What is ‘good’ digital infrastructure? Measuring digital infrastructure to maximize development outcomes and mitigate risks

Do current measurement tools suffice in capturing the positive development impact of digital infrastructure and provide a lens through which to assess its potential downside risks? The inquiry focused primarily on payments, identity, and data exchange technologies—which together are commonly referred to as the “digital stack” and recognized as foundational components of any national digital transformation. Major findings include:

1. A fragmented universe of digital indicators makes for an uncertain and complex relationship between digital infrastructure and development outcomes.
2. Overemphasis on the scale of digital services obscures the complexities of the impact on people and markets.
3. Structural and intellectual constraints are mutually reinforcing and limit efforts to develop a more holistic measurement model for digital infrastructure.