Who we are
The GovStack initiative is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Estonia, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Digital Impact Alliance.
The initiative actively seeks partnerships with governments, agencies, private sector organizations and the open source community.
Why we exist
GovStack aims to break down the barriers to building sustainable digital public infrastructure and help governments create human-centered digital services that empower individuals, improve well-being and build more inclusive and resilient societies.
In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development to achieve a better world by 2030.
Many of these goals rely on our ability to deliver services to people, and we know that digital technology can facilitate broader access.
The problem we solve
Governments struggle to achieve true digital transformation. Often, they reinvent the wheel when developing digital services. Instead of reusing existing tools and international best practices, they develop new products or rely on third parties to build a one-time solution.
The GovStack approach overcomes systematic challenges such as:
- Coordination: Problems in coordination commonly occur in aligning ICT ministry work with that of other agencies.
- The GovStack framework promotes a whole-of-government approach that makes coordination across agencies easier.
- Silos: Siloed investments and duplicative efforts by development partners promote fragmented digital governance and create silos.
- Using GovStack building block specifications to build solutions means each component can be adapted and reused, breaking down technology silos.
- Funding: Challenges in procuring and implementing affordable IT solutions persist, as do challenges in creating the necessary capital to invest in ICT infrastructure projects.
- Using the GovStack approach in place of building bespoke solutions saves time and money and extends the return on investment in digital projects.
- Scaling: Huge challenges exist in adapting and investing in projects at scale, particularly around the rollout of physical ICT infrastructure, and the deployment and use of common data platforms.
- With a focus on reusability and extendibility, GovStack building blocks are designed with scalability in mind.
Meet the Advisory Board
How we work
The graph depicts our current working structure. You can read more about each body below.

Frequently Asked Questions
Visit our FAQ page to learn more.