Digital

Technology Assurance Framework – what we learned from Digital Scotland Service Standard Assessments in 2024-25

September 11, 2025 by Stewart Hamilton No Comments | Category Digital Assurance Office, Digital Scotland

Guest blog by Laura Johnstone, Continuous Improvement team, Digital Assurance Office

In 2024-25, 22 Digital Scotland Service Standard (DSSS) assessments were carried out under the Technology Assurance Framework (TAF). The Digital Assurance Office, who administer the TAF, have analysed the outcomes from these assessments to identify common challenges and are sharing these to support others to deliver more successful projects. You can catch up on previous assurance insights on our blog.

DSSS assessments

The Digital Scotland Service Standard is a set of 14 criteria that all organisations delivering public services should work towards. In 2024-25 the Digital Assurance Office assessed compliance against the Standard. The criteria that were most challenging for service teams to meet in 2024-25 are described below alongside the most regular recommendations made for improvement.

Areas for improvement

Criterion 1: Understand users and their needs

• undertake appropriate impact assessments and planning (e.g. ethics plan, equality impact assessments)
• have in place a plan for testing
• involve a diverse range of users, including those with low digital confidence
• have a description of research activities and timelines
• understand how research becomes insight
• ensure up to date Data Protection Impact Assessments are in place

Criterion 5: Make sure everyone can use the service

• test the accessibility and inclusivity of the service by undertaking accessibility testing and accessibility audits
• prepare an accessibility statement which sets out compliance (and non compliance) with accessibility requirements and provides detail about plans to improve accessibility where relevant
• include diverse perspectives by engaging with a broad range of people
• ensure the service is inclusive
• use simple language

Criterion 6: Have a multidisciplinary team

• make sure the team has a resource plan identifying the right mix of skills to deliver the whole service, with options identified to meet those skills
• keep the resource plan up to date and plan for meeting the resource requirements for the next stage
• identify and document ways of working

Criterion 9: Define what success looks like and publish performance data

• understand what success for the service looks like with clear, measurable metrics to show whether success has been achieved and where possible a baseline to measure against
• define the approach to publishing data to help inform and improve future government services
• establish processes for ongoing performance monitoring
• clearly indicate how the service is meeting relevant NPF outcomes

Criterion 13: Operate a reliable service

• plan for major events
• ensure disaster recovery plans are complete
• define, measure and report on non functional requirements

Criterion 14: Ensure sponsor acceptance

• establish robust governance structures
• document risk management and decision making processes
• secure appropriate sponsor/ministerial sign off
• communicate clearly with stakeholders

18 of the 22 DSSS assessments in 2024-25 were for medium to high risk/cost services.  The criteria that were the most challenging for those service teams to meet included those set out above, as well as:

Criterion 11: Make new source code open

• put in place a plan for making software open source

To help others improve the delivery of digital projects, the Digital Assurance Office are sharing insights from assurance and working with organisations who have had assurance to share their experiences from delivery. If you want to get involved – or have thoughts on what insights would be helpful to share – contact us at DigitalAssurance@gov.scot.

We have shared insights and case studies via our blog and on Pathways. We have case studies with the Scottish Government, National Records of Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and Transport Scotland on how they matured their approach working with the Digital Standard. Have a look for tips from teams who have worked with the Standard.

The Scottish Digital Academy is the public sector centre of expertise for digital capability and can provide information, advice and guidance on developing digital, data and technology skills to support transformation.

They run two courses specifically on the Digital Scotland Service Standard:

Digital Scotland Service Standard Awareness – Scottish Digital Academy

Working towards the Standard – A deeper understanding of the Digital Scotland Service Standard – Scottish Digital Academy

For expert guidance on delivering a digital project visit the Digital Scotland Service Manual.

For further information and signposting to advice and support on programme and project management contact the Programme and Project Management Centre for Expertise.

The Scottish Government programme and project management principles are available and apply to any project of any size.

Tags: Digital Scotland Service Standard (DSSS), Scottish Digital Academy, Technology Assurance Framework

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