Case studies
Learn from DPI governance and digital transformation in practice.
A curated set of short case studies from UCL IIPP and partners on how countries are designing, governing and using Digital Public Infrastructure.
Case studies are for teaching and discussion purposes only and are not for distribution.
Explores Aadhaar, India's ambitious project to create a unique digital identity for its residents, and the implications of implementing such a system at scale.
Looks at how California's CalFresh food stamp programme was reimagined using digital tools to improve access and user experience.
Explores India's National Urban Governance Platform (NUGP) and its platform approach to building digital infrastructure for urban service delivery.
Examines how California's Child Welfare Services disrupted traditional technology procurement in order to modernise its systems.
Analyses the policy and legislative dynamics surrounding Jamaica's National Identification System (NIDS).
Looks at how a DPI approach is applied within the specific domain of the US Department of Transportation to enable trusted data sharing.
Compares the M-Pesa mobile money system in Kenya with the UPI digital payment system in India, examining their different approaches to achieving financial inclusion.
Examines the financing, governance and sustainability challenges of scaling digital solutions in siloed governmental structures.
Investigates India's DigiLocker, a digital document and data sharing infrastructure that achieved widespread adoption through a strategic onboarding process.
Learning Outcomes
Dive into the world's largest biometric identity project to understand the architectural and ethical challenges of creating a foundational ID. This case study explores the tension between administrative efficiency and individual privacy, teaching learners how a digital identity system acts as a base layer for delivering public services. You will evaluate the trade-offs involved in rapid, large-scale deployment and the governance frameworks required to protect data in a country of over a billion people.
Key Stakeholders
The case focuses on the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and its visionary leadership, alongside State Governments implementing the rollout. It also brings in the perspectives of Civil Society Organizations, Privacy Advocates, and the Supreme Court of India, whose legal interventions shaped the project's constitutional boundaries.
Focus: Implementation and impact of a national digital identity system.