Mobile identity blockchain

Currently the SIM card is a primary means to access digital and financial services in Uganda. Because SIM registration with government issued identity is mandatory, groups like refugees have had significant challenges in accessing these tools for digital and financial inclusion. 
Our solutions seeks to ease the process of registration with a government issued identity by creating a blockchain that will ease the creation, security, privacy and decentralization through a mobile identity platform. This model will then be scaled across the entire mobile subscriber base and can be replicated globally.

Uganda is currently host to over 1.4 million refugees and it is predicted this number could grow up to 1.8 million by 2018, according to UNHCR. Due to recent challenges, this group has been excluded from accessing SIM Cards. 
In order to foster digital inclusion, we believe it is important to address the key means by which digital services are provisioned to the public. Mobile technology is one of the major drivers of digital inclusion as it facilitates communication, which is the most basic form of human interaction. Through mobile telephony which is primarily provisioned through SIM cards, access to basic communication is availed, as well as access to mobile money services, which is a key catalyst of financial inclusion. With these facts, access to a sim card is therefore a primary driver or hurdle to digital inclusion and financial inclusion.   

In conjunction with Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the Telecom operators, Crypto Savannah will create digital identities for refugees, which shall be used to register sim-cards and get access to mobile money services.

Our pilot project aims to facilitate for an easy, secure and efficient mechanism for SIM Card registration and verification. Bringing speed, transparency and trust to a critical component of digital and hence financial inclusion.

In this first of the three steps, we will provide digital identities and services to 229,401 refugees in Bidibidi refugee camp in Yumbe district.  In the second step, after the pilot, we will provide the same service for the entire refugee population totaling 1,347,360 people. And in step three, we will provide the same service for the entire population in Uganda of 42.7 million people, and enable for a secure digital identity to be the bedrock that will unleash the potential of digital services possible through open data systems.

Our solution is aligned to the Mission Billion challenge as it provides digital mobile identity access to Refugees who are both vulnerable and marginalized. It does this in a secure, private and decentralized manner, upholding privacy while being universally accessible. Coupled with technologies like QR codes, printed unique identifies can ensure that the refugees access identity services without the need for a phone or computer.

The biggest challenge with identity solutions is their dependency on physical documentation and presentation of these to ascertain trust. This becomes a bottleneck when it comes to the provision of digital services and the efficiency by which these documents are verified can exclude entire populations. 

The current intervention using identity databases as been the go to solution. While this works to some extent. It remains slow and marred with fraud, especially when dealing with sensitive identity data. 

Our solution is unique as it leverages Blockchain technology to not only secure identity records but adds transactional integrity by hashing (a form of encryption) every transaction which then needs to be verified by the participating stakeholders on the network. This unique blend of openness and security coupled with a consensus (agreement) mechanism that verified every entry onto the network makes fraud virtually impossible while maintaining high levels of privacy which is pivotal as foundation of any modern identity platform. Also because the network is decentralized there is no single point of failure or compromise. Every node (or stakeholder participant) on the network has a full copy of the entire ledger (chronological record of transactions) this makes it highly resilient and virtually infinitely scalable, given that the key resources for scale (compute and storage) are decentralized.

This unique feature of high security, high scalability, high privacy and high resilience is a combination we haven't seen in technology before.

Microsoft (who's cloud and blockchain platform we are leveraging) and Accenture have successfully piloted this solution using blockchain and biometric technologies to support ID2020, a global public-private partnership dedicated to solving the challenges of identity faced by more than 1.1 billion people around the world. Accenture, in partnership with Microsoft and Avanade, developed an identity prototype based on blockchain technology. Working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the project aimed to help refugees prove their identity in order to gain access to basic services such as education and healthcare.

The tool, developed in part by Microsoft and Accenture, combined biometric data (like a fingerprint or an iris scan) and blockchain technology, to create a permanent decentralized sovereign identity.

https://news.itu.int/blockchain-refugees/

Approximately one-sixth of the world’s population cannot participate in cultural, political, economic and social life because they lack the most basic information: documented proof of their existence. Establishing identity is critical to accessing a wide range of activities, including education, healthcare, voting, banking, mobile communications, housing etc. 

With increased digitization of services, the identity gap has come sharply into focus as many vulnerable populations are left out of this evolution. In order to foster digital inclusion, we believe it is important to address the key means by which digital services are provisioned to the public. In Uganda, Mobile technology is one of the major drivers of digital inclusion as it facilitates communication, which is the most basic form of human interaction. Through mobile telephony which is primarily provisioned through SIM cards, access to basic communication is availed, as well as access to mobile money services, which is a key catalyst of financial inclusion. With these facts, access to a sim card is therefore a primary driver or hurdle to digital inclusion and financial inclusion.   

Our project aims to facilitate for an easy, secure and efficient mechanism for SIM Card registration and verification through a Decentralized Digital Identity platform. Bringing speed transparency and trust to a critical component of digital and hence financial inclusion. 

We are working closely with Uganda Communications Commission, the Telecom operators, and several government departments to show how the proposed blockchain solution will support them in both the short and long term:  

• In the short-term, it will solve the problem of identity verification of refugees who are currently excluded from mobile telecommunication access and all the other value added services that come with connectivity.
• In the long term, it will provide a sound identity verification solution for refugees across the region and the globe.  

In this first of the three steps, we will provide digital identities and services to 229,401 refugees in Bidibidi refugee camp in Yumbe district.  In the second step, after the pilot, we will provide the same service for the entire refugee population totaling 1,347,360 people. And in step three, we will provide the same service for the entire population in Uganda of 42.7 million people.  

Being based on a decentralized distributed platform - Blockchain. Integration to existing identity systems will be seamless. Our project currently integrates with the national identity system and will soon integrate with the identity platform of the UNHCR and the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda which are the custodians of refugee data. These integrations will be done using nodes (simple compute resources that will he housed at each stakeholders network that will serve as transaction validation interfaces to the host systems)

Additionally, the decentralized identity network we are building will augment the security, availability and utility of these resources by providing for privacy features like identity sovereignty and will enable non-technology dependent features like biometrics and QR code printouts that can be used without the need of phones or smartphones at the endpoints.

Our intervention is focused on back-office integration, meaning that on the user side there would be minimal disruption. That said, we aim to deliver a seamless, frictionless experience where a refugee would be able to use their biometrics to register or verify their identity. And to further enable ease of use, a QR code printed as and when needed will help facilitate an easy process for anyone without a phone or smart device. 

We are currently researching the use of facial recognition technology to augment the existing biometric verification systems to allow for contactless use given the current social distancing measures put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our system is designed from the ground up to be openly interoperable. We are using open standards for integration as well as design. Leveraging the ID2020 standards of identity we are also leveraging the open nature of blockchains to this end.

Our blockchain of choice, Celo, also touts open standards and will allow for data portability across multiple use cases.

Because blockchain based systems are decentralized there is no need for a perpetual connection to a central repository of data. This system design allows blockchains to be relatively suited to deployments to areas with little connectivity. For example an identity node can be deployed to a rural area and securely validate transactions (verifications and registrations). Connectivity can be planned for once a day for a short period of time to synchronize with the rest of the network. this coupled with last mile technologies like solar powered edge nodes (like those designed by Microsoft) enable this platform work in hard to reach areas with limited connectivity.

On the user side we rely on physicals characteristics of the user eg biometrics and facial recognition to provide unique identity capture. This will be augmented by the ability to print QR codes that the owner can keep safely for future use. All these do not required high literacy making it suited for universal use. 

In this first of the three phases, we will provide digital identities and services to 229,401 refugees in Bidibidi refugee camp in Yumbe district, Uganda in Year 1.  

In the second phase, after the pilot, we will provide the same service for the entire refugee population totaling 1,347,360 people over the next 3 years. 

And in phase three, we will provide the same service for the entire population in Uganda of 42.7 million people over the next 5 Years.   

Project milestones

Key activities

Timeline         

Milestone 1: Secure

Stakeholder Commitment           

• Meetings & Workshops with Key Stakeholders 
• Sign MOU with UCC Technical Workshop with Stakeholder teams

Quarter 1, 2020

Milestone 2: Minimum Viable Product 0 - Beta

• Identify test group Develop software delivery mechanism Install/deploy software
• Obtain user feedback Evaluate testing information
• Pilot complete

Quarter 3, 2020

Milestone 3: Minimum Viable Product 1 – Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement Deployment

• Determine final deployment strategy Develop deployment methodology Secure deployment resources
• Train support staff
• Deploy Platform
• Deployment complete

Quarter 1, 2021

 Milestone 4: Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement Community Testing & Feedback

• Document lessons learned
• Stakeholder engagement and feedback
• Create software maintenance team 
• Post implementation review 
• Support 

Quarter 2 – 4, 2021

Milestone 5: Platform Deployment & Training

• Design the Go-to market strategy for MVP2
• Implementation of Go to market strategy
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Monitoring and Evaluation

2022

Milestone 6: MVP 2 – Deployment of Platform across all Refugee Settlement Areas in Uganda

• Determine final deployment strategy
• Develop deployment methodology
• Secure deployment resources
• Train support staff
• Deploy Platform
• Deployment complete

2023

Milestone 6: MVP 2 – Deployment of Platform Nationally

• Determine final deployment strategy
• Develop deployment methodology
• Secure deployment resources
• Train support staff
• Deploy Platform
• Deployment complete

2024

Key Constraints

• Current lockdown due to COVID-19
• Political consideration given registration and voter registries are currently in heavy use
• Data differentiation on registration of SIMS under users and those under IOT

Key Risks 

1. Delays in provision of access to the required APIs from the Telecos and National Identity Registration Authority (NIRA) may greatly impact on project timelines. 
2. Delays in provision of required functional business process inputs from UCC and other various institutions may impact on the durations of select tasks such as business process analysis, mapping and gap analysis.
3. Delays in approval of key deliverables that trigger subsequent activities/tasks may impact on the overall timelines for delivery of the required product to the Government of Uganda. 
4. Availability if biometric IOT devices at the target communities is a barrier we will need to overcome

Risk Response Strategies (respectively)

1. We will communicate early to all stakeholders and sensitize on the required support and the impacts and establish counterpart technical staff who should be authorized by the leadership of the stakeholder entities to provide all necessary support to this project.
2.  We will continuously engage with Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) to establish a checklist of information and all required inputs in order to avoid any information gaps and also ensure weekly meetings are held to check the status of required or missing information and notify UCC project leadership accordingly including the implications of the delays.
3.  We will agree with UCC on the appropriate timelines for internal review and approval of all deliverables and build these into the project plan including weekly reminders on overdue approvals.
4. We will seek to partner with technology companies that will enable us to reach the last mile with IOT and edge interventions. We are currently working with Microsoft and Celo (cLabs) on this.

We have 12 full time staff working 

Project team members

Company Lead   

Kwame Rugunda

-Master’s in Business  Administration (MBA);

-Master’s in Public Administration (MPA);

-BSc in Electrical Engineering

-BSc Mathematics and Statistics 

• Design and Development of 4IR
• 4IR Assessments
• Cyber Security Review
• Due diligence reviews
• Project Management 
• Training and Capacity Building in 4IR technologies particularly blockchain
• Strategic planning and management in the 4IR context initiatives

Project Lead

Customer Experience, Project Management,

Business Development

Jassy K. Ebwanyu

Systems and Cyber Security

Expert

Noah Baalessanvu

-BSC, Electrical Engineering, Certified Cyber  Security Expert,

-Certified Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologist

• Development of 4IR strategies   
• 4IR Assessments;
• Cyber security reviews;
• Training and capacity building in 4IR technologies particularly blockchain;
• Project management
• Strategic planning and management in the context of 4IR.
• Donor funded Programme reviews;
• Organizational reviews;
• Due diligence reviews.

Lead Blockchain Developer

David Gimei Nagimesi

• B.A Mass
• Certified Blockchain Developer. Communication,      

• Developing Blockchain
• Implementing blockchain exchanges;
• Integration in blockchain platforms
• Training and capacity building in 4IR technologies particularly blockchain Solutions.

Blockchain Software Development

 Allan Katongole

- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

• Software architecting, API Development, DevOps support and monitoring, Payment
• Data Warehouse Development,
• Blockchain Development, Full Stack Development. 
• Software Architecting, Full Stack Development, Payment Integration.

Queue Administration and Management; A.I and Predictive modelling, Backend Development; 

Blockchain Software Development

Christian Mpimbaza

-   Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering.

• Designing, Building and Testing Blockchain Applications. 
• Multichain blockchain programing.                        

Uganda Communications Commission - Primary convener of the project and key stakeholder. They are the current custodians of the SIM card registration database and looking to improve its efficiency through Blockchain

This has been formalized with a service agreement in place.  

National Identification Registration Authority - The custodian of National Identities and a verifier and validator. They have been mobilized and on boarded through UCC

Multinational Network Operators (MTN, Airtel, Africell etc) - The primary users of the SIM registration service Mobilized and on boarded by UCC

Immigration Department - Ministry of Internal Affairs - Verifier and Validator of Passports for registration of Foreigners. Mobilized and on boarded by UCC

Office of The Prime Minister - Verifier and Validator of Refugee Identities. Mobilized and on boarded by UCC

Microsoft - Providing the cloud infrastructure and endpoint infrastructure needed. Mobilized and Onboarded by CryptoSavannah

Celo (cLabs) - C-Labs is very critical in helping CryptoSavannah by providing technical resources to help us build our identity platform on the Celo Blockchain. This technical support will come in the form of training of our developer team and any infrastructure support that may be needed, especially leveraging the following features. Mobilized and Onboarded by CryptoSavannah

Our business model is to earn revenue from identity transactions when we fully launch the project. The SIM registration phase is the foundation for a digital decentralized identity platform we are building to provide Identity-As-A-Service or KYC as a Service. 

We will levy a fee on identity verification queries on the platform.

Our Sustainability role will be - Market Linkage as we will facilitates trade and transaction relationships between clients and the external market.

We have raised grant funds from the Financial Sector Deepening Uganda (FSDU) - $270,000 pledged of which $35,000 will be deployed in the next couple of weeks.

We seek  $98,750 in grant funding which we hope to raise to see us through the next 6 months.

Item - Technical Resource (Developers, Testers & Analysts)

Unit (Working Days) 93

 Costs - $ 39,375

Notes - Dev Team costs including costs of Analysts, Testers, Blockchain Architects, UI/UX Developers

Item - Project Management Resources

Unit (Working Days) 93 

 Costs - $15,750

Notes - Cost of the Project Management team, tools and facilitation.

Item - Hardware and Software Resources

 Costs - $15,750

Notes - Computers and other IT related hardware needed to facilitate the development and testing phase of the project. Also included are software tools for Dev-Ops and Cloud resources.

Item - Administration and Logistics

Unit (Working Days) 93

Costs - $7,875

Item- COVID Contingency

 Costs -  $20,000

Notes - This includes unforeseen costs that affect the delivery of the milestone due to the COVID-19 pandemic or facilitation for remote productivity given the lockdown

Total -  $98,750

We are applying to this challenge to demonstrate that our technology has a unique and efficient way of solving the identity challenge currently being faced globally. The publicity and exposure that the project will receive in addition to the funding will go a long way in helping us achieve our goals and meaningfully solve the identity challenge for the immediate community we are targeting - the refugees.

In addition to the financial support we will also need technical expertise in dealing with the end user community that we are initially targeting with out pilot. This talent is important and specialized in nature for the success of the project. Another benefit we look forward to is the publicity and media support. Given that we are working with an emerging technology which we believe brings unique advantages to the use case we are addressing, publicizing thus effort will go a long way in enabling other people with similar identity challenges benefit from the same technology.

World Bank - we believe that this project will have impact to many sectors and projects that institution supports or is involved in.