Aware of the ongoing digital transformation and user needs, HRDKorea (Human Resources Development Service of Korea)partnered with the private sector to leverage industry-leading technology for the creation of the Mobile National Technical Qualification Service. The certificate layout was fully reconfigured to fit the smartphone environment and used blockchain technology to develop a service that now allows users to immediately access their certificates on their mobile phones. The previous model of our certification service caused unnecessary time waiting for service users and public resources expenditure.
Innovation Summary
Innovation Overview
Every year more than 3.5 million people apply for Korea’s National Technical Qualifications. Designed to represent an individual’s capacity as objectively as possible, they are integral to one’s career, academic degrees, pursuing a livelihood, and other important personal milestones. As the popular Korean expression “N-jabreo" (A person with "n" number of jobs) shows, ever more people are aspiring to create a business or an additional income channel by becoming certified with the National Technical Qualifications. Unfortunately, the previous model of our certification service designed for an offline/in-person environment caused unnecessary time and resources expenditure for HRDKorea and its service users. Each year the 700,000 or so successful test-takers had to spend time and money to personally visit our district offices to obtain paper certificates, or wait for the certificate to arrive by post (3-4 days, with costs for processing fees) . A 2019 report on the needs of our service users further showed there was demand for certificate formats other than paper.
Another issue with paper certificates are their vulnerability to illegal activities. Counterfeiting, forging, or loaning out certificates diminished public trust. Such bad faith activities had to be shut down to safeguard Korean citizens to have their capacities assessed fairly. In response to these phenomena and society’s demands, we decided to collaborate with private sector businesses with outstanding problem-solving capacity to find an innovative solution. The Mobile National Technical Qualifications Services initiative began at this point. As people spend more time on smartphones, this mobile environment became the setting for sharing happy and proud moments, maybe create an alternative persona, or build a personal network. We sought to move in step with this current trend and make the National Technical Qualifications Service accessible from the mobile phone. An MOU for innovating commonly used public services was signed in 2020 with two private sector operators of public-facing digital platforms that are the most intertwined with the lives of our citizens : Naver and Kakao. This kicked off the development phase of the Mobile National Technical Qualifications initiative.
Breaking away completely from its previous paper-based format, the certificate layout was fully reconfigured to fit the smartphone environment. HRDKorea’s Q-Net - national qualifications data aggregation platform - synced its qualifications holder database with Naver and Kakao who used blockchain technology to develop a service that allowed users to immediately access their certificates after an authentication step on their apps. In January of 2021 the Mobile National Technical Qualifications Service came online. Certificates were now accessible for use on-demand through either the Naver or KakaoTalk app without having to download a separate purpose-built application. Within the year of launch alone more than 2.3 million users accessed the Service, quickly establishing itself as a widely used public convenience service. We also implemented strategic collaboration projects to expand the use of Mobile National Technical Qualifications.
When Naver develops integrated services with a job search website, HRDKorea also provides data to this website. Therefore, even when jobseekers are filling out CVs on that website, they can enter the HRDKorea qualifications data which has been saved to Naver. Further, for KakaoTalk users certificates come with digital badges for their profile images. This makes it easy to represent or recognize credentials on the messenger, which contributes to having a business enabling environment on the platform. As such, the Mobile Technical Qualifications Service is not just an extension of the certification program, but is actually an augmented service that performs the added role of a bridge between individuals and the job market. Along with acting as a safer remote option of providing certificate issuing services during the pandemic, an annual cost reduction of KRW2.1 billion (approx. USD1.4 million) further helped operation efficiency. Cost and time burden upon the public has been almost completely removed while providing safer and more diverse application options. HRDKorea will use this experience to continue developing ways to make public services more convenient for users and to diversify the user experience through private sector collaborations.
Innovation Description
What Makes Your Project Innovative?
This is the first time a public agency tasked with operating national qualifications programs has developed a smartphone-based certificate for on-demand credentials checks. Access to public service is enhanced by leveraging high-penetration platforms for service delivery. HRDKorea selected Naver and Kakao as partners for the Mobile Technical Qualifications Service and provided them with access to its data. User convenience is significantly improved as no document scanning is needed, nor the downloading of a new app as the Service runs on either one of the two apps almost every Korean already has. Any citizen simply needs to follow an authentication step and they'll have their digital certificate in hand. Perhaps most importantly, the Mobile National Technical Qualifications Service has a modular design that fits into a wide range of other services. More than just a guarantee of qualifications, it is an active communicator of the person’s capacity when doing business or during job searches.
What is the current status of your innovation?
The Mobile National Technical Qualification Service needs to understand whether it currently meets the needs of its customers and consider areas where it can be expanded further. First, KakaoTalk exposes connected mobile certificates to personal profiles in the form of digital badges to exchange qualification information with or use them for talent donations and business activities. In addition, Naver automatically submits connected mobile certificate information to various job portal resumes, making it easier to fill out resumes. These services will prevent unfortunate cases in which job seekers fail in the hiring process due to incorrect qualification information on their resumes. HRDKorea will explore another area where we can leverage the infinite potential of The Mobile National Technical Qualification Service to enhance customer convenience.
Innovation Development
Collaborations & Partnerships
A service development MOU was signed with Korea’s 1st search engine (Naver) and messenger app (Kakao) for improving public services and ease-of-use. HRDK thus enlisted powerful tech solutions and talent from the private sector for its Mobile National Technical Qualifications Service to be delivered upon platforms most Koreans are already plugged into. Incorporating private sector resources for designing, developing, and launching the Service meant a timely delivery was practically guaranteed.
Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
The Service can be used by any qualification-holder, regardless of resident status. This free, on-demand solution works across devices, making credentials checks that much easier. The Korean government even recognizes this mobile certificate as legal ID for national qualifications tests and elections, removing the need for checking physical ID and greatly improving public service efficiency on all fronts.
Innovation Reflections
Results, Outcomes & Impacts
In 2021 – the launch year – more than 2.3 million people used the Service. About 700,000 people acquire National Technical Qualifications each year, so the initiative has established itself as a widely used public convenience service in a short period. It was selected as the 2021 Citizens’ Choice for Outstanding Government Innovation, and was invited to showcase at the K-Innovation Expo. Today, the government even allows its use as ID for national qualifications tests and elections.
This is the first time a public agency operating national certifications has developed a mobile-based certificate, thus leading digital innovation in public services, as evidenced by various peer organizations such as Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Korea Coast Guard, and G-TELP Committee of Korea following suit. The initiative also reduced costs by about USD1.4 million, while also strengthening public trust by preventing misplacing of paper certificates, or forgery and other illegal practices.
Challenges and Failures
The biggest issue the initiative sought to tackle was forgery, illegal borrowing of certificates, and personal data protection. A tech firm capable of delivering dependable, secure, and trusted solutions was needed. The government reviewed security practices of Naver and Kakao and chose them as partners. We utilized security consultation programs provided by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to enlist the aid of external experts to examine the security profile of the Service and conduct personal data impact assessment. Security features such as biometrics, holograms, and blockchain technology in the mobile certificate further prevented misplacement and illegal use. Naturally, there were gaps between the private and public sectors, including work practices and tech fluency. Though HRDKorea had comparatively limited resources, assigning complementary roles, and sharing knowledge, experience, and working realities helped close the gap and arrive at the successful innovation.
Conditions for Success
The first condition for the success of this innovation was the decision to utilize an established digital infrastructure which greatly reduced time and cost, allowing timely development of an essential public service. Despite HRDKorea being limited in resources, its accurate assessment of user needs enabled an effective public-private partnership. As a physical certificate is unwieldy and vulnerable to misuse, we decided to become the first to develop an innovative alternative. As a result, HRDKorea further strengthened its competitiveness by leveraging the capacity of the private sector to deliver public service at the level citizens are used to. The second condition for success was ease-of-use. The Service does not require its own app and runs on widely-adopted platforms –Naver, KakaoTalk –which bypasses the need to scan a physical ID for authentication when accessing the Service. If you are logged into Naver or KakaoTalk, basically you have access to your certificates.
Replication
What distinguishes the Mobile National Technical Qualifications Service is that it is not only the certificate’s digital twin, but also seamlessly and effectively communicates an individual’s qualifications and thus enables both doing business and job searches across major platforms. On KakaoTalk, the Service comes with a digital badge for the profile image which makes it easy to signal/assess qualifications while messaging, with additional features to enable volunteerism or entrepreneurship.
Through the Naver app, attaching certificates to CVs on job search websites has become quick and accurate, which precludes mistakes in entering qualifications so that you do not get passed over because of a typo. As such, the Mobile National Technical Qualifications Service has incredibly broad application potential which we will continue to develop to empower jobseekers while acting as a bridge connecting employers to skilled talent.
Lessons Learned
On the day of test outcomes, the lines for certificates at HRDKorea district offices stretched endlessly. This was perceived as a public health risk in the early days of the pandemic. The Mobile National Technical Qualifications Service may be considered a model case of rapid response by a public institution to potential social dangers. It also catalyzed a shift in the organization’s attitude towards change from wariness to confidence. Carrying around paper certificates or turning the home upside down to find it will all be stories of the past, as will visiting HRDKorea district offices to issue certificates or counting days until it arrives in the mail. This innovation taught us the value of public-private partnerships and how this holds opportunity for radical reimagining of how public services are delivered. HRDKorea will continue to diversify both its services and how they are delivered, while also searching for additional areas for innovation and digital transformation.
Project Pitch
Supporting Videos
Status:
- Implementation - making the innovation happen
- Evaluation - understanding whether the innovative initiative has delivered what was needed
Date Published:
23 November 2023