Publication: Digital Identity Toolkit : A Guide for Stakeholders in Africa
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Date
2014-06
ISSN
Published
2014-06
Author(s)
World Bank Group
Abstract
Digital identity, or electronic identity
(eID), offers developing nations a unique opportunity to
accelerate the pace of their national progress. It changes
the way services are delivered, helps grow a country's
digital economy, and supports effective safety nets for
disadvantaged and impoverished populations. Though digital
identity is an opportunity, it raises important
considerations with respect to privacy, cost, capacity, and
long-term viability. This report provides a strategic view
of the role of identification in a country's national
development, as well as a tactical view of the building
blocks and policy choices needed for setting up eID in a
developing country. The report presents a conceptual
overview of digital identity management practices, providing
a set of guidelines at a national level that policymakers
can find helpful as they begin to think about modernizing
the identity infrastructure of their country into eID. The
report also provides an operating knowledge of the
terminology and concepts used in identity management and an
exposition of the functional blocks that must be in place.
Policy considerations are referenced at the end of the
report that governments can use as they contemplate a
digital identity program. Given its abridged nature, the
report is intended to be insightful and detailed, though not
exhaustive. Several important topics related to eID are
noted though deserve further discussion, including: economic
and financial analysis, the development and setup of a
national civil register, and cross-border aspects of eID.
The building blocks, as discussed, can help ensure that a
secure, robust and reliable digital identity platform can
serve the development needs of a country for the foreseeable future.
Citation
“World Bank Group. 2014. Digital Identity Toolkit : A Guide for Stakeholders in Africa; Guide de lidentité électronique : A l'intention des parties prenantes d'Afrique. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/20752 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”