This framework categorises all digital and technology spend into five types:

• digital services

• platforms and common components

• commodity technology and licences

• specialist technology

• resourcing contracts

Each type includes questions on:

• cost

• value

• risk to users

• delivery team capability

• novelty of technology

• previous delivery quality

• political priority 

The questions are classified as high, medium or low risk and importance. You must answer every question. 

Your spend request will be given a high, medium or low risk and importance rating based on your highest rated answer. 

If you have any answers in the high category, your spend will be rated as high risk and importance. 

If you have no answers in the high category but one or more in the medium category, your spend will be rated as medium risk and importance.

If all your answers are in the low category, your spend will be rated as low risk and importance.

GDS will use this risk and importance rating to decide who carries out the assurance of your spend according to the earned autonomy policy.

1. A digital service

Building a service as outlined in the Service Manual. This includes all associated costs, such as a delivery partner and technology costs. For example, the get approval to spend service.

Question	Low	Medium	High
What is the expected whole life cost of development and operation?	less than £20 million	between £20 million and £50 million	more than £50 million
How many transactions does the service expect to handle each year?	less than 100,000 (or a non-transactional service)	between 100,000 and 1 million	more than 1 million
Is the service one of the ‘Top 75’ services published in the cross-government digital and data strategy, ‘Transforming for a Digital Future’?	No		Yes
Is the service primarily for users in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, risk of abuse or neglect?	No		Yes
A. Will the service be delivered primarily by an organisation outside of government? (if yes to A) B.  Has the Service Owner delivered to the service standard before?	A: No	A: Yes; B: Yes	A: Yes; B: No
Does your spend cover the application of an emerging technology not yet widely adopted in public services?	No		Yes
Does your spend cover the procurement or development of a product or service that will either: (i) use AI as a significant part of decision making, including making recommendations to the decision maker, or (ii) use AI that requires specific training with data to meet your use case, or (iii) have AI features that constitute a key reason or benefit for the spend?	No		Yes
How many “red” or “not met” service assessment outcomes has this service received?	0	1	more than 1
Has the service been subject to a Parliamentary hearing (for example Public Accounts Committee) in the past 3 years?	No		Yes
Is this service being built as an urgent response to a crisis?	No		Yes

2. Platforms and common components

The build, remediation or transformation of technology platforms or components, independent of a service. For example, a cloud platform, corporate network, cyber remediation programme or data insights programme.

Question	Low	Medium	High
What is the expected whole life cost of development and operation?	less than £20 million	between £20 million and £50 million	more than £50 million
Will the platform you are spending money on process more than one million transactions per year?	No		Yes
How many Government organisations will use the component?	1		more than 1
A. Will the service be delivered primarily by an organisation outside of government? (if yes to A) B.  Has the Service Owner delivered to the service standard before?	A: No	A: Yes; B: Yes	A: Yes; B: No
Does your spend cover the application of an emerging technology not yet widely adopted in public services?	No		Yes
Does your spend cover the procurement or development of a product or service that will either: (i) use AI as a significant part of decision making, including making recommendations to the decision maker, or (ii) use AI that requires specific training with data to meet your use case, or (iii) have AI features that constitute a key reason or benefit for the spend?	No		Yes
How many “red” or “not met” service assessment outcomes has this service received?	0	1	more than 1
Has the service been subject to a Parliamentary hearing (for example Public Accounts Committee) in the past 3 years?	No		Yes
Is this platform being built as an urgent response to a crisis?	No		Yes

3. Commodity technology and licences

Common software licences and technology that supports day to day business activity. For example, productivity licences, laptops or office hardware such as printers.

Question	Low	Medium	High
What is the value of the initial term of the contract?	less than Commercial Spend Control threshold (£20 million)	between Commercial Spend Control threshold (£20 million) and £100 million	more than £100 million or Delegated Authority Limit (DAL)
Does your spend cover the application of an emerging technology not yet widely adopted in public services?	No		Yes
Does your spend cover the procurement or development of a product or service that will either: (i) use AI as a significant part of decision making, including making recommendations to the decision maker, or (ii) use AI that requires specific training with data to meet your use case, or (iii) have AI features that constitute a key reason or benefit for the spend?	No		Yes
Is this a direct award, or extension outside of the terms of the original contract?	No		Yes
Is this technology being procured as an urgent response to a crisis?	No		Yes

4. Specialist technology

Specialist or bespoke technology, built to your specific requirements either from scratch or by modifying existing solutions. For example, supporting platforms or operational transport technology and frontline military technology.

Question	Low	Medium	High
What is the value of the initial term of the contract?	less than Commercial Spend Control threshold (£20 million)	between Commercial Spend Control threshold (£20 million) and £100 million	more than £100 million or Delegated Authority Limit (DAL)
Is the project on, or expected to be on, the Government Major Projects Portfolio?	No		Yes
Does your spend cover the application of an emerging technology not yet widely adopted in public services?	No		Yes
Does your spend cover the procurement or development of a product or service that will either: (i) use AI as a significant part of decision making, including making recommendations to the decision maker, or (ii) use AI that requires specific training with data to meet your use case, or (iii) have AI features that constitute a key reason or benefit for the spend?	No		Yes
Is this a direct award, or extension outside of the terms of the original contract?	No		Yes
What is the most recent IPA Rating if this is on the Government Major Projects Portfolio?	Green	Amber	Red

5. Resourcing contracts

This category of spend is specifically for procuring resources to support delivery across an organisation’s projects or services. For example, cyber security professionals.

Question	Low	Medium	High
What is the value of the resourcing contract?	less than £20 million	between £20 million and £50 million	more than £50 million
Is this either a ‘call-off’ to an existing contract or a new procurement via a CCS framework?	Yes		No
What is the duration of the contract, excluding extension options?	4 years or less	between 5 and 9 years	10 years or more