UK Folds Under Pressure, Scraps Digital Services Framework

The U.K.’s Digital Services framework will soon be no more. In his June update released last week, program director Tony Singleton wrote that the third iteration of the digital commercial framework will be so distinct from its predecessors, it will be a completely new framework.

Government Digital Service (GDS) alluded to a revamped program back in February, when Singleton noted, “there’s a great deal that needs to be done to put the Digital Services framework right.” It appears GDS decided the best approach was to build a new program from the ground up.

Initially, the framework was designed to aid small businesses in gaining better access to the public sector while also pushing the public sector into a digital-first mentality. It wasn’t a total failure – the program was able to encourage small business to take part, and earlier this year, GDS announced SMEs made up 84 percent of participating suppliers. The public sector, however, wasn’t spending. Total invoiced spend totaled just $7.5 million, a fraction of the $45 million projected for the framework’s first nine months.

Headlines such as, “Is the Digital Services Framework making agile procurement difficult?” soon appeared. Clearleft, an agile development services supplier interviewed by Computer Weekly, said they were forced to exit the framework after very specific requirements restricted their ability to bid for work. Suppliers using the system also voiced concerns that the framework’s design made it difficult for them to display their company’s full offering. Instead, it presented individual capabilities — a process suppliers called body shopping.

“It has become clear from user research that Digital Services needs to be completely redesigned to the extent that it will essentially be a new framework,” Singleton wrote last week. “We’re even considering giving it a new name that more accurately reflects its purpose.” To address suppliers’ concerns of the framework’s individualistic approach, the overhauled program will reportedly allow buyers to work with a team of suppliers to deliver the desired outcome. The re-launch will even provide access to research labs or participants if needed.

Singleton also laid rumors of a G-Cloud/Digital Services merger to rest. The as-yet-unnamed framework will continue to operate separately from G-Cloud, and he maintained that Digital Services is not a good fit for the commodity-focused G-Cloud umbrella. The former addresses different needs, procurement processes and user needs. Singleton believes blending the two frameworks would place an undue burden on SMEs.

G-Cloud has faced its own issues recently. One cause for concern are tumultuous updates, and Singleton addressed this in his latest blog post, revealing the current incarnation of G-Cloud will be extended for six months beyond the original expiration date of May 22, 2015.

Suppliers are cautiously optimistic about the forthcoming changes according to Computer Weekly. One supplier, DXW, told the publication they would need proof of change. “Digital Services 3[…] sounds a lot like a framework that will never be,” the company’s managing director told the publication. He noted there were positive aspects, including the period of supplier consultation prior to the final framework, but he also worried about the lack of details currently made public. “As ever, the devil is in the details,” he continued. “At a high level this sounds like exactly the right approach, but the little things can make or break these processes. There’s not yet enough detail on the framework or call-off selection processes to know if they’ll be better.”

Including user feedback is important to the re-launch of Digital Services. A period of pre-market engagement is planned for this summer in advance of the final unveiling—currently planned for August. The current iteration of Digital Services is will expire that same month. The unnamed next generation framework will be implemented in January 2016. Singleton and GDS are taking the user research-focused approach very seriously. Interested parties are invited to participate.