Lesotho and UNICEF Host X-Road Workshop to Strengthen Secure Government Data Sharing and Child-Focused Services

Lesotho is taking steps to strengthen digital government services through a four-day X-Road Pilot Planning, Readiness and Use Case Identification Workshop hosted by the Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation (MICSTI) in collaboration with UNICEF Lesotho. The workshop runs from 20 to 23 October 2026 in Berea and brings together key stakeholders to explore how government institutions can share information securely and improve the delivery of public services. A central focus is assessing the readiness of ministries to participate in the National Data Exchange and identifying practical ways to use digital data sharing to improve services for children. The initiative also aims to establish a clear implementation roadmap supported by strong data protection measures and safeguards for children’s rights. Through this work, Lesotho seeks to strengthen coordination across government institutions, improve access to essential services and build a more efficient and accessible digital public service system for Basotho.

The collaboration between MICSTI and UNICEF Lesotho reflects the importance of digital infrastructure in improving how public institutions work together. Government ministries often manage different types of information to carry out their responsibilities, including information relevant to education, healthcare, social protection and other public services. When these systems operate separately, institutions may face difficulties coordinating services, verifying information or responding efficiently to people’s needs. Secure data exchange can help authorised institutions share relevant information without requiring every organisation to build an entirely new system for each connection. The X-Road workshop provides an opportunity for stakeholders to assess how this approach could work within Lesotho’s government environment and identify the technical, operational and policy requirements needed for implementation.

X-Road is a data exchange technology designed to enable secure information exchange between connected information systems. Rather than requiring all participating institutions to place their information in one central database, an X-Road-based approach can allow systems to exchange data through controlled connections while the institutions retain responsibility for their own information systems. Security measures, authentication, access controls and records of data exchanges can help support accountability when properly configured and managed. This approach can be useful for governments seeking to connect different digital services while maintaining appropriate controls over sensitive information. For Lesotho, the workshop will help stakeholders examine the readiness and practical requirements for introducing the technology through a National Data Exchange pilot.

An important part of the workshop is assessing whether ministries are ready to participate in the proposed National Data Exchange. Readiness involves more than having computers, internet access or existing digital systems. Ministries also need appropriate technical capacity, clear responsibilities, suitable data management practices and staff who understand how secure information exchange works. Institutional policies must define which information can be shared, for what purposes and under whose authority. Stakeholders also need to consider how participating systems will be maintained, monitored and supported after implementation begins. Assessing these factors can help identify gaps that need to be addressed before the pilot moves forward and reduce the risk of introducing a system that institutions are not prepared to use effectively.

The identification of priority use cases is another major objective of the four-day workshop. A use case describes a specific situation in which a system can solve a problem or improve an existing process. In the context of the National Data Exchange, stakeholders will consider opportunities where secure data sharing could improve access to child-focused services and strengthen coordination between relevant institutions. For example, carefully governed information exchange could help authorised service providers verify relevant details or coordinate support when a child needs assistance from more than one institution. Such examples illustrate potential applications rather than confirmed outcomes of the current workshop. Identifying the most suitable use cases will require stakeholders to examine existing service challenges, the information needed to address them and the safeguards required to protect children and their families.

Child-focused services are a central consideration because children may depend on several institutions for support at different stages of their lives. Education, healthcare and social protection services can involve separate administrative systems, each holding information needed to deliver particular forms of assistance. Where appropriate legal authority and safeguards exist, better coordination could help reduce unnecessary delays and make it easier for institutions to respond to children’s needs. Secure data exchange may also reduce repeated administrative requests when authorised information is already available from another participating institution. However, improved coordination must not come at the expense of children’s privacy or safety. The workshop therefore needs to consider how digital systems can support better services while limiting information sharing to what is necessary and permitted.

Data protection and child rights safeguards are essential to the success of the initiative. Information relating to children can be particularly sensitive, especially when it concerns health, family circumstances, education or access to social assistance. Institutions must establish clear rules governing who can access such information, why access is necessary and how misuse can be prevented. Strong safeguards should also address data security, user permissions, accountability, appropriate retention practices and responses to security incidents. The rights and best interests of children must remain central when institutions assess whether information should be collected, exchanged or used for a particular purpose. By making these protections part of the planning process, MICSTI, UNICEF Lesotho and participating stakeholders can help ensure that digital innovation supports children without creating unnecessary risks.

Building public trust will also be important as Lesotho explores secure data sharing across government institutions. Citizens need confidence that public bodies handle their personal information responsibly and do not share it without an appropriate legal basis or legitimate purpose. Clear institutional responsibilities can help ensure that information is accessed only by authorised users and that exchanges can be reviewed when questions arise. Training for public officials will also be important because effective data protection depends on how systems are used, not only on the technology itself. Stakeholders must consider how to explain the purpose of the National Data Exchange and how it will protect people’s information. A trustworthy digital government system should make public services easier to access while maintaining clear standards for privacy, security and accountability.

The workshop also aims to establish an implementation roadmap for the X-Road pilot. A roadmap can help translate discussions and assessments into a sequence of practical actions, with clear responsibilities and priorities. It may need to address technical preparation, institutional participation, system integration, staff training, governance arrangements and the evaluation of pilot results. Setting realistic milestones can help participating ministries understand what is expected of them and identify the resources needed to move forward. The roadmap will also need to account for the readiness gaps identified during the workshop and determine how those gaps can be addressed. Its value will depend on whether the resulting plan is practical, adequately supported and guided by measurable objectives.

The potential benefits of secure government data sharing extend beyond technical improvements. Better coordination can help public institutions reduce duplicated administrative work, improve the consistency of information and respond more efficiently to requests for services. For Basotho, these improvements could eventually mean fewer unnecessary administrative steps and more coordinated access to eligible public services. Government employees could also benefit from clearer processes for obtaining authorised information needed to perform their duties. However, these benefits are not automatic and will depend on effective implementation, reliable systems and appropriate institutional cooperation. The pilot planning process is therefore an important stage in determining where the National Data Exchange can deliver meaningful improvements and what needs to be in place before wider adoption is considered.

The partnership between MICSTI and UNICEF Lesotho brings together government responsibility for information and communications technology with a focus on the rights and well-being of children. Their collaboration creates an opportunity to examine digital government development through both technical and social perspectives. A system may function correctly from a technical standpoint but still require improvements if its use does not adequately protect privacy or meet the needs of vulnerable groups. By bringing key stakeholders together, the workshop can help ensure that decisions about data exchange reflect the practical realities of public service delivery and the safeguards needed for responsible information use. Continued cooperation among ministries, technical teams and child-focused stakeholders will be important as Lesotho considers the next steps for the pilot.

The four-day X-Road Pilot Planning, Readiness and Use Case Identification Workshop in Berea represents an important planning opportunity for Lesotho’s digital transformation efforts. By assessing ministry readiness, identifying priority use cases and developing an implementation roadmap, the initiative aims to lay the groundwork for more secure and coordinated information exchange across government institutions. Its focus on child-focused services highlights the potential for digital systems to support better access to essential services when they are designed around real needs. Equally important, the emphasis on data protection and child rights recognises that public trust and responsible information management must guide technological progress. The workshop’s long-term value will depend on how its recommendations are implemented, how participating institutions address identified challenges and whether the resulting system delivers practical benefits for children and communities across Lesotho.