Unique ID and Layered KYC
Several challenges hinder the Government of Bangladesh in ensuring social safeguard and essential service delivery. (1) Individuals remain invisible or hard-to-reach. (2) Service delivery remains exclusionary and inefficient. (3) Underlying the problem is weak institutional capacity due to fragmented types and uses of IDs, the data kept in silos by ministries each with their procedures.
The initiative will aggregate ID information scattered across service delivery partners, consolidating beneficiary data into a Central Repository. Unique ID will establish a field of indicators (phone numbers, addresses, basic demographic and personal information) which can sufficiently identify and verify an individual. Central repository will extract the data sets and load into the field to complete the Unique ID. Meanwhile, the Unique ID System will layer the aggregate data to generate insights on projected demand, customized need assessment, matchmaking with delivery partner/implementing agency, and monitor the overall quality and transparency of service delivery.
(1) Social safeguard: Inequity persist in ownership and use of ID is due to limited infrastracture and broadband availability and varying general and digital literacy level. Newborns without birth certificate (80%), residents without National ID (45%), indefinitely pending passport application are prevalent. (2) Delivery of services are paradoxically exclusionary due to the enabling environment and level of social consciousness required to request a service in understanding of citizens entitlements and the value of the service. (3) Meanwhile, fragmented ID system with data and procedure kept in silos without interoperability or assurance mechanism reduce efficiency and and impact. For instance, 33 percent of recipients of Old Age SSNP do not qualify for the eligibility criteria. Migration from recent COVID crisis and outdated consensus adds to the challenge.
The target population are (1) marginalized and (2) vulnerable population.
(1) Marginalized as defined by the remoteness – due to physical distance, social barriers, lack of resource or literacy - to administrative and institutional privileges and entitlements, ranging from property ownership, justice system, health services, and education. The cause of marginalization may be gender, ethnicity, residence, poverty, amongst others. A pregnant mother who is not aware of NGOs providing pre-natal care; a person with disability not aware of SSNP he or she qualifies for; a young girl deprioritized in receiving education in the household.
(2) Vulnerability is defined by inability to mitigate the risk of, or cope with, market or social changes and instability. As an example, a small business owner who do not understand the value of being part of an assisted e-commerce platform, employees of sectors undergoing replacement of labor with robotics and automation without access to new covational training opportunities, and small holder farmers without crop insurance.
We will target through our extensive network of partners and digital platforms: National Skills Portal (300K youth), adolescent platform Konnect (3 million adolescents), e-learning platform MuktoPaath (700K adult learners), Migrants Portal (300K returnee migrants), Teachers Portal (400K instructors).
- How can countries ensure that digital authentication mechanisms—which often require smartphones, computers and internet access—are accessible to marginalized and vulnerable populations to facilitate remote access to services and benefits?
The problem we observe is the inherent vulnerability of beneficiaries that affect access and use of ID, and moreover utility of ID in direct linkage to the resources Government intends to channel. The solution brings integration, quality control, interoperability to the system for scalability and transferrability across variety of public services. Moreover, the use of AI and analytics leverages technology to continuously improve service delivery with the lifecycle and market changes. Our objective is to provide a long-term, cross-cutting Governance instrument.
- Prototype: An individual or organization building and testing a product, service, or model.
- A new application of an existing technology
Our solution is unique in its depth of intervention that addresses the inherent vulnerability of beneficiaries. Technological solutions often apply the conveniences of technology to create ease of process or access, based on the premise the convenience and opportunity cost will tip the market. However, tecnology without a problem statement that starts with root of the cause - literacy, social consciousness, enabling environment, only enables the able to more easily access social services, rather than enabling those who could not before. An exercise tracker helps health conscious middle class more efficiently improve their fitness, but it does not reduce exposure of poor people to preventable disease from ordering junk food because it's cheaper than organic produce. Digital app based ID registration doesn't include people living outside of broadband covered area. Even phone-based registration does not, in the end, address the problem of a recently unemployed migrant worker who now have a different residence and is not aware of unemployment checks newly offered by the Government. Layered Know-Your-Customer algorithm application integrates resource (social welfare and services) with variety of data sources (telco partnership, industry employee database, ministries of education/women/children/welfare/disaster management), to create a collective intelligence.
Our experience in syndromic surveillance using mass self-assessment as proxy to testing data during COVID-crisis has demonstrated efficacy of combining access channels (phone-based Interactive Void Recording for triage, link to telecoms partners for location data, verification of authenticity of reports based on triangulating inquiry pattern and survey answer consistency) with demand (predictive analysis based on risk profiles of individuals and regions) and matchmaking supply and demand (facilitating hospital planning based on AI algorithms on gaps in clinical resources).
UID and layered KYC replicates the methodology by leveraging the maximum collection capacity of phone and phone-number based data sets, diagnostic analysis (correlation of socio-economic and demographic profile with behavioural pattern and access to institutions), demand (predictive analysis such as eductional need, occupational hazard, market change, aging population), and matchmaking supply and demand (services ranging from social welfare payment, employment, health, education).
- Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
- Audiovisual Media
- Big Data
- GIS and Geospatial Technology
- Software and Mobile Applications
We propose to enact (1) concrete mechanisms to create a robust data repository to create (2) a universal, virtual ID profile, while (3) building the capacity of service providers in strategic targeting to by providing (4) analytics to address inequity and deprivation; and in order to (2) create and increase access to basic and essential services and (5) develop of an intelligence system to ensure protection and inclusion of the vulnerable demographic.
Rather than incorporating into a system that does not yet exist/fragmented, we are proposing to develop an integration platform aggregating the scatter data and process through analytics unit to generate actionable insights.
The interface will be customized for five tiers of end-users: (1) service recipients/citizens, (2) social welfare payment providers, (3) health service providers, (4) Training/Educational institutions, (5) partnerships and associations, (6) central authorities, (7) policy makers.
Citizens may also call-in to national hotline we have been operating for national grievance addressal, since repurposed contribute to COVID surveillance service delivery. The hotline operators and agents have been providing phone based assistance to callers in filling out private and public service application online to citizens without access to broadband internet, data, or literacy. Scaling the practice, the application of KYC and additional data collection will replicate the methodology.
a2i will develop a governance and management structure for the successful implementation and operation of the Layered KYC framework and will be responsible for its day to day operation. Beside that different partnership will made in different area for innovation:
1. Technical & Knowledge Partner:
a2i will arrange partnership with different national & international experts and organization who will responsible for providing technical & knowledge support for different KYC and profile innovation, mentoring, new idea testing, business model development and scale up.
2. Financial Partner:
Necessary partnership will be made with different international organization and donor community to seek fund for the operation of the KYC Layering. Also, the initiative will seek opportunities for investment from individuals or investment firms to invest in different innovative idea for scale up.
3. Product/technology Testing Partner:
Partnership will be made with Identity, Profiling Service Providers and Technology industry like cloud, data, research institute to test different idea and technology.
4. Research Partner
Research organizations include research firms, universities etc will be research partner of the initiative to initiates different research on market demands, impact analysis, business model development etc.
5. Policy framework and Support
a2i will take initiatives to make partnership with different authority like Register general, BRTA, Education boards, Universities and others to ensure policy & regulatory framework necessary for citizen profiling.
Please refer to above mentioned IVR based data collection and hotline agents proxy service application.
- Low-Income
- Bangladesh
- Bangladesh
Based on the syndromic surveillance and COVID-intelligence system we developed, we expect to be able to process 15 million novel data sets in a year, and integrate and traingulate 20 million existing personal identification data sets. Combining and veryfing the extracted data sets, 10 million unique profiles per year.
We have identified 5 million newly poor by using telco product purchasing behavior as proxy data on recent financial instability to facilitate disbursal of social safety net payments during COVID crisis, to name one of five different types of analytics we developed since the outbreak (predictive analysis of COVID growth rate from testing positivity, predictive analysis of proliferation from geo-spatial interaction, predictive analysis of risk profiles of regions, inferential analysis of impact of social conformance during past 4 months). Assuming 5 million potential beneficiaries per analytics, given the Government has the political will to support application of analytics, the proven ability is 25 million beneficiaries through strategic targeting per quarter.
The vision for the next five years is to build a collective intelligence system with the following functionalities:
- To establish a categorization framework of citizen authenticated information based on various service delivery entities’ requirements and policy.
- Build and deploy centralized citizen profile consisting authenticated information and managed with secured and tokenized authentication system.
- Develop network and trust to share information among various stakeholders like identity provider (porichoy), identity authority (NID, Passport, Driving license etc), Certificate provider (education sector, Taxation etc), financial institutions, Integrated service delivery Platform (for service providers) and many more.
- For advisory services on long-term institutional arrangements for ID and authentication services, including capacity requirements.
- Provide advisory services on technical standards for citizen profiling (e.g. digital signatures, biometrics, security, federation protocols, cards, certificates, etc.)
- Provide advisory services on legal framework development, including data privacy and reforms, including the development of data privacy guidelines under the existing Information Act and a dedicated data protection and privacy law.
Political territory protection by agencies and ministries may prolongue data collection process, as well as incompleteness in digitization of service and beneficiary data bases.
Legal framework in responsible data management is non-existent in Bangladesh, for which the project has been mandated to develop, and will need to be developed in conjunction with the KYC development to prevent misuse or abuse.
Critical to the project is the ongoing relationship with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Division to maintain their political and administrative will respectively through the mandate designating a2i to design and develop the system.
Historically, a2i has enjoyed a strong relationship with most of the government agencies and recently has started developing partnerships with industry associations. Because of a2i’s SDG Tracker and Open Government Data platforms, getting access to government data will be relatively easy.
- Other, including part of a larger organization (please explain below)
Under the vision of Digital Bangladesh, A2i has become the principal method for the government to decentralize public and private services, wherein outlets known as Digital Centres in Union Councils have become access point for citizens and nodules for service delivery for both the Government and private sector partners. Over the course of 13 years it accumulated the partner network, branding in communities, digital infrastructure, tools, and advisory role within the government.
250 full-time professionals
- Outreach capacity and brand value in communities: Outside of essential service delivery, a2i has expanded to themes in education, financial inclusion, youth empowerment, and innovation: a network of 200,000 youth who has been upskilled through the Skills Portal and its adjoining activities, 395,000 teachers receiving professional training through Muktopaath platform, and 300,000 youth connected in Konnect, a2i’s e-learning platform.
- Experience in enhancing government capacity: Building upon the achievements a2i has been enhancing institutional efficiency of the government through its Digital Service Accelerator in which the project maps internal process and public service roll out to digitize and streamline the function of public service for citizens. 550 services have been simplified, 187 digital services designed, and over 70,000 civil servants use a2i developed filing management system.
- Experience in data management and system development: Furthermore, a2i has been the leading technical advisor in embedding data-driven decision-making culture in the Government of Bangladesh. through its e-service platforms and its partners from where data is sourced, and through the SDG dashboard where data analysis is visualized, coupled with hand-held capacity building programmes for civil servants, Data Driven Decision Making (D3M) Project.
61 Line Ministries including Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Post and Information Communications Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Cabinet Division going through digital acceleration a2i facilitates; 108 local offices contributing to SDG Tracker data, all major Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in COVID action, 26 government agencies who have received a2i's capacity building, 38 countries in South-South network for Public Service Innovation, 28 telehealth providers on telehatlh platform, 50+ commercial and logistics providers on e-commerce platform, to name a few.
Because we are a hybrid of multilateral and government project, our clients are both the government, civil society organisations, and beneficiaries. While beneficiaries can access the services at zero to subsidize cost, or only at a call credit, agencies and service providers also will not be charged once the digital infrastructure is developed due to the alignment with Government mandate. Additional donor funding maybe required for maintenance and augmentation.
- Organizations (B2B)
Until six months ago we were supported by the UNDP and the Government funding. Our recently initiated resource mobilization efforts to scale and sustain the project have 4 million in account, and additional 13 million in pipeline by the end of June 2021. Bulk of digital infrastructure is covered by the Government, HR partially by UNDP and other donors. New donors and funding are designated for scaling the proven methods and retaining key HR for the next 5 years.
We have not raised funds for this specific solution.
Grant to support the following
Summary of All Cost Table 1: Development Period 64,300.00 Table 2: Operation & Maintenance Period 36,300.00 Table 3: Re-imbursable cost 31,800.00 Sub Total 132,400.00 Total 132,400.00 VAT 6,620.00 5% Tax - 0% Grand Total 139,020.00