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Consultation begins on new Identification Management Standards

Consultation has begun on developing new Standards and Guidance around identification management.

The Standards will describe best practice for identification processes, including when a person enrols into a service for the first time, and the process or means by which they can be recognised when they return to use that service.

The standards will be adopted as part of a Digital Identity Trust Framework. The Government recently approved $5.15 million for a digital identity work programme, which will include the development of a Digital Identity Trust Framework.

The new Standards replace the current paper-based Evidence of Identity and Authentication Standards first written in 2006. These were the first such Standards in the world, but they’re complex, difficult to follow and starting to date.

“We want to make these ones much easier to use, so we’re seeking feedback,” says Joanne Knight, of all-of-government Service Innovation Team led from the Department of Internal Affairs.

“It’s a huge task. We’re seeking feedback from far afield – and while the Standards and Guidelines are being written for New Zealand they can apply anywhere.”

The new Standards and Guidelines will exist online so they can be easily updated to keep pace with our fast-changing world.

The overarching principles guiding their development support:

  • privacy - minimal data collection,
  • New Zealand’s position not to require citizens to have national ID numbers
  • and are ‘channel and technology-neutral’ – so there is consistency across channels and robustness where technologies change rapidly.

The consultation process takes place online using at discuss.digital.govt.nz and involves five 12-week sprints to cover specific areas.

Have your say (click ‘Join Group’).

Identification management

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