The 14 criteria of the Digital Scotland Service Standard
The Digital Scotland Service Standard is a set of 14 criteria that all organisations delivering public services should work towards.
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1. Understand users and their needs
Develop a deep understanding of users and the problem you’re trying to solve for them.
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2. Solve a whole problem for users
Work towards creating a service that solves one whole problem for users, working across organisational boundaries where necessary.
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3. Design and deliver a joined-up experience
Create a service that meets users’ needs by using channels appropriately (online, phone, paper and face to face) and link to other services they might need.
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4. Help users succeed first time
Build a service that’s simple and intuitive. And test it with users to make sure it works for them.
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5. Make sure everyone can use the service
Provide a service that everyone can use. This includes disabled people and people who don’t have access to the internet or lack the skills or confidence to use it.
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6. Have a multidisciplinary team
Create a team of people with a diverse mix of skills and expertise that can create and operate the service in a sustainable way.
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7. Iterate and improve frequently
Create and improve the service using iterative, user-centred methods.
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8. Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy
Evaluate what data the service will be collecting storing and providing. Understand how government classifies that data, the organisation’s legal responsibilities, and security risks associated with the service.
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9. Define what success looks like and publish performance data
Identify how your service contributes to Scotland’s national outcomes, how you’ll measure and improve your service over time, and how you’ll share information for the benefit of future services.
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10. Choose the right tools and technology
Choose tools and technology that let you create a high quality service in a cost effective way. Minimise the cost of changing direction in future.
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11. Make new source code open
Make all new source code open and reusable, and publish it under appropriate licences. Or if this isn’t possible, provide a convincing explanation of why this can’t be done for specific subsets of the source code.
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12. Use and contribute to shared digital practices, processes, components, standards, patterns and platforms
Where possible, build on what’s already been done across government. Share your work publicly so others can benefit.
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13. Operate a reliable service
Minimise service downtime and have a plan to deal with it when it does happen.
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14. Ensure sponsor acceptance
Make sure the right people know what’s happening with the service, at the right level of detail (including, for example, the minister or chief executive).