winners were announced simultaneously in twelve countries. Awards will be given on 8th of December 2015 at the European Parliament in Brussels. The best compelled story from Albania is submitted by Jora Risto student at the Faculty of Medicine in Tirana. The story is titled “The Albanian November Students” and refers to the civic engagement and protest against the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons in Albania. There were six stories submitted at the national level that dealt with migration and free movement issues. Furthermore, the winner was evaluated during the annual conference of Telecenter Europe which took place on 24-25th of September. The awarded story will be published in a brochure together with 11 stories from the other European participant countries at the website of Europa Participation. This competition was realized as part of the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union.

Read the story here: Albanian November Students

Video:

Pictures from the protest: