Official Rules

 

Introduction

The mPathy Project (the Administrator), initiated by WebServes Inc., is a challenge created to help launch a mobile/web app that will facilitate innovative ways for nonprofit (NPO) and nongovernmental (NGO) organizations to help the various underserved populations of our communities. Individuals and teams with diverse skills are encouraged to register for a challenge. Each participant in a team will be required to describe and demonstrate their challenge response as a proof-of-concept interactive prototype. Finalists will also submit design documents for their proposed app.

The goals of The mPathy Project are threefold:

  1. stimulate the development of software applications that can improve the programmatic work of NPOs and NGOs
  2. encourage innovation and the creation of new intellectual property with high potential benefit to the most vulnerable and endangered populations
  3. help leverage technology to solve important problems (social, environmental, etc).

A response will be judged by the following four criteria:

  1. potential positive impact on the challenge problem
  2. innovation of the response (including user experience and design)
  3. quality of the response (including creativity and relevance)
  4. feasibility of final development for deployment

1. Can I Participate?

The mPathy Project is open to any individuals, 18 or older, who have verbal and written command of the English language. Any response submitted by a team, association, entity or organizations must meet the eligibility requirements for an individual participant.

A participant, who is an employee of the Administrator, the Host, the judges’ panel, or WebServes, must disclose the relationship between the participant and the Administrator, the Host, the judges’ panel, or WebServes before the participant may submit a response.

No response shall propose a software application that has been made publicly available. Any such response will be deemed ineligible for consideration under The mPathy Project.

At least one (1) member of each challenge team must be present at all events in New York City.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF BEING SELECTED.

The mPathy Project is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. By submission of a response, a participant does fully and unconditionally agree to these Official Rules and The mPathy Project’s decisions, which are final and binding on all matters related thereto. The successful challenge response must be in compliance with these rules.

See Terms and Conditions.

2. When Do I Register?

Calendar dates for challenge registration as well as other challenge related events will be posted on The mPathy Project website. The Administrator’s computer is the official timekeeping device for The mPathy Project.
Registration is free.

3. How Do I Submit a Challenge Response?

Submit any and all challenge responses before the Response Submission Deadline (See Challenge Logistics for Response Submission Deadline).

Requirements for Response Submission:

Each participant will provide detailed application information as part of the submission of a response. After the Response Submission Deadline, no response will be permitted to be modified in any way until after the initial judging of all responses has been conducted.

A response must consist of a proposal for an original software application that runs on the Web, a personal computer, and/or a mobile handheld device broadly available to the public (e.g. ios, Android). A response must contain an application that functions as provided in the text description.

A response must be submitted in English.

A response must: (a) be an original application; b) be solely owned by the participant, so that no other party has or can validly claim any right, title or interest, whether known or unknown in the application; and (c) not violate the intellectual property, common law or privacy rights of any other party. See Terms and Conditions.

Submission Rights for Participants:

Each participant represents and warrants that the participant owns the intellectual property rights to the software application. See Terms and Conditions.

4. Display of Submissions

Summary of challenge responses will be featured on The mPathy Porject website: http://www.mpathy.webserves.org

5. Response Selection and Judging Criteria

The mPathy Project Challenge Criteria:
  • Potential positive impact on the Challenge Problem
  • Innovation of the response (including user experience and design)
  • Quality of the response (including creativity and relevance)
  • Feasibility of the final development for deployment
Responses will be screened by a panel of jurors, who are selected by the Administrator. A number of finalists will be selected to present at the Challenge Showcase.
The Administrator reserves the right to substitute or modify the jurors’ panel at any time for any reason. A juror may withdraw without advance notice in the event of extenuating circumstances beyond the juror’s control. The jurors will be fair and impartial. Thus, a juror may elect to not judge a response, if in the juror’s sole discretion the juror is required to review the response of an individual, association, entity or organization, with whom the juror has a close relationship or is otherwise associated. A response will not be held at a disadvantage if a juror recuses himself or herself on account of that close relationship or association.

6. Verification of Challenge Responses

ALL CHALLENGE RESPONSES ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY THE ADMINISTRATOR, WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING IN ALL MATTERS RELATED TO THE MPATHY PROJECT. Challenge responses must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules. The successful response will be notified on or about the date of the Challenge Showcase.

7. What Happens if my Response is Selected?

The mPathy Project administrators will work with the selected challenge team and the challenge Host to complete development and delivery of the product into use by the host organization.

8. Other Things to Know

General Terms and Conditions