Submission Guide

Introduction

In order for a digital solution to be recognized 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 it meets the requirements of each indicator of the DPG Standard. Take this eligibility test and assess if your digital solution can become a DPG within 5 minutes.

The information needed when applying for a digital solution to be recognised as a digital public good  is listed below:

1. SDG RELEVANCE

Digital solutions must demonstrate relevance to one or more SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Evidence required:  A description that links the digital solution to the SDG targets detailed under each SDG. This will be required for each SDG that the solution may cater to.

2. OPEN LICENSING

Digital solutions must use an approved open license.

Evidence required: A public link that explicitly mentions an approved open license. Refer here for the list of approved open licenses accepted.

3. CLEAR OWNERSHIP

The organisation that owns the digital solution must be clearly defined.

Evidence required: Link(s) to the copyright, trademarks, or publicly available ownership documentation for the digital solutions.

It could be a webpage that clearly defines who owns the digital solution. Terms of Service may also indicate the ownership of the digital solutions. Additional legal documentation that provides supporting information will strengthen your application.

Digital solutions owned by a parent organisation, could highlight the digital solutions on their website to strengthen the application.

4. PLATFORM INDEPENDENCE

Digital solutions must not be locked into a specific vendor or product creating a dependency in order to operate. If there are any mandatory dependencies that create more restrictions than the original license should have an open alternative. Non-mandatory dependencies may be replaced with open alternatives without making significant changes to the core digital solution (the source code).

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 close components can be replaced with open alternatives with minimal configuration changes and without requiring a major overhaul of the entire system. This requirement can be best answered by a technical member of your team.

5. DOCUMENTATION

Digital solutions must have strong documentation. The documentation should allow a technical person unfamiliar with the solution to launch and run the digital solution themselves.

Evidence required: A detailed description of how the solution is documented as well as link(s) to all relevant documents.

For software solutions, documentation could include an open repo, technical specifications, functional requirements, etc. For data sets or solutions, documentation could describe all the fields in the set, and provide context on how the data was collected and how it should be interpreted. For content, documentation could include relevant compatible apps, software, hardware required to access the content and any instructions on how to use it.

For more details on documentation best practices, please visit this link.

6. NON-PII DATA EXTRACTION

Digital solutions must have mechanisms for extracting or importing non-PII (non Personally Identifiable Information) data from or into the system in a non-proprietary format if non-PII data is collected or used.

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 via exposing the non-PII data through APIs.

7. PRIVACY & APPLICABLE LAWS

Digital solutions must comply with relevant privacy, domestic and other applicable international 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 solutions complies within the relevant jurisdiction such as (but not restricted to) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Indian IT Act, Persons with Disabilities Act 2020, Canadian Disabilities Act, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, etc.

8. OPEN STANDARDS & BEST PRACTICES

Digital solutions must comply with relevant standards, best practices and/or principles.

Evidence required: A list of the open standards, best practices & principles that the digital solution adheres to with any relevant links wherever possible. Here is a list of open standards and best practices that you may find helpful.

9. DO NO HARM BY DESIGN

Digital solutions must ensure that steps are taken to anticipate, prevent and do no harm.

Evidence required:

a) If the digital solution collects, stores or distributes PII data, then a list of the types of data that is 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.

Application Process

1. APPLY: We respect your time, so we created a custom application to guide you through the requirements.
2. 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.
3. 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 the joins the DPG practitioner community.

START YOUR DPG APPLICATION

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.

FAQs

Who can apply?

Only an authorized representative of the project can submit the application on behalf of the organization(s) or individual(s) that own the project.

How much time will it take to review my application?

We try to review all applications within 30 days of submission. But this can vary depending on the volume of applications received at any given time. You can read our review policies & process here in 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.

Do you have an FAQ page I can visit to guide me through my application journey?

Yes! Please visit www.digitalpublicgoods.net/faq for more details

Who do I contact if I have more questions about the application process?

Please send an email at prajakta@digitalpublicgoods.net

START YOUR DPG APPLICATION

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.