The Government Digital Service (GDS) has announced it will renew the Technology Code of Practice so that it remains practical, relevant and easier to apply.

The Code is a set of criteria to help government design, build and buy technology, that has supported public sector teams to make technology decisions since 2013. However GDS says it has not evolved with the changing landscape of modern technology and delivery.  

The  blueprint for modern digital government includes a requirement for a “radical consolidation of guidance and standards for digital and technology, retiring out-of-date and duplicative things, updating critical ones, streamlining the information teams need and making it easier for them to understand what to do”.

As a result, GDS is renewing the Code.

So far, the service has been carrying out user research with colleagues in digital and data professions across the public sector to understand how the Technology Code of Practice is being used today and where it could better support organisations from both a local and national perspective, delivering technology-enabled services.

Early results have found that while the principles remain widely recognised and valued, users want guidance that is easier to navigate and clearer about what's expected.

The initial focus has been on improving the content and making the purpose of each part of the Code clearer.  The homepage has been refreshed to give greater prominence to the principles and a more consistent layout has been introduced within the sections for user needs, technology architecture and lifecycle management.

GDS is now asking for more feedback from the public sector on how they use the Code and experiences around where criteria are difficult to apply and where further guidance would help. They are also looking for any practical examples and case studies that may help others.