Bridging policy and research for just and accountable digital public infrastructure

The promises of digital identity and services to improve our everyday lives are compelling. Governments around the world are integrating services that were once paper-based and fragmented into a seamless connected digital identity and service system. Increasingly, this digital infrastructure, referred to as “digital public infrastructure” (DPI), is now considered to be fundamental for the modern state to enable economic, social and administrative interactions, saving valuable time and resources.

Most DPI strategies focus resources on technical implementation. However, this digital model of governance is fundamentally shifting the relationship people have with their governments and the accountability governments have back to their populations. Solid, accountable governance environments with robust safeguards are needed to deliver services equitably, secure personal information and data environments and be accountable back to people for these systems.

Research is needed to examine the issues and to propose ways to bridge the gaps between the technical implementation of DPI and its democratic governance. This project will examine DPI implementation in Brazil and South Africa, develop recommendations and provide capacity support and resources to support local stakeholders seeking equitable outcomes, and ensure ordinary people can access essential digital services. It will bring this evidence to global policy platforms to influence national, regional and international understanding of DPI. This research and policy engagement will ensure that DPI frameworks in the Global South are inclusive, accountable and firmly based in people’s actual needs.