Interoperability in Humanitarian Cash Assistance – Landscape mapping findings and recommendations

As organizations try to respond with and scale up humanitarian cash assistance the topics of data sharing, systems interoperability, and data portability among affected communities and actors including aid organizations, governments, and financial service providers become important. On September 2022, the Donor Cash Forum shared their Statement and Guiding Principles on Interoperability of Data Systems in Humanitarian Cash Programming, highlighting the donors’ perspectives and support for the humanitarian sector to achieve such interoperability to help address programming efficiencies but also benefits for affected people including increasing inclusion in programming and increasing people’s rights and control towards their personal data.

The DIGID Interoperability Initiative, funded by ECHO, is exploring the technical aspects required to enable the secure and safe exchange of data between systems. This project is being implemented by the Dignified Identities in Cash Assistance (DIGID) consortium comprised of IFRC, Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian Red Cross, and Save the Children Norway.

But what uses cases should the initiative focus on? What are the blockages and challenges, technical and non-technical, that must be overcome to improve data sharing and interoperability? What systems are currently in use and are there existing technology solutions that the initiative should investigate further to tackle those challenges? What are the drivers for organizations to embrace interoperability?

Join us for a webinar where we share our findings and recommendations regarding those questions.