Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697806064186.pdf (Jamaica)
MI INIST RY PA APER N NO.

WH HITE P PAPER R ON T THE NATIO N ONAL NTIFI L IDEN POLIC P CATIO CY ON SY M YSTEM Pre epared by: Offi ice of th he Prim me Mini ister October 201 O 16 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................... iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... v 1.
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 2.
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................... 4 2.1 2.2 2.3 Country Profile .............................................................................................................................. 4 Identification Systems in Jamaica ................................................................................................. 6 Legislation Supporting Collection and Use of Personal Data ....................................................... 8 3.
RATIONALE FOR POLICY .............................................................................................................. 12 4.
THE POLICY ..................................................................................................................................... 16 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Guiding Principles ....................................................................................................................... 16 Policy Vision ............................................................................................................................... 17 Policy Goal .................................................................................................................................. 17 Strategic Objectives .................................................................................................................... 17 Policy Elements ........................................................................................................................... 18 4.5.1 Strategic Objective 1 ........................................................................................................... 18 4.5.1.1 Assignment of a National Identification Number and Issuance of a National Identification Card .......................................................................................................................... 18 4.5.1.2 Establishment of a National Civil and Biometric Database ............................................ 19 4.5.2 Strategic Objective 2 ........................................................................................................... 21 4.5.2.1 Improvement in Governance and Management of National Programmes ...................... 21 4.5.3 Strategic Objective 3 ........................................................................................................... 22 4.5.3.1 Facilitation of e-Government and e-Business ................................................................. 22 5.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NIDS POLICY ................................................................................ 23 5.1 Legislative Framework ................................................................................................................ 23 5.1.1 Promulgation of a National Identification Act .................................................................... 24 5.1.2 Amendment of Laws and Related Regulations ................................................................... 24 5.2 Institutional Framework .............................................................................................................. 25 5.2.1 Jamaica National Identification Agency ............................................................................. 25 ii 5.2.2 Roles and Responsibilities of Facilitating Entities .............................................................. 25 5.3 5.4 Financing of the Policy ............................................................................................................... 26 Public Education Programme ...................................................................................................... 26 6.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION .............................................................................................. 28 7.
ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL PRIORITIES AND RELATED POLICIES .............................. 29 7.1 National Development Plan- Vision 2030 Jamaica ..................................................................... 29 7.1.1 Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework ............................................................... 30 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 The Growth Agenda Policy Paper FY2015/16 ........................................................................... 30 The Whole-of-Government Business Plan 2015-2018 ............................................................... 31 National Poverty Reduction Policy ............................................................................................. 31 National Security Policy ............................................................................................................. 31 8.
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................... 33 Appendix I-NIDS Identity Lifecycle .......................................................................................................... 35 Appendix II-Proposed Contents of the National Civil and Biometric Database ......................................... 36 Appendix III-NIDS Implementation Schedule ........................................................................................... 37 9.
GLOSSARY........................................................................................................................................ 40 List of Tables Table 1: Population by Five Year Age Groups (2011) ................................................................................. 5 Table 2: Existing Identification Management Systems in Jamaica ............................................................... 7 Table 3: Primary Legislation Providing for Collection of Personal Information ......................................... 9 Table 5: Roles and Responsibilities of Facilitating Entities ....................................................................... 26 List of Figures Figure 1: Identity Management ..................................................................................................................... 1 Figure 2: Governance and Reporting Relationships for the JNIA .............................................................. 25 iii LIST OF ACRONYMS AFIS BENO C2G CPC e-Gov EOJ FLA G2B G2C G2G GOJ ICT ID JCF JIS MD&A MLSS MNS MOJ MOFP MOU NCBD NHT NIDS NIN NIS OECD PICA PIOJ RGD SDGs STATIN SWVG TAJ TRN UN Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems Business Enterprise Number Citizen-to-Government Chief Parliamentary Counsel e-Gov Jamaica Limited Electoral Commission of Jamaica Firearm Licensing Authority Government-to-Business Government-to-Citizen Government-to-Government Government of Jamaica Information & Communication Technology Identification Jamaica Constabulary Force Jamaica Information Service Ministries, Departments and Agencies Ministry of Labour and Social Security Ministry of National Security Ministry of Justice Ministry of Finance and the Public Service Memorandum of Understanding National Civil and Biometric Database National Housing Trust National Identification System National Identification Number National Insurance Scheme Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency Planning Institute of Jamaica Registrar
 General’s Department Sustainable Development Goals Statistical Institute of Jamaica Social Welfare and Vulnerable Groups Tax Administration Jamaica Taxpayer Registration Number United Nations iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 INTRODUCTION The concept of a National Registration System for Jamaica has been discussed since the 1970’s and its introduction was one of the recommendations made in 1994 by the then Electoral Advisory Committee.
The concept is that each person from birth should be issued with a unique number, which would be used when transacting business.Over the years, the concepthas evolved into a national identification system (NIDS).

The NIDS would provide for a unique, reliable, verifiable and secure way of authenticating an individual’s identity and the establishment of a database with secure authorized access and the issuance of an identity card to all citizens and persons ordinarily resident.
Jamaica does not have a national identification (ID) database which can reliably verify the identity of its citizens.

There are a number of identity systems being utilized by various public sector entities.

These systems are designed to meet the objectives of the respective organizations for identification of its clients.
Some identity systems are enabled by legislation (NIS, TRN, passport), while others were designed to facilitate delivery of services and social benefits by a particular Ministry or Agency (Farmers ID, Fishers ID and Child Health and Development Passport).

Given the diversity of these systems, they are not connected or inter-related and provide limited scope for data sharing and authentication of personal identity.
Further, there is no comprehensive governing legislation which establishes and regulates a national identification system.

Existing legislation, such as those governing the activities of the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), thePassport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) and theNational Insurance Scheme (NIS), speak to identity management as it relates to the specific functions of ‘its parent’ Agency.
The Government is therefore seeking to establish a NIDS, which will see the institution of a unique, reliable and secure method of authenticating an individual’s identity.

Each person registered under the NIDS will be issued with a National Identification Number (NIN), which will be their unique identifier in the system.

Information captured through registration for a NIN will be stored in a secure National Civil and Biometric Database (NCBD).
The use of the NIN as the primary key will enable interconnectivity of the NIDS database and all records within existing GOJ databases.

Therefore, the development and implementation of a NIDS will require modification to existing GOJ databases in order to accommodate the use of the NIN in this way.

v The implementation of a NIDS is guided by the National Development Plan- Vision 2030 Jamaica, which aims to have Jamaica achieve developed country status by 2030.
The establishment of a NIDS will contribute to the achievement of key ‘Vision 2030’ goals, including effective social protection, security and safety, effective governance, an enabling business environment, a technology-enabled society and improved national competitiveness.
NIDS is also aligned to the strategic areas of the Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework (2015 – 2018), namely, Development and Protection of Human Capital, National Security and Justice, Economic Stability and Competitiveness and Employment.

2.0 THE POLICY 2.1 PolicyVision “Jamaica’s National Identification System is the primary source of verifiable and authentic identity assurance for every citizen and person ordinarily resident in Jamaica”.
2.2 PolicyGoal “Tofacilitate theestablishmentof a National Identification System that supports secure, reliable and robust identity verification and authentication of citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica by 2017”.

2.3 Strategic Objectives of the Policy i. ii.

iii.
iii.

To provide the basis for a robustgovernance framework, including legal and institutional arrangements, for the issuance of a lifetime unique and secure national identification number and a national identification card to each citizen and person ordinarily resident in Jamaica.

To facilitate the implementation of simplified procedures through which citizens may have access to an array of benefits and services, including social, economic and security programmes.
To support e-government and e-business for all Citizen to Government (C2G), Government to Government (G2G), Government to Business (G2B) and Government to Citizen (G2C) services.

vi 2.4 Policy Elements 2.4.1 Strategic Objective 1: To provide the basis for a robust governance framework, including legal and institutional arrangements, for the issuance of a lifetime unique and secure national identification and a national identification card to each citizen and person ordinarily resident in Jamaica.
2.4.1.1 Assignment of a National Identification Number and Issuance of a National Identification Card A NIDS will be established, which will involve the generation and assignment of a secure and unique lifetime NIN to each citizen of Jamaica, including anyone who has obtained citizenship by registration or naturalization under the Jamaican Nationality Act, as well as any person who is ordinarily resident in Jamaica, upon registration of those individuals.
The NIN shall be a computer generated random nine-digit number and bear no attributes or identity of the person to whom it is assigned.

The NIN, once issued to a person for the duration of his/her life, shall not be re-issued to any other person and will be the primary key to link records across databases operated by Government entities.

The NIN will be deactivated upon the death of the individual, or the renunciation or revocation of citizenship.
A national identification card consisting of a unique NIN, core personal data and biometric data will also be issued to each registered person.

The national identification card may be used by the registered person for the purposes of verifying their identity, conducting business transactions, or when accessing the services of any public entity.
2.4.1.2 Establishment ofa National Civil and Biometric Database In order to support the NIDS, a National Civil and Biometric Database (NCBD) will be established, which will contain information on personal identity and biometric data for citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica.

Government will ensure the protection, security and privacy of the identity information of registered persons stored in the NCBD through the legislation establishing and regulating the NIDS.
The Government will also ensure that only information specified in the legislation will be collected and stored in the NCBD.
Security safeguards that are in keeping with international best practices will be implemented to ensure that information stored in the NCBDis secured against loss, damage, unauthorized use, disclosure and access.There will be no disclosure of information vii contained in the NCBD about a registered person, to a third party or public entity,unless so specifiedexplicitlyunder the NIDS governing legislation.
2.4.2 Strategic Objective 2: To facilitate the implementation of simplified procedures through which citizens may have access to an array of benefits and services, including social, economic and security programmes.

2.4.2.1 Improvement Programmes in Governance and Management of National The NIDS will be utilised by the public sector to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the delivery of national, social, economic and security programmes within the context of relevant legislation.
In this regard, the operational framework and protocols for the use and sharing of personal data will be established.

Through the use of the NIN, Government will be able to accurately and reliably identifybeneficiaries, resulting in more equitable and efficient administration of public goods and social services.
2.4.3 Strategic Objective 3: To support e-government and e-business for all Citizen to Government (C2G), Government to Government (G2G), Government to Business (G2B) and Government to Citizen (G2C) services.
2.4.3.1 Facilitation of e-Government and e-Business The NIDS will facilitate ease of doing business by offering a fit for purpose e-government identity solution through theestablishment of a secure and reliable electronic platform which is accessible toauthorized public and private sector entities.Thus, the NIDS will be the primary enabler for integrated and interconnected client centered government services.
3.0 POLICY IMPLEMENTATION The implementation of the NIDS will be spearheaded by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), with support from key public sector entities.

The RGD will be transformed into the Jamaica National Identification Agency (JNIA) and be placed under the auspices of the OPM to facilitate this process.
viii The following steps have been identified as part of the NIDS Implementation Plan: Implement a Public Education Programme;  Complete and promulgate the NIDS Policy as a White Paper;   Promulgate NIDS Legislation;  Transform the Registrar General’s Department into the Jamaica National Identification Agency;  Acquire a modern Identity Management System;  Complete setting up of the facilities to host the Identity Management System and the centralized NIDS database;  Develop competence and expertise in the use and management of the NIDS Identity Management System;  Complete preparations for the deployment of the NIDS Identity Management System;  Conduct pilot testing of the NIDS Identity Management System;   Effect full roll-out of NIDS.
Implement interoperability/inter-connectedness across the NIDS ecosystem; and Funding is being negotiated with a multilateral institution to finance the NIDS Implementation Plan.Enrollment of citizens will commence in December 2017, with the registration of the population.

3.1 Legislative Framework The NIDS will require an appropriate legal and regulatory framework to support its establishment and operation.
The creation of this framework will be underpinned by careful review of several pieces of related legislation, which will require amendment in order to ensure the recognition and use of the national identification card and the NIN, alongside existing identification programmes, as well as, lawful sharing of personal, biometric and demographic information among relevantpublic entities.
The main pieces of legislation that will require amendment include, inter alia, Registration (Births and Deaths) Act, Marriage Act, Forgery Act, Passport Act,Immigration Restriction (Commonwealth Citizens) Act, Jamaican Nationality Act, Representation of the People Act, Revenue Administration Actand Access to Information Act.
With respect to new legislation, it is being proposed that a National Identification Act be promulgated to incorporate provisions for the following:  Registration of citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica;  Generation and assignment of a NIN;  Issuing of Identification cards; ix  Establishment of a National Civil and Biometric Database;  Data storage and management;  Data sharing;  Sanctions for illegal use of information;  Protection of an individual’s right to privacy; and  Institutional arrangements.
3.2 Institutional Framework 3.2.1 Jamaica National IdentificationAgency The RGD will be transformed into the JNIA, a statutory body, which will have responsibility for civil registration and civil identification functions.In order to facilitate this transition, the RGD will be placed under the purview of the OPM.
JNIA will perform all functions carried out by the RGD, in addition to civil identification functions, such as the registration of eligible persons, issuing of the NIN and national identification card and collection of related information that is to be contained in the NCBD.
3.2.2 Facilitating Entities Facilitating entities are existingMinistries, Department and Agencies (MDAs)whose resources such as physical facilities, human resources,technical expertise and specialized equipment, will be leveraged to execute NIDS business processes.In varying degrees, some of these entities will also have the authority to access certain NIDS data fields in order to verify records in their database and will similarly be able to upload updated records into the NIDS database, for example, the acquisition of citizenship.
At present, three (3) facilitating entities have been identified, namely, e-Gov Jamaica Limited, PICA and Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS).

Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) within the context of relevant legislation will be used to facilitate data sharing between the NIDS and relevant entities.

Capacity building of facilitating entities will be undertaken to ensure that each organization is NIDS ready.
3.3 Financing of the Policy The NIDS Project Unit has estimated that the capital cost for the implementation of a NIDS isSixty-Eight Million and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars (US$68.05M).

This amount will be financed by a loan to the Government.

x 3.4 Public Education Programme APublic Education Programme will be developed and implemented at the earliest stage in the policy implementation process.
The programme will be broad based,multi-leveland tailored to meet specific communication requirements as the implementation of the NIDS progresses.

For example, initially, the programme will build awareness, sensitize and informstakeholders, including public sector employees about the NIDS.

Thereafter, the programme will encourage enrolment in the system.

4.0 MONITORING AND EVALUATION A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework will be elaborated to complement the NIDS Implementation Plan.
The OPM will have overall responsibility for oversight and implementation of the M&E system for the NIDS policy.

An Annual Progress report will be compiled each year by the JNIA, which will be tabled in Parliament.

An evaluation of the policy will be conducted by an independent external institution, five (5) years after the implementation of the policy.

xi 1.
xi 1.

INTRODUCTION Identity as a Human Right Article 6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) establishes that “everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.” The right to a legal identity is therefore a fundamental human right, where the State is obliged to enable each person to exercise his or her right to a name.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were endorsed at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, containsa target on providing legal identity for all, including birth registration (target 16.9).
The target is related to Goal 16 which aims to: “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”.The inclusion of target 16.9 means that the provision of legal documentation is being recognized and addressed as a global development issue.
Determination of Legal Identity A person’s legal identity is generally obtained through the process of civil registration, which grants the person a name and nationality, or in other cases, through the assignment of unique and personal identification variables, for example, an identity number and/or biometric data (Harbitz and Axt, 2011).

Having a legal identity is increasingly important for any person who interacts with the public sector and society in general.
When persons are undocumented, they are oftentimes denied opportunities and possibilities to exercise their civil and social rights.

Critical to the establishment of a legal identity, is the causal relationship between civil registration, which is normally embedded in legislation and civil identification (ID) (see Figure 1), which allows the persons registered to identify themselves within predetermined parameters.
Figure 1: Identity Management LEGAL IDENTITY CIVIL IDENTIFICATION Authentication Registration of attributes IDENTITY Registration of biographic information Source: Harbitz, M (2011), Identity Management from the Start.

IDB 1 Usually, the citizen is assigned an ID number at birth, or when he or she reaches the legal age.
Unique ID numbers are critical for reducing fraud and preventing duplicate entries into the identification system.Generally, the unique identity number assigned to each registration (numerical and/or alphanumerical code) enables it to be monitored, controlled and linked to the registered individual’s personal and biometric data.

An ID card containing personal and/or biometric data is normally issued for identity proofing.
Depending on the purpose for which the identification system was built, some countries include not only their citizens, but also foreign nationals who have become permanent residents.

National Identification Systems Some countries struggle with two types of national identity problems, namely, having no standard means of identity for citizens, or more than one ID card for different purposes.
Having multiple citizen ID systems creates conflicts among organizations and duplication of efforts in data collection and maintenance by different organizations, which leads to an inefficient use of government’sresources.

Divergent systems make it difficult to share data and track services obtained by citizens.

Citizens are also inconvenienced by having to use more than one type of ID to verify their identities.
National identification systems (NIDS) have been increasing in recent years as part of a concerted drive to find common identifiers for populations around the world.

This is being driven by, inter alia, electronic government, rising rates of identity theft, national security concerns, immigration control and the need for social inclusion.
NIDSare used by some governments to officially establish the identity of their citizens and to assist public sector agencies in identifying and verifying the identities of citizens who are availing themselves of government services, or undertaking public transactions.
Some countries consider the system to be useful, primarily as a means of identity authentication and verification, while others view the system as beneficial in reducing bureaucracy and delays in the processing of documents and effecting transactions with government agencies, thus ensuring greater efficiency in the delivery of services by the public sector.
Achieving a universal method of identification makes the day-to-day lives of citizens simpler in their interaction with both the publicand private sectors.

The NIDS is normally supported by a robust information and communications technology (ICT) platform and clear institutional arrangements, which require governments to function in an integrated manner, so that service provision and implementation are efficient and useful to the end user.
Some NIDS are also supported by strong data privacy and e-transaction laws, as it is fundamental to protect the rights of individuals who are participants in this process.

2 Establishment of a NIDS for Jamaica The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is seeking to establish a NIDS, which will see the institution of a unique, reliable and secure method of authenticating an individual’s identity.
Each person registered under the NIDS will be issued with a National Identification Number (NIN), which will be their unique identifier in the system.

Information captured through registration for a NIN will be stored in a secure database.

The use of a NIN as the primary key will enable interconnectivity of the NIDS database and all records within existing GOJ databases.
Critical to the establishment of a NIDS, is the development of a robust policy and legal framework, an institutional framework to operationalise the policy and a technological framework in which the NIDS will be embodied.

The implementation of a NIDS is guided by the National Development Plan- Vision 2030 Jamaica, which aims to have the countryachieve developed country status by 2030.

3 2.
3 2.

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 2.1 Country Profile Geographic Profile Located in the Greater Antilles, Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean, with an area of 10,991 km2.

The island is 236 km long, 35 km wide at its narrowest point and 52 kmat its widest.Its topography consists of a mountainous interior, formed by abackbone of peaks and plateaux running the length of the island, surrounded byflat/gentle sloping coastal plains.
Over a half the island is more than 1,609 km (1,000 ft.)above sea level.

As an archipelagic state, Jamaica has stewardship over marine space 24 times itsland space, with an exclusive economic zone of approximately 235,000 km2.Jamaica's climate is tropical with constant warm to hot temperatures all year round, though cooler in the higher, central areas.

Economic Profile Jamaica is defined as anupper middle income country by the World Bank.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita at current prices wasJ$600,000 in 2015 (ESSJ, 2015).The country’s main economic sectors areservices, agriculture, mining, manufacturing andconstruction.

The services sector accounted for 79.3 percent of total GDP, while the good producing sector accounted for 24.7 percent (ESSJ, 2015).

The country’s main exports include agricultural commodities, manufactured foods and products, crude materials, bauxite/alumina andmineral fuels.
Employment stood at approximately 1.14 million persons in 2015, with males accounting for 57 percent and females, 43 percent of the total.

The Services Industry accounted 67.8 percent of the total employed labourforce, while the Goods Producing Industry accounted for 32.2 percent.
The unemployment rate was 13.5 percent in 2015, with females having a higher level of unemployment, 17.8 percent, than males, 9.9 percent.The Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC) 2012 reports that poverty at the national level reached 19.9 percent in 2012.

The country is currently under a 4-year International Monetary Fund Extended Fund Facility to support economic reform, which is expected to lead to growth.
The World Bank1 notes that the reform programme has led to institutional reforms and measures to improve the environment for the private sector.

Jamaica has moved 27 places to 58, among 189 economies worldwide in the 2015 Doing Business ranking and the debt has reduced to 126 percent of GDP.
1http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/jamaica/overview 4 Demographic Profile According to the 2011 Population and Housing Census, Jamaica’s population stood at approximately 2.7 million, which represents a 3.5 percent increase since the 2001 Census.

This increase represents an average annual rate of growth of only 0.36 percent since 2001.
The interplay of population characteristics, fertility, mortality and migration,has influenced the rate of growth of the population.The 2011 Census showed that 49.5 percent of the population was male and 50.5 percent, female.

Table 1 below shows the breakdown of the population by five year age groups.
Amount Table 1: Population by Five Year Age Groups (2011) Age Band 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85-89 90-94 95+ Total 2697983 Source: 2011 Population Census, STATIN 209,871 226,380 266,589 274,660 250,713 226,119 185,496 183,756 173,924 155,389 137,895 100,798 88,057 65,164 51,274 42,760 30,736 18,457 6,920 3,027 Percentage 7.8% 8.4% 9.9% 10.2% 9.3% 8.4% 6.9% 6.8% 6.4% 5.8% 5.1% 3.7% 3.3% 2.4% 1.9% 1.6% 1.1% 0.7% 0.3% 0.1% 100% The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ)2notes that Jamaica is currently at the intermediate stage of the demographic transition and has demonstrated evidence of being an ageing population.
Ageing is a direct consequence of the changing mortality and fertility patterns.This stage is 2Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica, 2014 5 characterized by changes in the age structure of the population, namely, declining child (0–14 years), an increasing working age (15–64 years) and dependent (65+ years) elderly populations.
Analysis by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica3(STATIN) shows that in 1960, the0-14 years age group accounted for 41 percent of the total population.By 2011, the share had declined to 26 percent.

During the same period, the 65 years and over group moved up from 4.35 percent to 8.1 percent.

STATIN also notes that the median age for men and women have risen over the past 40 years.

In 1970, the median age for men was 16 years and women 18 years.
However, by 2011, the median age for both men and women had risen to 27 years and 28 years, respectively.

At the end of 2015, the population was estimated at 2.73 million, with an average annual growth rate of 0.24 percent per year for the 2011 to 2015 period (ESSJ, 2015).

There was a decline in the rate of natural increase, from 8.4 percent in 2011 to 7.3 percent in 2015, caused by a reduction in the birth and emigration rates and an increase in the death rate.
Life expectancy at birth has risen from 72.7 years in 2011 to 74.1 years in 2015, while the infant mortality rate has remained constant at 16.7 per 1,000 live births.

The ESSJ (2014) notes that Jamaica remains on track to achieve the population-related goals of Vision 2030 Jamaica.
These include population stabilization, increase in life expectancy, reduction in growth rates and fertility levels, reduction in infant, under-five and maternal mortality and universal access to reproductive health.High levels of emigration continue to be a predominant feature in the demographic process, creating the greatest impact on the population’s size and structure.
Based on current trends, the population is not expected to exceed 3.0 million by 2020, as outlined in the National Population Policy (PIOJ, 2014).

2.2 Identification Systems in Jamaica At present, Jamaica does not have a system that can reliably verify the identity of all its citizens.

There are a number of identification systems being utilized by various public sector entities.

These systems are designed to meet the objectives of the respective organizations for identification of its clients.
Some identification systems are enabled by legislation (for e.g., National Insurance Scheme Number, TaxpayerRegistration Number, passport), while others are designed to facilitate delivery of services and social benefits by a particular Ministry or Agency (for e.g., Farmers ID, Fishers ID, Child Health and Development Passport).

These systems are not connected or inter-related and provide limited scope for data sharing and authentication of personal identity.
The main identification management systems are detailed in table 2.

3Population and Housing Census 2011 Findings.

6 Table 2: Existing Identification Management Systems in Jamaica Public Sector Agency Registrar General’s Department(RGD) deaths and deed polls.

Responsibility  Registers the vital events of births, fetal deaths, marriages,  Additionally, RGD has:  Implemented and expanded electronic database.

its civil registration  Electronic production of vital data for statistics.
 Bedside registration of births in hospitals which began in 2007.

 Collaboration with funeral homes and police for more timely death registration.

 Public education programmes on the importance of birth registration.

 Collects taxes and duties.

 Issues Drivers Licences.

 Issues the Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), a unique nine-digit identification number assigned to each individual taxpayer, business enterprise, and other organization (e.g.
non-profit, partnership, and charity) by way of an automated system operated by e-Gov Jamaica Limited.

 Oversees border control, citizenship and the issuing of passports.

 Administers national and local government elections.

 Maintains a current list of voters in all electoral regions.

 Issues the Voter’s ID Card.

 Implements the Electronic Voter Identification and Ballot Issuing System (EVBIS).

 Delivers social benefits.


 Maintains a permanent record for each person registered under the National Insurance Scheme.

 Issues a work permit card, bearing a number and photograph that is issued to an expatriate, which authorizes that individual to work in Jamaica according to its stipulations for a specified period of time.
Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) Ministry of Labourand Social Security (MLSS) Number issued Birth Certificate Number Taxpayer Registration Number Passport Number Voter’s ID Number NIS Number The four most widely used methods of identification in Jamaica are the TRN, Voter’s ID, Passport and the Drivers Licence.
In the absence of a national identification system, the current forms of identification assigned to these four functions noted above are being used, de facto, as unique national identifiers by both end users and service providers, in both the public and private sectors.

Despite being described as national identifiers and utilized as such, none of the systems 7 identified above meet the agreed criteria of a secured and unique national identifier4.
In this regard, the Voter’s ID comes closest to meeting these criteria.

The Voter’s ID has two low level and one high level biometric inputs, these are photograph, signature and fingerprints, respectively.

However, the Voter’s ID does not capture the entire population, as persons below 18 years of age are excluded from registration.

The TRN has a sequential randomized number, but has no supporting biometrics.

The Jamaican drivers licence has two low level biometrics, photograph and signature.
The passport also has two low level biometrics, photograph and signature.

Whilst there are attempts at coordination, the absence of a consistent unique identifier and seamless connectivity among the agencies for purposes of identity verification, creates an exploitable gap in the present system.

This gap makes it possible for individuals to acquire multiple identity documents in different names.

These gaps point to the need for a standard identification system which is universal.
2.3 Legislation Supporting Collection and Use of Personal Data At present, there is no legislation supporting the establishment of a national identification system, including a central database, ID number and institutional framework.

However, there is legislation that provides for the collection of personal, demographic, biometric or photographic information from citizens.

Examples of such legislation are reflected in table 3.

4 A national identifier should be universal, unique and secured.
8 Table 3: Primary Legislation Providing for Collection of Personal Information Legislation Function The Registration (Births and Death) Act, 1889 The Marriage Act,1897 The Passport Act, 1935 The Representation of the People (Interim Electoral Reform) Act,1979 The Electoral Commission (Interim) Act, 2006 The Statistics Act, 1949 The Revenue Administration Act, 1985 the Provides the authority and framework for the collection of data in respect of the birth and death of persons in Jamaica through the RGD.
to be the requirements for a marriage Provides recognized in law, a record of that marriage to be registered by the Registrar-General and for an index to the register to be available to the public for inspection.

The Act provides for the appointment of marriage officers and for them to be Registrars with responsibility to register the particulars of the parties to the marriage, as well as the date and time of the marriage.
Provides for issuance of passports and other categories of travel documents to citizens of Jamaica.

At present, the application for the issuance of a passport is required to be accompanied by one’s birth certificate and the birth certificate is accepted by PICA as prima facie evidence of the status of citizenship by birth.

Details the procedure for the registration of voters and the taking of fingerprints and demographic information.
The functions stated in the Act are carried out under the direction and control of the Electoral Commission.

Provides for the establishment and functions of the Electoral Commission, among which is the compilation and maintenance of a register of voters, as well as the verification of the identity of each person included in the register.
Establishes the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) and sets out its functions, that is, to conduct population censuses, information on commercial, academic, industrial socio-economic and general information for compilation and publication.

Provides for the powers and duties of the divisions of the tax department in respect of the collection of taxes and the enforcement of the tax laws.
It also provides for the taxpayer being registered and issued with a TRN, which must be used in order to conduct business with tax collection departments.

statistical collect and 9 Legislation Function The Road Traffic Act, 2015 The Act permits the tax authority to collect the information about taxpayers that it deems necessary.
The issued TRN number and card are intended to assist in the collection, storage and retrieval of tax compliance information, rather than to verify the identity of the taxpayer when he presents himself at the tax collectorate.

The Act provides for the particulars of every learner’s permit and driver’s licence granted, revoked, suspended the Driver’s or LicencesRegister of the Island Traffic Authority.
endorsed recorded to be in 2.4 Protection of Personal Data Government is taking steps to ensure the protection and safety of data.
The Cybercrimes Act, 2015,addresses computer specific offences, namely, computer related fraud or forgery and use of a computer for malicious communication, unauthorised access to a computer programme or data, modification of a computer programme or data, interception of a computer function or service and obstruction of an operation of a computer.The offences under the Act can be committed partly or wholly in Jamaica or entirely outside of Jamaica if it affects a computer, computer data or programmes in Jamaica, or if it is committed by a Jamaican national.
The Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act, 2013, makes it an offence for a person to obtain or possess identity information of any other person in circumstances which gives rise to a reasonable inference that the information has been used, or is intended to be used to commit an offence under the Act.
For the purposes of the Act, identity information includes a fingerprint, voice print, retina image, iris image, DNA profile, or any biological or physiological information, name, address, date of birth, written, electronic signature, digital signature, user name, credit and debit card numbers, financial institution account number, drivers licence number, social security number, tax payer registration number,health insurance number and any other unique personal identification number.
This information can be used alone, or in combination with other information to identify or purport to identify an individual, whether living or dead.

There is draft legislation governing data protection and a proposed policy for data sharing.

The Data Protection Bill is intended to promote confidence in ICT use by regulating the collection, use, storage and disclosure of personal data.
The Billsets out the rights of the individual with respect to their personal data, for example, the right to confirm whether or not personal 10 information or data is being processed by an organisation.It will also seek to determine the right to access information in the custody or control of an organisation, subject to certain exceptions, such as legal privileges to take action to rectify incomplete, inaccurate or misleading information, or to block, erase, or destroy unlawful or unnecessary information.
The legislation will prevent personal data from being disclosed or transferred to third parties, unless the data subject was informed that such disclosure may take place and the consent of the data subject was obtained.

The transfer of personal information by organizations to recipients in other jurisdictions will be limited to jurisdictions that afford the same or greater levels of protection as provided by the sender.
A Data and Information Sharing Policy is also being developed by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to support the removal of burdensome legal, financial and technological restrictions placed on Government entities to access datasets collected and maintained by other Government entities.
The Policy is intended to facilitate appropriate access by government entities to data and information held by other government entities for purposes of critical decision making and to support entities in pursuing their core mandates as it relates to, among other things, policy making, programme planning and service delivery.
Additionally, the initiative will address the duplication and overlap in the collection of data and develop strategies for greater coherence and efficiency in the operations of Government entities, thereby allowing the Government to better meet the needs of citizens, businesses and other stakeholders.

This policy will support the e-Government framework by providing the rules and standards by which information is shared among government entities to deliver joined-up government.

11 3.
11 3.

RATIONALE FOR POLICY The Government is seeking to establish a NIDS which will see the institution of a unique, reliable and secure method of authenticating an individual’s identity.

At present, Jamaica does not have a national ID database that can reliably verify the identity of its citizens.

There are a number of identity systems being utilized by various public sector entities.

These systems are designed to meet the objectives of the respective organizations for identification of its clients.
Some identity systems are enabled by legislation, while others are designed to facilitate delivery of services and social benefits by a particular Ministry or Agency.

Given the diversity of these systems, they are not connected or inter-related and provide limited scope for data sharing and authentication of personal identity.
A NIDS will have immediate and longer term societal benefit for every Jamaican, as the process of establishing, assuring and verifying an individual’sidentity for the purpose of affording them access to governmental and private sector services will be streamlined and simplified.
Citizens and persons ordinarily resident could simplify the documentation they need to have on their person and present for identification purposes.A NIDS will also simplify business transactions for the private sector and support financial institutions in managing secure transactions, by authenticating users and generating roll back transactions.

Therefore, it will contribute to the growth and development of e-government and e-commerce and increase the use of electronic financial transactions.
Arobust and accurate electronic national identity framework is recognized as an essential step in the evolution of public sector modernization.

Such modernization is key to improving efficiency and competitiveness within the country.

The benefits of implementing a NIDS areexplainedbelow, under the categories of economic savings, convenience and ease of doing business, improved governance and expansion in welfare and social protection for the most vulnerable.
Economic Savings An Economic and Cost/Benefit Assessment for the Implementation of a National Identification System (NIDS) for Jamaica undertaken by the NIDS Project Unit in 2015,concluded that there are a number of common areas where a NIDS will generate return on investment for stakeholders, both in the short and longer term, primarily in the area of cost avoidance, including:  Simplifying the means of establishing identity, while increasing its accuracy and integrity; 12  Streamlining and re-engineering of current business processes, thereby eliminating redundancy and duplication of effort; Increased efficiency in the delivery of government and private sector services; Increased accuracy and precision in adjudicating eligibility for services;    Data sharing and reconciliation of identity between stakeholders;   Timely updates of life events (marriage, divorce, death, etc.)
to stakeholders;  Enabling the clean-up of existing databases (fill in gaps and missing information and Improved accuracy and precision of identity, reducing errors and opportunities for fraud; help resolve inconsistencies in the civil registry);  Supporting national security goals; and  Gained efficiencies through establishing consistency in service delivery.
Convenience and Ease of Doing Business The Economic and Cost/Benefit Assessment study identified several benefits of a NIDS that could accrue to citizens and persons ordinarily resident, namely:  Convenience – minimize the time and frequency of in-person interaction;  Single identity enrollment that subsequently supports registration in multiple government and private sector programmes and services;  A more consistent, efficient and streamlined experience when interacting with government agencies;  Better accuracy and efficiency in the delivery of benefits and services;  Enable and/or better support the use of online services, such as online application and pre-registration in both the government and private sector; and  Reduction in opportunities for identity fraud and theft.
Direct benefits to the private sectorinclude:  Reduced duplication of effort in establishing, verifying and managing identity;  Streamlining of employment eligibility for potential employees;  Reduction in opportunities for fraud/abuse; and  Supporting the “know-your-customer” requirements for banks and other businesses.
Improved Governance NIDS will provide a standard method of authentication and verification of an individual’s identity across agencies and systems.The use of NIDS will support the streamlining of current business processes and enable a more efficient, comprehensive, fair and cost-effective delivery of Government services and social benefit programmes.

It will also enhance the Government’s 13 ability to implement a coherent e-government strategy and support ‘joined up’ government.
Comprehensive electronic, real time data capture of all vital life events would better inform national planning and the completeness and quality of data.

A NIDS would also support the improved ability of Government to better identify persons as taxpayers or potential taxpayers, which will widen the tax net and as such, spread the tax burden.

The integration of a biometrically verifiable identity would help to strengthen immigration, border control,public safety and national security.
Support for Welfare and Social Protectionof the Most Vulnerable The National Social Protection Strategy outlines a framework and defines goals for a Jamaican social welfare system that would effectively capture all individuals requiring state assistance, adequately provide for their basic needs, operate with efficiency and deliver a high quality of service.A NIDS can allow the Government to more fairly, efficiently and equitably deliver services by better reaching underserved populations.
A study conducted by Blake and Gibbison (2015) revealed that only 56 percent of poor households who are eligible for benefits under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) actually applied to the programme.

Also, application rates among urban households are approximately half the rate that exists among poor rural households.
One of the reasons cited was that some people did not have the required documents such as aTRN, passport or birth certificate.The establishment of a verifiable identity through NIDS will more effectively support identification of potential beneficiaries and determination of benefit eligibility, thus helping to ensure that social benefits are fairly and equitably administered.

A NIDS has the potential to optimize education and training for students at all levels of the education system.
The unique identifier would allow for the tracking of students, their performance and programmes implemented by the government for their welfare.

For example, it would allow for better targeting for the planning and delivery of educational programmes to all categories of students,distribution of books, identification of teachers/educators and sharing of data with other entities.
Public Perception and Attitudes Research to develop baseline information regarding the perceptions, attitudes, opinions and knowledge of Jamaicans in respect of the introduction of a NIDS was conducted in 2013 and 2014.

The survey covered over 1,050 persons, both in Jamaica and the diaspora.

It found that there was much interest in a NIDS, as conceptualized and presented.
Among the key factors driving this interest was the likelihood of being able to conduct business transactions 14 more easily and systematically.

There was also a sense that although not yet available, such a system would make life easier.

The instant appeal of a NIDS was the fact that with its implementation, there would no longer bethe need for the presentation of multiple pieces of identification when conducting business.
Jamaicans agreed that having all of their information accessible through one card was the most attractive benefit of a NIDS.

Whereas the diaspora was less clear on the full slate of benefits and/or the relevance to their own situation, they still recognized the potential value of a NIDS.

Interviewees perceived that the benefit of a NIDS would potentially outweigh any negative aspects, such as too much information residing in one place, identity theft and cost of implementing a NIDS.
The perceived benefits identified by the interviewees were:  Increased efficiency (less repetition of information and less paper usage) – this was especially referenced where persons were required to produce two different forms of ID to do business;  Monitor/track beneficiaries of government social protection programmes and other government services;  Protect democracy (e.g.

decreased opportunity for double voting);  Reduce scamming;  Crime management; and  Reduce opportunities for identity theft.
Accordingly, the survey report highlighted the importance for Government to clearly and unequivocally convey the purpose of the NIDS in order to secure the public’s buy-in, as a personal, as well as a national good.

Given that end users have a positive perception of a NIDS, it is anticipated that there will be an uptake of the system by the population within the context of a clearly defined policy and communicationprogramme.

15 4.
15 4.

THE POLICY 4.1 Guiding Principles Consistent with the Charter of Rights, the guiding principles underpinning the NIDS Policy are: i. Legality- NIDS will be supported by an appropriate legal and regulatory framework to govern its establishment and operations.

ii.

iii.

Purpose Specification: NIDS will specify the purposes for which personal data is collected and the subsequent use, limited to the fulfilment of those purposes.
Security: Personal data stored in NIDS shall be protected by security safeguards against risks such as loss, unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification or disclosure of data.

iv.

Robustness: NIDS will provide unique and verifiable identity over the lifecycle, with safeguards against tampering and identity theft.

v. Integrity: Personaldata held within the NIDS will be reliable, verifiable, accurate, complete and kept up-to-date.

vi.
vi.

Confidentiality and Respect for Human Rights: The operation of the NIDS shall observe the highest ethical standards.

Information provided to the NIDS will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality, and the rights and privacy of citizens protected by appropriate legislation governing protocols for information sharing and data protection.

vii.
vii.

Consent: Data collected for NIDS will be obtained by lawful and fair means and with the knowledge andirrevocable consent of the data subject or legal custodian.

viii.

Interoperability:The NIDS platform will be built to enable interface with other systems within the context of predefined standards and legislation.

ix.
ix.

Partnership: Multi-sectoral partnerships will be critical to the successful implementation of the NIDS, which relies heavily on the cooperation of the public sector, private sector and civil society in its utilization and uptake.

x. Transparency and Accountability: The successful development and effective administration of the NIDS require the optimal allocation of financial, organization and 16 human resources.
This is best achieved in an environment of transparency and accountability, which is developed through good governance.

xi.

Participation: The NIDS is committed to supporting activities which will uphold the rights of all to participate fully in exercising their responsibilities and obligations as citizens and residents of Jamaica and having equitable access to available resources.
4.2 Policy Vision “Jamaica’s National Identification System is the primary source of verifiable and authentic identity assurance for every citizen and person ordinarily resident in Jamaica”.

4.3 Policy Goal “Tofacilitate theestablishmentof a National Identification System that supportssecure, reliable and robust identity verification and authentication of citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica by 2017”.

4.4 Strategic Objectives i. ii.

iii.


To provide the basis for a robustgovernance framework, including legal and institutional arrangements, for the issuance of a lifetime unique and secure national identification number (NIN) and a national identification card to each citizen and person ordinarily resident in Jamaica.

To facilitate the implementation of simplified procedures through which citizens may have access to an array of benefits and services, including social, economic and security programmes.
To support e-government and e-business for all Citizen to Government (C2G), Government to Government (G2G), Government to Business (G2B) and Government to Citizen (G2C) services.

17 4.5 Policy Elements 4.5.1 Strategic Objective 1 To provide the basis for a robust governance framework, including legal and institutional arrangements, for the issuance of a lifetime unique and secure national (NIN) and a national identification card to each citizen and person ordinarily resident in Jamaica.
identification number 4.5.1.1 Assignment of a National Identification Number and Issuance of a National Identification Card Government shall establish a National Identification System5 which will involve the: i.

Introduction of new legislation and regulations and the consequential amendments of other legislation and regulations to give effect to the implementation of the NIDS.

ii.
ii.

Generation and assignment of a secure and unique National Identification Number (NIN) to each citizen of Jamaica, including anyone who has obtained citizenship by registration6 or naturalization7 under the Jamaican Nationality Act, as well as any person who is ordinarily resident in Jamaica, upon registration of those individuals.

The NIN shall be a computer generated random nine-digit number and bear no attributes or identity of the person to whom it is assigned.
The NIN, once issued to a person for the duration of his/her life, shall not be re-issued to any other person and will be the primary key to link recordsacross databases operated by Government entities.

The NIN will be deactivated upon the death of the individual, or the renunciation or revocation of citizenship.
5 See Appendix I for a description of the Identity Life-Cycle 6Upon attainment of citizenship by registration, a person shall take the necessary steps to comply with the registration procedure and provide the personal and biometric information prescribed under the legislation enabling NIDS.

7 Naturalized citizens will be required to register within 90 days of acquiring citizenship.

18 iii.
18 iii.

Issuance of a national identification card consisting of a unique NIN, core personal data and biometric data to a registered person.

The national identification card may be used by the registered person for the purposes of verifying their identity, conducting business transactions and when accessing the services of any public entity.

The card will be valid for a specified period of years as stipulated by the legislation, after which it must be renewed by the individual.
Government shall require a citizen and person ordinarily resident aged 18 and over, to apply for a national identification cardon his/her own behalf, while a parent or legal guardian will make the application for a NIN and identification card for a child under the age of 18.

For any adult citizen incapacitated by disability, the application for a national identification cardmust be made by a person legally responsible for that person’s affairs.
For any adult citizen incarcerated in a penal institution or resident in an infirmary, psychiatric hospital or almshouse, the application must be made by the person in charge of the administration of the institution.
4.5.1.2 Establishment of a National Civil and Biometric Database In order to support the NIDS, Government shall establish acomprehensive National Civil and Biometric Database8(NCBD) which will contain information on personal identity and biometric data for citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica.

Government will provide for the protection, security and privacy of the identity information of registered persons stored in the NCBD through the legislation establishing the NIDS.
The NCBDwill therefore: i. ii.

iii.

Provide a secure and reliable platform for obtaining, maintaining and preserving identity information; Store identity data collected about nationals and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica, as specified in the legislation; Enable the identification, verification and authentication of citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica by the public and private sectors; and 8 See Appendix II for the proposed Contents of the Civil and Biometric Database 19 iv.
Allow for the generation of identification cards containinginformation specified bythe legislation.

Government will ensure that only information as specified inlegislation will be collected and stored in the NCBD.

Security safeguards that are in keeping with international best practices will be implemented to ensure that information stored in the NCBD is secured against loss, damage, unauthorized use, disclosure and access.

The information stored in the NCBDwill only be used for: i.
Provision of the national identification card to a registered person; ii.

Verification of the identity of a registered person; and iii.

Provision of information and data to a source authorized by legislation establishing the NIDS.

There will be no disclosure of information contained in the NCBD about a registered person to a third party or public entity, unless so specified explicitly under the NIDS governing legislation.
Government is taking steps to ensure the protection and safety of data through the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, Data Protection Bill and revision of the National e-Gov Strategy.The Cybercrimes Act includes provisions for computer-related fraud or forgery, use of computers for malicious communication and unauthorized disclosure of investigation.

The Data Protection Bill will regulate the use of personal information compiled on Jamaicans.
The Bill will seek to protect the privacy of individuals in relation to personal data and the regulation of the collection, processing, storage, use and disclosure of certain information relating to individuals.

20 4.5.2 Strategic Objective 2 To facilitate the implementation of simplified procedures through which citizens may have access to an array of benefits and services, including social, economic and security programmes.
4.5.2.1 Improvement in Governance and Management of National Programmes Government shall facilitate the utilisation of the NIDS by the public sector to reduce costs and improve efficiency in the delivery of national, social, economic and security programmes to citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica within the context of relevant legislation.
Through the use of the NIN, Government will be able to uniquely identify beneficiaries, resulting in more equitable and efficient administration of social services.

In this regard, Government shall: i.

Establish an operational framework, protocols and infrastructure for interoperability of the databases of Government entities; ii.

Develop the methodology and platform for integrating and upgrading existing identification systems in public sector entities; iii.
Require the use of the NIN by each individual when accessing the services of public iv.

sector entities; and Ensure that personal information is shared and disclosed in an authorized manner, within the context of relevant legislation.

21 4.5.3 Strategic Objective 3 To support e-government and e-business for all Citizen to Government (C2G), Government to Government (G2G), Government to Business (G2B) and Government to Citizen (G2C) services.
4.5.3.1 Facilitation of e-Government and e-Business Government shall facilitate ease of doing business by offering a fit for purpose e-government identity solution through: i.

Establishment of a secure and reliable electronic platform which is accessible to authorized public and private sector entitiesto enable the authentication of an individual’s identity and data sharing within the context of relevant legislation; ii.
Development of the operational framework and protocols (including standards and technical specifications), that will guide electronic transactions and data sharing across government and with relevant private sector entities, within the context of relevant legislation; and iii.

Provision of timely verification and authentication of an individual’s identity in keeping with the relevant legislation.

22 5.
22 5.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NIDS POLICY The implementation of a NIDS will be spearheaded by the OPM, with support from key public sector entities.

The RGD will be transformed into Jamaica National Identification Agency (JNIA) and be placed under the auspices of the OPM to facilitate this process.
The following steps have been identified as part of the NIDS Implementation Plan, which are detailed in Appendix III: Implement a Public Education Programme;  Complete and promulgate the NIDS Policy as a White Paper;   Promulgate NIDS Legislation;  Transform the RGD into the JNIA;  Acquire a modern Identity Management System;  Complete setting up of the facilities to host the Identity Management System and the centralized NIDS database;  Develop competence and expertise in the use and management of the NIDS Identity Management System;  Complete preparations for the deployment of the NIDS Identity Management System;  Conduct pilot testing of the NIDS Identity Management System;   Effect full roll-out of NIDS.
Implement interoperability/inter-connectedness across the NIDS ecosystem; and Funding is being negotiated with a multilateral institution to finance the NIDS Implementation Plan.Enrollment of citizens will commence in December 2017, with the registration of the population.

5.1 Legislative Framework The NIDS will require an appropriate legal and regulatory framework to support its establishment and operation.
The creation of this framework will be underpinned by careful review of several pieces of related legislation, which will require amendment, in order to ensure therecognition and use of the national ID card and the NIN alongside existing identification programmesand lawful sharing of personal, biometric and demographic information among relevantpublic entities.
23 5.1.1 Promulgation of a National Identification Act A Consultancy for the Provision of a Legal Framework to Support the NIDS Project has developed drafting notes for the legislation to give effect to the NIDS.
The National Identification Actwill provide for the following, inter alia:  Registration of citizens and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica;  Generation and assignment of a NIN;  Issuing of Identification cards;  Establishment of a National Civil and Biometric Database;  Data storage and management;  Data sharing;  Sanctions for illegal use of information;  Protection of an individual’s right to privacy; and  Institutional arrangements.
The National Identification Actwill apply to all citizens of Jamaica and persons ordinarily resident in Jamaica.

5.1.2 Amendment of Laws and Related Regulations Implementation of the NIDS Policy will require amendments to existing laws and related regulations.

The main legislation to be amended include, inter alia: The Registration (Births and Deaths) Act,1881 The Marriage Act,1897 The Forgery Act, 1942 The Passport Act, 1935 The Immigration Restriction (Commonwealth Citizens) Act, 1945 i. ii.

iii.

iv.
iii.

iv.

v. vi.

The Jamaican Nationality Act,1962 vii.

viii.

ix.

The Representation of the People Act, 1944 The Revenue Administration Act, 1985 The Access to Information Act, 2002 The amendments are being proposed in order to facilitate recognition and use of the national identification card and the NIN alongside existing identification programmesand lawful sharing of personal, biometric and demographic information among relevantpublic entities.
24 5.2 Institutional Framework 5.2.1 Jamaica National Identification Agency The RGDwill be transformed into the JNIA, a statutory body, which will have responsibility for civil registration and civil identification functions.In order to facilitate this transition, the RGD will be placed under the purview of the OPM.
JNIA will perform all functions carried out by the RGD and civil identification functions, such as the registration of eligible persons, issuing of the NIN and national identification card and collection of related information that is to be contained in the NCBD.The Civil Registration Division of JNIA (formerly RGD) will assign the NIN at registration of births.
JNIA will be headed by a Manging Director, who will be supported by Deputy Managing Directors responsible for the Civil Registration and Civil Identification Divisions, respectively.

Figure 2 shows the governance and reporting relationships for key institutions supporting the implementation and operationalization of the JNIA.
Figure 2:Governance and Reporting Relationships for the JNIA Office of the Prime Minister Facilitating Entities e-Gov,PICA, MLSS Jamaica National Identification Agency 5.2.2 Roles and Responsibilities of Facilitating Entities Facilitating entities areexistingMinistries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)whose resources such as physical facilities, human resources, technical expertise and specialized equipment, will be leveraged to execute NIDS business processes.This will be executed through Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) within the context of relevant 25 legislation.
In varying degrees, some of these entities will also have the authority to access certain NIDS data fields in order to verify records in their database and will similarly be able to upload updated records into the NIDS database, for example, the acquisition of citizenship through naturalization.

Capacity building of facilitating entities will be undertaken to ensure that each organization is NIDS ready.

The main facilitating entities identified are the e-Gov, PICA and MLSS.
Table 5 presents an indicative overviewof the roles and responsibilities of facilitating entities with respect toimplementation of the NIDS.

Table 4: Roles and Responsibilities of Facilitating Entities Agency e-Gov Jamaica Limited Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency Ministry of Labour and Social Security Role and Responsibility e-Gov will support system controlled generation and allocation of the unique identifier, as well as the management and hosting of the NCBD.
PICA will provide the information for persons who satisfy the conditions for citizenship.

The Ministry issues work permits to non-Jamaicans.

MLSS will provide the information for persons who satisfy the conditions for work permits.

5.3 Financing of the Policy The NIDS Project Unit estimates that capital investment for the NIDS is Sixty Eight Million and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars (US$68.05M).

It is proposed that the project be funded by a loan from one of the GOJ’s multilateral partners.
5.4 Public EducationProgramme APublic Education Programme has been developed and will be rolled out in the first year of policy implementation.

The objectives of the public education programme are as follows:  Educating stakeholders about the introduction of a NIDS; 26 Increasing awareness and understanding about the benefits of a NIDS;   Addressingconcerns about the implementation of a NIDS;and  Generating interest and facilitating uptake by stakeholders.
The programme will be broad based, multi-level and tailored to meet specific communication requirements as implementation of the NIDS progresses.

For example, initially, the programme will build awareness, sensitize and informstakeholders, including public sector employees, about the NIDS.

Thereafter, the programme will encourage enrolment in the system.
The Public EducationProgramme would also incorporate strategies for sensitization of Jamaicans in the Diaspora, in order to persuade nationals living abroad to get registered.

This will be undertaken in collaboration with Jamaica’s overseas missions and other key stakeholders.

27 6.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION A robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E)frameworkis a key management tool for tracking the achievement of outputs, outcomes and impact of policy implementation.
In this regard, the M&E framework will be developed to facilitate continuous assessment and evaluation of the implementation of the NIDS Policy.

Broadly, the M&E framework will include: i.

Development and agreement of key performance(output and outcome) indicators; ii.

Baseline data on indicators; iii.

Data collection, analysis and reporting guidelines; and iv.

Impact evaluation.
Impact evaluation.

AnM&E framework will be elaborated to complement the NIDS Implementation Plan.In implementing the monitoring framework, an incremental approach will be used, that is, in the first phase, a minimum set of core indicators will be defined, guided by the assessment of information availability.

The set of indicators can be expanded, if it is deemed necessary, as it becomes clear where to invest to fill information gaps and enhance monitoring capacities.
The OPM will have overall responsibility for oversight and implementation of the M&E system for the NIDS policy.An Annual Progress report will be compiled each year by the JNIA, which will be tabled in Parliament.

An evaluation of the policy will be conducted by an independent external institution five(5) years after implementation of the policy.

28 7.
28 7.

ALIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL PRIORITIES AND RELATED POLICIES 7.1 National Development Plan- Vision 2030 Jamaica Vision 2030Jamaica aims to put the country in a position to achieve developed country status by 2030.
The Plan aims to transform the country from a middle income developing country to one which affords its citizens a high quality of life and world-class standards in critical areas, including education, health care, nutrition, basic amenities, access to environmental goods and services, civility and social order.Vision 2030 Jamaica is built on four strategic goals and fifteen national outcomes for the country’s development.
A NIDS is expected to improve efficiency in establishing and verifying identity, thereby improving business processes and service delivery, enhance the Government’s ability to implement a coherent e-government strategy,support ‘joined up’ government and national security.
The establishment of a verifiable identity through a NIDS will more effectively support identification of potential beneficiaries and determination of benefit eligibility, thus helping to ensure that social benefits are fairly and equitably administered.
The NIDS policy therefore directly supports four goals and nine outcomes of the National Development Plan- Vision 2030 Jamaica, namely:  Goal 1: Jamaicans are empowered to achieve their full potential o National Outcome #1:A Healthy and Stable Population o National Outcome #2:World-Class Education and Training o National Outcome #3: Effective Social Protection  Goal 2: The Jamaican Society is secure, cohesive and just o National Outcome # 5: Security and Safety o National Outcome # 6: Effective Governance  Goal 3: Jamaica’s economy is prosperous.
o National Outcome #8: An Enabling Business Environment o National Outcome # 11: A Technology Enabled Society o National Outcome # 12: Internationally Competitive Industry Structures  Goal 4:Jamaica has a healthy natural environment o National Outcome # 15: Sustainable Urban and Rural Development 29 7.1.1 Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework The Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Frameworks (MTFs) identifies the priority outcomes, strategies and actions for each three-year period from 2009 to 2030.
The MTF 2015-2018 is the third medium term strategic programme to advance the implementation of the Vision 2030 Jamaica and builds on the gains of the previous MTFs, 2009-2012 and 2012 – 2015.

MTF 2015- 2018 presents the priorities over the medium term to move Jamaica forward.
The specific areas of alignment of the NIDS to national outcomes are:  Effective Social Protection  Security and Safety  Effective Governance  An Enabling Business Environment The NIDS will allow for the identification and verification of individuals, leading to improve governance and contribute towards the country’s social development programme as outlined in the MTF 2015-2018.
7.2 The Growth Agenda Policy Paper FY2015/16 The holistic and comprehensive nature of the Growth Agenda requires adequate alignment with supporting policies to ensure synergies.

The NIDS Policy will support the Growth Agenda’s main components as follows: Fiscal Consolidation Strategic Investment Projects i. ii.

Business Environment Competitiveness Reforms iii.

iv.

Human Capital Development and Protection v. Human and Community Security vi.
Environment Resilience The implementation of the NIDS is one of the Government’sStrategic Investment Projects.

A NIDS will contribute to the country’s priority by the provision of accurate and timely information on citizens which will enhance the Government planning and decision making processes.

30 7.3 The Whole-of-Government Business Plan 2015-2018 The Whole-of-Government Business Plan (2015-2018) sets out the broad functional and fiscal goals of Government over a three-year horizon.
The plan also outlines GOJ’s strategic priorities to be pursued and the specific performance indicators and targets that will be used to monitor and report on results.

In achieving its mandate, the NIDS policy objectives are effectively aligned with the direction of government.

Specifically, the implementation of the NIN will create the linkages between government entities databases, thus ensuring interoperability, interconnectivity as the foundation of e-government services.
7.4 National Poverty Reduction Policy Poverty programmes in Jamaica span a wide range of interventions such as skills building,cash transfers (PATH), residential care and employment programmes.

Significant amount of resources have also been spent on financing these programmes.

However, Jamaica will not reap sustainable, positive outcomes, if poverty programmes remain fragmented and there is inadequate provision service and resource wastage.
The NIDS will enhance government’s ability to administer these programmes by accurate identification and verification of beneficiaries through a trusted integrated identity management system.

7.5 National Security Policy The National Security Policy (NSP) cohesively integrates the country’s major security policies, goals, responsibilities and actions into an overall master strategy for the fulfillment of the vision for national security for Jamaica.
Integration of a biometrically verifiable identity will help to address illegal immigration, border control, public safety and national security, through a trusted integrated identity management system.

Matters relating to the effective analysis, use of intelligence and the enhancement of public education and awareness are also identified as important cross-cutting issues.
31 The NIDS will therefore support the following strategic goals of the NSP, namely:  Reduce violent crime and dismantle organised criminal networks;  Protect Jamaica from terrorism;  Protect and control Jamaica’s territory;  Strengthen the integrity of the institutions of democratic government;  Provide the environment for a stable economy and an effective delivery of social services.

32 8.
32 8.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Blake, Garfield and Gibbison, Godfrey (2015).Why Do Poor Households Not Apply For Welfare Benefits?

: Evidence from Jamaica’s Path Program.

The Journal of Developing Areas, Volume 49, Number 1, Winter 2015, pp 65-82. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/558462/pdf Harbitz, M (2011).Identity Management from the Start.Washington DC: IDB Harbitz, M. and Arcos Axt, I.

(2011).Identification and Governance Polices, pp.13-14.

Harbitz, M. and Benítez, J.


(2009).Civil Registration and Identification Glossary.Washington DC: IDB.

OECD (2013).

OECD Guidelines Governing The Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of from: .http://www.oecd.org/sti/ieconomy/2013-oecd-privacy-guidelines.pdf.

Framework.

Retrieved Personal Privacy OECD Data.

The Office of the Prime Minister (2010).


Detailed Report Outlining Legislative Requirements and Amendments Needed to Facilitate the Issuing of a Lifetime Identification Number –Delaware Consultancy.

Office of the Prime Minister (2014).Design and Development of the ICT Architecture for the Planned Implementation of a National Identification System for Jamaica- Draft Assessment Report.Prepared by Henry Dreifus.
Office of the Prime Minister (2014).Design and Development of the ICT Architecture for the Planned Implementation of a National Identification System for Jamaica- Draft Implementation /Action Plan.Prepared by Henry Dreifus.

Office of the Prime Minister (2015).


Consultancy Service For The Provision Of A Legal Framework For The Implementation Of The National Identification System Which Will Support The Civil Registration And Vital Statistics (CRVS) And The Government Network Infrastructure (Govnet) Projects.

Prepared by Lenworth A. Burke.

Planning Institute of Jamaica (2009).Vision 2030 National Development Plan (Draft) Kingston, Jamaica.
Samms-Vaughn, M. and Tortello, R. (2014).“Jamaica’s National Parenting Support Policy: Origins and Early Implementation, in Early Childhood Matters”, pp.

62-67.

June.

Bernard van Leer Foundation.

33 Vital Statistics Commission of Jamaica (2005).Audit of Vital Registration and Vital Statistics Systems -Report of Findings and Recommendation.

August 31.
August 31.

34 Appendix I‐NIDS Identity Lifecycle The end-to-end operation of the NIDS is encompassed in the identity lifecycle, comprising three major phases, registration, issuance and use.

These phases can be further divided in the following manner:  Registration (Capture and Certify) Identification application.

  Collection and scanning of identifying documents.

 Capturing of data into the Identification system.

 Enrollment of biometric data into profiles.

 De-duplication of identity.


 Adjudication of potential matches.

 Vetting of identity.

 Confirmation of Identification profile creation.

  Identification profile approval.

Identification profile submission for creation.

 Issuance Issuance of a physical credential, where applicable.

 Creation of Identification.

  Activation of the Identification.

 Issuing the Identification to the rightful individual.
 Use (Authentication and Update)  Use of the Identification for various authentication functions through identity services.

Identity verification and authorization.

  Call center for customer care.

 Updates or changes for identification profile.

 Renewal of an identification.

 Revocation of an identification.


35 Appendix II‐Proposed Contents of the National Civil and Biometric Database Contents of the Database The information that may be stored in the National Civil and Biometric Database in respect of a registered person is: Personal information: a.

Full names b.
Full names b.

Date of birth/ name of parents c. Place of birth d. Sex e. Principal place of residence and any other occasional place of residence f. Occupation g. Nationality h. Length of time that a person has been resident in Jamaica (if a non-national) i.

Employer j. Marital status/full name of spouse k. Date of death l. Place of death Identifying Information: a.

Photograph of head and shoulders b.

Signature (for adults) c. Fingerprints or other biometric data Reference numbers: a.
Taxpayer Registration number b. Driver’s Licence number c. Passport number d. National Insurance number e. Birth entry number (where appropriate) f. National Identity Number g. Electoral Office of Jamaica Identification Card number 36 Appendix III‐NIDS Implementation Schedule OUTCOMES ACTIONS INDICATORS RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS TIMEFRAME Strategic Objective 1: To provide the basis for a robust governance framework, including legal and institutional arrangements, for the issuance of a lifetime unique and secure national identification number (NIN) and a national identification card to each citizen and person ordinarily resident in Jamaica.
1.1A comprehensive policy framework for implementation of a NIDS.

1.2 A robust legislative framework to govern a NIDS.

1.1.1 Complete and submit draft NIDS Policy as a White Paper.

OPM, Cabinet Office, House of Parliament 1.2.1 Prepare Drafting Instructions OPM, CPC, MOJ instructions Years 1 Years 1 1.2.2 Develop and submit a Bill for the establishment of a NIDS.

1.2.3 Enact legislation to establish a NIDS.

1.3 A formal institutional framework to support effective governance of a NIDS.
1.3.1 Transfer of RGD from MOH to OPM 1.3.2 Transform RGD into the JNIA 1.4 A broad-based multi-level public education programme.

1.4.1 Design public education programme 1.4.2 Implement full-scale public educationprogramme 1.1.1.1 Draft NIDS Policy approved as a White Paper by September 2016.

1.2.1.1 Drafting prepared by December 2016 1.2.2.1 Bill for the establishment of a NIDS tabled to be debated in the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament by June 2017.
1.2.3.1 Legislation for the establishment of a NIDS enacted by December 2017.

1.3.1.1 RGD transferred to OPM by September 2016.

1.3.2.1 JNIAin place by November 2017 1.4.1.1 Public education programme designed by December 2016.

1.4.2.1 Public education programme implemented by January 2017.
37 OPM, CPC, MOJ, Houses of Parliament Years 1-2 OPM, CPC, MOJ, Houses of Parliament Year 2 OPM, MOFPS, Cabinet Office, MOH OPM, Cabinet Office, MOFPS Years 1 Years 2-3 OPM Years 1 OPM, JIS, media Ongoing OUTCOMES ACTIONS INDICATORS RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS TIMEFRAME Strategic Objective 2:To facilitate the implementation of simplified procedures through which citizens may have access to an array of benefits and services, including social, economic and security programmes.
2.1 Interoperability/ inter- connectedness across the NIDS ecosystem.

Years 1-2 2.1.1 Implement business process review of RGD/JNIA and facilitating entities.

2.1.2 Retrofit Registration Centres for RGD/JNIA.

2.1.3 Prepare SLAs and MOUs 2.1.1.1 First 2 business process reviews conducted by February 2017.

2.1.2.1 10 registration centres retrofitted by December 2017 2.1.4.1 SLAs and MOUs prepared by June 2017.
OPM, TAJ, e-Gov, RGD/JNIA, EOJ, MLSS, PICA OPM, RDG/JNIA, TAJ, EOJ OPM, , e-Gov, RGD/JNIA, MLSS, PICA Years 1-2 Years 1-2 Strategic Objective 3: To support e-government and e-business for all Citizen to Government (C2G), Government to Government (G2G), Government to Business (G2B) and Government to Citizen (G2C) services.
Identity 3.1 for Management deployment and use in Jamaica 3.1.1 Acquire and install Identity Management System OPM, NCC, MOFP A modern Years 2-4 System 3.1.2 Establish data centre and back- up facilities.

3.1.3 Undertake training and capacity building in the use and management of the NIDS identity management system.

3.1.4 Undertake confirm acceptance of the system 3.2.1 Conduct phase 1 of the NIDS Deployment with targeted population groups.
final SAT and 3.2 Phase 1deployment of the NIDS identity management system.

3.3 Public roll-out of the NIDS identity management system.

3.3.1 Implement full roll-out of the NIDS.

3.1.1.1 Identity Management System acquired by April 2017.

3.1.2.1 Dedicated data centre and back-up facilities established by November 2017.

3.1.3.1 Training and capacity building carried out for JNIA staff and five facilitating entities.
3 .1.4.1 Draft acceptance letter ( provisional or final) 3.2.1.1 Confirm all functionalities are operated to the level of excellence requested 3.3.1.1 At least 60 percent of citizens and persons ordinarily 38 OPM, e-GOV Years 2-4 OPM, TAJ, e-Gov, RGD/JNIA, EOJ, MLSS, PICA.

OPM/RGD/JNIA/e- GOV OPM, e-Gov, RGD/JNIA,MLSS, PICA/TAJ Ongoing Year2 OPM, , e-Gov, RGD/JNIA, Years 3-5 OUTCOMES ACTIONS INDICATORS RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS TIMEFRAME resident enrolled by end of 2018.

39 9.
39 9.

GLOSSARY Alteration Rebuilding, authorization.

reshaping or changing of contents without Anti-forgery & anti-alteration technology Preventing forgery and alteration by embedding security technology elements into the card/document during the process of production.

Authentication Biometric data Biometrics Biometric verification Process of determining whether someone or something is, in fact, who or what it is declared to be.
The method of identifying a person using information based on his/her physical or behavioural characteristics.

Technology used to verify one’s personal identity through unique physiological or behavioral characteristics.

Any means by which a person can be uniquely identified by evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits.

Unique identifiers fingerprints, hand geometry, earlobe geometry, retina and iris patterns, voice waves, DNA and signatures.
include Civil data Information captured/stored on citizens and ordinarily resident individuals of the country.

Confidential information Data Database Any information obtained by either Party about the other Party in relation to a MOU and any other information which is clearly and conspicuously identified on any documentation by a Party as confidential.

Information that has been translated into a form that is more convenient to move or process.
A collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed, managed and updated.

40 De-duplication e-Government Eligible Person Facilitating Entities Forgery Identification Specialized data compression duplicate copies of repeating data.

technique for eliminating and Digital interactions between citizen and government (C2G), citizens government and businesses/commerce (G2B), government and employees (G2E), and also between government and governments /agencies (G2G).
government (G2C), These include citizens of Jamaica, including naturalized citizens and persons who are ordinarily resident in Jamaica.

Those existing organizations that will enable the National Identification System processes to be executed efficiently and effectively with the use of available resources in those organizations.

Unlawful production of an item resembling the authentic form with the intent to deceive.

The action or process of identifying someone or something or the fact of being.
Identity The condition of being oneself or itself, and not another.

Information and Communication Technology Applications or communication devices such as cellular phones, computers, satellite, network software and their respective uses.

National Identification Card A portable document, typically a plasticized card with digitally- embedded information, that someone is required or encouraged to carry as a means of confirming their identity.
National Identity Management System Ordinarily Resident An integrated mechanism of policies, processes and procedures used to determine and capture the unique identity of individuals in a defined population.

An individual who legally resides in Jamaica for a period of 180 days or more (not necessarily consecutive days), in a calendar year.

Verification Use of supplementary tests, to ensure the accuracy, correctness, or truth of the information.

41