15 March 2021

When we launched our draft Digital Service Standards back in October we were looking for input to create a set of standards that will improve public services for the people of Wales. Digital Service Standards are a set of measures anyone can follow to make sure that the needs of the user are always at the centre of the way services are designed and delivered. Checking in regularly against an agreed set of standards can provide focus, pace and challenge.

This first stage was to work with service users and those delivering services in Wales to create the standards. It was great to get feedback from our webinars, meetings and conversations and we had a really positive response to the approach, the standards themselves and the opportunities they might bring to support the delivery of better public services. Following feedback, we published our beta standards in November.

Since then, we’ve continued to work with organisations in Wales with an interest in adopting the standards and really think about what we need to do to take the next step and embed them in ways of working.

The next steps

We’re already working with our expert squad teams to trail new ways of working based on the standards and we’re focusing on four main areas:

  • understanding any challenges, the public sector might face in meeting the Standards and what support they need – this includes gathering insight from the teams that are already working with the Centre but also speaking to other teams that are looking at how they can improve their services. We want to understand what skills are already available in organisations to help them start the journey, what changes might be required to better align service ownership and what capabilities can be developed and shared to create common and streamlined user experiences
  • developing an approach to allow organisations to demonstrate they can meet the Standards and consider how this could be adopted – as well as speaking to people, teams and stakeholders in Wales we’re also speaking to digital groups in other areas of the UK and further afield. We need to think about what motivates people to deliver better digital services and how we can use this to encourage people to adopt the standards and deliver better outcomes. We also need to think about what not meeting the standard look likes and the options to support organisations when this happens
  • creating a playbook for organisations who want to adopt the Service Standards – we want to expand on the themes in the standards so teams have a practical understanding of what good looks like and how they can demonstrate they are doing the right thing. We recognise the standards will need to evolve to meet the needs of the teams that use them. We need to think about how we can continue to work collaboratively to iterate them based on changing needs and ongoing learning
  • creating a community of interest to share learning and discuss ideas – we want to share good practice and discuss the opportunities and potential pitfalls so we can spread the word and improve the pace and standard of digital delivery in Wales. We want to create a community that shares ideas, can come together to learn and also challenge thinking in a safe environment

Get involved

This is where you come in. If you’re part of delivering public services in Wales and are interested in being part of this community we’d like to hear from you. Our plan is to set up a community where people can come together, learn and share. We’re planning on the holding the first session in this spring. If you’d like to be involved, please let us know by getting in touch via info@digitalpublicservices.gov.wales