Decentralized Identity Management for Remote Education

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Mentesnot Berhanu

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

Individual

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

12

[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)

Decentralized system for managing identities on the Cardano blockchain, offering protected, provable digital identities for students and educators, improving privacy and simplifying verification.

[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?

Yes

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

The identity management system is planned to be completely open source in order to promote worldwide use and cooperation. This method enables educational platforms to incorporate the system, customize it for their requirements, and participate in its continuous improvement. Our goal is to improve the system's functionality, security, and usability through community input and resources. Furthermore, making the project open-source encourages creativity within the Cardano community, allowing developers to create additional tools and functions that can be useful in industries other than education.

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Perceiving the issue:

• In distance learning, standard identity management systems are centralized, which makes them susceptible to hacking, data breaches, and fraud. Handling student and educator identities in this manner frequently results in privacy concerns and causes unnecessary obstacles.

Method:

• The goal of this project is to develop a decentralized identity management platform using the Cardano blockchain. In this way, it will provide a secure and transparent method for handling identities in remote learning settings. This is the way it will function:
• Decentralized Identity (DID): Every individual (students, educators) will possess a distinct, verifiable digital identity that is saved on the Cardano blockchain. This eliminates the need for centralized servers, decreasing vulnerabilities to hacking and data breaches.
• Integration of smart contracts will automate procedures such as student enrollment, verification of credentials, and completion of courses. This guarantees confidentiality and removes the necessity for manual verification of identity.
•  Clear Documentation: Academic documentation, including certifications, grades, and accomplishments, will be safely recorded and can be easily verified by educational institutions and employers using blockchain technology.

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

Encouraging more institutions to adopt Cardano for secure identity management in the education sector by showcasing the practical application of Cardano's blockchain technology leads to increased adoption.

The project's open-source aspect promotes collaboration and encourages developers to think creatively, which could result in the discovery of new uses for blockchain technology across different industries.

Improving Confidence: By implementing a decentralized identity management system, security and privacy are increased, thus boosting trust in blockchain technology within the Cardano community.

Sharing knowledge: The results of the project will provide developers and organizations looking to implement similar solutions with valuable insights and best practices, ultimately enhancing the overall community knowledge.

Alignment with Cardano’s Values: The project's promotion of decentralization, privacy, and transparency in identity management is in line with Cardano's fundamental beliefs, ultimately boosting the network's reputation and integrity.

[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?

The individuals in our team are experts in blockchain development and identity management. We follow the best practices in software development to maintain high levels of trust and accountability.

.Demonstration: We plan to create a demonstration to showcase the fundamental features of the system.

.User Engagement: Working with schools and colleges will help collect genuine user feedback to make enhancements.

.Testing Stages: Thorough beta testing will guarantee both usability and security.

.Security Audits: Our system's security will be verified by third-party audits.

Feedback loops involve constant feedback to support the process of making incremental improvements.

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

Milestone 1: Research & System Design (Months 1-3)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Complete system design and technical blueprint for the decentralized identity management system.
• User roles and access permissions clearly defined.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• Comprehensive documentation of system architecture and design is finalized.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Submission of design documentation and architecture diagrams for review.

Milestone 2: Development of Core Identity Protocol (Months 4-6)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Developed smart contracts for identity verification and credential management.
• A working prototype on the Cardano testnet demonstrating core functionalities.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• The prototype must successfully demonstrate user identity management and credential verification on the testnet.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Deployment logs on the testnet, along with demo videos showcasing core features.

Milestone 3: Testing & Feedback Integration (Months 7-8)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Completed testing phase with selected educational institutions.
• Collected feedback for system improvements and enhancements.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• Feedback from at least three educational institutions is gathered and analyzed.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Detailed feedback reports highlighting user experiences and changes implemented based on input.

Milestone 4: Security Audits & Enhancements (Months 9-10)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Conducted third-party security audits and enhanced system security based on findings.
• Documented security improvements and system robustness.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• All identified vulnerabilities are addressed, and security audit reports are finalized.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Completed security audit reports, including documentation of vulnerabilities and fixes.

Milestone 5: Community Engagement and User Training (Months 11)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Developed and executed a training program for educational institutions and users.
• Created outreach materials to promote the platform to potential users.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• At least three training sessions held with participating institutions, and feedback on training effectiveness collected.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Training session attendance records, feedback forms from participants, and outreach materials.

Final Milestone: Full Deployment & User Adoption (Months 12)

A: Milestone Outputs

• Fully deployed decentralized identity management system on the Cardano mainnet.
• Long-term maintenance plan and user documentation developed.

B: Acceptance Criteria

• Successful deployment on the mainnet with positive feedback from initial users and institutions.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

• Mainnet logs indicating successful deployment, along with user documentation and summaries of user adoption metrics.

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

Mentesnot Berhanu (Project Lead)

• Role: Oversee project development, coordinate team activities, and manage stakeholder relationships.
• Responsibilities: Setting project goals, ensuring adherence to timelines, and overall strategy execution.

Blockchain Developer

• Role: Responsible for developing the decentralized identity management protocols and smart contracts.
• Responsibilities: Implementing blockchain functionalities, ensuring data security, and testing on the Cardano testnet.

UI/UX Designer

• Role: Design the user interface and enhance the user experience for the identity management platform.
• Responsibilities: Creating intuitive designs, conducting user research, and iterating based on feedback.

Security Auditor

• Role: Conduct security audits and vulnerability assessments of the identity management system.
• Responsibilities: Identifying potential security risks, recommending fixes, and ensuring compliance with security standards.

Community Engagement Specialist

• Role: Handle outreach, training, and support for educational institutions and users.
• Responsibilities: Organizing training sessions, gathering user feedback, and promoting the platform to potential users.

Technical Writer

• Role: Create documentation for the platform, including user guides and technical specifications.
• Responsibilities: Writing clear and concise documentation to support user adoption and training efforts.

Marketing Specialist

• Role: Develop and execute marketing campaigns to raise awareness and drive adoption of the platform.
• Responsibilities: Creating marketing materials, managing social media outreach, and coordinating educational campaigns.

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

Resources & Budget

Team Roles and Costs:

• Project Lead (Mentesnot Berhanu): 40,000 ADA
• Blockchain Developer: 30,000 ADA
• UI/UX Designer: 15,000 ADA
• Security Auditor: 10,000 ADA

Infrastructure & Tools:

• Server Hosting & Infrastructure (12 months): 8,000 ADA

Security & Auditing:

• Third-Party Security Audits: 15,000 ADA
• Penetration Testing: 5,000 ADA

Marketing & Outreach:

• Educational Campaigns & Webinars: 5,000 ADA
• Community Engagement Initiatives: 2,000 ADA

Contingency Fund:

• Contingency Fund: 2,000 ADA

Total Budget: 122,000 ADA

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

The decentralized identity management project's budget is supported by standard industry salaries and necessary specialized positions. This investment will result in the creation of a secure and easy-to-use platform that will boost trust and uptake of Cardano technology in the education sector. Funds have been allocated for educational campaigns that aim to promote awareness and engagement within the Cardano community. In general, the expenses mirror the project's future advantages, establishing Cardano as a frontrunner in secure identity management solutions campaigns.