Digital Service Standards

<h1 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:32px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73); font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><span style='font-size:28px; font-weight:400;'>Our Digital Service Standards.  </span><br /></h1><div style='box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(109, 118, 128); font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size:16px;'><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We work in multidisciplinary teams. </h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To have teams that can design, build and implement the service, led by a senior service manager. </p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>A multidisciplinary team provides help with the following aspects:</p><ul><li>Building the service self-sufficiently, with no external dependency</li><li>Constantly improving based on the needs of the users</li><li>Taking decisions quickly</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We start with user needs</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To develop greater knowledge about who uses the service and what that means for designing the service.</p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>This is fundamental for building a service with the following characteristics:</p><ul><li>It helps users do what they need to do easily</li><li>It is based on actual needs of real users, not assumptions</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We use agile methods; we build iterations</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To build the service using agile iterative methods based on the end users.</p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>These methods help build services with the following characteristics:</p><ul><li>They meet the needs of users</li><li>They are simple and convenient to use</li><li>They can easily adapt to technological or government changes</li><li>They constantly improve</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We reduce the burden on the public</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To use information already held by the public authorities:</p><ul><li>To build interoperability with other public authorities to avoid asking the public to provide the same documents more than once</li><li>To avoid unnecessary documentation</li><li>To ensure there is consent for the use of personal documents</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We use open code and open standards</h3><ul><li>To use open code whenever possible</li><li>To use open standards whenever possible</li><li>To make all new code open and re-usable, and publish it with the proper licenses</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We understand security, privacy and ethical issues</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To assess which user data and which user information the service will provide or store and tackle the following issues:</p><ul><li>Level of security</li><li>Legal responsibilities</li><li>Privacy aspects and risks</li></ul><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>Users will not use the service if the following guarantees are not provided:</p><ul><li>Confidentiality</li><li>Access to their information whenever they need it</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We design a plan for service downtime</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>Users will expect the service to be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.</p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49);'>A plan must be in place for when services are temporarily offline. The effects of that on users must be understood and there must be ways to restore the service.</p><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We ensure excellent visual design and accessibility</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49);'>To build a service that is coherent with the user experience based on the visual design and accessibility guidelines.</p><ul><li>Time should be saved by re-using repeatable templates, enabling a focus on the unique parts of each service</li><li>Templates and styles based on user studies should be used</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We have a plan for people who need digital support</h3><ul><li>To help people develop their digital skills</li><li>To offer digital support to those who cannot use digital services on their own</li><li>When providing a basic service, to ensure it adapts to people with no digital devices</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We constantly assess the user experience</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To implement a plan to assess and test the user experience, in order to improve the service based on feedback.</p><ul><li>To check that the service helps users do what they have to do</li><li>To continue improving the service based on their needs</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We assess the tools, systems and services</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To assess the tools and systems used and ensure the following:</p><ul><li>The technology principles code is followed and the associated technical risks are understood</li><li>The tools, systems and services can be procured sustainably, while guaranteeing vendor independence</li><li>The services follow ethical data use principles</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We re-use what exists already</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>Whenever possible, services should try to re-use existing infrastructure and shared features to achieve the following:</p><ul><li>To create a coherent service experience</li><li>To save time and resources when building features that already exist</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We implement a maintenance and support plan</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To have a plan for minimizing service downtime in the event of an incident.</p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To identify the basic components of the service that should be monitored.</p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To use key measures for ongoing service improvement.</p><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We measure and report on service Performance</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To gather and present indicator scores in a coherent, structured, understandable and accessible manner for the public.</p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>To use operation and performance indicators to constantly improve the service:</p><ul><li>Learning about its strengths and weaknesses</li><li>Using the data as a basis for the desired improvements</li></ul><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We have a plan for doing it all online</h3><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>The digital services must allow the public to upload, sign and check their documents.</p><p style='box-sizing:border-box; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:20px; padding:0px; color:rgb(49, 49, 49); font-size:17px;'>If the public cannot provide documents digitally, the Data and Information Management Team must provide an alternative document digitalization service</p><h3 style='box-sizing:border-box; margin:0px 0px 20px; font-size:24px; color:rgb(62, 67, 73);'>We manage change</h3><ul><li>To facilitate a transition between the current non-digital service and the new digital service.</li><li>When a digital service is replaced, to have a transition plan for switching from the old service to the new service.</li><li>To migrate existing data and documents to the new digital service formats.</li><li>To avoid any interruptions when the public access the service and ensure there is a plan to encourage use of the new service.</li></ul></div>