| Notes |
Identification for
Development
Strategic Framework
January 25, 2016
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................2
I. IDENTIFICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT: A GLOBAL AGENDA................................................................4
A. THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE.............................................................................................................................4
B. OPPORTUNITIES.........................................................................................................................................4
C. CHALLENGES AND RISKS TO BE MITIGATED ......................................................................................................6
D. KEY PRINCIPLES .........................................................................................................................................8
E. KEY ENABLERS............................................................................................................................................9
1. Good Governance and Institutional Capacity.................................................................................9
2. Legal and regulatory frameworks ................................................................................................10
3. Technology standards and interoperability frameworks..............................................................11
4. Public-Private Partnerships...........................................................................................................11
II. ID4D AGENDA: ROLE OF THE WORLD BANK GROUP AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS......................12
A. LINK TO THE WBG TWIN GOALS AND SDG TARGETS .....................................................................................12
B. BUILDING ON PREVIOUS WBG EFFORTS ......................................................................................................13
C. VALUE PROPOSITION OF THE WORLD BANK GROUP.......................................................................................13
III. ID4D: FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION.................................................................................................14
A. ID4D: GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP ........................................................................................................15
B. ID4D: GLOBAL CONVENING ......................................................................................................................15
C. ID4D: COUNTRY LEVEL APPROACH.............................................................................................................16
1. Assessment and Roadmap............................................................................................................17
2. Dialogue and Design.....................................................................................................................17
3. Implementation............................................................................................................................18
4. Regional Approaches....................................................................................................................19
5. Monitoring and Evaluation...........................................................................................................19
ANNEX 1: AGREED TERMINOLOGY....................................................................................................21
ANNEX 2: COUNTRY EXAMPLES .....................................................................................................................23
ANNEX 3: DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ...............................................................................................................26
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................30
2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Need for Identity
Producing proof of identity is a simple everyday matter for millions of people around the world. But for
approximately 1.5 billion people, the majority of them living in Asia and Africa, the inability to prove
their identity cuts them off from accessing basic services and rights. Evidence shows that individuals
who lack birth registration and official forms of identification are typically the most vulnerable people in
the poorest countries.
In some countries, a woman with no identity cannot open a bank account. Her wages and government
benefits are deposited in her husband’s account, to be used and dispersed at his discretion. In other
countries, a child with no birth certificate cannot gain admission to school without proof of age. People
with no identity are unable to access educational opportunities, financial services, health and social
welfare benefits. Further, these people are disenfranchised, unable to have their say in their country’s
electoral process.
The recognition and authentication of an individual’s identity, together with associated rights, is therefore
becoming a priority for governments around the world and is included as Sustainable Development Goal
target 16.9: “free and universal legal identity, including birth registration by 2030.” It is also key to the
attainment of many other SDG goals.
Identification systems have three overarching outcome goals from a development perspective:
Inclusion and access to essential services such as health care and education, electoral rights,
financial services, and social safety net programs
Effective and efficient administration of public services, transparent policy decisions and
improved governance—particularly to reduce duplication and waste
More accurate measure of development progress in areas such as reduction in maternal and infant
mortality
21st century digital technologies, including biometrics and other forms, are providing a unique
opportunity to leapfrog the traditional, paper-based approaches to build a robust and efficient
identification system at a scale previously not as achievable. Seizing these opportunities offered by fresh
approaches and technological advances requires political commitment, a supportive legal framework,
mobilization of financial and human resources, and, crucially, the trust of each country’s residents.
Incentives, technology, financial support, and reforms will all be critical in achieving tangible results.
The Identification for Development Initiative (ID4D)
Recognizing the transformational potential of modern, 21st century identification systems for the delivery
of basic services to the poor, the World Bank Group (WBG) launched the Identification for Development
(ID4D) agenda in 2014. To enable access to services and rights for all, the initiative will support progress
toward identification systems using 21st century solutions. It will bring global knowledge and expertise to
bear across multiple sectors and countries to tackle this fundamental development challenge. It also will
engage operationally in this area, collaborating with development partners, donors, and governments to
provide unified technical and financial support to low- and middle-income countries.
The ID4D agenda supports the achievement of the World Bank’s two overarching goals: ending extreme
poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity. The World Bank has invested both technical expertise
and financial resources to launch ID4D and help client countries achieve the goal of universal legal
identity. Given the many potential applications spanning different sectors and involving both public and
private entities, implementing the ID4D agenda requires a strong dialogue among stakeholders, advocacy
3
and awareness raising, and selecting the most effective entry points. The World Bank is well positioned to
facilitate this agenda, given its global reach (over 120 offices worldwide), multisectoral approach and
technical expertise (Senior Leadership, technical specialist global practices and other groups are on
board), and ongoing country dialogue and engagement with governments which provides a useful entry
point for the ID4D initiative.
Further, the WBG has a range of financial instruments (IDA/IBRD, donor funded ASA, and RAS) to
support governments in the implementation of an identification system. In addition, rigorous impact
evaluation of the ID4D agenda on development outcomes will allow all stakeholders to ascertain a
complete results chain.
ID4D Framework for Action
The ID4D agenda and call to work with other partners is built on the three pillars of:
Thought Leadership: While several analytical pieces on identification systems have already
been written, to avoid duplication of effort, the ID4D partnership platform can agree on key
thought leadership pieces required to advance the agenda. New research could be commissioned
on the implications of financial inclusion, the role of unique identification in refugee crisis, case
studies on implementation of ID systems in different countries, and so on.
Global Convening: A shared view of the principles, minimum standards, and necessary
complements is an aspirational goal. ID4D is planning to launch a multi-stakeholder platform
and create partnerships with other development partners, foundations, standard setting bodies,
public sector, private sector associations and others to develop an inclusive multistakeholder
dialogue and consultation process to reach this desired goal. ID4D will also provide a platform
for South-South learning events for countries to share and learn from one another.
Country and regional engagement: Country experience shows that that there is no single
approach to improving identification systems. Much depends on the specific development
problem to be addressed, the state of the existing system, and the costs and benefits of a new
approach. Although ID4D helps single countries establish the best approach, it is also focusing on
regional approaches in Asia and Africa. ID4D will reach out to regional bodies, UN agencies,
think tanks and the private sector to ensure that identification systems are developed in an
integrated, interoperable manner.
Strategic Framework
This strategic framework paper sets out to help key stakeholders share a common understanding of the
challenges, opportunities and risks in the first section. The second section discusses the link to broader
SDG goals and WBG experience and value proposition. The final section discusses the approach involved
in rolling out the ID4D agenda.
This is a particularly good time for the World Bank to increase its engagement in this important area of
development. In light of the fast-progressing discussions about the post-2015 global development agenda,
the timing is critical. Therefore, we are reaching out to a range of stakeholders to engage with us in this
ambitious ID4D effort with their insights, expertise and financing to operationalize the strategic
framework outlined in this document. Together, we can help countries produce cost-effective, sustainable
and trusted identification systems able to deliver development-related benefits across the population.
4
I. IDENTIFICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT: A GLOBAL AGENDA
A. THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE
There are an estimated 1.5 billion people who do not have a government issued and recognized document
as a proof of their identity1
. The problem disproportionately affects children and women, from poor rural
areas in Africa and Asia. Being able to prove one’s identity is more than a convenience; it is needed to
participate fully in society and exercise one’s human rights. Identification is indispensable for ensuring
access to educational opportunities, financial services, health and social welfare benefits, economic
development, as well as increasing electoral participation. Identification is a key enabler for achieving
development outcomes, because universal population registration gives individuals the documentation
they need to secure recognition of their legal identity and their ensuing rights.
Identification—whether through civil registries or other national identification systems—have three
overarching outcome goals from a development perspective:
Inclusion and access to essential services such as health care and education, electoral rights,
financial services, and social safety net programs
Effective and efficient administration of public services, transparent policy decisions and
improved governance—particularly to reduce duplication and waste.
More accurate measure of development progress in areas such as reduction in maternal and infant
mortality and ending epidemics (e.g. AIDS) given the role universal civil registration plays for
improving vital statistics.
Despite these compelling motivations, civil registration and identification systems reach only parts of the
world’s population. For developing countries, identification is a daunting challenge. Half of all low- to
middle-income countries lack functioning systems to register births and other life events, which is ideally
the foundation for official identification. In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa respectively, only 39
percent and 44 percent of children have births registered.2
Additionally, where there are identification
programs, they are often fragmented across several agencies and for silo uses.
The recognition and authentication of an individual’s identity, together with associated rights, is therefore
becoming a priority for governments around the world and is included as Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) target 16.9 of “free and universal legal identity, including birth registration by 2030.” It is also
key to the attainment of many other SDG goals.
B. OPPORTUNITIES
Recognizing the transformational potential of modern, 21stcentury solutions, with advances in
identification technology (both digital and biometric) and dramatically falling costs, there is an
opportunity to leapfrog traditional paper-based approaches and provide unique identity to populations of
1 The WBG ID4D global dataset, as of January 2016. This number is an initial broad estimate based on available
information for 198 countries. For countries where there are no reliable and timely data on people in possession of
IDs available from government web sites or reports estimates are produced using data from other foundational or
functional registers, mainly birth registration data and data from the electoral registers.
2 UNICEF 2013, “Every Child’s Birth Right”
5
hundreds of millions with low error and lower costs.3
Mobile devices also provide promising solutions to
enroll and authenticate individuals with a unique identification in remote and rural areas.
Identification can be a critical enabler for achieving some key development outcomes including:
Financial Inclusion: Less than half of all adults in the poorest 40 percent of households have a
bank account; approximately 375 million unbanked adults in developing countries (18 percent)
are constrained by not having the necessary ID documentation4
. Accessible, robust, and
verifiable ID systems can facilitate the Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements of providers
and expand the use of financial services. For example, the Reserve Bank of India approved the
use of the Aadhaar individual identification number issued by the Government of India as a proof
of identity to meet the regulatory KYC requirements of Jan Dhan basic savings accounts. As a
result, approximately 200 million bank accounts were opened5
.
Gender Equality: Women often struggle to assert their rights and access to services due to lack of
personal identification. Lacking their own bank accounts, their government benefits and wages
are deposited into their husbands’ accounts. Birth and marriage registration can help enforce
minimum age of marriage legislation and so help combat child marriage. Registration and legal
proof of identity contributes to women’s ability to inherit property and claim their property rights
in the event of marriage dissolution or widowhood. In Pakistan, the computerized ID system
provided direct access of cash transfers to women for the first time. Evaluations showed that, as a
result, households spent more on nutrition and health, and that women’s confidence increased as
did their importance in household decision making.6
Access to Health Services: Increased access to health services and universal coverage requires
countries to identify the beneficiaries. Additionally, more accurate vital statistics support efforts
to better monitor health targets and better track the provision of care (such as vaccinations,
HIV/AIDs and TB treatment). In Thailand, the launch of the universal coverage scheme led to
the development of a unique identification number which is used to access health care services
and for monitoring7
. The subsequent adoption of smart cards has decreased fraud, human error
and overhead costs. Gabon, for example, is implementing national health insurance plans with
authentication of beneficiaries with fingerprints and smartcards at points of service.8
Social Safety Net: 870 million people living in extreme poverty do not have access to any kind of
social assistance program. Accurate identification of the poor and vulnerable enables efficient,
well-coordinated social protection programs (including those for humanitarian and emergency
relief) as well as cost-effective, secure, and convenient digital transfers. Such programs can be
3 Gelb and Clark, “Identification for Development: the Biometrics Revolution”
4 Global Findex database, provides in-depth data on how individuals save, borrow, make payments, and manage
risks. Collected by the World Bank in partnership with the Gallup World Poll and funded by the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, the Global Findex is based on interviews with about 150,000 adults in over 140 countries. For
more about the Global Findex database, see the website: http://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex.
5 http://www.pmjdy.gov.in/home
6 Dahan and Hanmer. The Identification for Development (ID4D) Agenda: Its Potential for Empowering Women
and Girls
7
ILO Social Protection in Action, Sept 2015. “A National Health Insurance Beneficiary Registry based on National
Identification Numbers”
8 Gelb and Clarke, “Identification for Development: the Biometrics Revolution”
6
more effective with precise targeting and robust authentication of the intended beneficiaries. For
example, Pakistan provided flood relief using the national identification database to make
payments to 1.5 million families. India’s fuel subsidy program provided cash transfers to
Aadhaar-linked bank accounts for the purchase of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, which saved
about $1 billion per year9
.
Improved Governance: Authentication protocols based on national identity registers also
contribute to making government institutions more accountable and transparent. Without such an
approach, the risks of leakages, fraud and corruption are high, leading to diversion of transfers,
pensions and other entitlements. Unique identity tokens, or cards, have sometimes been able to
reduce fraud and save money. For example, biometrically enrolling civil servants and eliminating
‘ghost workers’ and ‘double dippers’ through Nigeria’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll
Information System, saved N12 billion (approximately US$74 million) in the first phase and
eliminated 43,000 ghost workers as of July 2011. Liberia’s Employee Biometric Identification
and Records System (EBIRS) reduced payroll by 10 percent to 15 percent. 10
In other cases,
biometric identification has been used for monitoring employee attendance, as in India, where it
was used to reduce teacher absenteeism.11
C. CHALLENGES AND RISKS TO BE MITIGATED
While the opportunities abound, so do the challenges and risks associated with the implementation of this
global agenda—from political economy risks, to technology and implementation risks. Close examination
of the legal and regulatory enabling environment (both existing laws and any reforms needed to support
ID) is needed focused on the types, extent, and use of information collected under an ID scheme; how to
safeguard the privacy and security of personal data; and how to craft new primary legislation or rules to
avoid unintended consequences such as inadvertent exclusions, onerous mandates that could deter
individuals from accessing services, or increased rent seeking involving registration or certificates.
Political Economy Risks
Privacy Risk: Key risks may stem from a failure to secure data about persons, the inappropriate
sharing or use of data, discriminatory use of data against certain individual or groups, and the
failure to ensure long-term integrity and durability of the data. Privacy risks can include (a)
incorrect or inaccurate data, leading to mistaken identity or unjust treatment; (b) “function creep,”
whereby data collected for one purpose are used for others to which the individual concerned has
not consented; (c) profiling, through linking data registers in unauthorized or inappropriate ways,
including for surveillance purposes; (d) unauthorized or inappropriate access, use or disclosure of
information including, including intra- agency, inter-governmental, and third party and public
disclosure. Biometrics raises some particular privacy issues—e.g., through the remote acquisition
of facial prints without the knowledge of the subject and through the recording of fingerprints and
DNA, which may be used for other collateral purposes without the consent of the individual.
To mitigate this risk, a robust legal and regulatory enabling environment (supported by
appropriate technical ICT systems and capacity) is critical to provide a transparent and
cohesive framework for the collection, management, and use of personal data. Legislation
that provides for the protection of personal information and privacy, including data security
9 Barnwal 2015. Curbing Leakage in Public Programs with Biometric Identification Systems: Evidence from India’s
Fuel Subsidies. Retrieved from: http://www.columbia.edu/~pb2442/subsidyLeakageUID.pdf
10 Gabriel, 2000 through Alan Gelb/Julia Clarke’s paper.
11 Gelb and Clarke
7
and data use, is therefore essential, not only for system integrity but also to promote trust
and confidence in the system so that it will be widely used. The World Bank’s ID4D
program can help to ensure that countries include strong and balanced individual and
personal privacy protections as part of their legal and regulatory enabling environments
that promote ID systems.
Require institutions responsible for the ID platform and other institutions accessing or in
any ways involved in the operation of the ID platforms to institute appropriate IT
Governance and IT risk management practices.
Social Exclusion: Although the development purpose of issuing identification is inclusive in
nature, an ill-designed approach or lack of a robust legal enabling environment (e.g. cost, distance
and time to register, discriminatory practices including variable impacts on different sections of the
population) can lead to exclusion. For example, in Kenya, to increase the number of children with
documentation, a recent policy requires students to provide birth certificates in order to sit exams.12
And in several countries the social stigma associated with being an unmarried mother has been
documented as a barrier to birth registration of children.13 Although often well intentioned, such
requirements, if not well-designed and implemented, can result in a reduction access for the most
marginalized people. Some countries have made special efforts to extend registration to poor and
rural citizens, as in the case of the Peruvian civil registration and identification agency, RENIEC’s
outreach to indigenous communities.14 Others have taken specific steps to include sexual minorities
including a third gender category in national registers; both Nepal and India have allowed people
to register as a gender other than male or female, recognizing gender identity. India also realized
the problem and practical challenge of reliance on another identity document as a pre-requisite for
issuance of unique identity; and accordingly introduced the concept of introducer to help the
excluded population get an identification, even in the absence of any other identity documents. In
other cases, the tightening of identification requirements has the potential to worsen the problem
of statelessness. Registration and certification rules may also be a source of exclusion, for example,
in the context of voter ID requirements. Under the cover of "electoral integrity" certain segments
of the electorate may be disenfranchised.
To mitigate this risk, a detailed examination of the existing legal and regulatory enabling
environment is needed, focusing especially on laws which convey or deny rights.
Programs need to be thoughtfully designed and rules founded in primary legislation,
specifying the rights and obligations of issuers and users, to avoid unintended
consequences such as inadvertent exclusions, onerous mandates that could deter
individuals from accessing services, or increased rent seeking involving registration or
certificates.
Technology Risks
Complex IT systems, vendor lock-in risks: These can result in substantial costs increases,
reduced flexibility and sustainability, a system design which is not fit for purpose nor suitable to
meet policy and development objectives. Detailed appraisal of local context and capacity is
essential including prior experiences with implementing IT systems. It is important to focus on
design and implementation of sustainable digital infrastructure that can reach remote areas;
12 UNHCR 2014a.
13 See for example Harbitz and Tamargo 2009 for Guatemala, Ecuador and Bolivia; Sumner 2015 for Indonesia.
14 Gelb and Raghavan, forthcoming. See also Gelb and Clark 2013 for the case of residents of Haitian extraction in
the Dominican Republic.
8
ensure interoperability and trusted authentication protocols for data exchange among different
services and solution providers; and ensure data security and personal privacy, particularly in the
use of biometrics, as well as the long-term accessibility and security of identity records.
Mitigation can include development and implementation of robust IT procurement
guidelines, open standards (where appropriate) and common technology standards and
frameworks to ensure that the unique national ID system is built as a solid foundation
upon which an array of actors (government agencies, businesses, and citizens) can
participate—each bringing a building block to a scalable platform for improving service
delivery.
Cyber security risks: In addition to the data protection measures addressed above, reliance on
digital, Internet-based systems expose those systems and underlying infrastructure (both the
hardware and software) and the data that reside and travel over them to potential misuse and
destruction through data theft, fraud, manipulation or hacking, ‘buggy’ software, lack of capacity
in understanding, using or maintaining systems and data, and even acts of war or nature.
Vulnerable infrastructure, systems and data will erode user confidence making use of the systems
less attractive.
Mitigation measures of these cyber risks start with pro-security policies covering
prevention, resilience and restoration and ensuring that the proper incentives are in place
for the various stakeholders to appreciate and manage these risks. Typically, these
policies are translated into laws (e.g., cyber crime and data protection) and institutions
(such as CERTs) to ensure the protection of infrastructure, systems and data. Human and
institutional capacity building are also key enablers. But it is important to balance the
security measures for privacy (data protection) as well as freedom of expression rights.
Implementation risks
Lack of political leadership and inter-ministerial silos: The target of delivering robust ID
credentials to everyone is an ambitious one, requiring vision and leadership. In most countries,
there are a range of registration and identification efforts hosted by different ministries, (e.g
Ministry of Interior, Ministry of ICT, Ministry of Health, etc.). Silo approaches and vested
ministerial interests make it difficult for ideal system integration. In countries such as India, the
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) reported directly to the Prime Minister and was
charged with strong leadership; without this it’s doubtful whether Aadhaar would have reached
its current scale of 940 million issued unique identification numbers in just five years.
Mitigation measures could include development of a ‘social cabinet’ across the range of
ministries involved, including strong dialogue and leadership from the top. A strong
policy commitment is needed which should guide program design and implementation.
Rules governing program implementation should also be set out in legislation to provide
guidance to government ministries, issuers and users alike, minimizing risks of
duplication, overlapping and conflicting mandates, technology incompatibility,
inadequate protection of individual rights, monitoring and enforcement, etc.
D. KEY PRINCIPLES
The pathway to a robust and accessible identification system which enables several of the key development
outcomes outlined above, should ideally pursue the following principles:
9
Universal coverage and non-discriminatory issuance of nationwide identity number and
documentation
Free birth registration and first birth certificate in accordance with relevant (international
conventions and) national laws for birth registration
Affordability of identification and authentication processes and enabled services
Interoperability of civil registration and ID systems to avoid duplication and waste; enable
interfaces for use by other stakeholders to leverage the ID systems
Technology/vendor neutrality
Sustainability of investments through adequate business models
Robust legal and regulatory enabling environment which promotes trust in the design,
implementation and use of ID, especially data security, personal privacy and personal data
protection, non-discrimination and inclusion (with a focus on the most marginalized).
Transparency and openness with mechanisms to engage stakeholders inside an outside government,
including the private sector and NGOs
In order to advance this critical development agenda, a shared agreement on the key principles is a desired
outcome. These principles will be discussed broadly with country governments, private sector, standards
bodies and other development agencies over the course of the next few months and will continue to be
refined.
E. KEY ENABLERS
The continued operation and sustainability of the ID4D programs depend on the existence (or
establishment) of a set of key enablers, as follows:
Good governance and institutional capacity
Legal and regulatory frameworks
Technology standards and interoperability frameworks
Public-private partnerships (PPPs)
1. GOOD GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
Identification systems make way for more transparent and efficient policy decisions and can improve
governance. However, a critical element of a well-functioning and effective identification system, is the
choice of governance arrangements (including whether this has the highest level of political support) and
effective institutional capacity. Countries have a range of institutional options (outlined in Annex 3); but
regardless of the choice, there should be a holistic approach across the government agencies and
institutions responsible for civil registries and identification systems. The Digital Identity toolkit outlines
a range of institutional governance arrangements; however, further assessment across country examples
could provide additional insight into the key governance and institutional ingredients necessary. For
example, strong provisions for the effective governance of the agency involved should be put in place and
the responsibility of the agency clearly defined, and balanced and managed with the aid of other
government agencies, the private sector and identity stakeholders. Additionally, as the role of any
10
organization that deals with identity grows in importance over time, a robust, multilayer institutional
governance structure is needed.15
2. LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS
Sound public administration, the delivery of core government services, and the smooth functioning of
business applications and commerce all depend on robust means of identification. The digitization of
registration systems is leading to new lessons on handling the risks. Secure and confidential sharing of
personal information between government agencies may be appropriate and desirable for well-defined
purposes. The legal and regulatory framework is not only about protecting citizens’ rights after their
identities are registered and the security of systems and data. More importantly, it reflects who is entitled
to what (who is a citizen; who can get social security; who is entitled to free health care) and what ID (if
any) people need to produce to claim their entitlement).
The legal and regulatory framework needs to reconcile the tension between freedom of information,
transparency, and government accountability, on one hand, and the need to protect personal information
and cyber security, on the other. The primary legislation ideally sets the foundational rules for a robust
and sustainable identification scheme, based on a legal framework reflecting the following key
principles:16
• Free flow of information to ensure that accurate information is captured and disseminated in a
timely manner, supporting effective policy making, efficient resource allocation, and accurate
evaluation and monitoring
• Transparency to ensure that registries are implemented and managed pursuant to clear rules that
promote accountability for the fair handling and use of information
• Individual privacy rights to protect individuals, permit them to access their personal information,
and where necessary, to challenge and correct any inaccuracies
• Public safety and security (including cyber security) to support citizens’ identity and civil status,
without threatening the safety of individuals who might be put at risk by the intentional or
inadvertent disclosure of personal information
• Sustainability to ensure that personal identification needed to protect individual’s identity and
rights is available and authentic over the long-term
Trust that the government will deal responsibly with personal information is an important factor in
ensuring proper administration and user take-up of the scheme. If the government allows, or does not
restrict, the use of the information for other purposes, citizens may be harmed or feel aggrieved by the
loss of privacy. This is damaging both to good public administration and the ability of the government to
promote the use of the civil register. If citizens no longer trust the government to keep personal
information confidential, the distrust may lead them to either withhold information or to supply wrong or
inaccurate information. Therefore, legislative measures to ensure confidentiality and protect against
misuse are critical, among other reasons, to promote trust and confidence in the system—maximizing the
likelihood that the public will support and comply with obligations to provide complete and accurate
information in a timely manner.
15 Digital Identity Toolkit, World Bank 2014
16 The OECD Fair Information Principles provide a widely used framework to harmonize data privacy legislation:
see
http://www.oecd.org/internet/ieconomy/oecdguidelinesontheprotectionofprivacyandtransborderflowsofpersonal
data.htm and Gellman 2013
11
In every case, however, it is important to consider whether the contemplated subject matter is appropriate
for inclusion in a subordinate instrument, whether it is authorized by the empowering statute, and whether
its promulgation satisfies any statutory precedents. Although regulations and rules are attractive because
they may be made quickly under delegated authority without submission to the lawmaking body, for these
same reasons they also provide less certainty. It is important, therefore, that the primary legislation—and
not a subordinate instrument—provide the rules for the protection of individual privacy.
3. TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS AND INTEROPERABILITY FRAMEWORKS
The advent of new technologies in resource-constrained environments creates an enabling ground for
developing more efficient and more effective information systems that furnish a platform for modernized,
enhanced service delivery across all sectors of the economy.
Recent advances in digital biometric identification technology and decreasing costs have created the
opportunity for low- and middle-income countries to expand and strengthen their national identification
systems. Biometrics is emerging as the core of national identification systems. And there are also risks
attendant to relying on biometrics (unlike other forms of digital credentialing, once biometric credentials
are compromised, they are compromised forever whereas passwords and other means of authentication can
be replaced). All else being equal, we might expect the use of biometric technology to become more
prevalent as income increases, but some countries had well-established legacy registration systems before
the widespread use of this technology. We might therefore expect to see a technology leapfrog effect, much
like the rapid expansion of cellular phone systems in poorer countries with inadequate fixed-line systems.
As another indicator of modernization, we might also ask whether countries with more-developed ICT
capabilities are more likely to have a biometric unique national ID system.
However, some common technology standards and frameworks are needed to ensure that the unique
national ID system is built on civil registration as a solid foundation upon which an array of actors
(government agencies, businesses, and citizens) can participate—each bringing a building block to a
scalable platform for improving service delivery.
4. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer the potential for enabling governments, particularly those lacking
in-house technology expertise, to deploy and sustain modern ID systems. Although many PPPs involving
the technical management of online government service delivery already deploy different mechanisms for
authenticating users’ identities before providing access to services, such partnerships do not yet extend to
the management of unique national ID systems. However, some of the business models already employed
in e-government PPPs, such as sharing of user transaction fees, can potentially be adapted for this purpose.
This is already occurring in many jurisdictions for passport and driver’s license issuance, where citizens
have historically been charged for such services.
As in many areas of development, PPPs are important to the ID4D agenda because they provide financial
and economic models to ensure sustainability and bolster usability of the systems put in place.
12
II. ID4D AGENDA: ROLE OF THE WORLD BANK GROUP AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
Recognizing the transformational potential of modern, 21st century identification systems for the delivery
of basic services to the poor, the World Bank Group launched the Identification for Development (ID4D)
agenda in 2014. The program aims to support progress toward identification systems using 21st century
solutions that enable access to services and rights for all. It will bring global knowledge and expertise to
bear across multiple sectors and countries to tackle this fundamental development challenge. It also will
engage operationally in this area, collaborating with development partners, donors, and governments to
provide unified technical and financial support to low- and middle-income countries.
A. LINK TO THE WBG TWIN GOALS AND SDG TARGETS
The ID4D agenda supports the achievement of the World Bank Group’s two overarching goals: ending
extreme poverty by 2030 and promoting shared prosperity.17 Evidence shows that individuals who lack
birth registration and ID are typically the most vulnerable people in the poorest countries. Lack of such
proof of identity cuts them off from many basic rights and services.
Additionally, the importance of ID credentials to successful development places them within the post2015 agenda—specifically as one of the proposed SDG targets (16.9) but also as a key enabler of the
efficacy of at least 10 other SDG targets in the following areas:
• Social protection, including for the most vulnerable (SDG 1.3)
• Assistance in dealing with shocks and disasters (SDG 1.5)
• Access of the poor to economic resources, including property and finance (SDG 1.4)
• Empowerment of women (SDG 5a and 5b)
• Reducing the global maternal mortality ratio (SDG 3.1)
• Ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5(SDG 3.2)
• Ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and
combatting hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. (SDG 3.3)
• Improving energy efficiency and eliminating harmful energy subsidies (SDG 12c)
• Reducing remittance costs (SDG 10c)
• Reducing corruption (SDG 16.5) and fighting crime and terrorism (SDG 16a)
Leaders worldwide have seen a new set of opportunities for modernizing their countries’ registration and
identification systems, drawing on the ubiquity of ICTs and innovative approaches to assign unique
national IDs to individuals and businesses alike. Seizing these opportunities requires political
commitment, a supportive legal framework, mobilization of financial and human resources, and,
critically, the trust of each country’s residents. Incentives, technology, foreign assistance, and reforms
will all be critical in achieving tangible results.18
Robust identification systems therefore provide a
17 “Ending extreme poverty” refers to reducing the share of people living on less than US$1.25 per day to less
than 3 percent of the global population by 2030. “Promoting shared prosperity” refers to improving the living
standards of the bottom 40 percent of the population in every country. The World Bank Group further urges
that the two goals be pursued in ways that sustainably secure the future of the planet and its resources,
promote social inclusion, and limit the economic burdens that future generations inherit (World Bank 2013).
18 For a discussion on this point, see Dunning, Gelb, and Raghavan 2014.
13
powerful platform for enhanced service delivery across all sectors and are force multipliers in the fight
against poverty.
B. BUILDING ON PREVIOUS WBG EFFORTS
This initiative was developed by building on the substantial work that preceded this effort—especially
several complementary initiatives led by World Bank Group teams in collaboration with external partners
and client counterparts: most notably, the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Scaling Up Plan,
the Digital ID toolkit for Africa, the Universal Access by 2020 agenda and the Inter-Agency Social
Protection Assessments (SPA) collaboration.
The World Bank has financed more than 142 ID4D related investment projects (63 active, 23 pipeline, 56
closed) in over 70 countries over the last 30 years. Past World Bank identification projects have
supported the development of the following applications:
Foundational (Legal) Registries: These ID systems such as Civil Registration (CR) and National ID
(e-ID/Biometric) systems provide general identification for many official purposes.
Functional Registries (Administrative Databases): These systems are introduced in response to a
demand for a particular service or transaction. These services can provide cash transfers, pensions,
ration cards, health cards, and so on, each pertaining to a particular administrative registry.
In some countries, the Bank is directly supporting the development of robust digital IDs, as in the case of
Bangladesh. In Peru, Pakistan and Rwanda, the World Bank cash transfer projects included financing of
enrolling eligible beneficiaries and were linked to national ID systems. However, only about 10 out of 63
active projects (16 percent) in 40 countries are related to legal (foundational) registries (civil registries
and national ID), and other projects support functional registries (beneficiary IDs, taxpayer and business
registries, civil service registries, etc.).
In contrast to past initiatives, the World Bank Group’s new ID4D approach will involve projects designed
and implemented as part of a systematic approach to the specific development problems that improved
identification can alleviate on a country-specific basis. They may involve the development of
multipurpose ID systems on a national scale or, at times, a modular approach depending on the specific
country setting. In either event, they will emphasize systems that can be used across multiple sectors and
applications.
C. VALUE PROPOSITION OF THE WORLD BANK GROUP
To assist client countries implement this vision, the World Bank Group has invested its own financial
resources and technical expertise to launch the initiative in its first year. The World Bank Group is well
positioned to advance the agenda, together with key development partners, given:
Global reach and engagement which allows lessons learned across individual country and regional
examples
Multisectoral expertise (e.g. ICT, financial sector, social protection, PPP, governance, health, legal,
gender and private sector specialists), including those with specific global technical expertise on
aspects of identification.
14
Strong global footprint with presence on the ground across more than 120 offices, coupled with a
small global program team and multisectoral working group: the ID4D initiative will leverage the
multisectoral technical and country teams
Senior Leadership support across Global Practices and other groups (Transport & ICT; Governance;
Health, Nutrition & Population; Social Protection & Labor, Finance & Markets; Gender; Legal
Thematic Practice Group and Development Economics Data Group) to enforce a holistic view of the
issues and an integrated approach to the solutions at the operational level; additionally, ID4D has
received Senior Management Support as one of the five priority institutional initiatives.
Long term, ongoing country dialogue across several functions (e.g. cash transfer programs, civil
service reform, financial inclusion). The ongoing operational and knowledge engagement with
governments provides useful entry point for the ID4D initiative.
Ability to leverage a range of financial instruments for upstream global and country dialogue and
accompanying Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) can be coupled with IDA/IBRD financial
resources (investment and development policy loans) for financing public investments in
identification infrastructure.
III. ID4D: FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION
Coordination mechanisms at the global, regional, and national levels with development partners and other
key stakeholders active in the ID4D space will help to ensure inclusive oversight and concerted global
action. The global community must act together by aligning its actions in providing sustainable support
for regions and countries to achieve ID4D goals and development outcomes. The ID4D initiative is
engaging across the following three pillars: Thought Leadership, Global Convening, and Country Level
Engagement and Operations.
15
A. ID4D: GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
As a number of agencies and organizations are beginning to align on a common interest in this agenda, an
ID4D global thought leadership platform could advance the understanding of this somewhat nascent
development topic. Although there are several analytical pieces already commissioned by the World
Bank, Center for Global Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Omidyar Network, and others,
there are remaining questions and related topics which need to be further explored. Existing analytical
pieces include:
Overall role of identification, key issues, architectures, business models (completed, CGD and
ongoing, Omidyar)
Digital ID Toolkit (WB, completed)
Country Assessment guided – Identity Management Systems Analysis (IMSA) (WB, completed)
ID4D Global Database (WB, completed)
Evidence of Curbing Leakage in Public Programs with Biometric ID: India’s Fuel Subsidies
(completed)
Impact on Financial Inclusion (planned, World Bank)
Role of private sector and PPP models in digital identification (planned, World Bank in
partnership with private sector associations)
Legal and regulatory barriers for women to access identification (planned, World Bank)
Use cases for Aadhaar (planned, Omidyar)
Digital Identity (Privacy, Technology and Security) Issue Analysis (planned, Omidyar)
Non-State Actors in Digital Identity (planned, Omidyar)
Rather than duplicating efforts across interested agencies and organizations, a partnership platform can
form a strong network across a handful of development agencies, foundations, and think tanks. The
network can agree on the key thought leadership pieces required to advance the agenda. Additional topics
for further exploration:
Impact assessments to provide a more robust articulation of the case for an integrated approach; the
ID4D program could assess the implications for financial inclusion, gender, effective targeting of
social safety nets, health access, etc. An impact evaluation partnership could begin with 3 to 6
impact assessments (mix of randomized and simpler methods)
Identification in the Context of the Global Refugee Crisis
The cost of an undocumented life for health, social safety programs, education, financial inclusion
Guidance and Assessment of Institutional Arrangements
Additional Best Practices and Case Studies around specific topics (e.g. including hard to reach
populations and frequently excluded groups; access to identity and gender equality; biometrics).
B. ID4D: GLOBAL CONVENING
A shared view of the key principles, minimum standards, and legal and regulatory frameworks for
identity management is an aspirational goal. ID4D can play a convening role and engage with standard
setting bodies, development partners, foundations, private sector associations, UN agencies, financial
sector players and others to develop an inclusive multi-stakeholder dialogue and consultation process to
reach this desired goal, including through the following ways:
16
A joint discussion paper between the World Bank, Groupe Speciale Mobile Association19
(GSMA), and Secure Identity Alliance20 (SIA) will draft a set of principles to be discussed at
consultative meetings over a span of several months with a range of stakeholders (i.e., in
February 2016 at a closed consultative event at the GSMA World Mobile Congress where 90,000
private and public sector representatives gather annually. This will be the first of a series of
consultations to be open to a broader set of stakeholders across public sector, private sector and
development partners; the second such consultation will likely be in Washington DC in Spring
2016 and others to be determined.
Building on the identity management legislation recently enacted by the European Union, the
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has agreed to undertake a
project to develop international legal rules for identity management. A process of consultation
and drafting will begin with a colloquium to be hosted at the World Bank and co-sponsored by
the Open Identity Exchange and the American Bar Association Identity Management Legal Task
Force.
In addition, ID4D can provide a platform for South-South dialogue to share lessons and knowledge across
countries. Examples include:
Webinars linking countries to others who have successfully implemented digital identification
systems (e.g. one held in January 2016 linking 12 countries to learn about Aadhaar’s experience)
The World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in 2016 which could provide a platform for countries to
share their respective experiences;
Other events (e.g. in May 2016 at the ID4Africa21 event in Rwanda) with a focus on Africa,
organized yearly and which convenes governments and regional bodies across Africa
C. ID4D: COUNTRY LEVEL APPROACH
Country experience shows that that there is no single approach to improving identification systems. Much
depends on the specific development problem to be addressed, the state of the existing system, and the
costs and benefits of a new approach. Depending on the country, the approach may involve a top-down
process to create a legal identity or registry from the get-go that all individual programs could eventually
use, thus delivering multiple services to individuals who have unique national identification systems. In
other cases, the path may involve building on a good functional ID developed for a particular purpose
(such as social safety nets or financial access programs). Based on such existing entry points, ID4D
efforts could broaden their use and coverage over time.
An example can be found in Bangladesh, where through a national unique ID number database, both the
public and private sectors plan to deliver a number of services to the population. Similarly, the ongoing
ID system assessment in Morocco identified myriad programs that resulted in the ID system not fully
19 Groupe Speciale Mobile Association represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide—nearly 800
operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers,
software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies.
20 The Secure Identity Alliance supports sustainable worldwide economic growth and prosperity through the
development of trusted digital identities and the widespread adoption of secure eServices.
21 ID4Africa serves as a multistakeholder movement that promotes the transparent and responsible adoption of
digital identity in the service of development in Africa. The aim is to share experience and establish real world
standards that set the correct expectations for what is involved in launching successful identity programs.
17
meeting the country’s identification needs. Government agencies continue to operate under different ID
programs that are not harmonized. As a result, all programs that depend on individual or household
identification, including social protection programs, suffer from an increased administrative burden
arising from the lack of a reliable unified system. The Government of Morocco is actively engaged in a
dialogue with World Bank teams and other development partners to explore opportunities to strengthen
and integrate the existing systems.
The rollout of ID4D efforts includes the following stages:
1. ASSESSMENT AND ROADMAP
Before rolling out any ID4D program, interested governments, with support from the World Bank and
other development partners, would assess the country’s existing ID systems, forging a holistic view of the
ID system that is consistent with the ID4D approach. In this context, several dimensions of ID system
assessment could be considered, including the following dimensions currently captured by the standard
Identity Management System Analysis (IMSA) guidance tool:
1. Legal and regulatory framework for civil registration and identification,
2. Accessibility: Barriers and obstacles to timely and universal registration
3. Institutional and administrative robustness,
4. Use and management of technology, and
5. Interoperability and interconnectivity of the legal and functional registries.
The resulting country assessment would present the areas of improvement of a particular system that
would subsequently provide a baseline for a roadmap/action plan that addresses gaps and allows for
progress to be systematically monitored.
2. DIALOGUE AND DESIGN
Given the many potential applications spanning different sectors and involving both public and private
entities, implementing the ID4D agenda requires a strong dialogue among stakeholders, advocacy and
awareness raising, and selecting the most effective entry points. The multisectoral applications of
identification require systematic engagement–across ministries and agencies, across public and private
sector, and including citizens and civil society organizations–to determine the most appropriate design
feature for the national identification system.
Implementation,
Outreach and
Communication
Design and
Dialogue
Assessment and
Roadmap
18
Some design dimensions which need to be considered, although not exhaustive, include:
Strategic Pathway: When designing an identification architecture, there are a number of
considerations based on country context (needs, state of civil registration system, budget,
timeline, political will). In particular, there could be tradeoffs such as the focus on foundational
to functional or functional to foundational, along with a discussion of an integrated vs modular
approach.
Institutional Arrangements: The most appropriate governance structure, including which entity
champions the effort, is a critical design feature. The key coordinating agency or ministry needs
the capacity, legal backing and political will to serve as an effective champion and implementer.
Several options include autonomous with direct cabinet or executive level reporting, autonomous
governed by a Board representing stakeholders, or an agency or directorate of an existing
ministry.
Technology: The strategy to deploy technology needs to consider a range of dimensions,
including cost, capacity, interoperability, usage, security, and long-term viability. A digital
identity includes the following technology-based solutions which could be considered:
biometrics; electronic database; electronic credentials; mobile, online and offline applications.
As technology continues to advance, other options will likely become available.
Intentionality of Inclusion: Lessons also include the importance of working with civil society
organizations and deploying new approaches to reach people frequently excluded, for example,
lower castes, women, disabled and indigenous peoples.
3.
4. IMPLEMENTATION
The World Bank Group has a range of financial instruments (IDA/IBRD, donor-funded ASA, and RAS)
to support governments in the implementation of an identification system. The support could include the
following menu of support interventions:
Assisting governments in inter-ministerial dialogue and formation of a multisectoral approach
across ministries and government agencies to avoid a fragmented digital identification ecosystem;
Providing institutional capacity building and advising on the merits of various institutional
arrangements;
Developing appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks, including data protection and privacy
requirements;
Leveraging relevant technology standards and interoperability frameworks; supporting open
architecture anchored on modularity and open standards; supporting procurement of technology,
in particular capacity building of the public sector to develop technology specifications;
Designing sustainable business models of ID systems, including public-private partnership (PPP)
models;
Financing the infrastructure required for the public sector (e.g. de novo national ID system,
integration platform) as well as streamlining the process flow needed to support service delivery;
Ensuring that monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including impact assessments, are built into
the design of ID4D projects.
19
5. REGIONAL APPROACHES
To achieve the ambitious goals of the ID4D initiative, the WBG and broader development community is
considering ways to accelerate the pace of developing robust civil registration and identification systems
in client countries. While ID4D will continue to advance single-country engagements, it will also explore
regional approaches, likely starting with Africa and Asia. A regional approach could also ensure that
identification systems are developed in an integrated, internationally (or regionally) interoperable manner
to enable improved regional cooperation and cross-border integration. The experience of the European
Community’s STORK and STORK 2.0 programs
22 informs us that cross-border applications are needed
for effective regional integration, with (a) common standards for ID systems, and (b) interoperability
frameworks.
Developing a regional approach for Africa will require partnerships with the African Union, ECOWAS,
EAC, African Development Bank, UNICEF, and Smart Africa organizations, among others, including
extensive in-country consultations. The ID4D group will reach out to these regional bodies,
organizations/think tanks, UN agencies and the private sector associations (e.g. GSMA, SIA, ESTI).
ID4D could play a convening role, working with all parties and stakeholders involved, to develop an
integration approach of existing global standards. Specifically, if adopted, the standards will have to be
piloted at the sub-regional level, starting with the development of detailed and sequenced roadmap of
actions/interventions needed for these standards to be adopted in EAC countries (Kenya, Rwanda,
Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda), and within ECOWAS and Pacific Islands.
6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Countries can measure their progress by assessing outcomes related to coverage, integration, and cost
among others. Robust ongoing monitoring and evaluation processes could be built into the design of
ID4D projects. Below are possible indicators to use (when relevant) for monitoring and evaluation:
A. Coverage and Growth: Measures coverage of the country’s population and is important for
assessing inclusion of remote populations.
Population Coverage (%)
Number of Unique Users
% of Births Registered in a Given Year
% of Registered Births in which Birth Certificate was Issued
B. Level of Integration: Measures the number of services using the identification system
Number of Unique Services Provided
Number of Registries Integrated
C. Cost Benefits: Measures ongoing savings, such as ability to eliminate excess payments and avoid
leakages
Cost of operations saved by government to date
22 For more information about the Secure idenTity acrOss boRders linked (STORK) 2.0 initiative, see the European
Community’s STORK 2.0 website: https://www.eid-stork2.eu/.
20
D. Integration Performance: Provides key performance indicators for the system’s technical
performance
Average transaction volume (per day)
Average response time (per transaction)
In addition, rigorous impact evaluation of the ID4D agenda on development outcomes will allow all
stakeholders to ascertain a complete results chain.
The ID4D agenda has the transformational potential to serve as a key enabler of some of the most
pressing development challenges today. With the convergence of a better understanding of the role of
identification systems, together with significant advances and ubiquity of many new technologies, there
are unprecedented opportunities for the WBG and the broader development community to support the
strengthening of identification systems that will enable the access to services and rights for all. The
WBG calls on key stakeholders and partners to join in a discussion on how to best embrace broad-based
ID4D systems as a path to growth; improve delivery of basic services (including health care, education,
financial inclusion, and social safety net payments); and better governance. Our hope is that the post2015 development agenda will result in concerted action and concrete steps toward a shared goal.
21
ANNEX 1: AGREED TERMINOLOGY
A. Terminology:
For purposes of the ID4D initiative, identity can be legal or functional, depending on the purpose of use
and issuance, and support to develop identification systems can be tailored in accordance with country
specific practices and needs. Generally, (there are some exceptions e.g. Aadhaar) identification systems
can be classified according to the following definitions23:
Legal Registers - carry out birth registration or civil identification for the purpose of establishing
legal identity. Proof of legal identity consists of official, government issued and recognized
identity documents that include basic information attesting to the holder’s identity, age, status
and/or legal relationships
Functional Register - are created in response to a demand for a particular service or transaction,
and may issue identity tokens such as voter IDs, health and insurance records, bank cards, etc.
23 Sources: Vanderabeele, C and Lao, C, 2007. Legal Identity for inclusive Development. ADB. Harbitz, M.
and Kentala, K., 2015. Dictionary for Civil Registration and Identification. IDB; Gelb, A. and Diofasi, A. 2015. Scoping
Paper on Identification and Development. Center for Global Development.
IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS
Civil Register
(issue certificates)
Social Security
(issue social
security cards)
Civil Identification
Agency
(issue national ID cards)
Voter Rolls
(issue voter
cards)
Cash Transfer
Programs
(may or may not issue a
beneficiary card)
Driver’s License
Agency
Passport
issuing agency
Aadhaar Tax Payer DB
Issue some form
of document
Does not necessarily issue
any form of document
Platform to facilitate access
to service delivery
LEGAL REGISTERS FUNCTIONAL REGISTERS
22
These may be commonly accepted for broader identification purposes, but may not always
bestow legal identity.
The Indian Aadhaar is special type of platform formed on the basis of biometrics, name and address of
individuals enrolled, rather than records from the civil register. It functions as a platform to facilitate
access to delivery of services, with the potential to be used to create both a legal and/or a functional
register.
23
ANNEX 2: COUNTRY EXAMPLES
The ID4D initiative has identified a number of developing countries for possible support. The following
points were considered:
WB country team interest/support/client demand/interest/commitment
Focus on current activities to demonstrate initial results within a 12- to 24-month timeframe
Readiness to implement CRVS actions (75 countries already identified by HNP)
Opportunities to support the development of integrated digital solutions
Institutional and legal arrangements (readiness to implement ID4D projects)
WBG’s comparative advantage
In addition, priority under the financial inclusion initiative (25 countries identified by F&M), countryspecific criteria such as high extreme poverty rates, relatively large population, low birth registration
rates, inadequate public financial management systems, and low level of integration of government
systems with ID enabled services, were considered. While the WBG will support all low- and middleincome countries, there will be a particular emphasis on the poorest countries.
Pakistan: Building Equality for Women on a Foundation of Identity
To date, over 96 million Pakistanis, both in the country and abroad have received their biometric computerized
national identity cards (CNIC). This CNIC is a prerequisite for opening a bank account, receiving a mobile SIM
card, securing a passport and driver’s license, and other social and economic services. However, it was the
Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), a cash transfer social safety net, launched in 2008 by the government
with financial and technical assistance from the World Bank, that caused a spike in CNIC enrolment among the
poorest segments of the population, women in particular.
The reason was two-fold: the cash transfers could be given only to the female head of the eligible household
and, further, possession of a CNIC was a prerequisite for enrolment in BISP. This was a deliberate move by the
government to empower women and provide them with legal identification.
Within four years of the launch of BISP, there was an overall increase of 72 percent in issuance of CNICs to the
adult population in the country and a 94 percent increase in women enrollment. By 2012, 40 million women in
Pakistan possessed CNICs.
The role of CNICs in empowering Pakistani women cannot be underestimated. The BISP Impact Evaluation
Surveys conducted by Oxford Policy Management in 2011 and 2013 reported that women with CNICs felt a
stronger sense of identity than they ever had before. They were eager to vote and know their rights as citizens of
their country. Within their families, they were given more respect, which increased their self-confidence and
emboldened them to share their opinion on household matters.
Recipients of the BISP cash transfer said they felt financially empowered for the first time in their lives.
Evaluation results showed that 64 percent of female beneficiaries controlled how the cash transfer was spent.
Others said that they were consulted on how the money should be spent. By and large, the women spent the cash
transfer on nutrition and health. They also made greater use of reproductive health services. Evaluation also
showed that BISP beneficiaries were more likely than non-beneficiaries to report that they would vote.
24
Bangladesh: Running on an IDEA
In 2007-2008, the Government of Bangladesh embarked on a nationwide drive to update its electorate roll.
Before long, the electorate roll, maintained by the Election Commission of Bangladesh (ECB), contained
biographic and some biometric information on 85 million Bangladeshis. Seeing the potential in a database of
this size and quality, the government decided to make it the foundation of a national identification system and
issued national identification (ID) cards to all enrolled in this database.
But, the government still wanted a true digital identification system that would be a foolproof and transparent
way to deliver services to the population. Partnering with the World Bank in 2011, the government launched
IDEA—the Identification System for Enhancing Access to Services project. Through IDEA, a digital national
identification system complete with a unique identifying number (UIN) and a biometrics-based smart ID card
for every citizen, was established. And, by the close of 2017, 100 million Bangladeshis should be in possession
of smart national identification (NID) cards which will replace the present NID laminated paper-based cards.
Unlike paper-based cards which can be forged or replicated, smart cards protect users and agencies from fraud,
leakages and waste to a considerable extent. Each smart ID card contains a 10-digit UIN and comes with 25
different security features incorporated in three layers to prevent forgery; personal information is engraved by
laser to protect from replication by normal printers; biometrics (10 fingerprints) and photograph are stored
inside the chip digitally; and the data is stored in compliance with international standards.
With support from IDEA, the NID database has been expanding both its coverage and scope of use. Enrollment
has touched 100 million and includes almost an equal number of women as men. Further, the database has
expanded to include the 15-18 age group; by the end of 2015, 1.9 million citizens in this age range had been
enrolled.
To date, 33 agencies (both from the public and private sector) have signed on to use the ID authentication
service. For instance, the NID database is used by: the National Board of Revenue to verify the identity of
applicants registering for electronic income tax identification numbers; the Bangladesh Bank to verify data
provided to the Credit Information Bureau and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU); the
Department of Immigration and Passports to verify the identity of applicants for national passports and; all
six mobile operators in Bangladesh to biometrically authenticate their user base.
25
Guinea: Piloting a Digital Identification System
Guinea was declared free from Ebola by the World Health Organization in December 2015. During the crisis,
the World Bank Group mobilized US$1.62 billion in financing to respond to the Ebola health crisis and aid
recovery efforts in affected countries. Through the Ebola Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund, financial
aid was made available to countries to help pay for essential health care, health workers and health
infrastructure. Social safety nets in affected countries were scaled up to help governments and their populations
cope with the financial fallout of the Ebola crisis.
With the end of the Ebola crisis, the focus has shifted to recovery and making communities resilient and capable
of rebounding from the social and economic toll of Ebola.
In this context, because a robust identification system can help people receive essential services such as health
care and access financial services such as loans, the Government of Guinea has requested World Bank support
in designing and implementing a biometric digital identification (ID) system After conducting an assessment
in the country, the World Bank has decided to pilot a digital ID system using an existing World Bank cash
transfer program which helps Guineans pay for essentials such as food and education. The digital ID pilot will
cover four rural communities which suffer from high rates of school dropout and malnutrition and are
beneficiaries of the cash transfer. Covering 7,000 households, the program has an existing database of
approximately 42,000 people.
A digital ID system will help the program accurately identify and authenticate beneficiaries as well as make
timely payments. Under the pilot, beneficiaries will enroll in a biometric database that will include their
fingerprints and iris scans. The head of each beneficiary household will be issued an ID card with a unique ID
number. These ID cards must be presented by the head of the household at the time of payment transfer. Once
the digital ID system authenticates the beneficiary, the payment will be made.
Additional financing of US$17 million from the Ebola Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund established
by the World Bank Group has been earmarked for earmarked for the project.
26
ANNEX 3: DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Given the many potential applications spanning different sectors and involving both public and private
entities, implementing the ID4D agenda requires a strong dialogue among stakeholders, advocacy and
awareness raising, and selecting the most effective entry points. The multisectoral applications of
identification require systematic engagement – across ministries and agencies, across public and private
sector, and including citizens and civil society organizations – to determine the most appropriate design
feature for the national identification system. Some dimensions which need to be considered, although
not exhaustive, include:
A. Strategic Pathway: When designing an identification architecture, there are a number of
considerations based on country context (needs, state of civil registration system, budget,
timeline, political will). In particular, there could be trade-offs such as the focus on foundational
to functional or functional to foundational, along with a discussion of an integrated vs modular
approach. The table below from the Digital Identity toolkit provides a broad summary of the
choices, with further details available in the toolkit.
27
B. Integrated vs Modular:
Multipurpose national ID programs offer some particular benefits. Through the use of a unique
ID number, records can be integrated across a wide range of data registers and applications to
provide a “client-centered” perspective. Countries that have integrated their ID systems with their
functional registries can more easily track benefits accessed by each user and can minimize
benefits leakage (in forms such as ghost payroll payments or duplicated subsidy payments). In
addition, an integrated digital ID can cut costs for both citizens and government by enabling
secure remote transactions.
24 Estonia is an example of a country that has integrated its
foundational systems (National Population Register and national ID system) to functional
applications using ‘X-Road’ middleware. As a result, Estonian citizens can access a number of
economic, social and political services using their national e-ID card, which acts as their primary
form of identification25
.
At the same time, there are some concerns that integrated ID programs can strengthen the
coercive power of the state, such as by facilitating surveillance. Some countries have rejected
proposals to establish such programs, with Australia and the United Kingdom being prominent
examples. In the United States, concerns over citizen rights and privacy have stalled initiatives
toward a national ID even as rising identity theft and concerns over border control and security
place pressure on existing systems.
26 The Philippines is another example of a country that has
maintained a diverse array of identity programs and credentials, partly because of concern over
inadequate legal protections for the privacy of individuals’ data. The quality of these identifiers
may vary, making it more difficult to integrate information across programs. In addition to these
concerns, some countries may face particularly urgent needs that argue for a modular approach
toward developing an ID system, for instance, in Liberia, the main immediate impulse was the
need to rationalize the civil service and eliminate “ghost workers.” In Djibouti, a particular
concern was to enable a functioning system of social protection.
The diagram below provides one possible model (not meant to be prescriptive) of an integrated
approach to link existing functional registries to the legal registries (civil registry and civil
identification).
24 For estimates of the potential savings in costs and time from shifting to e-transactions, see Secure Identity
Alliance 2013.
25 Identification for Development Integration Approach, World Bank 2015.
26 Cost has also been a factor in some OECD countries, with some surprisingly high estimates.
28
C. Institutional Arrangements: The most appropriate governance structure, including which ministry or
agency champions the effort, is a critical design feature. The key coordinating agency or ministry
needs the capacity, legal backing and political will to serve as an effective champion and
implementer. Several options are summarized in the table below and further details available in the
toolkit.
Other institutional roles critical to an identification system include: enrolment agencies, central
repository, ID card issuing body (optional), identity service providers, and credential and certificate
authorities. How the roles are designed under a broader identification system and distributed across
agencies are important.
29
D. Technology: the strategy to deploy technology needs to consider a range of dimensions, including
cost, capacity, interoperability, usage, security, and long term viability. A digital identity includes the
following technology-based solutions which could be considered:
Biometrics: technology to uniquely identify or authenticate an individual by electronically
capturing a face photo, fingerprints, iris, among others.
Electronic database: to electronically store identity data and make it available for online or mobile
usage.
Electronic credentials: such as smartcards or mobile phones to electronically authenticate the
identity of a person for in-person, online, mobile or offline services.
Mobile, online and offline applications: digital applications when linked with eID, offer new
products and services to consumers, available in person, online, offline or via mobile.
In addition, design features such as an open architecture platform that protects against lock-in due to
specific vendor or technology is critical to avoid dependency on incumbent or legacy systems during
renewal. The ideal design allows many vendors, products, solutions and technologies to compete on
features, performance, and price. Further details are available in the Toolkit.
E. Intentionality of Inclusion: Lessons also include the importance of working with civil society
organizations and deploying new approaches to reach people frequently excluded for example lower
castes, women, disabled and indigenous peoples. In Pakistan, for example, to increase female
enrolment, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) established 15 women-only
registration centers staffed fully by women. The agency also penetrated remote areas with mobile
vans, motorcycle registration units, and even hikers, mountaineers into mountain areas with man-pack
units. NADRA also worked with community leaders to enroll minorities such as the transgender
communities.27
The design elements discussed above are not exhaustive and will vary based on country context and
needs.
27 Technology in the Service of Development: The NADRA Story by Tariq Malik, Center for Global Development,
Nov 2014
30
REFERENCES
Dunning, C., A. Gelb, and S. Raghavan. 2014. “Birth Registration, Legal Identity, and the Post-2015
Agenda.” Policy Paper 46, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC.
Gelb, Alan, and Julia Clark. 2013. “Identification for Development: The Biometrics Revolution.”
Working Paper 315, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC.
http://www.cgdev.org/publication/identification-development-biometrics-revolution-workingpaper-315.
Gelb, Alan, and Sneha Raghavan. Forthcoming. “The Spread of National Identification Programs.”
Unpublished working paper, Center for Global Development, Washington, DC.
Gellman, Robert. 2013. “Privacy in Biometric ID Systems: An Approach Using Fair Information
Practices for Developing Countries”. Policy Paper 028, Center for Global Development,
Washington DC.
IMF (International Monetary Fund). 2011. “Republic of Guinea-Bissau: Joint IDA-IMF Staff Advisory
Note on the Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II.” Report 63798-GW, IMF, Washington,
DC.
Kim, Jim Yong. 2013. “Toward a Global Science of Delivery.” In “Voices on Society, Vol. 5: The Art
and Science of Delivery,” a report in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Skoll World Forum,
McKinsey & Company, New York. http://voices.mckinseyonsociety.com/toward-a-globalscience-of-delivery/#sthash.Vrh80iuH.dpuf.
Malik, Tariq. 2014. “Technology in the Service of Development: The NADRA Story.” Essay, Center for
Global Development, Washington, DC.
OECD, 2013. “Fair Information Principles”.
http://www.oecd.org/internet/ieconomy/oecdguidelinesontheprotectionofprivacyandtransborderfl
owsofpersonaldata.htm
Rose, John, Olaf Rehse, and Björn Röber. 2012. “The Value of Our Digital Identity.” Report, Liberty
Global Policy Series, The Boston Consulting Group, Bethesda, MD.
Secure Identity Alliance. 2013. “eGov Study.” PowerPoint presentation, November 18, Secure Identity
Alliance, Paris.
UN (United Nations). 2013. “A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies
through Sustainable Development” Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the
Post-2015 Development Agenda, UN, New York. http://www.post2015hlp.org/the-report/.
UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). 2014a. “Child Protection Including
Education.” Standing Committee 60th meeting report (EC/65/SC/CRP.13), Executive
Commissioner of the High Commissioner’s Programme, UNHCR, Geneva.
———. 2014b. “Global 2014–24 Plan to End Statelessness.” Report of the UNHCR, Geneva.
31
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). 2013. “Every Child’s Birth Right: Inequities and Trends in
Birth Registration.” Report by the Data and Analytics Section, Division of Policy and Strategy,
UNICEF, New York.
World Bank. 2011. The Puppet Masters How the Corrupt Use Legal Structures to Hide Stolen Assets and
What to Do About It. Washington, DC: World Bank.
———. 2013. “The World Bank Group Goals: End Extreme Poverty and Promote Shared Prosperity.”
Booklet, World Bank, Washington, DC.
———. 2014a. “Digital Identity Toolkit: A Guide for Stakeholders in Africa.” Working Paper 91249,
World Bank, Washington, DC.
———. 2014b. “What Matters in Identification.” Unpublished manuscript (draft working paper), World
Bank, Washington, DC.
World Bank, Better Than Cash Alliance, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 2014. “The Opportunities
of Digitizing Payments.” Report to the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion, World
Bank, Washington, DC.
World Economic Forum. 2012. “Rethinking Personal Data.” Report, World Economic Forum, Geneva.
———. 2013. “Rethinking Personal Data.” Report, World Economic Forum, Geneva.
World Bank, ID4D Global Dataset, 2015 (http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/id4d-dataset)
32 |