Learning Objective: Students should understand the potential of blockchain-based solutions to overcome the challenges in humanitarian assistance. Topics: - Introduction to blockchain - Blockchain for humanitarian cash transfer programmes - Blockchain for wider humanitarian purposes

1. Blockchain in the Public Sector
Topics in Distributed
Ledger Technology
h o s s e i n . b a h a r m a n d @ u i a . n oc i e m . u i a . n o @ H B a h a r m a n d
Blockchains for
Humanitarian Assistance
Hossein Baharmand
November 11th, 2019

2. Plan
02
03
04
01
What is it and how does it work?
Blockchain: Introduction
Why we might use it and why we might not?
Blockchain; Types and Advantages
Where can we use blockchain?
Blockchain for humanitarian SCs
TAKE AWAYS AND QUESTIONS

3. Blockchain:
Introduction

5. Bitcoin: Overview of System

6. Blockchain: Key Features
01 Distributed

7. Source: Baran, Paul, 1964, “On Distributed Communications: Introduction to Distributed Communications Networks”, United
States Air Force Project Rand
Centralized vs. Decentralized vs. Distributed

8. Blockchain: Key Features
01 Distributed
02 Chain of blocks

9. Blocks…

10. Blockchain: Key Features
01 Distributed
02 Chain of blocks
03 Immutability

11. Blockchain: Consensus

12. Types, Benefits
and
Opportunities

13. Blockchain Types and Examples

14. Blockchain Promises
01
Decentralized and
shared control
02 Immutability!
03
Assets-exchange without
physical intermediaries
04
05
Time and resource
savings
06
Trade in trustless environment
Transparent movements

15. Potential Use Cases
Use Case Description
Identity management Establishing and maintaining identities for citizens and residents (birth
certificates, marriage licenses, visas, death records).
Personal records Interoperable health records, insurance records, etc.
Land title registry Details and historic records related to real estate and property
transactions.
Inventory management Tracking an asset from its creation, transportation, purchase, and
inventorying.
Benefits, entitlements, and aid Social security, medical benefits payments, domestic and international aid.
Contract and vendor management Tracking and paying vendors, managing purchase commitments and
transactions, and monitoring schedule performance.
Voting Enabling new methods of digital voting, ensuring eligibility, accurate
counting, and auditing (e.g., to avoid ballot-rigging).
Streamlining interagency
processes
Blockchains and smart contracts can automate transaction handling and
improve information sharing.

16. The vision is a decentralized infrastructure that will enable more transparent,
more accountable forms of delivering aid, cutting inefficient governments and
middlemen out of the picture while retaining data privacy for beneficiaries.
Blockchain for Cash Transfer Programmes
B u i l d i n g B l o c k s – U N W F P O p e n L o o p C a s h Tr a n s f e r - I F R C U n b l o c k e d C a s h - O X FA M

17. Before vs. After

18. Example Architecture

19. Benefits Captured from Reports
01
Cost efficiency (UN WFP, IFRC,
OXFAM)
02
An additional layer of
security and integrity to CTP
(IFRC, OXFAM)
03
Transactions transparency
(IFRC) or reduced financial
leakage (OXFAM)
04
Time and resource savings (UN
WFP, IFRC, OXFAM)
05
Enhanced financial inclusion
(UN WFP, OXFAM)
06 Modernizing aid delivery (OXFAM)

20. Blockchain for
Humanitarian
Supply Chains

21. Potential Use Cases
Use Case Description
Identity management Establishing and maintaining identities for citizens and residents (birth
certificates, marriage licenses, visas, death records).
Personal records Interoperable health records, insurance records, etc.
Land title registry Details and historic records related to real estate and property
transactions.
Inventory management Tracking an asset from its creation, transportation, purchase, and
inventorying.
Benefits, entitlements, and aid Social security, medical benefits payments, domestic and international aid.
Contract and vendor management Tracking and paying vendors, managing purchase commitments and
transactions, and monitoring schedule performance.
Voting Enabling new methods of digital voting, ensuring eligibility, accurate
counting, and auditing (e.g., to avoid ballot-rigging).
Streamlining interagency
processes
Blockchains and smart contracts can automate transaction handling and
improve information sharing.

22. 23
Schematic illustration of humanitarian supply chains *
Baharmand, H., Salvadό, L. L., Comes, T., & Lauras, M. (2015). On the Literature Divergences of the Humanitarian Supply Chain.
In International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management in Mediterranean Countries

23. • Delivery delays
• Backlogs
• Product damage
Logistics Service Providers (LSPs)
24

24. 25
Humanitarian Supply Chains and LSPs

25. 26
Before vs. After

26. 27
Smart Contracts

27. Challenges & Barriers
01
Organizational
compatibility
01 Readiness
02Top management
support
01
Few assessment
models
28
Infrastructure
03 Financial slacks 03
04 Immutability
02
Complexity 03
Humanitarian-business
partnerships
Legislation02
Organizational
Technological
Environmental

28. 1. Blockchain-based smart contract facilitates partnership in a trustless environment,
such as ad-hoc collaborations in disasters. This concept is likely to transform the
current trust-based theories in the humanitarian literature.
2. Combining blockchain-based smart contracts with existing or emerging
information and communication technologies leads to more integrative practices
such as information sharing or coordination, improving supply chain performance.
This needs to be empirically validated.
3. Prioritizing barriers to adopting blockchain-based smart contracts can contribute
to more informed decision making regarding if and in which contexts to use
technology.
4. Concerns and issues related to the longer-term impact of technology in
humanitarian supply chains have to be also investigated through interdisciplinary
research.

29. TAKE AWAYS
h o s s e i n . b a h a r m a n d @ u i a . n o@ H B a h a r m a n d
Questions?
• Blockchain is a distributed ledger where
information is stored as blocks. it offers
transparency, immutability, and security.
• The difference between public and private
blockchains is basically who can join while
the difference between permissioned and
permissionless is about who can add or edit
data.
• The application areas can vary a lot from
identity management to insurance, etc.

30. References and more read
1. https://blockgeeks.com/guides/what-is-blockchain-technology/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain
3. https://blog.bigchaindb.com/three-blockchain-benefits-ae3a2a5ab102
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_currency
5. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/public-sector/articles/blockchain-opportunities-for-health-
care.html
6. https://medium.com/@VitalikButerin/the-meaning-of-decentralization-a0c92b76a274
7. https://bitsonblocks.net/2016/02/29/a-gentle-introduction-to-immutability-of-blockchains/
8. http://events.computer.org/rockstars-blockchain-healthcare/
9. https://www.wired.com/2017/02/moving-patient-data-messy-blockchain-help/
10.http://www.colleaga.org/sites/default/files/12-55-blockchain-based-approach-final.pdf
11.https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=9909dcea-daa0-4fac-8ffa-356d46a0d079