A Hackathon is an event in which professional computer programmers and others involved in software development and hardware development, including graphic designers, interface designers and project managers, are invited to collaborate intensively on software projects. DGFIP set up a two-day Hackathon on 1st April exploring the opportunities provided by opening the source code of its PIT tax simulator. 8 projects were proposed by the participants. The winners presented a solution leading to optimized computing time, therefore making the calculator more user-friendly. Other teams designed a tool making it possible for users to compare their tax return with other taxpayers or an educational tool teaching users how the income tax is built and broken down.
Big companies and administrations increasingly use this kind of event to spur creativity and give a new perspective on the way they design their apps, tools and e-services. DGFIP could benefit from the know-how and creativity of the participants, opening new avenues to the way it approaches its IT projects. The French Government is committed to Open data as a part of its Digital Agenda. Hackathons show the opportunities offered by making public data and algorithms available to citizens and the developers' and programmers' community.
Watch the event video here