Co-Develop, Caribou outline governance blueprint for DPI adoption

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) programs have grown to include more than 100 countries globally. Recognizing this expansion, Co-Develop and Caribou have released a new operational guide that lays out strategy changes in the way governments build and roll out these systems.

The Multistakeholder Governance for DPI: A Practitioner’s Guide for Building Trust and Unlocking Adoption sets out how multistakeholder governance can be a strategic asset that boosts long-term public trust, investment and accountability.

DPI initiatives for national digital IDs, payment systems and data-sharing platforms have spread beyond pioneers like India, Singapore, South Korea, Estonia and Brazil. Now, governments, often with ambitious goals for economic growth and more efficient public service delivery, are discovering that large-scale digital initiatives present complex social and political challenges alongside technical ones.

The guide sets out a structured approach to implementation. It begins by mapping actionable guidance across the five life‑cycle stages defined by the Universal Digital Public Infrastructure Safeguards Framework.

Early consultations should focus on identifying underlying problems, the guide believes, instead of hurrying technical solutions. This approach allows stakeholders’ values to shape the goals of digital initiatives and should help to avoid premature commitments to fixes that may overlook deeper issues.

Coalition building is a significant step as the guide stresses involving politically connected actors to generate momentum and secure champions. Equally, civil society and marginalized groups must be included to build equity and public trust.

Cross‑sectoral insights are drawn from real‑world innovation frameworks, notably the UK’s National Health Service, where lessons on testing innovation in practice are seen as directly transferable to digital infrastructure development.

The report is authored by Co‑Develop and Caribou with contributions from Dr. Emrys Schoemaker, Krisstina Rao, Thomas Kirk and Matthew McNaughton. The authors argue that DPI disruptions can skew societal dynamics, creating new opportunities for some while changing established systems for others. To navigate this, governments must leverage external expertise and not execute alone, the guide advises.

“Governments that draw on the knowledge, networks, and legitimacy of a broad coalition of partners are better positioned to achieve these goals faster and more durably than those acting alone.”

The notion that bringing external partners into decision-making processes means relinquishing state control is dispelled. Instead, public institutions hold a unique mandate to convene diverse groups to set the terms of engagement, thereby amplifying public impact.

Accompanied by a complementary report, Compendium of Evidence and Value for Government Collaboration, the guide combines evidence-based takeaways with practical policy directives, implementation tools and resource links.

Article Topics

Caribou  |  Co-Develop  |  data exchange platform  |  digital ID  |  digital payments  |  digital public infrastructure