Digital Public
Infra­structure

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is a shared means to many ends. It is a critical enabler of digital transformation and is helping to improve public service delivery at scale. Designed and implemented well, it can help countries achieve their national priorities and accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals. Governments, donors, the private sector and civil society alike have an opportunity to shape it - join us! 

At a glance

DPI is an evolving concept, but there is growing consensus on it being a combination of (i) networked open technology standards built for public interest, (ii) enabling governance, and (iii) a community of innovative and competitive market players working to drive innovation, especially across public programmes.
In line with UNDP’s whole-of-society approach to digital transformation, our work towards building an inclusive and rights-based DPI focuses on:
Building partnerships & alliances
Delivering government support
Catalyzing population-scale technology
Shaping local digital ecosystems
Advocating for human rights and safeguards
Facilitating research & learning exchanges

Building partnerships and alliances 

UNDP convenes actors across the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society to catalyze collective action on digital public infrastructure.

 

High Impact Initiative on Digital Public Infrastructure

By 2030, the UN High Impact Initiative on DPI aims to catalyze the collective action necessary, working with leaders and scalable models to unlock targeted support for DPI implementation and strengthening in 100 countries by ensuring that DPI is safe, accessible, affordable, green, financed, and future ready.


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Delivering government support

UNDP provides tailored assistance to governments at various stages of their digital transformation journey from early readiness assessment and strategy design to implementation and scaling.

Digital Readiness Assessment

As part of the first phase of countries’ digital transformation journey, we conduct comprehensive digital readiness assessments from which insights are used to enhance the planning, design, and implementation of digital public infrastructure across critical sectors.  

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Catalyzing population-scale technology

UNDP works with partners within the digital ecosystem to develop, implement, and scale digital public goods and digital public infrastructure to provide society-wide benefits.

Digital Public Goods Alliance

As co-host, UNDP focuses on advancing DPGs4DPI to help countries shift from fragmented and solution-based approaches to holistic, whole-of-society ecosystems in line with our long-term vision of creating a world in which digital is an empowering force for people and the planet.  

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Shaping local digital ecosystems

UNDP supports countries in creating and strengthening local digital ecosystems that can drive the development, implementation and scaling of innovative digital solutions.

UNDP Accelerator Labs

Through local networks in 91 countries supporting 115 countries, UNDP catalyzes local knowledge and action to build open, contextualized and people-centred solutions that can help close the digital divides and shape an inclusive digital future that meets the needs of local communities.  

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Advocating for human rights and safeguards

UNDP advocates for the protection and promotion of human rights in the digital space, while installing adequate safeguards and empowering people to understand and exercise their rights.

UNDP Digital Transformation Approach

UNDP recognizes that, along with the benefits that technology can bring, there are potential risks and challenges. We employ a rights-based and intentionally inclusive approach to digital transformation that proactively considers human rights in all areas of our digital work.   

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Facilitating research and learning exchanges

UNDP catalyzes knowledge and insights to accelerate digital transformation through the facilitation of research and learning exchanges that enable countries to share and learn from each other.

 

Accelerating The SDGs Through Digital Public Infrastructure: A Compendium of The Potential of Digital Public Infrastructure

This compendium presents a snapshot of digital solutions in action around the world that can help move the needle and get us back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

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Get involved

 

Join our conversations online via @UNDPDigital.               
Interested in joining the team? Find new opportunities at jobs.undp.org