About

About the Digital Scotland Service Manual (DSSM)

 The DSSM helps people deliver digital projects by collating products, including standards, guidance, tools, templates and repositories, in one place. 

To support people with implementing and adopting these products, the DSSM will enable access to expert advice, professional learning, common components and communities of practice. 

 Who the DSSM is for

 The DSSM is for those about to start or currently undertaking digital projects in the Scottish public sector, specifically those assessed under the Technology Assurance Framework (TAF). 

 Those outside of TAF can also make use of the DSSM, but access to all material cannot be guaranteed. 

Why the DSSM has been created 

Some of the challenges faced by people delivering digital projects in the public sector in Scotland include a lack of clear routes to get guidance, a lack of consistency in how people access products and services, and the fact that not everyone has a digital expert in their team. 

The DSSM aims to provide trusted, comprehensive guidance and advice to all public service bodies, enabling them to design, build and maintain high quality and cost-effective digital services. 

How the DSSM will be developed 

 Using the Digital Scotland Service Standard as a foundation, we are developing the first iteration of guidance for how government does digital across the end-to-end project lifecycle​.  

The DSSM will be iteratively developed, with new guidance content published regularly. We encourage you to contact us if you have feedback, questions or suggestions. 

 We're also exploring how to provide streamlined access to specialist knowledge and services​ in the Scottish Government. 

We will continue to work with stakeholders to iterate and improve the information we publish, ensuring the DSSM continues to support the delivery of effective digital solutions.