Bridge Builders Challenge - #HACK 2021

We are creating a space where relational bridges can be built where they have not been thought of before. We want to connect missionally minded professionals around the world with information and opportunities in regions that are considered “unreached”. By understanding the economy that makes up an unreached area we can know how missionally minded individuals could work, live in areas they may have only prayed for from a distance.By joining the data sources of Joshua Project (JP), US macroeconomic data and worldwide trade data, how can we create a full “economic picture” for “unreached” areas to widen the impact and placement of missionally minded followers of Christ.

Background

People want to “go” but sometimes think that they can only serve “there” and only work “here”. By revealing the spiritual need “here” and the potential economic work “there” we desire to equip all of us to be “sent ones” when they walk onto the sidewalk and for them to desire the Kingdom to bring transformation to all aspects of culture “there”. For example, what if, missional grain experts in the midwest knew about agricultural opportunities in the areas they are praying for Christ to show up. This could apply to programmers, civil engineers, health care professionals and the list goes on. This knowledge could trigger action and they could move there and find their new neighbors to be those they want to see Christ meet. Users could explore job roles and opportunities as they explore needs in the world. The tool is aimed at the missionally minded general populace. It will be used for focused job placement or for determining strategic missional efforts. The nature of this service may require a login to see some of the services in a similar manner to Indigitous.

Minimal Viable Prototype (MVP) Goals

Integrate Joshua Project information to rank “unreached areas”
Include economic data for those areas
- Free: http://data.worldbank.org/topic/trade
- Paid: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/analytics/
Outcome of this would be a site with potential occupations that people could get hired for in unreached areas.

Stretch Goals

Choose job-type, get top listings in “unreached” regions of the world.
- To get real listings this would require LinkedIn API or other sites.
“Sister countries” or “sister cities”
- My finding cities that are similar economically in “reached” and “unreached” areas we could recruit from “reached” cities and start a prayer focus for their “unreached sister city”.

Data, API’s or Resources

Joshua Project database already posted to Amazon RDS instance
Need to aggregate US County Business Profiles data
Need to determine best source for general country specific business data
- Free: http://data.worldbank.org/topic/trade
- Paid: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/analytics/

Requirements/Constraints

By its very nature, this event means that some or even many of the following areas will be largely unknown. However, even the most basic idea of a challenge will mean that some can be answered. The following section is designed to help you think through the needs of your project and cover potential knowledge gaps.

Infrastructure
- Joshua Project Database, (Access format, or flat files)
- Need to aggregate US County Business Patterns data
- Need to determine best source for general country specific business data
- Front end initially intended to be R / Shiny but could change. Open Street Maps, Leaflet and ability to filter on ideal target required.
- Unknown on if site would allow users to be created which would require a larger CMS backend.
Personnel
- Example: Project could be done remotely and the content of site could be generated through a standalone project.
- Staff wouldn’t be needed but volunteers for maintenance would be needed
- Life / career / missional coaches could help ensure impact but not needed for tool.
Material
- Tool would be online and hosted so project does not have material components to it.
Geographic restrictions/considerations
- Data availability for economic data in some regions will likely be missing. May need to infer typical businesses for some cities.
- No restrictions are known at this point.
Education
- Example: Will your app/tool/thingie require significant user education? Is it targeted at experts in a given knowledge domain or aimed at the general populace?
- This tool is aimed at the missional general populace. The economic data could be used for other purposes so it would be best housed in a closed community. (Such as indigitous). High level education is not required.
Funding
- How expensive are volunteer hours? Time estimates have not been done for the full lift of this effort.
- Hosting a medium EC2 instance I believe is $90 a month. This may be more than is needed but should certainly suffice for the expected data on the server.
Timing
- Is this time constrained or otherwise targeting a particular event or time window?

Due Diligence

What other products out there are similar? Why is yours unique/better?

Joshua Project is a core foundation. The purpose of that tool is to drive prayer. To the unreached people groups. This tool would extend that capability by helping mobilize people to go through the means of their current skill sets.
http://www.careerinfonet.org/skills/: There are skills and career pages but not with a missional bent.
https://www.16personalities.com/: Personality Tests help you know yourself but don’t point out opportunities:
Job Posting sites: These show immediate opportunities so this could be a hand off once people find general regions or opportunities. Possible integration could happen later.

Are you falling victim to the X/Y problem? http://xyproblem.info/

The tool we are proposing is in a way a “Y”. The “X” is that I desire to mobilize Christ followers to have a more missional worldview and educate that this view can be expressed alongside or through their vocation. When they have a view that they could be a professional there and share Christ’s love there it may encourage them to do exactly the same in their current city and job. I do think that the tool is closely tied to the “X” desire but I am open to more direct ways to mobilize Christ followers to feel they can be a participant in a missional lifestyle.

Expectation

At the end of the #hack we desire to have a dashboard that shows the Joshua Project information in a similar manner to what it is now with a list of key industries in each county included in the dashboard. From that list of key industries, a user could select their respective industry to see where or what regions they may have potential opportunities in.

Expertise Provided

Previous time on a long-term church planting team in North Africa.

R, Shiny and MySql knowledge

Skills Needed

Hard skills:
- Front-end work to either advise away from (R/Shiny) or to help integrate that into the dashboard
- Back end data processors to help integrate the economic data into the tool.
Soft skills: Project management to limit scope creep, educational writing to integrate training on how your vocation and integrate with kingdom calling.