About Digital Public Goods
DPGs are open technology solutions: open-source software, open data, open AI systems, and open content collections. They adhere to privacy and other applicable laws and best practices, do no harm, and help attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
DPGs take form in 4 categories:
Open AI Systems
Open Software
Open Data
Open Content
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Digital Public Goods
Countries and territories are using DPGs
Increase in the number of DPGs since February 2022
Countries DPGs have been developed in
DPGs implemented for Digital public infrastructure
Why We Do It
Why Develop And Implement DPGs
We're driven by a vision of a better world and the belief that collective action can create meaningful change.
Create equitable opportunities
Countries can freely adopt DPGs to accelerate digital transformation, improve residents' lives, and drive economic growth.
Open-source and accessible – meaning that any country can freely adopt and adapt them for their specific contextual needs.
Designed to be secure to use and give countries greater control over their digital public infrastructure.
Fully customizable and often cheaper and faster to implement than using proprietary products.
DPGs can help catalyze local tech ecosystems, leading to economic growth, job creation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration on tech development.
DPGs are constantly improving - the more countries that use them and contribute back, the better they get.
Solve wide range of issues
There are currently over 160 DPGs in use around the world that help to solve a wide range of issues, including:
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DPGs Decoded
DPGs Decoded is a set of materials that aims to strengthen global advocacy efforts in support of digital public goods. These assets focus on explaining DPGs and their benefits, as well as how countries can adopt and implement them to accelerate digital transformation, improve residents’ lives, and drive economic growth. We hope that these assets are a valuable tool that stakeholders can use in different contexts to build understanding of DPGs and drive their adoption.
Why should a digital solution become a DPG?
Being recognised as a digital public good is increasingly beneficial as the concept of digital public goods gains awareness and traction, including:
Recognition As Adhering To A Minimum Standard
Recognition as adhering to a minimum standard which increases adoptability. Digital public goods must meet the requirements set out in the Digital Public Goods Standard. Digital public goods have clear documentation, open licenses, and follow standards and best practices that make them easier to adopt. We support digital solutions working to meet these standards.
Discoverability And Promotion
The Digital Public Goods Registry uniquely shares digital public goods with a broad audience of stakeholders including governments, NGOs, and the private sector. As an added bonus, the DPG Registry is partially compiled from, and feeds back into, partner systems like the Catalog of Digital Solutions maintained by the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL). This method of cross-pollination enhances discoverability and accelerates the likelihood of a nominee being found and adopted by organisations and governments looking for innovative solutions.
Deployment opportunities
The Digital Public Goods Alliance aims to showcase digital public goods and works with an array of stakeholders including governments, UN agencies, and others in promoting DPGs. This includes potential added exposure through DPGA Communities of Practice who review digital solutions with high-impact potential in a particular focus area.
Development impact
Governments and development agencies are reframing approaches to international development with a focus on creating and adapting open-source projects. Digital public goods are committed to open-source principles that also respect privacy, strive to “do no harm”, and help attain the SDGs.
Participate in a global community of DPG builders
Once a digital solution becomes a digital public good, they become a part of global community of DPG practitioners to exchange experiences and share knowledge with peers and experts.
Check out your readiness with our form or nominate directly your digital solution
The DPG Standard exclusively focuses on the design of the core, generic solution. The Digital Public Goods Alliance does not evaluate local implementations as part of our review to determine if a digital solution is a DPG.
While the DPGA is not actively evaluating specific standards as digital public goods at this time, we recognise standards play a critical role in ensuring interoperability and promoting an open digital ecosystem, making them a crucial element in defining a digital public good. The DPGA will promote the use of open standards by expanding our focus on Indicator 8: "Adherence to Standards & Best Practices".
Open standards will remain a part of our list of requirements for new DPG applications, making them a critical component of DPGs. For open-source software, open data, open AI systems, and open content collections wanting to be recognised as digital public goods use Eligibility Tool or submit a nomination.
DPG Application Toolkit
Below is a collection of links to relevant resources that individuals can look to when preparing their application to receive digital public good recognition, or interested in contributing to the DPGA’s efforts.
DPG Definition
Learn about the definition of digital public goods, including the history, and why they matter.
DPG Eligibility Tool
Answer a few questions to quickly determine if your digital solution is far off from becoming a digital public good.
DPG Submission Guide
Learn the requirements needed for a digital solution to be recognized as a digital public good.
DPG Wiki
Learn about the step-by-step documentation that product owners must provide in order to be recognized as a digital public good.
DPG Review Policy
Read the DPGA Secretariat’s policy that is used by the technical team to review all digital solutions to ensure they meet the DPG Standard’s requirements.
DPG Resources
Visit the official knowledge base for all additional resources, guides, and templates that can help digital solutions with their DPG application and for successful DPGs to continue to improve their project within the focus areas of the DPG Standard.
DPG Applications FAQs
Explore what people have been asking regarding submitting a DPG application—you may find an answer to a similar question there.
DPGs Decoded
Explore a set of materials that aims to strengthen global advocacy efforts in support of digital public goods.
DPG Discussion Forum
Join the public space for the community of DPG product owners and contributors to discuss, collaborate, and share knowledge and opportunities. If you’re considering becoming a DPG, you’re welcome, too!
DPG Standard
Learn about the DPG Standard which establishes the baseline requirements that must be met in order for a solution to earn recognition as a digital public good.
DPG Registry
Explore the list of all approved digital public goods. Click on them to learn how they meet the DPG Standard.
DPG API
Learn how to use our API to fetch the data of all approved digital public goods on the DPG Registry.
DPG Standard (Source)
Contribute to the development and improvement of the DPG Standard.
DPG Newsletter
Sign up to receive the DPGA’s monthly newsletter.
