Citizen Management makes the logistical nightmare of proving who we are a thing of the past by providing a rigorous registration and approval process that verifies the identity of the citizen and creates a strong link between the real life identity and the online world.  All this provides the benefit of a higher level of security against identity theft and provides the security functions for multiple eService applications and environments.  Citizens are thus offered the opportunity to have a unique eID, eliminating the need to have several different user names and passwords to be able to make use of the available eGovernment services.

Aimed at bridging the conventional gap between the general public and the government, Citizen Management is a fundamental element of any citizen-centric eGovernment platform featuring:

For a citizen to be registered within the National Identity Database, one needs to register for an Electronic Identity (eID), replicating the person’s physical identification electronically.  The registration process requires the citizen to authenticate him/herself at a local registration office.  At the registration stage, the applicant’s biometric and biographic data, together with any other supporting documentation, are captured and later verified and confirmed.

Following one’s application for an eID, the approval process will verify the identity of the citizen and, upon approval, a central record in the National Identity Database is generated. Such a record will act as the basis for the future issue of personal identity tokens such as an eID Card or ePassport. The identity verification process is a back-office operation that enables the administrator to search for and manage pending requests made by citizens for an identity account.

When gathering biometric information at the registration stage, the front-office administrator at the registration office collects the citizen’s fingerprint data, photo and scanned signature that are submitted as part of one’s application for an identity account. Personal biometric data collection features a highly secure process, in accordance with EU standards and regulations.

Keeping one central profile for citizens across all Government departments, the citizen database records any changes made to each citizen account. The citizen profile – containing the citizen’s biometric (photo) and biographic (personal details and address) information – serves as a history log for all the changes during the lifetime of the person, recording life events such as marriage or death. Administrators can search for specific citizen profiles and assess what eServices he/she has recently used and what organisations he/she represents or is associated with. Managing the citizen’s eID account from approval to termination, the administrator can approve new biometric data linked to an existing citizen and alter any information held about the citizen. All supporting documentation presented by the citizen during the initial registration stage is stored electronically within the document repository and can be called upon by the administrator when needed.

Following approval by the Citizen Management Authority, the citizen will be requested to activate his/her own eID account online to be able to use eGovernment services. The activation process is a one-time process that requires the citizen to enter the username, password and PIN number. The PIN number is required solely for the purpose of account activation and for subsequent changes in the password, providing an additional security measure to the citizen authentication framework.

Once the first-time activation is done, the citizen would be able to login to the Government’s central portal by means of a unique username and a password and make use of all the available online services provided by the registered eServices providers.

The solution offers extensive reporting capabilities, providing statistical analysis on registration and approval processes, such as: the number of eID applications requested over a particular time period; the number of eID applications per registration office; and the type of eID applications received. Citizen history reports can also be generated to be able to track any changes to the identity state of citizens, such as changes in marital status or home address.