Procurement integral part of digital ID system design from beginning: UNDP

Experts from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have advised governments implementing digital ID systems to make procurement an integral part of the systems’ design from the very beginning.

It shouldn’t be an afterthought, they insisted, as they shared thoughts in one workshop chaired by the UN agency on the final day of ID4Africa 2025.

The workshop which had as theme “Procurement strategies for digital identity: Build, buy and beyond,” was one of five others of the day tackling different themes as the Addis Ababa event came to a close.

Speakers shared deep insights based on the UNDP’s Digital Governance, Innovation and Transformation (DGIT) initiative, with the aim of having governments design procurement models that balance innovation with cost control, ensuring vendor engagement through competitive and transparent processes, and responsibly integrating emerging technologies such as AI if they meet defined needs. DGIT is an initiative launched by the UNDP aimed at integrating knowledge and competencies across technical, policy, and procurement domains in relation to digital transformation projects.

Specifically, the speakers categorized procurement across three stages, namely upstream (planning), midstream (execution), and downstream (sustainability), and discussed how success can be achieved in each of the phases.

“What kind of solution do you need for your digital ID system?” Victor Margall, governance procurement lead in the UNDP procurement office, asked rhetorically. “There is no straight forward answer to this”, he said, noting that procurement should be particular to each case because it is not a one-size-fits all affair. “Every single case has its own self needs and its own set of instruments which can be utilized.”

Informed decision-making

One of the things they advised governments and other procuring institutions to do is to undertake proper research in order to understand the various technologies that exist in the market, before picking the ones that fit the purpose of the identity systems they are building.

“The first important thing is to have an objective and a perfect professional and technical assessment of needs, and what’s available in the market. Avoid overdependence on one single technology. It is a risk, especially for those that have not been around for a very long time,” Margall advised.

He added that “procurement decisions define what the ID system will look like, how it’s built, and what it will deliver.”

“Early involvement of procurement in the process ensures better decision-making. Procurement clarifies scope, defines roles and responsibilities, sets evaluation criteria, outlines delivery models, and structures milestones and contractual obligations.”

He also shared steps by which procuring institutions can gain knowledge about what’s available from the industry side in order to inform the sourcing process, while also considering open standards and interfaces. “You have to have an open mind when doing this”, he cautioned. “You don’t have to be biased.”

They also encouraged procuring entities to pay particular attention to strategic sourcing structuring and to be flexible in their thinking and actions throughout the process because “early misalignment will definitely lead to downstream failure.”

“It’s important to take a lot of time in writing the tender document in order to get the requirements right. If you don’t get the requirements right, you are going to regret afterwards. Procurement has to be a cycle, from the start to the end of the project, and its renewal,” Chahine Hamila, eGov senior advisor and technologist at UNDP, emphasized. He also mentioned the issue of sovereignty, noting that it is important for the buyer to have some high level of control over the product they are purchasing.

Guarding against vendor lock-in

The speakers also made the point about avoiding vendor lock-in, but while meticulously following the processes and customization exigencies that open-source systems which they intend to adopt require. They also shared some sustainability considerations that need to be incorporated into procurement and contracting processes for digital identity systems, highlighting the importance of procurement for human capital development.

“Sustainability is at the core of the procurement cycle,” Margall said, citing some tips which include things like having a full appreciation of the total cost of ownership and lifecycle costs of the solution being procured.

The challenges and risks of AI in digital ID solutions were also explored, with the speakers pointing out what procuring institutions should be aware when making decisions.

Finally, the speakers cautioned that because procurement is a strategic policy tool for digital ID implementation, decision making about it must be informed, hybrid models must be intentional and well planned, innovation must be futureproofed, sustainability must unavoidably be thought about, a plan for research and development must be clearly outlined, and collaboration should be considered to leverage the procurement process.

Practical procurement advice was also a feature during a session at last year’s ID4Affica event in Cape Town.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Digital Governance Innovation and Transformation (DGIT)  |  digital identity  |  government purchasing  |  ID4Africa  |  ID4Africa 2025  |  identity management  |  legal identity  |  UNDP  |  vendor lock-in