Export from Africa to the UK alpha reassessment
Report from the Export from Africa to the UK alpha reassessment on 10 March 2022
Service Standard reassessment report
Export from Africa to the UK
| From: | Central Digital & Data Office (CDDO) |
| Reassessment date: | 10/03/2022 |
| Stage: | Alpha |
| Result: | Met |
| Service provider: | FCDO |
Previous assessment reports
Service description
This service aims to solve the problem of supporting African businesses to understand:
- export opportunities to the UK
- programmes provided by the UK government and other organisations that support trade with and from developing nations
- the technicalities of exporting from Africa to the UK, such as preferential tariffs and regulations
If African businesses can’t find what they need in existing gov.uk pages and services, this service enables them to apply for tailored help through the Growth Gateway’s UK-Africa trade team.
Service users
This service is for African businesses seeking information and support to export to the UK.
1. Understand users and their needs
Decision
The service met point 1 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team has responded to the views of the last assessment, and expanded user research using a range of different methods. The team understands the context of their users particularly on language and internet connectivity
- common pain points have been documented and the team has taken steps to define these more clearly
- the team has now spoken with a range of business users and is able to comment on the differences of these users, and how they fit into their expected journey
- the team has considered other users of the service besides the main profile (for example, the CEO) and have looked at operations and sales team members as well. While the panel had suggested this could include admin staff, the team has evidence as to why they are not likely to use the service on behalf of their bosses
- the team has engaged a recruitment company to reach users who are completely unknown to them
Before the next assessment, the team needs to:
- ensure they keep the focus on people as users. While “African businesses” is a handy shorthand for business owners and the various types of professionals working for them, the real user is still the individual
- pay attention to secondary / internal users and their needs. The team should consider creating personas for this group, even though they are a secondary audience
- continue to explore the naming of the service, ensuring that the name actively reflects the transaction that a user is trying to achieve and that a user knows that this journey is to receive information, not actively export (on the prototype it includes references to Export from Africa to the UK)
- consider the overall actions that users are trying to take, and how this forms part of the wider journey, service, and roadmap in the future
2. Solve a whole problem for users
Decision
The service met point 2 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team has actively considered scope, and prioritised countries based on the feedback of the last assessment
- consideration has been made for segmenting users based on the type of business, rather than geography where differences can occur
- the team has mapped the other services and touch points and is aware of other trade based services across government
- the team is working in the open with other government organisations who have a similar remit and attempting to join up
- the team has considered different options, for example, GOV.UK content for parts of the user journey
Before the next assessment, the team needs to:
- consider the end-to-end service journey and process. A service is everything a user needs to do to achieve a goal. With this in mind, the team should consider how their scope may be a component part of the wider trade or export journey that crosses organisational boundaries, outside of FCDO
- demonstrate what bigger improvements across the journey may look like and develop a roadmap of incremental change, building on scope
- ensure that the task the user is completing is what they believe to be doing, and not what the government thinks or wants users to do
- consider and explore the root problem with users. The exporting process is complex, and it would be useful to consider the next steps a user will have to complete after they have contacted the trade team
- explore how the service would be scaled, and better understand the risks of high/low take-up of the service
5. Make sure everyone can use the service
Decision
The service met point 5 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the service owner is committed to ensuring the system is accessible and available to all users as part of its remit
- the team has conducted some accessibility testing with UK-based proxy users with a range of accessibility needs
- the team has responded to initial feedback on accessibility from proxy users
- the team has used GOV.UK design patterns, to ensure they are compliant with AA accessibility standards
- the team has utilised an accessibility audit
- rather than allowing users to report, and potentially overstate, digital level, the team has created alternative methods of assessment
- whilst the specific accessibility /digital inclusion challenges faced in different countries across Africa may be different to those in the UK, the team still need to consider those needs and are actively doing so
- the team has considered data usage in the service design, ensuring that if the users’ data is interrupted, they have not lost a long journey
Before the next assessment, the team needs to:
- find and test with independent users, those who will find the service on their own, with no signposting, no existing relationship, no explanation and introduction from an organisation
- identify what assisted digital support service users may require, and explore how this can be delivered
- use channels other than online surveys to access assisted digital users and/or users with accessibility requirements