Guidance

Rule 23: Design, procure and manage more sustainable digital programmes and projects

Updated 16 October 2023

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1. Rule requirement:

For more sustainable digital programmes and projects:

1.1 Follow guidance on buying sustainable products.

1.2 Carry out a sustainability appraisal to identify environmental, social, and economic risks and opportunities as early as possible in the project, including ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce resource consumption of hardware devices and software applications.

1.3 Develop requirements for environmental, social, and economic aspects of the procurement, including reducing carbon emissions.

1.4 Identify opportunities for digital capabilities to deliver wider sustainability benefits to the organisation.

1.5 Ensure the contract has appropriate Key Performance Indicators and targets for sustainability, and these are managed throughout the project.

1.6 Ensure continuous improvement of the service or capability is built into the contract, with incentives for suppliers to deliver more sustainable outcomes.

1.7 Regularly review and update the sustainability appraisal particularly before significant technological change, mid-life improvement or disposal/termination.

1.8 Demand regular service reports on meeting sustainability objectives in relevant Government and Defence strategies. This includes:

  • progress towards Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier.
  • adopting circular economy principles.
  • measures to improve supply chain resilience and transparency.

2. Rationale:

Creating, operating, and disposing of Information Communications Technology (ICT) uses energy and raw materials that are in short supply and can harm the biosphere, including human life.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) must comply with all relevant environmental legislation and regulations. It must also:

  • reduce overall resource consumption by ICT hardware and business applications.
  • enhance supply chain capacity and robustness.
  • improve climate resilience of digital capabilities and enabling infrastructure.
  • use digital to deliver sustainability benefits to MOD through robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, and remote working.
  • ensure MOD services and suppliers abide by relevant employment, human rights, and business laws.
  • create social value across communities in the UK and those it works with overseas.

3. Process overview:

3.1. Follow sustainable procurement guidance

Strategic business case

Projects must state that sustainable procurement guidance will be followed throughout development.

Outline business case

Projects must show that sustainable procurement guidance is being followed throughout the development.

Full business case

Projects must describe how sustainable procurement guidance has been implemented.

3.2. Carry out a sustainability appraisal

Strategic business case

Projects must state they will carry out an appraisal of significant environmental, social, and economic opportunities and risks identified by the capability sponsor.

Outline business case

Provide a summary of the opportunities and risks derived from the sustainability appraisal.

Full business case

Provide a detailed assessment of the sustainability risks and benefits to be delivered by the project.

3.3. Write sustainability requirements

Strategic business case

Projects identify key sustainability opportunities and risks.

Outline business case

Projects have developed clear sustainability requirements from the sustainability appraisal.

Full business case

Projects show they have included these sustainability requirements in commercial documents.

3.4. Identify ways for digital technology and services to improve sustainability across Defence

Strategic business case

Projects identify potential sustainability benefits from new ICT solutions.

Outline business case

Projects say how the organisation will be more sustainable from using new technology or services.

Full business case

Projects ensure they have a plan to measure sustainability benefits of the technology or service.

3.5. Set appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets.

Outline business case

Projects must identify possible sustainability KPIs and targets.

Full business case

Projects have relevant and proportionate sustainability KPIs and targets and say how these will be monitored and measured.

3.6. Continuous improvements in sustainability are built into the contract.

Outline business case

Projects identify opportunities for continuous improvement over the life of the contract.

Full business case

Projects say how continuous improvement will be managed over the life of the contract.

3.7. The sustainability appraisal is updated at suitable points throughout the project

Outline business case

Projects state the sustainability appraisal needs to be updated during the life of the contract.

Full business case

Projects shall identify when the sustainability appraisal will be updated over the life of the contract.

3.8. Suppliers provide regular sustainability reports

Outline business case

Projects will state the need for regular sustainability reporting on the delivered system or service throughout its life.

Full business case

Projects ensure that sustainability reporting will be included in contracts.

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