Advice from the MOSIP ecosystem, from biometric quality to sustainability

MOSIP has gained traction as an option for countries establishing or upgrading digital identity systems due to its promise of reduced cost through the flexibility and shared resources made possible by open-source ecosystems. Governments considering adopting MOSIP and the biometrics and identity technology providers that serve them are still grappling with how to understand and best utilize the platform, as countries move from pilots to production implementations and the results of those early efforts begin rolling in.

Stakeholders from across the MOSIP ecosystem convened for an online event hosted by Biometric Update on Tuesday to explore their experiences with the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform so far.

The presentation built on insights in Biometric Update’s report “Understanding MOSIP: What the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform Is and How It Is Used,” focusing largely on how governments, technology providers and system integrators can engage with MOSIP and each other to stand up open-source systems for digital ID and related services. It also revealed a number of important practical considerations for countries running MOSIP pilots, and for technology providers interested in partnering with MOSIP.

Country considerations

Ensuring the quality of biometric data collected is a challenge that arises early in the process, MOSIP Vice President, Partner Ecosystem Sanjith Sundaram told the live audience of more than 120. Later in the webinar MOSIP Biometric Committee Chair and Biometix CEO Ted Dunstone explained how the OpenBQ tool developed by Biometix helps countries “take that data, which can be quite detailed and complex, and derive insights for practical actions” to get the biometric data quality their digital identity programs require.

Sundaram draws an analogy between the MOSIP ecosystem and the way that Lego blocks fit together through standardized interfaces, regardless of which set they come from.

Ethiopia NIDP Executive Director Yodahe Zemichael presented his experience leading one of MOSIP’s most successful implementations to date. He emphasized the domestic capacity built up by Ethiopia, which started with 5 engineers downloading the MOSIP code to begin experimenting with it and now boasts 50 digital ID engineers customizing the platform.

Zemichael describes a tricky balance between nurturing the mentality of an innovative startup while handling data with the necessary caution.

He also described Fayda outreach efforts, including the slogan “Identity is the new collateral,” which have helped boost the system to 2 million authentications for service delivery on an average day.

The biometrics industry was represented by Andrew Wise, director of quality and lead product architect at Integrated Biometrics, a long-standing MOSIP partner, and Jozef Drgona solution manager for Innovatrics, one of the MOSIP Markteplace’s most recent additions.

Wise noted the importance of practical field testing for biometric devices early in the implementation process. He also cautioned that while the platform’s modularity enables countries adopting MOSIP to customize it to meet their specific needs, governments need to be wary of the “decision paralysis” this optionality can cause.

Joining the Marketplace

Drgona shared his company’s experience becoming a MOSIP partner. Innovatrics engaged with MOSIP in an initial alignment meeting before completing the integration and testing with the compliance toolkit largely on its own before MOSIP wrote its test report evaluation. The test scenarios move from simple examples to more complexity, he said, enabling technology providers to identify and address any issues in the early stages. Drgona also lauded the MOSIP technical team’s prompt and effective technical support during the process.

During the attendee Q+A portion of the event, the discussion turned to how MOSIP is treating emerging biometric modalities like voice and contactless fingerprinting, as well as how the NIDP has leveraged integrations between the country’s digital ID Fayda and different government departments, as well as relying parties in the private sector, to move towards true long-term sustainability.

Article Topics

Biometix  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  Ethiopia National ID Program (NIDP)  |  Innovatrics  |  Integrated Biometrics  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  OpenBQ