Guidance

Technology Code of Practice

Government organisations must follow these guidelines for how to design, build and buy technology.

Published 22 August 2016
Last updated 27 March 2019 — see all updates
From:
Government Digital Service

Documents

Technology Code of Practice

HTML

Government technology standards and guidance

HTML

Technology Code of Practice - ODT format

ODT, 63.1KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

Technology Code of Practice - PDF format

PDF, 282KB, 21 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email accessibleformats@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

The Technology Code of Practice is a set of criteria to help government design, build, buy and reuse technology. It’s used as:

  • a cross-government agreed standard in the spend control process
  • best practice guidance for all technology projects and programmes
  • part of the Local Digital Declaration for local authorities

The Technology Code of Practice was revised in 2017 based on user research and cross-government consultation and is constantly checked and iterated.

The previous versions can be viewed in the UK Government Web Archive:

Published 22 August 2016
Last updated 27 March 2019 + show all updates
  1. Update to the language of the main page and inclusion of the Local Digital Declaration.
  2. Changed the title of the page from 'Technology Code of Practice: related guidance' to 'Technology Code of Practice: collection of related topics'
  3. structure and language amendments
  4. Make the requirement for open code explicit in point 3, as well as implicit in point 9.
  5. Updated email address for GDS standards assurance team.
  6. First published.