Onboarding Citizens to Digital Identity Systems

Digital Identity (DI) technologies have the potential to enhance the quality of life of citizens through the provision of seamless services, improve the effectiveness of public services, and increase overall economic competitiveness. However, lack of access to DIs can limit these benefits, while unequal access can lead to uneven distribution of these benefits across social groups and escalate existing tensions. Accessible, user-friendly and efficient onboarding can play a key role in ensuring equitable access and wide adoption of DI technologies. This paper proposes the development of physical locations (Experience Centres) that can be used for citizen onboarding to national DI systems, positively shaping citizens' first impression with the technology and, in turn, promoting adoption. To this end, we outline a multidisciplinary research approach for identifying and addressing the considerations necessary for designing, developing and operating a model Experience Centre for DI onboarding in an inclusive manner.