Irish Public Service Card
The Irish Government has established the Standard Authentication Framework Environment (SAFE) programme to create an overall framework for identity management in the public sector. Recent work has included policy development and a detailed Public Service Card (PSC) definition. One key aspect of SAFE is to provide maximum control to the user over their personal data and ensure that only the minimum data required for a particular transaction is viewable by personnel involved in that transaction.
By developing the PSC, the Irish Government hopes to provide citizens with a convenient way of accessing public services, while also significantly facilitating the secure identification and authentication of users. In addition, the PSC should generate savings through economies of scale and through the use of shared services.
Approach & Methodology
The Irish Department of social Protection (DSP) chose Consult Hyperion to help develop the functional specification for the PSC. Our experience, built up advising governments around the world, means that we were able to help the DSPto quickly understand the key issues in the construction of a national scheme and make informed decisions on how best to proceed with procurement and deployment.
The PSC functional specifications will support a wide variety of requirements, including secure offline and online authentication. All of these functions must, of course, be implemented within a secure environment with the appropriate confidentiality, integrity and availability requirements. The PSC is to be used in a number of ways, beginning with simple functions such as concessionary travel entitlement for pensioners. It brings together our expertise in citizen cards and contactless ticketing.
Added Value
We have helped the DSP to choose a prime contractor to develop the system according to the specifications that we had developed, and are assisting during the implementation phase to ensure that the detailed design and build confirms, and will provide a solid platform for, the launch of further services. These services will reduce costs.
This is a practical and privacy-centric approach to delivering a national identity management programme for the 21st century, and we think that more countries will follow the Irish example.
