Submission Guide
In order for a digital solution to be recognised as a digital public good, the solution must conform to the definition of digital public goods. This definition has been operationalised via a set of indicators which collectively are referred to as the DPG Standard.
Requirements to be a DPG
All digital solutions will be reviewed by the Digital Public Goods Alliance’s technical review team to ensure they meet the DPG Standard’s requirements for each indicator following the DPG review policy. You can take this eligibility test to do an initial assessment of your digital solution, and verify if it can become a DPG – it only takes 5 minutes.
In order to apply to be recognised as a digital public good, please be aware of the following information:
1. SDG RELEVANCE
Digital public goods must demonstrate relevance to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Evidence required: A description that links the digital solution to the SDG list of targets and indicators detailed under each SDG. Only the most relevant SDGs to the solution should be mentioned and you will be required to provide information for each SDG the solution may be relevant to.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
2. OPEN LICENSING
Digital public goods must demonstrate the use of an approved open license.
Evidence required: A public link that explicitly mentions an approved open license. Refer to the list of approved open licenses that are accepted based on the type of digital public good.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
3. CLEAR OWNERSHIP
Ownership of assets that the digital public good produces must be clearly defined and documented.
Evidence required: Link(s) to the copyright, trademarks, or publicly available ownership documentation for the digital solution. Examples include a webpage that clearly defines who owns the digital solution or Terms of Service that indicate ownership. Additional legal documentation that provides supporting information will strengthen your application. Digital solutions owned by a parent organisation could highlight this connection on their website to strengthen the application.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
4. PLATFORM INDEPENDENCE
When the digital public good has mandatory dependencies that create more restrictions than the original license, proving independence from the closed component(s) and/or indicating the existence of functional, open alternatives that can be used without significant changes to the core product is required.
Evidence required: Applicants must provide a description of how open-source components are independent and/or list the open alternatives for any closed component(s). Applications should be able to demonstrate that closed components can be replaced with open alternatives with minimal configuration changes and without requiring a major overhaul of the entire solution. This requirement can be best answered by a technical member of your team.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
5. DOCUMENTATION
Digital public goods require documentation of the source code, use cases, and/or functional requirements.
Evidence required: A detailed description of how the solution is documented as well as link(s) to all relevant documents. For Open Software, documentation could include an open repository, technical specifications, functional requirements, etc. For Open Data, documentation could describe all the fields in the dataset, and provide context on how the data was collected and how it should be interpreted. For Open Content collections, documentation could include relevant compatible apps, software, or hardware required to access the content and any instructions on how to use it.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
6. MECHANISM FOR EXTRACTING DATA
Digital public goods with non-personally identifiable information (PII) must be designed for the possibility of extracting or importing non-PII data and content from the system in a non-proprietary format.
Evidence required: A detailed description of how the non-PII data can be imported or exported into non-proprietary formats such as CSV, XML, JSON, etc or by exposing the non-PII data through APIs.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
7. ADHERENCE TO PRIVACY AND APPLICABLE LAWS
Digital public goods must be designed and developed to comply with privacy and other applicable laws.
Evidence required: If the digital solution collects PII data, then link(s) to the privacy policy, terms of service, or other relevant legal documentation must be provided. To strengthen the application, applicants are encouraged to provide a list of the relevant laws that the digital solution complies with, in the relevant jurisdiction. Some examples include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Indian IT Act, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
8. ADHERENCE TO STANDARDS & BEST PRACTICES
Digital public goods must be designed and developed to align with relevant standards, best practices, and/or principles
Evidence required: A list of the open standards, best practices, and principles that the digital solution adheres to with relevant links wherever possible. Here is a list of open standards and best practices that you may find helpful.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
9. DO NO HARM BY DESIGN
Digital public goods must be designed to anticipate, prevent, and do no harm by design.
Evidence required:
a) If the digital solution collects, stores, or distributes PII data, then a list of the types of data collected, stored, or distributed is required along with a detailed description of the steps taken to prevent adverse impacts resulting from its collection, storage, and distribution to ensure the privacy, security, and integrity of this data.
b) If the digital solution collects, stores, or distributes content, then a detailed description of (1) the policies for identifying inappropriate and illegal content, and (2) the processes for detecting, moderating, reporting, and removing inappropriate/ illegal content.
c) If the digital solution enables interaction between users, then a detailed description of how the project enables users and contributors to protect themselves from harassment as well as link(s) to relevant policies such as a code of conduct.
📚 To learn more, read this guide from our DPG Wiki.
Application Process
- APPLY: We respect your time, so we created a custom application to guide you through the requirements.
- REVIEW: After you submit the application, our technical team will review it in detail against all the indicators of the DPG Standard to ensure adherence.
- RESULT: If your application meets all the requirements of the DPG Standard, it is recognised as a digital public good and featured on the DPG Registry. The DPG owner then joins the DPG Product Owners community.
- VALIDITY: DPG status is valid for one year from its approval. This is to ensure that all solutions, including any changes that may have been following the original application process, continue to comply with the DPG Standard. All applications undergo an annual renewal process. In case certain parameters have changed or further clarifications are needed, the review team will reach out over email.
- EXPIRY: In case the solution fails to continue to meet the DPG Standard, or there is no response received, the solution will be marked as ‘Expired’ and be removed from the DPG Registry.
The information you provide will be in the public domain and licensed as such (currently through the Unlicense). Your name and contact information will remain private.
Who can apply?
Only an authorised representative of the digital solution can submit the application on behalf of the organisation(s) or individual(s) that own the solution.
Do you have an FAQ page I can visit to guide me through my application journey?
Yes! Please visit this page for more details.
How much time will it take to review my application?
We try to review all applications within 30 days of submission. However, this can vary depending on the volume of applications received at any given time. You can read our review policies and process for more detail.
Where can I track the status of my application?
The status of your applications can be tracked from your dashboard as well as this URL: https://app.digitalpublicgoods.net/a/[ID], where ID is the application ID of your submitted application.
Who do I contact if I have more questions about the application process?
Please send an email to support@digitalpublicgoods.net. We will respond back as soon as possible.
The information you provide will be in the public domain and licensed as such (currently through the Unlicense). Your name and contact information will remain private.