Improved Access to Public Services (IAPS) modernizes Tajikistan’s civil registration system so that legal identity and vital event data can be created once, verified, and securely reused to deliver public services. Building on earlier Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) investments, the EU‑funded project equips all 74 civil registry offices with upgraded infrastructure, digitizes legacy records, and deploys a Civil Registration Portal managed by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and its IT unit (SUE “Qonuniyat”). The project has already achieved or exceeded key indicators: a 98% birth registration rate and 86% public satisfaction, and has scanned 1.3 million historical records for archive digitization. A live integration with the Ministry of Health enables facility‑based birth and death notifications, reducing manual data entry and repeat visits for families and staff. Beyond technical results, IAPS has repositioned civil registration as foundational digital public infrastructure (DPI): Law 563 (Dec 2024) recognizes civil registration as the backbone for Tajikistan’s digital transformation, and inter‑ministerial coordination is formalized through joint action plans and data‑sharing arrangements. The impact is faster, more reliable services, improved accountability, and an enabling platform for future integrations (e.g., identity, pensions, and social protection).

https://www.undp.org/tajikistan/projects/civil-registration-system-reform

• Tajikistan

Yes. IAPS is replicable in countries where civil registration exists but service delivery is fragmented across ministries, citizens face long travel times, and legacy paper records limit data quality. The model is transferable because it focuses on (1) a universal life‑event entry point (birth/death), (2) a trusted legal authority for registration, and (3) phased interoperability that delivers immediate benefits while building national DPI.
Where it replicates best
• Low‑ and middle‑income contexts with uneven connectivity, rural/remote populations, and high transaction costs for citizens (multiple visits, fees, lost work time).
• Countries seeking to implement SDG 16.9 (legal identity) as an enabler for health, education, social protection, taxation, and statistics.
How to replicate (a practical “minimum kit”)
1) Governance and mandate: designate/confirm a lead institution for civil registration and legal identity; establish inter‑agency agreements for data sharing and access controls.
2) Service‑delivery redesign: simplify the citizen journey (one‑stop services; fewer visits); deploy basic queue management and customer feedback loops.
3) Digital platform: implement a civil registration portal with modular interfaces (APIs) for other ministries; design for offline capture + later synchronization where needed.
4) Facility‑based notification: integrate health facilities for births/deaths so data is captured once and transmitted securely; introduce standard operating procedures and staff training.
5) Legacy records: digitize and index archives so citizens can access historical certificates and the state can validate identity and entitlements.
Pathway: Start with existing health integration then expand to identity-pensins/social protection. Staged approach is replicable because balances ambition with absorption capacity

Yes. Sustainability is built into IAPS through legal anchoring, government ownership, internal operating capacity, and budgeted continuity—so systems remain functional after donor support.

Legal and institutional anchoring
• The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is the system owner and mandated authority for civil registration/legal identity (Law 563, Dec 2024), embedding reform in government and clarifying roles.
• Coordination is institutionalized through joint action plans and cooperation agreements, moving collaboration from ad‑hoc to repeatable governance.

Operational capacity (people + processes)
• MoJ and its IT unit (SUE “Qonuniyat”) are equipped to operate the portal and provide user support through SOPs, ToT cascades, and routine troubleshooting.
• An e‑learning platform and standardized training packages enable continuous onboarding and refresher training, reducing dependence on external consultants and mitigating staff turnover.

Financial and infrastructure resilience
• Government co‑financing/budget lines support hosting, maintenance, and staffing for core operations.
• Standardized equipment across offices, connectivity upgrades where feasible, and solar power solutions for energy‑constrained locations reduce downtime and ensure nationwide service availability.

Sustainability through demand and “system indispensability”
• Service improvements (higher satisfaction; fewer repeat visits) increase citizen uptake and political incentives to sustain the reform.
• Interoperability creates mutual reliance: as health and other agencies use civil registration as the authoritative source of legal identity, the system becomes harder to reverse.

The next phase consolidates sustainability by operationalizing the portal nationwide, scaling quality‑assured archive digitization, and expanding integrations based on partner readiness.

IAPS promotes WSIS values in Tajikistan by using ICTs to advance inclusion, human rights, good governance, and sustainable development through a civil registration system that is trusted, accessible, and interoperable. People‑centred and inclusive development • Legal identity is treated as a public good: improved birth/death registration reduces exclusion and enables access to education, health care, social protection, and justice (SDG 16.9). • Geographic equity is explicit: offices across all districts are equipped and service delivery is strengthened beyond major cities; mobile registration supports hard‑to‑reach areas. Access to information and knowledge • Archive digitization and the Civil Registration Portal improve citizens’ ability to obtain vital records needed for inheritance, property disputes, and family status verification. • Outreach through community and digital channels helps citizens understand how to access services and why legal identity matters. Trust, security, and accountability • Modern workflows and governance improve record integrity, reduce opportunities for document fraud, and enable correction of errors through formal procedures. • Better data supports planning and accountability by strengthening statistics and rules‑based administration. Capacity building and ownership • Training packages, ToT cascades, and an e‑learning platform build the skills needed to operate and sustain services. • Ministry of Justice leadership and inter‑agency coordination mechanisms reinforce long‑term ownership. Multi‑stakeholder partnership Coordinated work among government institutions, development partners, and UNDP reflects WSIS principles for sustainable digital transformation and citizen‑oriented public services.