ID4D Country Diagnostic: Madagascar
Published: 1/Jan/2017
Source: World Bank
This report assesses the Malagasy identity management system in the context of the government’s ongoing efforts to modernize the public sector, specifically pinpointing the challenges and needs of the functional registers for trusted verification of identities and analyzing the role and modus operandi of the civil register and civil identification agencies and processes.
Identity management is the combination of systems, rules, and procedures that are defined between an individual and organizations regarding the entitlement, use, and protection of personal information in order to authenticate individual identities and provide authorization and privileges within or across systems and enterprise boundaries.
While it is easy to conclude that the system for registering, authenticating, and verifying peoples’ identities in Madagascar is complex and fraught with room for error, it has to be recognized that there is an expressed desire to improve and modernize the system. There is both recognition of the need to improve service delivery to citizens and acceptance that a well-functioning system of checks and balances will contribute to more efficient public sector management.
For example, the use of a unique identity number for both individuals and taxpaying entities is one factor that will make verification of identities and consequently service delivery more efficient. However, on the government’s side, there is agreement that upgrading has to be done incrementally, and that it is sensible to start with activities and institutions that are both prepared and have the funding to undertake improvements immediately.
According to UNICEF, the registration rate for children between 0 and 4 years is 83 percent, and there are no data for issuance and coverage of identification cards (CIN’s).
In order to address the need for coherence between civil registration, civil identification, and functional registers, one promising approach is to work with the tax administration. The tax administration authorities already have a system to identify taxpayers by a unique number and increasing the coverage will add value to the services they provide and facilitate tax collection.
What makes any modernization effort a challenge is the lack of reliable data to establish a sound baseline upon which to measure progress. For the tax administration, this can be mitigated by re-enrollment of taxpayers, and by introducing the use of a unique identifying number.
Starting with civil registration and civil identification, there is a need to define, reduce, and formalize the roles and responsibilities of all the entities involved in this process. It is indispensable that the processes are trusted and trustworthy, but fewer checkpoints will make the process more efficient for all parties involved.
The collected data needs to be stored electronically for the authentication and verification processes to become efficient and more cost effective, and there is a need for a concerted effort between government agencies to develop a cost-sharing plan for investment in supporting technology.
Download from World Bank website: http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/809191510763351833/Madagascar-ID4D-IMSA.pdf