Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697643775764.pdf (Bahamas)
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST Digital Identity Expert Consultant Country: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Supporting Institution: Inter-American Development Bank Programme: Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness Project Number: BH-L1045 Loan Number: LO-4549 / OC-BH Sector: Reform / Modernization of the State Sub-Sector: E-Government Deadline: 15th December 2021 Post: Digital Identity Expert Consultant Contract Duration: 12-15 months (non-consecutive periods) Post Location: External Reports to: The Programme Manager, Digital Transformation Unit The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas has received financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), toward the cost of the Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness project (‘the Project’), and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consultancy services to (i) Develop a Digital Identity Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan and (ii) Provide Technical and Advisory Support in developing key outputs that would fast track implementation, and for the procurement and selection of a digital identity solution provider (‘The Services’).
The Digital Transformation Unit (DTU) within the Department of Transformation and Digitization (DTaD) of the Office of the Prime Minister is the Project Executing Agency (PEA).

Component 1 of the Project aims to streamline government procedures and make them available online to reduce the cost of government bureaucracy.

A digital identification system is identified as a key tool for supporting this goal.

i.
i.

The Government of The Bahamas is therefore seeking to hire a Digital Identity Expert Consultant with the knowledge and expertise to: Develop a digital identity strategy, roadmap, and action plan for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
This framework must facilitate the implementation of a digital identity scheme that would leverage and enhance existing identification systems to enable more secure and effective identity management functions in the access and delivery of services by Government, and by entities in the private sector who may choose to benefit as relying parties of the scheme.
The framework must also include a strategy for implementing a ‘once-only’ policy with the introduction of the digital identity scheme and be flexible to accommodate a national identity system and a digital civil registry when introduced.

Providing technical and advisory support to the DTU in developing key outputs that would fast track implementation, and for the procurement and selection of a digital identity solution provider based on recommendations made by the Consultant under (1) above.

ii.
ii.

A detailed Terms of Reference for the consultancy is included below.

The Office of the Prime Minister now invites eligible individuals to indicate their interest in providing the Services.

Interested individuals should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

References to previous or ongoing work on projects of a similar nature or scope should also be provided.
Shortlisted individuals may be asked to submit a proposed approach for execution of the consultancy and will be provided with additional information to facilitate the preparation of proposals.

Individuals will be selected in accordance with the IDB’s: Policies for the Selection and Contracting of Consultants financed by the IDB, and it is open to all eligible Individuals as defined in these policies.
All CVs and qualification documents must be submitted Re: Digital Identity Expert Consultant to E-mail: DTUPROCUREMENT@BAHAMAS.GOV.BS on or before 15th December 2021 at 5:00 p.m. ONLY SHORTLISTED INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CONTACTED TERMS OF REFERENCE Digital Identity Expert Consultant In April 2019, the Government of The Bahamas (‘the Government’) signed a loan agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the Government Digital Transformation to Strengthen Competitiveness project (‘the Project’).
The Digital Transformation Unit (DTU) within the Department of Transformation and Digitization (DTaD) of the Office of the Prime Minister is the Project Executing Agency (PEA).

Component 1 of the Project aims to streamline government procedures and make them available online to reduce the cost of government bureaucracy.

An interoperability platform, digital identification system and digital signatures are identified as some of the key tools for supporting this goal.
An interoperability platform has already been operationalised, and an online services portal (https://mygateway.gov.bs/) was launched in May 2021, however all the necessary systems and standards for facilitating seamless backend transactions between Government agencies do not yet exist.

In terms of identity management, functional IDs are being used for proof of identity locally.
There is currently no centralised way to automatically link life events to an individual in The Bahamas, due to there being no digital civil registry system and no (foundational) national identity system that on its own provides broad legal proof of identity.

Funding under the Project, however, has recently been allocated for the design and establishment of a digital civil registration system.
There are also ongoing discussions to establish a national identification system for The Bahamas, although implementation of this is outside the scope of this Project.

In achieving its mandate to lay the foundation for a digitally transformed Government, the DTU is also seeking to institute a once-only policy as it pertains to data collection for the purpose of Government serving its clients.
Consequently, an identification system that is based on one or more unique identifiers, and a seamless data sharing mechanism are typically necessary for achieving this.

The Government of The Bahamas is therefore seeking to hire a Digital Identity Expert Consultant with the knowledge and expertise to develop of a digital identity strategy, roadmap, and action plan for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
This framework must facilitate the implementation of a digital identity scheme that would leverage and enhance existing identification systems to enable more secure and effective identity management functions in the access and delivery of services by Government, and by entities in the private sector who choose to benefit as relying parties of the scheme.
The framework must also include a strategy for implementing a ‘once-only’ policy with the introduction of the digital identity scheme and anticipate the accommodation of a national identity system and a digital civil registry when introduced.

BACKGROUND Digital Identity Concept Note In May 2021, with the support of the IDB, consultants were engaged to develop a Concept Note on a Digital Identity Solution for The Bahamas (‘Concept Note’).
The Concept Note was developed with input from agencies forming a part of the current identity ecosystem, including the Registrar General’s Department, National Insurance Board, Passport Office, Immigration Department, Parliamentary Registration Department, and the Road Traffic Department.

The Concept Note includes: 1.

A review and mapping of the five (5) existing identity systems, 2.

A summary of challenges faced, desired improvements and assets that could be leveraged, 3.
High-level design recommendations for enrolment, certificate issuance and authentication, and 4.

Recommendations of legal and institutional issues to be addressed.

The following are some key findings related to the existing identity ecosystem in The Bahamas that were presented in the Concept Note.
Existing Identity Systems In The Bahamas, the Registrar General’s Department has responsibility for life events registration (e.g., birth and death certificates) in addition to other registration activities, and there are five valid government issued functional IDs being used for proof of identity: 1. e-Passport, issued to Bahamian citizens by the Passport Office.

2.

Voter’s card, issued by the Parliamentary Registration Department to Bahamian citizens eligible to vote.

3.
3.

Drivers Licence, issued to Bahamian citizens and legal residents by the Road Traffic Department.

4.

National Insurance Number/Card, issued to Bahamian citizens and legal residents by the National Insurance Board 5.

(NIB).

Immigration cards1, issued by the Immigration Department to non-Bahamians who are permitted to legally reside/work in The Bahamas.
These agencies all operate independent systems and processes, but to obtain any one of these credentials an individual has to present at least one of the other forms of identification for identity verification purposes (including in some cases a birth certificate or affidavit).

Figures 1 and 2 shows the interdependencies between existing identifications for Bahamians and non- Bahamians respectively.
Figure 1 Diagram showing interdependencies between existing functional identifications for Bahamians (Source: Concept Note) Figure 2 Diagram showing interdependencies between existing functional identifications for non-Bahamians (Source: Concept Note) 1 For example: Work permit, permit to reside, resident spouse permit, permanent resident, resident belonger.
A full list of the permits and certificates issued by the Department of Immigration can be found at https://www.immigration.gov.bs/ Of the above, the NIB card/number is the most widely used in terms of population coverage for a variety of use-cases in public and private sector.
Because of this, and the fact that it was possible to connect to NIB and have access to the agency’s data programmatically via the interoperability platform, the NIB number is the identifier currently being used for identity verification on the MyGateway portal.
However, The Bahamas’ e-Passport and most of the documents issued by the Immigration Department have the highest security features, and so either is generally accepted as proof of identity on its own in the local identity ecosystem for Bahamians and legal resident non-Bahamians respectively.
For example, in the financial services sector, either the e-Passport or at least two other government issued identifications (NIB card, voter’s card, driver’s licence) are required by banking institutions to satisfy KYC requirements.

Challenges faced All identity agencies store identity data electronically.
Some identity agencies have memorandums of understanding with certain key agencies to facilitate data sharing and identity verification electronically, but the approach is not standardised across those agencies.

Additionally, although the interoperability platform has the technological capability to facilitate seamless inter-agency transactions, there are currently no interoperability or data sharing laws and standards to govern how government agencies should link, share, and verify identity data.
There is therefore minimal interoperability between existing identity agencies, and between Government agencies generally.

The methods used for verification of identity documents among identity agencies are generally not automated or structured.

A lack of data governance standards has also resulted in challenges with records management and data reconciliation between agencies.
This has created a heavy reliance on affidavits for identity verification purposes, as well as instances of two or more individuals having the same identifier assigned to them.

A significant number of affidavits are also issued by the Registrar General’s Department instead of birth certificates because of the significant number of persons who do not apply for birth certificates within the required timeframe.
In certain occasions, identity issuing agencies are unable to issue physical cards, resulting in their clients having to provide proof of the document via another means.

Occurrences of identity fraud has also been a challenge.

Only two agencies (Passport Office and the Immigration Department) employ the use of biometrics during the application process for authentication.
But even in these instances, improvements are still needed to maximize the benefits of biometrics use internally to those organizations, as well as to facilitate the verification process with other agencies.
Opportunities and assets that can be leveraged It should be noted that the Concept Note recommends that, as a first step, a digital identity solution should leverage and enhance existing identification systems so that agencies could perform identity management functions more efficiently via the interoperability platform; while also being sufficiently flexible to accommodate a new national identity system, should one be introduced.
The Concept Note also recognises the following opportunities for consideration in developing a digital identity strategy and roadmap: i. ii.

iii.

iv.

v. vi.

vii.

viii.

ix.

Funding under the Project has been allocated for a Digital Civil Registry System.

There is a high penetration (37%) of e-Passports in The Bahamas when compared to a worldwide average of 10 to 20 %.
The government’s interoperability platform already has public key infrastructure (PKI) capabilities to implement personal digital certificates, and the MyGateway portal already provides two-factor authentication through one-time passwords (OTP) via email or phone.

Hosting of government identity systems is with a preferred partner and some identity issuing agencies are already connected to the Government’s interoperability platform.
A Cybersecurity Incidence Response Team is in the process of being established, and the development of a Cybersecurity Strategy is underway.
There are ongoing legislative reforms to address non-compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards in data protection legislation, vital records data, identity management, internet privacy, misuse of personal data, computer misuse, cybersecurity and other issues determined necessary for enabling digital transformation and engendering trust in digital government.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) Office was recently established, and a Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner appointed.
The Central Bank of The Bahamas has launched a new KYC /digital wallet for financial services.

There are lessons that can be learnt from this initiative, and the financial services sector could potentially be one of the first use cases for integrating with Government’s digital identity scheme.

According to Digital 2020 Bahamas, Internet users (on any device) as a percentage of total population stood at 85%, and the number of mobile connections was estimated at 96% of the total population.
Local mobile service providers estimate that over 95% of the population on each island has access to mobile coverage, and between 82 and 90% of the total population own a smartphone.

The level of Internet usage, smartphone ownership and mobile data usage would therefore facilitate the use of mobile technology as one of the means via which the issuance of digital identity credentials may be possible.

I.
I.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY During the concept note development process, participating stakeholders agreed that a digital identity strategy should aim to enable the following goals recommended by the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) Guiding principles: i. ii.

iii.

iv.

v. vi.

Enabling digital transformation of services and economy.

Reducing fraud and corruption.

Increasing inclusion.

Improving end-user experience with identification.


Improving transparency and trust in Government.

Facilitating trade, specifically in the context of economic recovery.

These goals are aligned with the specific challenges being faced by the identity ecosystem as well as the problems that were identified in the Loan Proposal that the Project aims to address: inefficient government bureaucracy, limited adoption of a digital agenda, and limited transparency and accountability in Government.
There will be two (2) main phases to this consultancy.

Phase 1: Development of a Digital Identity Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan.

The consultant will be responsible for building upon the work that was carried out during the development of the Concept Note and for facilitating the participatory development of a Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan for the Implementation of a Digital Identity Scheme for The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
The framework to be developed under this Phase must also include a pathway for implementation of a ‘once-only’ policy with the introduction of the digital identity scheme.

A whole-of-government, multi-stakeholder, context-driven and outcome-based approach should be adopted.
Phase 2: Technical and Advisory Support The consultant will be responsible for providing technical and advisory support to the DTU in developing key outputs that would fast track implementation, and for the procurement and selection of a digital identity solution provider based on the recommendations of the Consultant during Phase 1.

II.
II.

MAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE CONSULTANCY The Consultant will undertake the following duties and responsibilities: - Initial Phase: 1. Review and analyze the Concept Note and subsequent stakeholder feedback received in respect thereof.

2.

Provide any additional gap analyses, needs assessments and recommendations considered necessary based on other country strategies, lessons learned, best practices and industry standards in the field that may be applicable to the jurisdiction of The Bahamas.
Identify additional stakeholders (including from private sector, civil society, etc.)

that should be engaged for the project and propose a decision-making and stakeholder engagement framework to be adopted for the planning and design process that is participatory in nature.

3.

4.

Develop a workplan and Gantt chart for executing the consultancy.

Phase 1: Development of a Digital Identity Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan.

5.
5.

In collaboration with key stakeholders, Identify and evaluate potential risks and constraints.

o evaluate and confirm the goals, use-cases, and priorities that the digital identity solution is intended to facilitate2.

o o Determine the time-horizon and define a vision statement that will contextualise the strategic framework.
In collaboration with key stakeholders3, develop a S.M.A.R.T strategy, roadmap, and action plan for the sustainable implementation of a digital identity scheme that is fit for purpose and that considers best practices and industry standards on the following at minimum: 6.
Legal and Regulatory Framework - - Governance, Administration and Change Management - Registration and Coverage - Credentials and Authentication IT Systems and Architecture - - Data Requirements and Biometrics - Privacy and Security - - Public Engagement This framework must include the following: Interoperability and Standards 2 Preliminary goals were proposed during the concept note development process.

3 Including communications and change management specialists.
- Short (1-2 years), medium (3-5 years) and longer-term S.M.A.R.T objectives, priorities, and use-cases.

- An action plan that details the relevant stakeholder roles and responsibilities, as well as the requisite activities, - dependencies, and critical path to be followed to execute the strategy.

Intended outcomes/ impacts and a supporting performance management framework (including KPIs, targets and trajectories) that can be used for monitoring and evaluation.

- Risk mitigation measures.


- Mechanisms for ensuring sustainability of the digital identity scheme.

Phase 2: Technical and Advisory Support 7.

In collaboration with key stakeholders4, develop the following key outputs that will fast track the implementation of the digital identity model defined in the strategic framework: - A data classification and data exchange framework to facilitate once-only policy implementation with the introduction of the digital identity scheme.
- Recommendations for any legal or regulatory amendments that will be necessary to inform drafting instructions.

The system specifications and software requirements for the digital identity scheme (including budget estimates, - procurement strategy and procurement timelines).

Business processes and institutional arrangements that will be needed to manage the entire digital identity lifecycle in the short- to medium - term.

- 8.
- 8.

Advise on the appropriate contract type(s) and develop procurement documentation for the implementation of the technical and business components of the digital identity scheme.

9.

Participate as an advisory expert on the evaluation committee that will select the firm(s) that will be responsible for implementation of the digital identity scheme and produce documented advice that includes analyses of submissions and recommendations for consideration by the evaluation committee.

General Activities 10.


Consult, advise and perform the necessary activities to complete expected reports and deliverables.

11.

Collaborate as needed with the relevant DTU team members5 in the execution of the consultancy.

12.

Support the DTU with planning and carrying out any stakeholder and public engagement activities deemed essential during the planning and design phase and provide technical content that may be needed for the preparation of supporting materials.

13.
13.

Develop project status reports and summary reports of activities undertaken.

14.

Document any advice provided with supporting analyses and recommendations.

There is to be no physical asset delivered as an output to this consultancy.

III.

REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES The main deliverables of this consultancy are as follows: Initial Phase: 1.

Inception report and work plan (due no later than 15 working days after the start of the consultancy contract), and to be agreed with the DTU.
This should include, at minimum: 4 Including change management specialists.

5 Including the Change Management Specialist, Communications Specialists, Legal Specialist, ICT Specialist, Component Coordinator, Procurement Specialist, etc.

a.
a.

Report on the recommendations included in the Concept Note, including any further recommendations considered necessary based on additional gap analyses, needs assessments and benchmarking of other country strategies, lessons learned, best practices and industry standards in the field.

The scope of this report should as far as possible be consistent with intended scope of the strategy to be developed as articulated in Activity 6 above.

b.

Methodology for executing the consultancy.


c. Decision-making and stakeholder engagement framework for the planning process, including identification of any additional stakeholders.
d. Work schedule (including a Gantt Chart), which should also include: - The number and timing of formal workshops (physical or virtual) that will be needed to solicit input and feedback at key stages of Phase 1 of the consultancy (E.g., kick-off, visioning, presentation of draft strategy, roadmap and action plan, validation of final strategy, roadmap, and action plan).

- Any inputs that will be needed from the DTU or other stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of work.
Phase 1: Development of a Digital Identity Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan.

2.

Draft time-bound Digital Identity Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan for consultation purposes, that includes the components listed at Activity 6 above (at minimum).

3.

Final time-bound Digital Identity Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan including relevant updates to all of the sub- components identified in Activity 6 above (at minimum).

Phase 2: Technical and Advisory Support 4.


A data classification and data exchange framework to facilitate once-only policy implementation with the introduction of the digital identity scheme.

5.

Recommendations for any legal or regulatory amendments that will be necessary to inform drafting instructions.

6.

The system specifications and software requirements for the digital identity scheme (including budget estimates, procurement strategy and procurement timelines).
7. Business processes and institutional arrangements that will be needed to manage the entire digital identity lifecycle in the short-term.

8.

Procurement documentation (including Request for Proposals (RFP)/Request for Bids (RFB) as determined appropriate, Evaluation Criteria and Methodology, etc.6) for the implementation of the technical and business components of the digital identity scheme, using deliverables 4, 6 and 7 as inputs.

9.
9.

Report (s) containing comparative analysis of the proposals/bids submitted in response to invitations to prequalify and/or to submit proposals/bids for implementation of the digital identity scheme, and recommendations for consideration by the evaluation committee.

General Other reports and deliverables will include: 10.
For every working session and stakeholder engagement or workshop undertaken, the consultant will be expected to produce a report summarizing the feedback received, matters arising that would impact the strategic and implementation framework and corresponding recommendations.

11.
11.

Technical content that may be needed by the DTU PR and communications team to prepare deliverables7 for public or stakeholder engagement initiatives determined necessary during the planning and design phase and beyond until the end of this consultancy.

6 RFB (used when the detailed requirements can be fully specified) or RFP (used for complex and innovative procurement).
7 Examples of deliverables for which content will be needed include Frequently Asked Questions, Fact Sheet on Digital Identity, Information to build educational awareness within various demographic groups in The Bahamas, Best Practices within industry, Statistical data on integration/implementation within the region, Information for digital Townhall meetings/forums, Information for internal and external stakeholder presentations, ads, and other materials.

12.

Bi-weekly Status Reports.


Note: Deliverables 2 to 8 will not be considered as completed unless the necessary approvals have been given based on review and acceptance by DTU (or by Cabinet, as appropriate).

IV.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF THE CONSULTANT • A bachelor’s degree in Technology Management, IT Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or another relevant field.
A post-graduate degree in any of the above or other relevant field will be considered a plus, and project management certification from a recognized institution is also desirable.

• At least ten (10) years of experience managing (or performing the lead role in) large-scale digital transformation projects/ legal digital identification projects.
• Specific experience working with legal identification products, lifecycle management systems and technologies or developing related strategies and action plans for public sector/government clients (at least 3 projects).

• Demonstrated experience with designing and implementing IT systems architecture, interoperability/ data sharing mechanisms or business processes relative to digital transformation/ legal identity management initiatives in public sector environments.
• Experience leading or working on similar projects for public sector clients in the Caribbean, other Small Island Developing States (SIDS), or large municipalities will be considered a plus.

• Demonstrated experience and familiarity with international guidelines and recommendations on digital identification planning and implementation, specifically those developed by the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the European Union (eIDAS Directive), ISO/IEC and the GSMA.
V. CORE COMPETENCIES OF THE CONSULTANT • Strong interpersonal and communication skills • Strong analytical, reporting, and writing abilities • Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback • Ability to plan, organize, implement, and report on work • Ability to solve complex problems and provide solutions to difficult issues.

• Excellent decision-making ability and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines • Excellent presentation and facilitation skills • Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards • Knowledge of project and programme management • Written and oral fluency in the English Language