Leveraging National ID system in Ethiopia for more scalable adoption of Cardano in identity solutions

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Henrik Metsämäki

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

7

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Building a partnership with one institutional National Identity provider in Ethiopia to pilot identity verification of IT candidates, accelerating global hiring.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The technical integrations occur between Fairway platform, Proofspace and the National Identity provider in Ethiopia and will not be open sourced

Our project outputs will be publish to ensure transparency. The issuing of credentials are proved technologically.

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

• 8.5 - By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
• 8.6 - By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

SDG Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

SDG Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Fairway, specializing in decentralized identity in recruitment was inspired by IOG's success with the Ministry of Education and high schools in Ethiopia. Leveraging this, Fairway partnered with two Ethiopian higher education institutions, issuing 50 proof of graduation VCs for students in IT fields in 2023-2024. However, during the implementation of the project there arose a need for scalable identity verification. To scale the adoption of educational VCs across Ethiopian universities, a robust identity verification is needed to prevent wrongfully issued credentials, identity theft and credential misuse. After all, the universities need a method to verify that the credential is issued to the correct DID.

Fairway aims to solve this problem by integrating SSI-based decentralized identity into the Ethiopian National ID system, Fayda National identity. Through this partnership, we aim to empower businesses and institutions to verify identities seamlessly and scale credential issuance across the continent.

We propose a project facilitating discussions and forming a partnership with one institutional National Identity provider in Ethiopia to such as Ethiotelecom, National Bank of Ethiopia, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ministry of Innovation and Technology or JobsCommission.

After partnership agreement we conduct testing technical integration with the selected identity provider and piloting the issuing of National Identity credentials for 20 IT talents in the Fairway talent pool.

Solution Implementation:

1. Meet with institutional National Identity providers in Ethiopia: Establish partnerships and technical integration plans.
2. Create a partnership agreement with one Ethiopian National ID provider.
3. Build integration between the National ID system and Fairway's platform where the identity provider issues credentials utilizing PRISM based SSI on Proofspace platform ensuring compatibility security the utilization of the SSI core components.
4. Test integration using ProofSpace-based SSI identity verification.
5. Together with the Issuing partner, issue Identity Credentials to 20 IT talents in Fairway talent pool.
6. Form a strategy on larger scale adoption model and technical requirements to building a more scalable product. Report and publish documentation about partnership strategies, implementation and schematical issuing model for the community to utilize in similar cases.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Increasing the adoption of Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) in a key market like Ethiopia, our project serves as a valuable case study for the Cardano community. It demonstrates the potential of Cardano's identity solutions and fosters partnerships with government entities, paving the way for broader adoption globally and increasing the likelyhood of the big players in our ecosystem such as IOG to expand their partnerships to higher education in Ethiopia and other African countries.

By running a pilot project with Fayda National ID, Fairway aims to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of integrating Cardano's VC solution with government institutions. This initiative not only contributes to the growth of the Cardano community but also fosters socioeconomic development in Ethiopia by empowering youth with verifiable digital identities.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Fairway has successfully delivered a similar project before partnering with higher education institutions in the public and in the private sector in Ethiopia to facilitate issuing of 50 proof of graduation VCs. Our team has shown capability of building partnerships in Ethiopia and understanding the local business culture and the objectives of public sector institutions.

We have a proven track record of delivering successful projects, including a previous Catalyst project and similar adoption projects on a smaller scale. We will validate the feasibility of our approach through stakeholder discussions, partnership proposals, and continuous assessment of project milestones.

Moreover, on the SSI implementation part, Fairway has an active relationship and integration with Proofspace and a technical team that has completed PRISM Pioneers Program and has blockchain expertise.

Additionally, our company has an operational branch, business licence and a functional team in Ethiopia. More about our previous project: https://fairway.global/Projects

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Stakeholder Engagement - 3 Months

1. Approach institutional National Identity providers in Ethiopia to establish a partnership. List of most potential prospects: Ethiotelecom, National Bank of Ethiopia, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ministry of Innovation and Technology and JobsCommission
2. Aim to form at least one partnership agreement and create an MoU. Alternatively, as a plan B, establishing a partnership through a business with an existing licence such as a private sector bank in Ethiopia can be explored
3. Creation and Sing an MoU and establish discussions on technical integration.

• Success Criteria and reporting:
• A list of prospects that have been aproached.
• A partnership and a signed MoU with an institutional National Identity provider such as Ethiotelecom, National Bank of Ethiopia, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ministry of Innovation and Technology and JobsCommission
• Or alternatively, as plan B, a partnership and a signed MoU with a licenced ID partner in Ethiopia such as a private bank. In this case, delivering additional information on how the partnership works and how the validity of the identity to the National ID system is ensured

System Integration - 2 Months:

1. Prototype a technical integration between the National ID system and Fairway's platform where the identity provider issues credentials utilizing PRISM based SSI on Proofspace platform ensuring compatibility, security and the utilization of the SSI core components. Technical team in Ethiopia meeting the technical experts of the partner.
2. Test integration using ProofSpace-based SSI identity verification.
3. Define scope, objectives, and timeline of the pilot project. Develop a streamlined process for issuing verified digital identities.

• Success Criteria and reporting:Functional prototype of technical integration between the Identity provider and Fairway platform
• Functional Credential issuance flow
• Credential Schema prototype: published

Pilot Program for Identity Credential Issuing - 1 Month

1. Select a diverse cohort of 20 talents for the pilot program utilizing Fairway talent pools.
2. Build documentation, materials and presentations and guide the selected talents through the identity VC issuance process.
3. Implement automated identity verification procedures.

• Success Criteria and reporting:A selected pool of 20 talents
• Credential issuing process tested and working
• 20 Identity credentials issued and received: published

Evaluation and Iteration 1 Month:

1. Collect feedback, evaluate pilot outcomes and user satisfaction.
2. Identify areas for improvement and iterate on the solution.
3. Form a strategy on larger scale adoption model and technical requirements to building a more scalable product. Report and publish documentation about partnership strategies, implementation and schematics of the issuing model and credential schemas for the community to utilize in similar cases.

• Success Criteria and reporting:Written small report of the collected feedback and outcomes
• Published results on credentials and credential schemas. Evaluation of the technical implementation is shared

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Partnership & Network Manager: Gemechis Marema - CCO at Fairway. Gemechis’s role is to build connections and Partnerships. Gemechis has successfully established partnerships with Higher education institutions in Ethiopia before.

Project lead: Henrik Metsämäki - Co-Founder & CEO at Fairway. Henrik has successfully led multiple similar projects funded by the Finnish government and The Project Catalyst. He has participated in Cardano Community 3+ years and regularly met with IOG experts, visited Catalyst Town Hall and Belongs to Atala PRSIM Discord community. Henrik has planned this project and identified strategies and methods for its execution. He will also be in charge of the reporting.

Technical lead at Fairway: Kidus Wendimagegn Mammo - CTO at Fairway. Kidus was the technical lead of the previous catalyst project spearheading the team to deliver needed changes for the project. Kidus has experience on SSI, information security, Plutus and Marlow and is long standing experience leading projects. Kidus will be the key to technical leadership in this project as well.

Marketing, partnership help and developer education: Henok Alemayehu - Marketing Manager at Fairway.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Budget Breakdown:

Stakeholder Engagement - 3 Months - 40k ADA

• Partnership establishment and MoU signing: 20k ADA
• Technical integration discussions: 10k ADA
• Miscellaneous expenses: 10k ADA

System Integration - 2 Months: - 30k ADA

• Prototype development: 15k ADA
• Testing and verification: 10k ADA
• Documentation and materials: 5k ADA

Pilot Program for Identity Credential Issuing - 1 Month: 15k ADA

• Talent selection and coordination: 5k ADA
• Documentation and presentation materials: 5k ADA
• Automated verification implementation: 5k ADA

Evaluation and Iteration 1 Month: - 10k ADA

• Feedback collection and analysis: 5k ADA
• Iteration and improvement: 3k ADA
• Strategy formation and documentation: 2k ADA

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem by contributing to the adoption and utilization of Cardano-based identity solutions. By integrating KYC and National ID systems with Cardano's blockchain, we create real-world use cases that showcase the platform's capabilities, driving broader adoption and fostering trust among institutions and governments. Additionally, the insights gained from this project will inform future initiatives and further enhance the ecosystem's value proposition.

By running a pilot project with Fayda National ID, Fairway aims to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of integrating Cardano's VC solution with government institutions. This initiative not only contributes to the growth of the Cardano community but also fosters socioeconomic development in Ethiopia by empowering youth with verifiable digital identities.