Zambia - eKYC and Public Service Delivery | DPI Exemplar Stories

This video outlines Zambia’s ongoing journey in implementing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), focusing on the development and application of eKYC and other digital systems for improved public service delivery. It highlights how a national crisis (drought) accelerated the adoption of DPI principles to address real-world challenges in social protection and healthcare, moving beyond isolated, proof-of-concept projects. The practical value lies in demonstrating how foundational DPI components like digital identity (using MOSIP), payment systems (GSB, OpenG2P), and data exchange layers can be leveraged across sectors for efficiency, inclusion, and cost-effectiveness, offering lessons for other nations.

Synthesized Summary

Luke Mate, Director for Systems Development and Support at Smart Zambia (the government’s E-Gov division), describes Zambia’s shift towards a DPI approach, contrasting it with previous efforts where digital innovations were often siloed and focused on single objectives. While Zambia’s DPI journey began earlier (notably with the INRIS identity project since 2008), a severe drought declared a national disaster in early 2024 provided a critical impetus. This crisis necessitated a rapid solution for identifying and distributing aid to affected households across numerous districts, pushing the government to apply DPI principles practically.

Zambia developed and tested an eKYC solution, leveraging the open-source MOSIP platform and integrating biometric capabilities, specifically for the drought relief program, with rollout planned for September 2024. This signifies a move towards using DPI for tangible outcomes rather than just theoretical exercises. The same DPI approach, emphasizing open standards, interoperability, scalability, and shareability, is being extended to other sectors. Key examples include the ongoing digitization of Electronic Health Records (EHR) across government hospitals (Smart Care Pro system, linking with eKYC for patient identification) and the Government Service Bus (GSB) which already offers over 300 online services (e.g., land acquisition, license payments, company registration). The use of open-source components like MOSIP and OpenG2P is highlighted as crucial for avoiding vendor lock-in, reducing costs, fostering competition, and ensuring sustainability, contrasting with past experiences with proprietary systems.

Key Learnings & Recommendations

• Shift from Siloed Systems: Zambia is moving from isolated digital projects focused on single targets to building integrated, shareable Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). [00:54], [03:06]
• Crisis as Catalyst: The 2024 national drought disaster accelerated the practical application of DPI for real-world problem-solving, specifically for targeted social protection and aid delivery. [01:25], [02:18]
• Foundational Identity (eKYC): Zambia is implementing an eKYC platform based on MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform) with biometric capabilities. This is crucial for verifying beneficiaries for drought relief and identifying patients for Electronic Health Records (EHR). [04:58], [11:15]
  • The national digital identity project (INRIS) started in 2008 but faced challenges (funding, technology changes, election sensitivities). Enrollment in the digital ID platform is still limited (1.5M out of 11M eligible). [06:18], [07:56]
• Payment Infrastructure (GSB & G2P): The Government Service Bus (GSB) acts as a payment gateway for Person-to-Government (P2G) transactions for over 300 online services. [13:27] The DPI approach aims to leverage this (potentially with OpenG2P) for Government-to-Person (G2P) payments, like drought relief and social protection. [16:04], [12:45]
• Sectoral Applications:
  • Drought Relief: DPI solution developed and tested for identifying and distributing aid to qualifying households. [02:33]
  • Healthcare: Digitizing EHRs (Smart Care Pro) across thousands of facilities, integrating with the eKYC platform for patient identification while keeping health and identity data separate. [03:44], [04:58]
  • Online Services: Numerous services (land, licenses, company registration, environmental assessments, mining, tourism) are available or planned via the GSB portal. [13:41]
• Advantages of DPI: Open standards, interoperability, and scalability avoid vendor lock-in common with proprietary systems, reduce costs, foster competition, enhance sustainability, and promote citizen inclusion. [17:21], [18:49]
• Importance of Collaboration & Buy-in: Successful DPI requires strong political will (Presidential support noted), collaboration between government agencies, regulators (Data Protection, Central Bank, Telecoms), civil society (for trust and inclusion), and the local private sector (for innovation and domestication). [23:59], [31:16], [32:04]
• Solve Real Problems: DPI implementation gains traction and value when it directly addresses tangible citizen needs and national challenges. [02:18], [31:37]
• Customize and Adapt: While learning from others is crucial, solutions must be customized to the specific national context rather than simply copied. [34:15], [34:39]

Key Questions Addressed or Raised

• How is Zambia implementing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)? [00:44]
• What specific use cases demonstrate Zambia’s DPI approach (e.g., eKYC, drought relief, healthcare)? [01:25], [03:44]
• What is the history and current status of Zambia’s digital identity initiatives (INRIS, MOSIP)? [06:18], [07:56]
• What are the advantages of a DPI approach over traditional, often proprietary, IT solutions in the Zambian context? [17:21]
• What public services are becoming available digitally in Zambia? [13:10]
• What role do various stakeholders (government leadership, regulators, private sector, civil society) play in DPI implementation? [23:59]
• What advice does Zambia offer to other countries considering DPI adoption? [31:16]
• Implicit Question: How can Zambia accelerate digital ID enrollment and overcome resource constraints for DPI projects? [07:56], [09:19]

Stated or Implied Applications

• Social Protection / Disaster Relief: Identifying beneficiaries and distributing food aid/subsidies during the drought. [02:03], [02:33]
• Healthcare: Patient identification and management through digitized Electronic Health Records (EHR) linked to eKYC. [03:44], [04:58]
• Government Service Delivery (Online Portal - GSB): [13:10]
  • Paying for land rates/fees. [13:46]
  • Acquiring land online. [13:49]
  • Company registration. [14:01]
  • Paying for driving licenses. [14:10]
  • Road vehicle registration payments. [14:12]
  • Paying for environmental assessments. [14:16]
  • Mining license applications/payments (upcoming). [14:26]
  • Tourism license applications/payments (upcoming). [14:31]
• Government-to-Person (G2P) Payments: Facilitating payments from government to citizens (e.g., social benefits, agricultural support). [16:17]
• Person-to-Government (P2G) Payments: Facilitating payments from citizens to government for various services. [16:02]

Key Terminology Defined

• DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure): Shared digital systems (like identity, payments, data exchange) used across sectors to enable service delivery, innovation, and inclusion. [Implied throughout, explicitly mentioned e.g., 01:17, 18:49]
• Smart Zambia: The Electronic Government division of the Government of the Republic of Zambia, housed under the Office of the President, responsible for implementing E-Gov. [00:16]
• eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer): Digital process for verifying the identity of individuals. Zambia is implementing this using MOSIP and biometrics. [04:48], [29:14]
• INRIS (Integrated National Identity Registration System): Zambia’s national identity project, ongoing since 2008, aiming to provide digital identity. [06:29], [09:04]
• MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform): An open-source platform being used by Zambia for its foundational eKYC/digital identity system. [11:16]
• GSB (Government Service Bus): A platform in Zambia offering over 300 electronic government services online, including payments (P2G). [13:27], [15:46]
• OpenG2P: An open-source building block mentioned in the context of enabling Government-to-Person payments. [12:45]
• ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority): The regulator for telecoms and ICT in Zambia. [27:54]
• P2G (Person-to-Government Payments): Payments made by citizens to the government, facilitated by the GSB. [16:02]
• G2P (Government-to-Person Payments): Payments made by the government to citizens (e.g., social benefits), which DPI aims to facilitate efficiently. [16:20]
• Smart Care Pro: The improved electronic health record system being rolled out in Zambian health facilities. [05:37]

Timestamped Outline / Chapters

• [00:00] Introduction of Speaker and Smart Zambia
• [00:41] Question: DPI Use Case in Zambia?
• [01:17] Shift to DPI Approach & Drought Catalyst
• [02:18] DPI Application for Drought Relief
• [03:44] DPI Application in Health Sector (EHR & eKYC)
• [06:15] Question: Journey of Implementing DPI in Zambia? (Focus on Identity/INRIS)
• [13:06] Question: Available Public Services via DPI? (GSB Examples)
• [17:18] Question: Advantage of DPI over Traditional IT?
• [23:55] Question: Role of Stakeholders in DPI Implementation?
• [28:58] Question: How will DPI support Public Service Outcomes?
• [31:13] Question: Message for Decision Makers?

Related Resources Mentioned

• MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform): Mentioned as the platform for Zambia’s eKYC. [11:16]
• OpenG2P: Mentioned as a potential component for G2P payments. [12:45]
• Co-Develop: The organization producing the video series, also provided resources for a bootcamp. [12:12]
• 50-in-5 Campaign: Zambia is part of this initiative, indicating high-level commitment. [24:39]
• Data Protection Act (Zambia): Recently signed into law, providing the legal framework for data handling. [26:45]