Unlocking the potential of open-source to drive real-world impact

Introducing a Practical Guide to the DPG Standard

Technical standards are essential for building trust, but they can quickly feel complex and require dense documentation, making it difficult to understand what they mean in practice.Yet, for country governments, funders, implementers, and others working with digital public goods, understanding the DPG Standard is essential to making informed decisions about the digital solutions they adopt, support and invest in.The DPGA Secretariat developed A Practical Guide to the DPG Standard aiming to make that understanding more accessible.The guide breaks down all nine indicators of the DPG Standard into clear, practical questions, explaining not only what each indicator requires, but also why it matters for building digital solutions that are open, interoperable, responsibly governed, and designed for public benefit. By translating technical requirements into accessible explanations, it helps bridge the gap between regulatory jargon and the real world considerations that matter to decision makers. This guide aims to make the DPG Standard easier to apply, enabling more stakeholders to engage meaningfully with the principles and safeguards that underpin trustworthy digital public goods.

Celebrating Global DPI Milestones: Highlights from the 50-in-5 Awards

Implementing safe, inclusive, and interoperable digital public infrastructure expands access to essential services, fosters strong economies, and delivers impact. By collaborating to share lessons and open technologies rather than going it alone, countries can radically shorten implementation journeys, avoid duplicative costs, and maximise progress.To celebrate these achievements, the 50-in-5 campaign hosted the inaugural 50-in-5 Awards during the 81st UN General Assembly week at The Morgan Library & Museum. Organised by the Digital Public Goods Alliance and Co-Develop, the 50-in-5 Awards recognise the countries and individuals turning digital public infrastructure into real-world progress and sustained human impact.Across the Impact, Collaboration, and Leadership categories, the 50-in-5 Awards highlight practical approaches, from foundational digital IDs reaching entire populations to regional payment networks for small businesses, that other countries can adapt to their own contexts.Read the full announcement to discover the category winners and runners-up honored at the 50-in-5 Awards ceremony, as well as the 40th country to officially join the campaign.

The Open Data Institute Joins the Digital Public Goods Alliance

The Digital Public Goods Alliance is excited to welcome the Open Data Institute (ODI) as its newest member.As part of their membership, ODI will review its portfolio of tools, frameworks, and standards to identify candidates for nomination to the DPG Registry. This includes the Open Data Maturity Model, Framework for AI ready Data, and Data Ethics Canvas.As a joint steward of the upcoming DPG4AI collection, the ODI will help develop criteria for identifying digital public goods for responsible AI development. They will also create an accompanying AI Readiness Toolkit to help governments, international organisations, and civil society assess their preparedness for responsible AI.Finally, the ODI will engage DPG organisations to explore where Solid, an open standard stewarded by the ODI giving individuals greater control over their data, could strengthen interoperability, data portability, privacy, and user agency across existing DPGs."The ODI joining the Digital Public Goods Alliance is a natural step toward a future built on open, trustworthy foundations that empower everyone, not the few. That is the web I envisaged.” Sir Tim Berners-Lee, co-founder of the ODI and inventor of the World Wide Web."Joining the Digital Public Goods Alliance marks an exciting step for the ODI and for our mission to make data work for everyone. The DPGA brings together a diverse coalition of organisations committed to using digital tools and open standards to tackle the world's most pressing challenges, and we're proud to be part of it. We work globally with governments, businesses and civil society and know firsthand how critical open, trustworthy data infrastructure is to driving sustainable development. Through this membership, we'll bring more than a decade’s worth of expertise in data governance, open standards, and responsible AI, helping to build an ecosystem that truly serves the people who need it most." Louise Burke, CEO of the ODI“Open data is essential to advancing digital public goods, especially at a moment when public interest AI development depends on access to open, trustworthy, and interoperable data. The Open Data Institute brings longstanding expertise in open standards, data governance, and responsible AI, making them a valuable addition to the Digital Public Goods Alliance. Their membership comes at a critical moment, as the DPG ecosystem works to ensure that the data foundations shaping AI are aligned with the public interest.” Liv Marte Nordhaug, CEO of the DPGA SecretariatTogether, the DPGA and the Open Data Institute will continue exploring opportunities to advance digital public goods and artificial intelligence. By fostering greater collaboration and expanding access to trusted open solutions, this partnership will help countries accelerate AI adaptation and mitigation efforts while ensuring that digital transformation delivers benefits for all.To learn more about both memberships in the DPGA, read the ODI announcement.You can also explore their planned Roadmap activities through the ODI membership profile.