- Maryna Veuthey
Intermediate
Does this course have any restrictions?
Event Organizer(s)
Description
As governments increase reliance on digital platforms and cloud services, digital sovereignty is defined by control—not intent. This course provides a practical framework to assess and strengthen national digital sovereignty across four enforceable layers.
It enables participants to understand digital sovereignty as an operational and governance concept, identify sovereignty risks in existing digital systems, and apply practical frameworks to strengthen control, trust, and national autonomy in the digital environment.
The course is designed for policymakers, regulators, and senior public-sector leaders seeking a clear, operational understanding of digital sovereignty. Through expert-led sessions, real-world examples, and a practical gap-mapping exercise, participants will identify sovereignty risks and define a phased roadmap aligned with national priorities and institutional capacity.
This course is designed for government officials, policymakers, regulators, and senior public-sector leaders responsible for digital policy, ICT governance, data protection, and national digital transformation.
Qualifications or experience needed to participate in this training course:
- This course is designed for participants with a general understanding of government operations, public policy, or ICT-related domains. No advanced technical background is required. Familiarity with national digital transformation initiatives, data governance, or public-sector ICT systems is beneficial.
Selection criteria:
- Priority will be given to government officials, regulators, and public-sector professionals involved in digital policy, ICT governance, data protection, or national digital infrastructure programs. Consideration may also be given to participants from developing and emerging economies engaged in strengthening national digital capacity and sovereignty.
Number of available places for the cohort:
70 accepted participants per cohort.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the core principles of digital sovereignty and distinguish it from related concepts such as data residency and digital independence.
- Identify structural risks and dependencies linked to foreign platforms, cloud services, and cross-border data flows, and assess their impact on national control and resilience.
- Evaluate national digital readiness by identifying gaps in data governance, digital identity, communication systems, and institutional oversight.
- Apply governance and policy approaches that support digital sovereignty, including regulatory tools and regional cooperation models.
- Develop a phased digital sovereignty roadmap aligned with national priorities, institutional capacity, and available resources.
- Instructor-led content and exercise to practice chapter content
- Forum to discuss chapter practice exercise
Zoom Session participation (Theory 3h and 1h Practice) : 50 %
Module quizzes and exercises : 35%
Forum : 15%
Total: 100%
A total score of 70% or higher is required to obtain the ITU certificate
Session 1 - Digital Sovereignty: From Concept to State Responsibility
Session Objective
Anchor digital sovereignty as an operational responsibility linked to national resilience, public trust, and continuity of services.
- Explain digital sovereignty as a governance and institutional control measure.
- Identify decision-making authority, accountability, and oversight mechanisms required for sovereignty.
- Distinguish between policy declarations and enforceable governance structures.
- Explain why sovereignty failures directly affect citizens and services
Session Activities:
- Introduction (10 min) – Digital sovereignty: from political narrative to governance reality.
- Governance Foundations (25 min) – Roles of state, regulators, operators, and providers.
- Decision Rights & Accountability (20 min) – Who decides, who operates, who audits.
- Case Discussion (20 min) – Governance models and failure points.
- Key Takeaways & Q&A (15 min)
Post Session Activities:
- Quiz
- Forum to discuss governance challenges and national examples
Session 2 – Identity and Data: The Foundations of Digital Sovereignty
Session Objective
Demonstrate how identity governance and data control underpin accountability, trust, and sovereign decision-making.
- Explain why sovereign identity is central to authority and accountability
- Identify risks of platform-based and anonymous identity models
- Apply basic data classification and lifecycle principles
- Assess identity–data governance gaps in existing systems
Session Activities:
- Introduction (15 min) – Identity as authority: platform identity vs government-issued identity. Why anonymity erodes trust in public systems.
- Data Governance Essentials (15 min) – Classification levels, access rights, data lifecycle. Why encryption alone is not enough.
- Identity–Data Linkage (15 min) – Who can access what, and why. AI reuse, shadow processing, and loss of control risks.
- Practical Exercise: Sovereignty Gap Analysis (25 min) – Assess one system across identity control, data classification, and access enforcement.
- Discussion & Key Takeaways (20 min) – Governance vs technical fixes. Institutional responsibility. Identity governs authority; data governance enforces sovereignty.
Post Session Activities:
- Quiz
- Forum to discuss national data control and residency practices
Session 3 – Infrastructure and Platforms: Governing Dependency and Control
Session Objective
Equip participants to evaluate infrastructure and platform choices through sovereignty and risk lenses.
- Compare infrastructure models based on sovereignty and jurisdiction
- Identify platform dependency and vendor lock-in risks
- Recognize contractual and architectural control levers
- Engage vendors with informed sovereignty requirements
Session Activities:
- Infrastructure as a Strategic Choice (15 min) – On-prem, sovereign cloud, and hybrid models. Jurisdictional exposure and control implications.
- Platform Dependency Risks (20 min) – Lock-in effects, legal access by third parties, and operational fragility.
- Governance Levers (15 min) – Procurement clauses, architectural decisions, and oversight mechanisms that preserve control.
- Practical Exercise: Dependency Mapping (25 min) – Identify external providers, critical dependencies, and risk concentration points.
- Group Reflection & Key Takeaways (15 min) – Where control is weakest, what can be governed today. Sovereignty is negotiated and designed; control is cumulative.
Post Session Activities:
- Quiz
- Forum to discuss identity and access control challenges
Session 4 – Sovereign AI: Governing Intelligence Without Losing Control
Session Objective
Enable participants to govern AI systems under national authority while preserving transparency, accountability, and public trust.
- Identify sovereignty risks introduced by AI systems
- Distinguish sovereign from non-sovereign AI deployment models
- Apply governance principles to AI data access and usage
- Evaluate AI use cases against accountability and control criteria
Session Activities:
- Why AI Changes the Sovereignty Equation (15 min) – Data ingestion at scale, model opacity, and external dependencies reshape control.
- What Makes AI “Sovereign” (20 min) – Data isolation, identity-bound usage, auditability, and effective oversight.
- Public Sector AI Use Cases (15 min) – Assistants, document analysis, and decision-support systems in regulated environments.
- Practical Exercise: Sovereign AI Governance Checklist (25 min) – Assess one AI use case across data sources, control, accountability, and oversight.
- Synthesis & Course Wrap-Up (15 min) – AI as a governance challenge, not an innovation blocker. From awareness to action, with clear institutional next steps.
Post Session Activities:
- Forum to discuss sovereignty roadmaps and lessons learned
Tutors
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
