8.2 2. KEY DECISIONS

The Principles provide general guidance for the design of ID systems that are globally applicable. However, each country is unique and there are many design options for building an ID system that complies with these standards.

To begin, practitioners must make key high-level policy and technical decisions that are crucial to the overall scope, architecture, and use of the system. Concentrating on first-order decisions will provide the input necessary to set the stage for the next level of technical design and specification—including process design—and then to begin the procurement process. This section provides an overview of these key decisions related to legal frameworks, administration, civil registration and ID, data, registration, credentials and authentication, interoperability, standards and frameworks, privacy and security, and public engagement.

Note that the order of decisions presented below parallels Section III, which discusses technical options in more detail. However, this not meant to imply a sequence; these decisions are interdependent and should be made holistically.