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Service Standard

We’re changing the way we do service assessments to support coronavirus related services

A person writing a COVID-19 services peer review discussion report on a laptop computer, on the screen a headline reads: 1. Understand users and their needs (Point 1)

In recent weeks, we have seen a surge in government activity needing services to be launched at very short notice. So we created a condensed version of service assessments to make sure services are still secure, resilient and accessible, focusing on the riskiest factors to launch.

How to run a remote service assessment

A laptop screen showing a remote service assessment taking place via video conference software with various people dialled in looking at a shared presentation headlined ‘How we fit into the service line’

The Standards Assurance Service Team at the Government Digital Service has adapted to running service assessments remotely. Here is our advice on how to make sure the remote service assessment works well.

Service assessments improvements: Understanding the Standard

An assessor forum: Two people sitting at a table with two documents in front of them reading “Solve a whole problem for users” and “We think there are four interlinked parts to point 2. By the end of alpha, your team should be able to explain…”; another person is sitting opposite of them in a hot chair, responding to their questions

This second of 3 posts on improvements to service assessments focusses on what we’re doing to make sure assessors and service teams have a consistent understanding of updated Service Standard. It introduces assessor forums and the ‘Private Beta’ for the Standard.

Service assessments improvements: fixing the basics

A person writing a service assessment report on their laptop; the top headline says: understand user needs

The service assessments service is one of the largest services that GDS offers to the rest of government. Leighton Mitchell and Sanjay Poyzer looked at the operational efficiency of the current process and fixing the basics before putting themselves in a position to measure efficiency and success in a meaningful way.