Plan and prioritise · Add-on
Prepare for a service assessment
Many public services are assessed against a service standard before moving phase. Prepare by doing the work well and showing it honestly.
About 2-5 daysChanges yearlyLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Delivery and executionCommunication and influence
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- Public sector service
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Check whether your service needs an assessment and which standard applies.
- Read the standard points and note your evidence for each.
- Book early with your assurance team.
- Prepare a short demo of the user journey, including what happens when things go wrong.
- Bring the team members who can answer questions.
- Act on the recommendations.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Map evidence against each standard point.
- Book and prepare the demo and team.
- Plan actions from the report.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Build standard evidence into normal work.
- Use the panel as peer review.
- Share lessons across teams.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Delivery Manager: Book and coordinate the assessment
- User Researcher: Present research evidence
Reviewed by: Delivery Manager
Tool examples
- Confluence
- Keep an evidence page per standard point.
- Google Docs
- Draft the service brief.
Definition of done
- Requirement checked
- Evidence mapped
- Assessment booked and prepared
Common pitfalls
- Over-preparing documents
- Showing only the happy path
- Leaving booking too late
If you lead the team
What good looks like: Teams prepare for service assessments by doing the work well all along, not by cramming.
Ask your PM
- Which parts of the service standard are we weakest on?
- When is our next assessment, and are we ready?
Warning signs
- Preparation starts a few weeks before the assessment.
- Evidence is created for the panel rather than for the work.