ICTworks

The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Digitisation Guidebook (CRVS-DGB) is an online resource that provides step-by-step guidance for countries to plan, analyse, design and implement digitized systems and automated processes for CRVS. The Guidebook provides a common methodology aimed at:

• Government authorities responsible for the delivery of CRVS services
• Project managers responsible for CRVS digitization including government ICT departments
• Organizations providing technical assistance for CRVS strengthening from the United Nations, NGOs and the private sector
• Donors supporting ICT related CRVS initiatives (as a framework for monitoring projects to safeguard financial investments)

The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Digitisation Guidebook responds to the need expressed by countries in Africa to develop effective, scalable and sustainable CRVS systems and to maximise the impact of ICT investments. It was developed in collaboration with country experts across Africa and remains a living resource that will continue to evolve and expand over time.

The Guidebook is organised as a set of activities to be completed in sequential order that will lead to ICT solutions that are designed to fit the CRVS business need and can be implemented at scale in a predictable and sustainable manner. The activity descriptions are supplemented with templates and examples to support users in creating activity outputs and showcase best practice, accelerating implementation of digitised CRVS and maximising standardisation, where possible.

Three key principles

This guidebook takes into account common points of failure for eGov and ICT projects and responds with content that is underpinned by the following guiding principles:

1. ICT solutions must be seen as enablers and directly support the business functions of CRVS. The alignment of ICT to business need is at the core of Enterprise Architecture methodologies and this Guidebook takes inspiration from such approaches, presenting them in a simplified and easy-to-use format.
2. CRVS systems must be implemented and deployed in a manner which takes into account the realities of existing CRVS capacity. Where there is a significant gap between current CRVS capabilities and the desired future state, it will be necessary to create an implementation roadmap, such that the scope and timing of change is realistic and manageable.
3. Clear and appropriate governance roles must be established for the CRVS authorities and IT departments involved in the CRVS digitisation project. Common project management documents will also reinforce these roles and a common understanding of the project objectives.

The Guidebook was commissioned by the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa for the African Programme for the Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS) and was developed by Plan International and Jembi Health Systems.