Creating digital public infrastructure that empowers people | IGF 2023 Open Forum #168

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The concept of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) extends beyond immediate innovations and necessitates a focus on the robust and ongoing maintenance of software components. It is concerning that 64% of the 133 most widely used software components are in critical shape and are only maintained by a few individuals.

These software components are not only critical but also vulnerable, posing a significant risk if they were to break, as they are extensively used in our day-to-day lives.

Adriana, a strong advocate for a holistic approach to DPI, emphasises the importance of securing and maintaining these underlying software components, which often go unnoticed.

She underscores the need for open digital-based technologies and the dependence on open-source software that operates in the background and is continuously maintained and available to support the functioning of various systems.

Interoperability and adaptability of public software and digital technology are also vital aspects that Adriana highlights.

She suggests that sharing and learning together will help achieve this goal and points out the need for interoperable software and digital technologies. Additionally, she mentions the concept of ‘public money, public code’, asserting that software financed by taxpayers’ money should be open and adaptable.

Adriana further argues that redundancy in digital base technologies is indispensable to prevent single points of failure.

She explains that having similar tools running concurrently ensures that if one fails, alternative routes can be taken to ensure uninterrupted functionality. She employs the analogy of a road, emphasising the significance of having multiple routes to reach a destination.

Moreover, Adriana emphasises the necessity of international cooperation in addressing global digital challenges.

She highlights the potential risks of the ecosystem being torn apart without international cooperation and underscores the need for well-coordinated efforts. She draws attention to the “tragedy of the commons” in the context of the digital public commons, where everyone relies on it but no one feels responsible.

This further underscores the importance of international cooperation and shared responsibility.

In conclusion, the concept of Digital Public Infrastructure encompasses the maintenance of software components beyond immediate innovations. Adriana advocates for a holistic approach, with an emphasis on securing and maintaining underlying software components, promoting open digital-based technologies, interoperable and adaptable public software, and redundancy in digital base technologies.

International cooperation is crucial in tackling global digital challenges and ensuring well-coordinated efforts in the digital public commons.

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Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has the potential to transform governments, economies, and societies worldwide. The rapid advancement of digital technologies has significantly changed how we interact and conduct business on a global scale. Governments are now adopting various approaches to implement DPI, recognizing its crucial role in facilitating participation in society and markets.

The successful implementation of DPI requires striking a delicate balance between the diverse needs and interests of different stakeholders.

This complex task involves carefully considering the expectations and demands of governmental bodies, businesses, civil society, and the general public. By effectively managing these varying perspectives, DPI can be tailored to meet the specific requirements of each stakeholder group, ensuring inclusivity, interoperability, and accountability.

International cooperation plays a vital role in fostering the creation of inclusive, interoperable, and accountable DPI.

Collaboration on a global scale allows governments, policymakers, regulators, businesses, and civil society organizations to leverage shared knowledge and resources in developing DPI solutions that empower individuals and enable seamless interactions across borders. The German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport, in conjunction with GIZ, has organized digital dialogues as a platform for direct exchange and discussions on the importance of international cooperation in developing effective DPI solutions.

These digital dialogues enable policymakers, regulators, businesses, and civil society representatives to engage in meaningful conversations, sharing lessons, ideas, and perspectives on approaches to implementing DPI.

Through this collaborative effort, best practices and innovative strategies are identified, guiding countries in establishing robust DPI frameworks.

In conclusion, DPI has the potential to revolutionize governments, economies, and societies worldwide. Its successful implementation rests on finding a delicate balance between the diverse needs and interests of stakeholders.

Moreover, international cooperation is crucial for fostering the creation of inclusive, interoperable, and accountable DPI. The digital dialogues organized by the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport in partnership with GIZ provide a valuable platform for policymakers, regulators, businesses, and civil society to exchange ideas and insights, contributing to the development of effective DPI solutions.

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The analysis of the implementation of digital public goods (DPG) and digital identity systems highlights the need for a coordinated and inclusive approach. It stresses the importance of instilling the DPI mindset in policymakers and leaders, especially in terms of championing successful implementations like Amado.

The analysis also points out coordination problems within governments, such as turf wars and a lack of unified effort, which hinder the implementation of DPG and digital identity systems.

To overcome these challenges, the analysis suggests starting with a use case and building upon it in a way that allows others to easily plug into the system.

Emphasizing minimalism can also contribute to a more effective approach.

Learning from both successful and unsuccessful implementations is crucial. The Indian experience is particularly highlighted, where a digital identity project was implemented without a legal framework that adequately protected data rights.

The reliance on a centralized, cloud-stored biometric database proved to be problematic. By examining this case, valuable lessons can be learned to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

The analysis also addresses the issue of digital identity misuse and exclusion.

Insights from experiences in India, Kenya, and the Philippines can inform the efforts of communities like the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) in mitigating these issues. It recommends involving human rights groups in the consultative process to ensure a more comprehensive and inclusive approach.

Furthermore, the analysis draws attention to the high failure rate of identity systems in India and its impact on public welfare delivery.

Low levels of digital literacy play a significant role in these failures. A bottom-up approach for the redressal mechanism of digital identity systems is proposed to address these challenges.

Additionally, the necessity of user choice in dealing with system failures is highlighted.

Allowing users the option to switch to human assistance when there is a digital verification failure can especially benefit regions with low levels of digital literacy. This user-centric approach ensures that individuals with limited digital skills are not excluded from the benefits of digital public goods and services.

Overall, the analysis emphasises the need for a coordinated and inclusive approach in implementing digital public goods and digital identity systems.

It highlights the importance of the DPI mindset, learning from past experiences, mitigating harm and exclusion, involving human rights groups, adopting a bottom-up approach, and providing user choice. Following these principles will help achieve effective and secure digital public goods and identity systems.

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The Indian G20 presidency deserves commendation for its focus on digital public infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of integrating technology into public infrastructure. Germany is also actively contributing to the development of digital public services through projects such as EID (Electronic Identification) and the EU-wide ID, aiming to enhance digitization across various sectors.

Irina Soeffky, a supporter of international cooperation for digitalization, recognizes the need for collaboration in this field.

The Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, in collaboration with GIZ (the German Corporation for International Cooperation), is actively providing open and interoperable elements to countries. Their goal is to assist countries in building their public infrastructure and fostering cooperation in digitalization, highlighting the importance of international partnerships.

The Gafstag Initiative, a noteworthy project, promotes interoperability and openness in public infrastructure.

It is remarkable for creating public infrastructure that is not only interoperable but also reusable, enabling new business possibilities and fostering innovation in digital public services.

In conclusion, the Indian G20 presidency’s focus on digital public infrastructure and Germany’s contributions through projects like EID and EU-wide ID emphasize the significance of digitization in various sectors.

The support of Irina Soeffky for international cooperation in digitalization and the Gafstag Initiative’s efforts to promote interoperability and openness further reinforce the importance of collaboration and innovation in building digital public infrastructure. These initiatives collectively contribute to the advancement of technology and digitalization globally.

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The analysis highlights several important points regarding the development and maintenance of digital services and infrastructure.

One key point is the need for a community approach. This involves developers putting in their intellect and energy to build these services and maintain them over the long term.

Open source development is seen as crucial in enabling the developer community to contribute to long-term development. The argument is that there is no community in between the demand and supply to be able to innovate around packages of reusable, interoperable components.

On the topic of governance, it is emphasized that the government is responsible for maintaining the vision and foresight of the digital platform in the long term.

The regulation aspect or the vision or the foresight cannot be delegated by the government or funders. This illustrates how governance plays a vital role in implementing digital public infrastructure, with proper procedures required to address issues that cannot be solved by technology alone.

Long-term planning and examination are necessary for the successful implementation of digital public infrastructure.

The pressure to show immediate results can hinder the progress of digital projects. It is more beneficial to think in longer terms and allow time for the development and improvement of these digital infrastructures. Data sharing across agencies also requires a long-term viewpoint to understand its implications.

This highlights the need for long-term planning and examination for the implementation of digital public infrastructure.

Another important aspect is the development of skills to support the procurement of digital public goods. The government should develop skills to handle the procurement of these goods, which can help lower their total cost of ownership.

Additionally, funding instruments should be designed to sustain long-term projects that, although may not show immediate results, will benefit in the longer run. For example, the construction of the foundation of a house might take a lot of resources and not show immediate results, but it is crucial for the overall structure.

This argues for the development of funding instruments that reflect long-term objectives.

Increasing trust between citizens and their governments regarding digital IDs in Africa is crucial. Public participation in designing these solutions is often treated as an academic exercise, leading to a low level of trust due to a connection deficiency between data and service delivery.

Regulations are needed to help citizens push back and use the instruments of the law. Trust is also hampered by the politics of how everything is done. This reveals the importance of increasing trust between citizens and their governments when it comes to digital IDs in Africa.

Citizen involvement in the defining or designing solutions can drive or stop court cases implementing the system.

Testing the laws and involving citizens in the process can increase trust. Policies should take account of individual rights as data rights. This highlights the need for citizen involvement in the development and implementation of digital infrastructure.

Consideration of the ‘total cost of ownership’ is critical during procurement.

Shared experiences reveal challenges in terms of costs for SMS systems and infrastructure development when handing over systems to the government. It is important for the government to try out systems before making purchase decisions to avoid being locked in and facing issues later.

This emphasizes the importance of considering the long-term implications of licensing at the database, middleware, or application level during government purchases.

In terms of security and data protection, the analysis advocates for preventative and curative measures for digital public good security.

The Digital Public Goods Alliance is developing good practice principles, and adapting these principles can preempt issues. This supports the need for measures to ensure the security of digital public goods.

In conclusion, the analysis emphasizes the importance of a community approach, governance, long-term planning, skill development, funding instruments, trust-building, citizen involvement, and security measures in the development and maintenance of digital services and infrastructure.

These insights shed light on the challenges and considerations that need to be taken into account for the successful implementation of digital services and infrastructure.

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The analysis focuses on the challenges faced during the digitisation process of India’s digital identity project. One of the major issues identified is the absence of a proper legal framework to govern the project. This lack of legal guidelines created uncertainties and posed challenges in implementing and regulating the digital identity system effectively.

Another significant concern is the inadequate consideration given to data protection rights.

The digitisation process failed to account for the rights of individuals in relation to their personal information. This omission raises important questions regarding privacy and data security in the digital identity system.

Furthermore, the design of the system, which relied on a centralised cloud-based and cloud-stored biometric database, is notable.

While this approach may have certain advantages in terms of convenience and accessibility, it also raises concerns about the security and potential misuse of personal data stored in the cloud. These issues highlight the need for a more thorough and thoughtful approach to the design and implementation of such systems.

In light of these challenges, the analysis suggests that the global community can learn from the mistakes made in India’s digital identity project.

By examining these shortcomings and addressing them proactively, other countries and organisations can avoid similar pitfalls and create more robust and secure digital identity systems.

Additionally, the analysis highlights concerns about the misuse and exclusion of digital identity in infrastructure rights and governance.

It argues that steps need to be taken to mitigate the potential harms associated with such misuse and to ensure that the benefits of digital identity are shared inclusively among all individuals and groups. To achieve this, the analysis recommends consulting with human rights groups and other stakeholders, as they can bring valuable insights and perspectives to the decision-making process.

By including them in the consultative process, the aim is to mitigate risks and harms and ensure that the design and implementation of digital identity systems align with human rights principles.

In conclusion, the analysis underscores the importance of addressing the challenges faced in the digitisation of identity systems by considering legal frameworks, data protection rights, and the design of the systems themselves.

Learning from the Indian experience and the mistakes made can benefit the global community in developing secure and inclusive digital identity solutions. Furthermore, the involvement of human rights groups and other stakeholders in the decision-making process is crucial for mitigating risks and ensuring that human rights are upheld in the digital age.

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India’s approach to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) emphasizes the importance of civil society and citizen engagement to improve privacy and inclusion elements in DPI building. The use of civil society or citizen engagement as a supply-side tool is considered common and essential in this process.

Creating one solution infrastructure and building several solutions on top of it is key for India due to its diversity and scale.

Marketplaces, NGOs, and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a crucial role in the DPI ecosystem. Marketplaces are important for creating sustainability and agile innovation, while NGOs are key in addressing diverse needs, especially for vulnerable sections of society.

The DPI also reduces the cost of solutioning for NGOs, making it feasible for them to develop solutions for specific sections.

A minimalistic approach is emphasized in building DPIs in India. The identity project, payment project, and credential sharing in India were built with this minimalistic principle.

This approach aims to streamline processes and ensure efficiency in delivering digital public services.

Participatory governance, accountability, and dispute grievance resolution are crucial in implementing digital infrastructures. Governance plays a vital role in the effective implementation of DPI.

Resilience and redundancy are necessary aspects of digital infrastructures.

India has implemented three or four payment systems for this purpose, ensuring resilience and redundancy.

Societal, political, and regulatory buy-in is necessary for the successful implementation of digital public infrastructure. Given that these DPIs impact a billion people in India, significant support and coordination from society, political leadership, and regulatory bodies are essential.

Global coordination is critical for interoperability.

As people seek opportunities for work, education, and healthcare across countries, global coordination is important for seamless cross-border operations.

Support for sharing digital assets as open source goods accelerates digital innovation. The availability of Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and open-source goods contributes to rapid development and adoption of digital technologies.

A common definition and understanding of DPI have been created among many countries through G20 coordination and discussions.

This has led to the development of a shared vocabulary and a common set of principles that underpin DPI.

The context of each country is unique, necessitating country-specific DPI residents. Many countries are working to create their own DPI residents to cater to their specific needs and challenges.

Efforts to share assets via the Digital Public Goods (DPG) ecosystem are supported by DPI funds.

These initiatives aim to facilitate the development and sharing of digital assets, fostering collaboration and innovation.

The establishment of identity systems varies for each country, revolving around their specific context. Starting now, countries are advised to have full legal support, especially for identity systems.

Data storage in identity systems should be minimalist and secure.

The identity system in India, for example, has not been breached so far, highlighting the importance of secure storage practices.

The analysis emphasizes the significance of participatory governance, the need for resilience and redundancy in digital infrastructures, and the importance of societal, political, and regulatory buy-in.

It also highlights the critical role of global coordination, support for open-source sharing, and the country-specific nature of DPI implementations. These findings provide valuable insights into India’s approach to DPI.

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The speakers provide valuable insights into the digital transformation in Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of creating a conducive environment that allows all participants to work efficiently within the digital ecosystem. The success of the DIA app in Ukraine is highlighted, with its impressive user base of over 19.5 million users.

The app is not limited to digital documents and online government services; it also focuses on streamlining workflows in both the public and private sectors.

Furthermore, the government of Ukraine is commended for its effective collaboration with startups, private companies, and civil society.

This demonstrates the need for governments to adopt an agile and flexible approach, operating more like IT companies. The speakers advocate for the implementation of Chief Digital Transformation Officer (CDTO) positions within governments to expedite the digital reform process across various levels and spheres.

The importance of public-private partnerships is emphasized as an effective means to enhance digital infrastructure and literacy.

The creation of the DIA Education platform in collaboration with the private sector and civil society serves as an example of how such partnerships can contribute to improving digital literacy. The platform focuses on equipping individuals with the necessary digital skills and knowledge.

The speakers also highlight the value of learning from successful digital transformations in other countries.

Ukraine draws inspiration from Estonia’s digital transformation and actively incorporates their GovTech products and experiences. This approach encourages governments to leverage existing successful solutions rather than investing time in seeking new ones.

Effective communication and collaboration between the government, civil society, and the private sector are seen as crucial for the progress of digital transformation.

The establishment of platforms that facilitate the exchange of digital products and experiences is recommended. This allows for the sharing of best practices, knowledge, and experience across regions.

Additionally, the speakers stress the importance of world-class education programs catering to digital leaders.

They argue that such programs should not only provide knowledge and expertise but also offer networking opportunities. Currently, there is a lack of academic or non-academic programs specifically tailored to preparing individuals for Chief Digital Transformation Officer roles within governments.

The speakers emphasize the need to view digital transformation as a comprehensive system rather than isolated initiatives.

This holistic perspective ensures that all aspects, including user-centric and human-centric services, are considered. Building a digital country is not just about technological advancements but also about inclusivity and improving the basic level of digital literacy.

This analysis provides valuable insights into the digital transformation efforts in Ukraine, highlighting the successes achieved through the DIA app, effective collaboration between the government and other stakeholders, the importance of public-private partnerships, and learning from other countries’ experiences.

The introduction of CDTO positions and the need for communication platforms and world-class education programs are also emphasized. Overall, the speakers’ arguments shed light on the essential factors and strategies required for successful digital transformation in Ukraine.