Redefining G2P Benefits Delivery with National Identity Systems

"The true power of technology lies in its ability to enhance people's lives. 

Delivering services efficiently by leveraging robust and dynamic ID systems helps create 

a future that is inclusive and accessible to all." 

Puneet Joshi – CTO, OpenG2P

Governments worldwide are reimagining their social protection programmes to place individuals, families, and communities at the centre of their strategies, with the ultimate goal of fostering an equitable and sustainable future. In this endeavour, investing in systems to rapidly identify those in need, and securely deliver benefits have emerged as critical priorities. 

By implementing efficient mechanisms, governments can address some of the most pressing global challenges, including climate change, economic shocks, and natural disasters with urgency and precision. Beyond offering immediate relief, they play an important role in protecting livelihoods, lifting people out of poverty, and improving living standards over the long term. In doing so, they lay the foundation for a more just, inclusive, and resilient society.

OpenG2P, MOSIP, and eSignet work together to address these needs. 

MOSIP’s identity management capabilities integrate seamlessly with OpenG2P’s benefit distribution platform and eSignet’s authentication solution. 

 

This integration paves the way for seamless beneficiary identification and authentication, unlocking new possibilities for delivering inclusive and trustworthy digital services.

Facilitating Effective G2P Service Delivery

The integration between OpenG2P and MOSIP has demonstrated significant potential in advancing financial inclusion and streamlining social assistance programmes through a series of well-defined methods:

01. Identify and Document

02. Assess eligibility

03. Verify beneficiaries 

04. Enable direct bank transfers

01 Identify and Document

OpenG2P and MOSIP work together to identify individuals with vulnerabilities – MOSIP serves as the identity layer, enabling governments to uniquely identify and verify each person with precision. OpenG2P collects, stores, and organises this information securely, creating a secure registry. 

This integration enables governments to consolidate and determine the type of support required. The registry securely stores information on individuals, families, and groups, which can be used to provide targeted assistance like cash to women with newborns and loans to women’s self-help groups. 

To overcome barriers to inclusivity, registration and updates are designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of digital access. This registry functions as a living entity, with updates occurring at varying frequencies through multiple channels:

01 Routine Government-Led Surveys: Governments conduct regular, standardised surveys to capture demographic and socio-economic updates.

02 NGO-Led Initiatives: Governments collaborate with non-governmental organisations to update the registry, leveraging their expertise and reach within local communities.

03 Updates via Self-Service or Assisted Methods: Individuals can conveniently update their information using self-service options. For those without digital access or who require assistance, assisted methods are made available to ensure that no one is excluded from the system.

This dynamic nature of OpenG2P ensures that the data quality is constantly and consistently improved. Reflecting individuals' most recent economic conditions,  this data enables social protection systems to respond swiftly and effectively during crises, ensuring timely support reaches those who need it most. 

Based on the principle of interoperability, this system enables seamless delivery of social assistance across departments, all while adhering to the country's data protection laws and regulations.

Stories From the Field

Ethiopia

 

OpenG2P and MOSIP are currently working together in Ethiopia to create a national registry of smallholder farmers. This initiative provides the government with critical data that enables them to offer targeted support, help farmers adapt to climate challenges, and mitigate the risk of crop and income losses. 

 

The OpenG2P system will be used in Ethiopia for evaluating and enrolling beneficiaries into a shelter program for the urban poor with each beneficiary having an ID linked to them, enabling the end-to-end benefit delivery. 

02 Assess Eligibility

OpenG2P and MOSIP streamline the targeting and enrollment of eligible individuals into social programmes with precision and efficiency. By ensuring the authenticity of beneficiaries, it eliminates the risk of ghost entries commonly associated with manual systems. Once enrolled, the benefits are delivered through a secure, timely and reliable mechanism that is protected from tampering or leakages. 

03 Verify Beneficiaries

The collaboration between OpenG2P, MOSIP and eSignet enables beneficiaries to verify themselves, provide proof of life at a specific frequency, and effortlessly continue to receive benefits in kind, cash, and digital transfers.

Stories From the Field 

Zambia

 

Zambia declared a national emergency due to a severe drought and launched a drought relief programme with two key objectives: 

01 Providing support to beneficiaries in the form of cash or kind.
02 Ensuring that assistance reaches the intended recipients while drastically reducing leakages. 

In this effort, Zambia is utilising the proven MOSIP-OpenG2P partnership to provide emergency drought relief. OpenG2P will be used to streamline Government-to-Person (G2P) payments, ensuring efficient distribution of emergency aid. Additionally, eSignet enabled biometric authentication of beneficiaries at authorised centres, adding a layer of trust between the beneficiary and the system and accuracy to the relief distribution process.

04 Enable Direct Bank Transfers
 

OpenG2P links beneficiaries' financial addresses like bank accounts, and mobile wallets to their IDs, creating a registry for seamless digital cash transfers. 

This interoperable module, called Social Payments Account Registry (SPAR),  

• enables multiple departments to distribute direct cash transfers efficiently, eliminating the need to collect and manage financial account information across various databases,

• improves the accuracy of the beneficiaries’  financial addresses, and

• empowers the beneficiary to choose where they receive the transfers.
   

Benefits of the Integration

• Increased Accuracy: Benefit is delivered to the intended beneficiary. 

• Inclusivity: Benefit is delivered through multiple channels increasing inclusivity and accessibility, reducing the digital divide.

• Enhanced security: The seamless interplay between MOSIP and OpenG2P for identity-based authentication, while leveraging eSignet, ensures all transactions are authentic and secure. 

• Trust and Transparency: Standardised online authentication from eSignet reinforces the integrity of transactions, fostering confidence among residents/beneficiaries and organisations involved. 

• Scalability: The modular design allows easy adaptation for different use cases and geographies. 

• Fast and efficient G2P Service Delivery

Looking Ahead

The collaboration between MOSIP, OpenG2P, and eSignet sets the stage for a new era of secure and efficient digital ecosystems. By streamlining the social assistance process, these systems have reduced the burden on governments and beneficiaries. 

As this digital landscape evolves, these collaborations ensure that public services reach those who need them most, empowering communities and fostering resilience

About MOSIP

MOSIP is an open-source foundational identity platform enabling governments to implement robust digital ID systems. Designed for scalability and security, MOSIP facilitates identity management, authentication, and interoperability while ensuring privacy and inclusivity. 

About OpenG2P
OpenG2P simplifies the design and delivery of benefits transfer programmes. It is an open-source platform that helps governments to efficiently disburse benefits to targeted individuals by leveraging digital tools, yet ensuring transparency, security, and accuracy.

About eSignet

eSignet introduces trust into digital transactions by enabling secure online authentication through inclusive mechanisms, eliminating the need to remember multiple passwords. This solution aligns with global standards, ensuring interoperability and reliability, making it ideal for ecosystems that demand high levels of trust and security.