Panel: "Building Software in a Pandemic"

This insightful panel, held during the Good Tech Fest, focused on the urgent development of software tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The session was hosted and moderated by Evan Tachovsky of Rockfeller Foundation, co-moderated by Aman Ahuja, who also participated as a panelist.

The discussion delved into the experiences of two prominent teams. Speakers Marisa Eisenberg and Jon Zelner spoke about research at the Univerisity of Michigan, and speakers Julia Kodysh and Michal Mart reflected on their work on the Covid Tracking Project.

Key aspects of the conversation included:

• Design and Development Under Pressure: Insights into how these teams rapidly designed and developed their tools amidst the global crisis, facing tight time constraints and limited resources.
• Testing and Adoption: Exploring the challenges and strategies in testing and deploying these tools for effective use by policymakers and the public.
• Co-creation with Partners and Users: The panelists discussed the significant role of collaboration with partners and users in the software development process, emphasizing the concept of co-creation.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, software developers worldwide raced against time to create tools aiding policymakers and the public. This session highlighted the high-impact contributions of the COVID Tracking Project and the University of Michigan researchers. The panel explored the journey of these tools - from conception to deployment - under unprecedented circumstances, shedding light on the collaborative nature of software development in times of crisis.