📱Building a SuperApp: A three step guide to apply DPI thinking
What is a SuperApp, in the context of government service delivery?
In the context of Government services, SuperApp generally refers to a one-stop-portal (mobile or web application) that provides access to multiple government services (from issuing an identity card or birth certificate, to paying and filing taxes, issuing land or property ownership certificates, applying and renewing driving license, setting up business permits, and many more).
What are the typical characteristics of Government SuperApp?
Multi-Service Integration – Combines various government services like healthcare, transportation, legal documentation, and public utilities.
Single Sign-On (SSO) – Allows users to log in once and access multiple services without re-entering credentials.
Personalized Dashboard – Users can see relevant services, deadlines, and notifications in one place.
Digital ID & Payments – Supports secure identity verification and online payments for fines, taxes, or fees.
AI & Chatbot Support – Provides automated assistance for common queries.
What are some challenges that governments face when building a SuperApp?
Governments develop these super apps to improve efficiency, reduce bureaucratic delays, and enhance the user experience for citizens. However, in our experience of working with countries, the following challenges surface while building a SuperApp:
Governments around the world generally have devolved their power, both horizontally (different sectoral department agencies) and vertically (central vs local; federal vs state); creating a SuperApp generally requires different department agencies to cooperate with one central department that controls the super app. Further, these department agencies may have invested hefty budgets to build their own system (with its own applications/ functionalities), working processes, financial and human resources.
Alignment across different agencies or departments requires top-down push, as the “not-invented-here” syndrome sometimes limits adoption
For larger countries and populations, with heterogeneous populations with diversity of languages, needs, lifestyles and preferences – the creation of an inclusive One-App that works for all becomes very expensive, time and resource consuming, and difficult to scale at population level.
A single failure to the system disrupts multiple if not the whole services (one for all; all for one)
In What Contexts is a SuperApp a Good Idea?
A single well-functioning, reliable and user-centric platform is often easier and more efficient for citizens to access multiple government services. However, as discussed in the previous section, the challenges of implementing a SuperApp—especially across siloed departments—are real and must be anticipated.
A SuperApp can be a good idea when there is strong political will, a top-down mandate, and a shared recognition of cross-cutting pain points that encourage departments to collaborate. It can also be good if it attributes the cooperation of other departments in the app well - prominently displaying logos of different Ministries where their services are used, for instance! Fair attribution enables greater scale.
Is a SuperApp a Digital Public Infrastructure?
No - a SuperApp, or any application, is not Digital Public Infrastructure by itself. Aggregating government services in one place is a digital government solution, but it does not constitute DPI.
However, a SuperApp that is built on top of strong digital public infrastructure—such as verifiable digital identity, robust data sharing models and credentials, trust infrastructure, open APIs for government services (part of the ‘discovery and fulfilment DPI block), and secure, inclusive, and programmable payment rails—has a much greater chance of succeeding and scaling sustainably. The next section explains this further.
How can DPI principles mitigate challenges and enable SuperApp success?
We suggest governments consider the following suggestions, aligned with DPI principles to alleviate some of the typical challenges:
Micro-services architecture. Public sector challenges are complex, making full-stack solutions impractical. The DPI principle of Minimalist, Reusable Building Blocks advocates unbundling problems into core, modular components. The goal: single functions performing exceptionally, avoiding over-specification, and enabling the ecosystem to combine these into diverse, fit-for-purpose solutions. Technically, microservices architecture achieves this using many small, independent services (e.g., authentication, payment) communicating via APIs. This enhances scaling, updating, and resilience; citizens see a unified app, but behind the scenes, many microservices work collaboratively.
Federated architecture: A critical DPI principle is using Decentralized and Federated Systems. This ensures data remains with its original department or owner, empowering them to maintain and update it and limiting power struggles. This approach prevents central "honeypots"—which are easy targets for cyberattacks—and stops too much personal data from being collected in one place, protecting privacy. Data and control are spread out across many parts, making the entire system more secure and private.
Layered Ecosystem Design. This means making the infrastructure layer open and shared (e.g., identity, payments, data exchange). At the service layer, individual agencies continue offering their specific services (e.g., education, health, or verifiable identity). The application/user-interface layer then allows citizens choice in accessing services through the SuperApp or through other government and/or private apps (see point on “private innovation”). This structure effectively decouples infrastructure from service delivery, preventing power concentration.
User control and inclusiveness. The system must allow access through various means, not just a single foundational ID, enabling users to choose their preferred authentication methods—be it a National Digital ID, an e-driving license, or even offline credentials if a digital ID is unavailable. This design ensures genuine user choice and guarantees access to services, while allowing the system to determine what can be accessed based on the level of credential provided.
Private innovation. This means creating an environment where many different innovators can build solutions that serve a wide range of needs. The microservices architecture naturally creates APIs. While these APIs are often initially used only by government departments, with proper oversight and governance, they can be opened up to the private sector and civil society. Opening these APIs empowers various private players and organizations to design the best interfaces, develop user-friendly features, cater to specific language groups or niche markets, and integrate advanced tools like Artificial Intelligence.
Last updated