Judges are crucial to the success of our hackathon; they bring in their invaluable critical thinking and expertise to evaluate and recognize the quality of the participants’ work. Their experience in industry or academia not only puts them in a unique position to identify the most innovative and outstanding projects but also fosters an environment of fairness and transparency for the competition. A diverse panel of judges will ensure that the outcome is fair and well-substantiated, as it will be evaluated from multiple perspectives. This diversity brings a breadth of experience and insight, which enhances the validity and comprehensiveness of the final decision. Judges are expected to participate in the last afternoon of the event where they will be presented each project and convene to decide on the winning teams.
Pre-presentation
Judges are briefed about each participating team’s idea and have been given feedback on the teams by the mentors and SMEs who have interacted with the team.
Presentation
The teams will be invited to present their projects live to the judging panel. Each presentation lasts up to 5 minutes including the Demo and will be followed by a brief 3 minutes Q&A session, where judges can probe deeper into specific aspects of the project. Each judge may ask up to 1 question. This stage is crucial for assessing how well teams can articulate their ideas, respond to feedback, and demonstrate the functionality of their solutions in real-time.
Scoring
After the final presentations by the teams have concluded, the judging panel will convene in private to discuss and identify the top-performing teams. In this private meeting, judges can ask each other to clarify questions and engage in discussions and potentially adjust their individual scorecard. This collaborative process is designed to ensure that all perspectives are considered, and that discrepancies in scoring can be addressed through open dialogue. At the end of this private meeting, the judges are expected to have finalized their private scores on their scorecards.
Solutions will be evaluated to ensure they are relevant, innovative, functional, and inclusive. Judges will score each project across four categories:
1. Relevance & Impact
2. Innovation & Technical Challenge
3. Functionality, Feasibility & Scalability
4. Accessibility Values
5. Presentation
Clarity and Aesthetics of Written Communication – The clarity, completeness, and professionalism of the written communication and oral presentation
Each category is scored. All categories are equally weighted.
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