Intention: Developing a Corona app through a pressure cooker approach and market consultation

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport intended through a pressure cooker approach (either with steam and boiling water), to arrive at the first development of an app through a market consultation that can map the spread of COVID-19 and warn people when they have been close to an infected person. Due to a quick selection of candidates, they wanted to work with a limited number of (7) parties make further development in order to be able to select the most promising ones.

The result: None of the apps turned out to be suitable

On the one hand, because the apps themselves showed shortcomings, especially in the area of ​​privacy, on the other, because it was also not clear what the success criteria were. What should the app actually do and what not? And what requirements with regard to. security and privacy had to be met?

Then came the expected criticism: how did the selection of the candidates come about?? Why not look abroad more (where even in Singapore use is limited)? How does one fall short of an important topic such as privacy??

To analyse: It is not at all surprising that no working app has come

Certainly in such a short time it is not surprising that they have not even come to a suitable design. That could never have been the intention. However, it has become clear in a very short time where the greatest challenges lie and a lot of input has been gathered with regard to this. which criteria will play a role. Both in terms of functionality and security/privacy. In the haste, communication has been less careful and wrong expectations have been aroused among parties and citizens. For example, the project leader and CIO of the VWS (Ron Roosendaal) attacked here and there and accused of undermining the right to privacy. In a personal blog he has convincingly shown that this accusation is completely unjustified, but we know how fast imaging can go.

Conclusion: The appathon is Brilliant Failed

With the appathon they were definitely planning something valuable: An app that helps fight COVID-19 and a new approach, based on crowd sourcing. In addition, many people have worked hard to achieve the best possible result. We can't help but praise this. It (detrimental)risk was great, but was certainly in proportion to the goal one was trying to achieve. Only the communicated deadline (28 april) may have been very optimistic. This genuinely innovative approach failed due to, among other things, this time pressure and limited preparation. However, we can indeed speak of a Brilliant Failure, as there are valuable learning outcomes.

The Institute for Brilliant Failures is happy to offer to map the learning outcomes by using the method of the Institute for Brilliant Failures. These learning outcomes may well mean the biggest profit of this project!

We sincerely hope that everyone wants to see this and continues to think positively to use the possibilities of digital tools. Every little bit helps!