Ensuring de-duplication for offline systems in low capacity countries

[mrunal-eGov]

Ensuring de-duplication for offline systems in low capacity countries

Problem Statement:

In LMICs, where the majority of citizens lack a national identity number, internet connectivity, and mobile networks, an offline system is required to register and deliver benefits to eligible beneficiaries. However, the absence of digital infrastructure poses a significant challenge in ensuring that duplicate registrations are not entered into the system. We seek innovative solutions to develop a deduplication logic that can effectively identify and eliminate duplicate registrations within the offline registration software.

Description:

Develop a deduplication logic for an offline beneficiary registration system. The deduplication logic should identify and eliminate duplicate registrations to ensure that each eligible individual is registered/ provided with a benefit only once. The solution should be efficient, accurate, and robust, considering the limitations of the offline system. The deduplication logic should be implemented within the software used for beneficiary registration and should not rely on internet connectivity or external resources.

Requirements:

Offline Capabilities: The deduplication system should be designed to operate in an offline environment, as internet and mobile networks are not widely available in LMICs.

Limited Information: Due to the absence of a national identity number and limited connectivity, the system will have access to only limited information for each individual, such as name, age, gender.

Accuracy: The deduplication system should aim to accurately identify duplicate registrations, minimizing both false positives and false negatives. It should be able to differentiate between genuine registrations and potential duplicates.

Efficiency: The system should be efficient in terms of computational resources, as countries may have limited hardware capabilities.

Scalability: The deduplication logic should be scalable to handle a large number of registrations, as government benefit programs may have a significant number of beneficiaries.

Privacy and Security: The system should prioritize the privacy and security of individual data, ensuring that sensitive information is protected and not misused.

User-Friendly Interface: The software should have a user-friendly interface that is easy to understand and navigate, considering that the users might not be highly tech-savvy.

Data Consistency: The deduplication logic should be robust enough to handle variations in data entry, including different spellings, transliterations, or abbreviations of names, and potential misspellings or errors in other personal details.

Reference Links:

Introduction to DIGIT HCM: Here
DIGIT HCM Architecture: Here
Functional Overview: Here