> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://dpisafeguards.gitbook.io/resources-hub/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://dpisafeguards.gitbook.io/resources-hub/country-impementation/country-implementation-1/country-implementation-journey/malawi-implementing-safeguards-in-practice.md). # Malawi: Implementing Safeguards in Practice ### How Malawi is Implementing Offline Digital ID to Strengthen Inclusion {% embed url="" %} {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Phase 1: Learn/Commit {% hint style="warning" icon="shield-check" %} **Core contributor: Malawi helped shape priority risks and safeguard practices in the Framework.** {% endhint %} #### Commitment Letter {% file src="/files/K0FHk4bq7BCEKxhp7gMQ" %} Malawi's national digital ID programme has achieved **98 percent population coverage (\~12.5M people registered)**, but implementation experience showed that registration alone was not enough to guarantee access in every setting. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Phase 2: Access/Prioritize #### Response **UNDP Malawi**, working with the **National Registration Bureau** under the **Ministry of Homeland Security**, supported an offline digital ID approach to strengthen both inclusion and integrity in service delivery. #### Assessment and Findings An assessment with the National Registration Bureau (Ministry of Homeland Security) has surfaced key gaps and safeguard measures {% hint style="danger" %} ## **Registration alone was not enough** Delays in physical card issuance, uneven connectivity and electricity, and pressure on frontline delivery systems could leave some people unable to use their identity credentials when they needed them. {% endhint %} {% hint style="danger" %} ## **Proxy collection and impersonation** Weak verification in some service contexts created risks of proxy collection and impersonation, including cases where individuals used someone else's ID card to collect agricultural subsidies (Farmers Input Subsidy Programme), such as fertilizer and seeds. {% endhint %} {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Phase 3: Design/Implement Priority implementation underway: Offline Digital ID in delivery, including biometric QR-based registration and beneficiary verification in agriculture. {% hint style="success" icon="shield-check" %} ## **Digitally signed biometric QR code** The QR code is cryptographically signed and uniquely linked to the holder's biometric data, allowing authorized devices to verify identity without internet connectivity while providing assurance that the credential has not been forged or altered. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" icon="shield-check" %} ## Offline ID verification kit Including QR scanners, mobile tablets, and secure software capable of validating the credentials offline. In-house testing has confirmed functionality, and extended rural piloting is underway to assess performance, user experience, and integration into service delivery. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" icon="shield-check" %} ## Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP/AIP) Biometric confirmation is now required before a transaction can proceed, helping reduce impersonation risks while making verification possible in low-connectivity environments. Supporting the accurate distribution of inputs to approximately 1.1 million farming households. {% endhint %} {% endstep %} {% step %} ### Phase 4: Measure/Sustain **2024–2025 Voter Registration** Over **2 million Malawians** awaiting printed IDs or with lost/damaged cards received a digitally signed QR code on the spot. The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) accepted the QR as valid proof, contributing to a total of **7.2 million registered voters**. **Looking ahead to June 2026: Additional use cases** The same model could be adapted for **social cash transfers, public works programmes, healthcare delivery, and SIM registration**, with different levels of verification depending on the risk of the transaction. {% endstep %} {% step %} ### What we have learnt * Malawi's experience shows Safeguards are not only about policy or compliance, but also about making concrete implementation choices that help digital public infrastructure work more reliably, fairly, and inclusively in real-world conditions. * Malawi’s experience is also beginning to inform peer learning across countries. As part of South-South cooperation, a UNDP Malawi technical team supported Somali counterparts in conducting operational diagnostics, designing a phased registration plan, and exploring similar offline digital ID solutions for displacement and fragile settings, demonstrating how practical safeguard approaches can travel across contexts. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://dpisafeguards.gitbook.io/resources-hub/country-impementation/country-implementation-1/country-implementation-journey/malawi-implementing-safeguards-in-practice.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.