1. Session 19. Digitizing civil registration and vital statistics
Brisbane Accord Group
Session 19. Digitizing civil registration and vital statistics
Civil Registration Process: Place, Time, Cost, Late Registration
UNITED NATIONS STATISTICS DIVISION
Workshop on the Operation of Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management Systems for South American Countries
30 October – 3 November 2017
Bogota, Colombia
with

2. Digitization
Digitizing administrative processes is a sine qua non of contemporary approaches to government functions
Digitizing would refer to generating a series of numbers that represent a document, signal and so forth
Digital information is not subject to damage or degradation over time - it consists of strings of numbers recorded and stored in an appropriate device
As digitizing a certain process or information is not possible without using information technology, the meaning of the term also encompasses computerization of these processes and information – that is, the use of automation by way of computers and software.

3. Digitization
In the context of the civil registration, vital statistics system, population registers and identity management, digitization refers to developing an enterprise information system – that is, an information system that provides a technology platform that enables all four components to integrate and coordinate business processes on a robust foundation
Taking into consideration that information systems tend to be fairly complex and multi-layered, recent developments include the introduction of a separate discipline – governance of enterprise information technology (GEIT) – concerned primarily with organizing the resources of an enterprise or organisation for the purpose of satisfying stakeholders
GEIT is meant to bring alignment between high-level strategic objectives with operational level activities and work outcomes - it allows for developing precise blueprints enabling all stakeholders to understand the business processes even if they lack the full understanding of information technology.

4. Digitization project lifecycle

5. Digitization – requirements hierarchy

6. Digitization – key considerations
Well established system foundation
Business process map (participants, processes, time periods, outputs, bottlenecks
Legal review
Selecting technology
Hardware
basic maintenance of the population and civil registers and related data processing does not require the most advanced technological features available
compatible with the environment (battery power, durability) and is user friendly (screen size, durability, weight)
Software
developed platforms rather than ‘homegrown’ solutions
users will expect to have the necessary access to service provided by the system handy and as interactive as possible

7. Digitization – key considerations
Data safety
Transmission
Storage – scanning old records
Authenticity – minimizing identity theft for systems that allow online provision of certificates
Confidentiality – robust security setup, multi-layered protection, hierarchy for allowing different levels of access, physical security
Digital identity
Unique and constant identity – a virtual Identification Card – assigned to an individual that authenticates him/her to all portable digital devices
Also in the digital world, such as online banking, commerce and even in the physical world whenever such identification may be required
Involves biometrics, such as fingerprints or iris scanning, which is increasingly available on contemporary portable digital devices