Risk and Importance Framework
Updated 27 March 2025
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听
The questions are classified as high, medium or low risk and importance. You must answer every question.听
Your spend request will be given a high, medium or low risk and importance rating based on your highest rated answer.听
If you have any answers in the high category, your spend will be rated as high risk and importance.听
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.听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 拢20 million | between 拢20 million and 拢50 million | more than 拢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 鈥楾op 75鈥 services published in the cross-government digital and data strategy, 鈥楾ransforming for a Digital Future鈥? | No | 听 | 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 | 听 | Yes |
A. Will the service be delivered primarily by an organisation outside of government? (if yes to A) B.听 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?听 | No | 听 | 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 | 听 | Yes |
How many 鈥渞ed鈥 or 鈥渘ot met鈥 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 | 听 | Yes |
Is this service being built as an urgent response to a crisis? | No | 听 | 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 拢20 million | between 拢20 million and 拢50 million | more than 拢50 million |
Will the platform you are spending money on process more than one million transactions per year? | No | 听 | Yes |
How many Government organisations will use the component? | 1 | 听 | more than 1 |
A. Will the service be delivered primarily by an organisation outside of government? (if yes to A) B.听 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 | 听 | 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 | 听 | Yes |
How many 鈥渞ed鈥 or 鈥渘ot met鈥 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 | 听 | Yes |
Is this platform being built as an urgent response to a crisis? | No | 听 | 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 (拢20 million) | between Commercial Spend Control threshold (拢20 million) and 拢100 million | more than 拢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 | 听 | 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 | 听 | Yes |
Is this a direct award, or extension outside of the terms of the original contract? | No | 听 | Yes |
Is this technology being procured as an urgent response to a crisis? | No | 听 | 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 (拢20 million) | between Commercial Spend Control threshold (拢20 million) and 拢100 million | more than 拢100 million or Delegated Authority Limit (DAL) |
Is the project on, or expected to be on, the Government Major Projects Portfolio? | No | 听 | Yes |
Does your spend cover the application of an emerging technology not yet widely adopted in public services? | No | 听 | 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 | 听 | Yes |
Is this a direct award, or extension outside of the terms of the original contract? | No | 听 | 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鈥檚 projects or services. For example, cyber security professionals.
Question | Low | Medium | High |
---|---|---|---|
What is the value of the resourcing contract? | less than 拢20 million | between 拢20 million and 拢50 million | more than 拢50 million |
Is this either a 鈥榗all-off鈥 to an existing contract or arrangement (e.g. extension) or a new procurement via a CCS framework? | Yes | No | 听 |
What is the duration of the contract, excluding extension options? | 4 years or less | between 5 and 9 years | 10 years or more |