Governance
Overview
The Digital Public Goods Alliance is a UN-endorsed multi-stakeholder initiative that facilitates the discovery, development, use of, and investment in open-source solutions that adhere to standards and best practices and are relevant for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. The DPGA relies on engagement and leadership from countries, private sector technology experts, think tanks, governments, philanthropic donors, international implementing organisations, and the UN to create a thriving global ecosystem for digital public goods.
On this page you can find information about roles and responsibilities and other governance aspects of the DPGA.
The DPGA is dedicated to operating in a transparent and participatory manner that mirrors our commitment to open source. If you have questions, please contact hello@digitalpublicgoods.net.
Roles & Responsibilities
The DPGA Secretariat
The DPGA supports, coordinates, and facilitates alignment among a community of like-minded organisations via an independent, neutral DPGA Secretariat which is overseen by a Governance Board. The DPGA Secretariat is responsible for the operations of the DPGA. It is led by a CEO who manages the DPGA Secretariat as an independent entity accountable to the Governance Board. Read more about the DPGA Secretariat here.
The DPGA Secretariat is financed by agreements with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) who provide core funding or grant funding in support of one or more of the DPGA strategic targets. All DPGA funders agree to operate in alignment with the DPGA’s Financing Code of Conduct which ensures that the DPGA Secretariat can be sustainably financed to work with neutrality and integrity to advance the DPGA’s mission, strategic objectives, and targets.
The DPGA Governance Board
The DPGA Governance Board functions as a strategic decision-making and oversight body for the DPGA Secretariat. The Board consists of member-organisations who are exemplary members, demonstrating a strong commitment to digital public goods and significantly advancing the strategy of the DPGA. As of November 2023, the DPGA Governance Board Members are:
- EkStep Foundation
- German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
- Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)
- Sierra Leone Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- UNICEF
DPGA Membership and Roadmap Participation
DPGA members are aligned around a shared vision for digital cooperation and a commitment to working collaboratively to advance digital public goods. Our members consist of national governments including their agencies; multilateral organisations including UN entities; philanthropic foundations, funders, and think tanks; and technology companies. The DPGA Secretariat uses the DPGA Annual Roadmap as a formal coordination, alignment, engagement, and communication tool for the DPG ecosystem.
In order to be invited to join the roadmap, an entity:
- Must advance DPGA strategic objectives;
- Must have activities expected to have “significant impact” based on their size/scope and unique value add; and
- Support alignment around the DPG Standard.
Membership in the DPGA is not a legal commitment but rather a way to publicly represent a commitment to advancing a shared vision, transparently monitoring and sharing activities, and working collaboratively as part of the DPGA to support digital public goods. A full list of members can be found on the who we are page.