Book an assessment
A service assessment measures a service against the 14 points of the GOV.UK Service Standard. It's a space for service teams to get expert advice from a panel of specialists.
All services need to have an assessment. Getting assessed is a condition of your Cabinet Office spend approval.
When to book
Service assessments happen at the end of alpha, private and public beta phases.
You should request a service assessment at least 5 weeks in advance so that the Service Assessment Plus team has time to arrange an assessor panel.
They're usually 4 hours long and take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays.
If you're in discovery, you should book a discovery peer review. This will help you to understand what the problem is, priorities and whether to move into alpha.
What to expect during an assessment
After you request an assessment
You'll receive an email with next steps, including how to share links to artefacts such as strategy documents, Lucid boards, design histories or slide decks.
You can share work in progress. This helps the panel understand what you've done so far.
One to 2 days before
The team will have a Teams call with the panel. This is a chance for everyone to meet and agree on what will happen during the assessment.
For larger projects, user research, design, and tech will also have pre-assessment calls with the relevant assessors.
On the day
Service assessments usually last 4 hours. Smaller services may need less time, and larger or more complex services may need more. You can discuss this with the Service Assessment Plus team when booking.
Someone from each discipline should attend. Other team members can join as silent observers.
The panel includes a user researcher, designer (content, interaction, or service design), tech assessor, and product or delivery manager. Large or complex services may also have an accessibility specialist.
There may also be silent observers from DfE or cross-government for learning and development.
During an assessment
Assessors review the team's work against the Service Standard in a proportionate way.
They will consider the context the team are working in and ask questions to help you explain what you did and how you've met the standard.
After the assessment
You'll receive a detailed report within 7 working days.
The report includes:
- an overall green, amber or red rating for the service
- a green, amber or red rating for each of the 14 points of the Service Standard
- feedback and any actions
See guidance on getting an service assessment report.