Post by Gareth, Registration Lead, Welsh Revenue Authority
In April 2026, our visitor accommodation registration service went through a Digital Service Assessment. It was carried out by Digital Public Services Wales (DPSW), who checked how we’re performing against the 12 points of the Digital Service Standard for Wales. Here’s what we found out.
Darllenwch y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
What is a Digital Service Assessment?
A Digital Service Assessment is a structured review of a digital service. It looks at how well a team understands the needs of its users, how the service is designed, and whether it’s accessible, bilingual and sustainable. The assessment is developmental – it’s about learning and improving, not passing or failing. It gave us the chance to showcase our work and think about how to improve.
What went well
The assessment panel highlighted several strengths, including the maturity of the team and how well we all work together.
They were encouraged by how user research has become embedded across the team and is not restricted to just 1 role or profession. Through user research and stakeholder engagement we’ve spoken with over 600 accommodation providers across Wales, from small B&Bs to large holiday parks. By engaging openly, being transparent and listening to feedback, we’ve been able to design a service that reflects the needs of a diverse industry.
The panel also noted our joined-up approach to service design, thinking carefully about not just the online service but also offline routes for those who need extra help. They recognised that we’re aware of the pressures already facing the sector, and we’ve worked hard to think about the real-world impact of our decisions and reduce the administrative burden of registration.
Our commitment to ‘working in the open’ was highlighted as a strength – particularly through blogs, webinars, sprint reviews and engagement with wider communities of practice.
The panel felt our approaches were worth sharing with other organisations. We’re proud of that and we’re keen to share what we’ve learned, not just to improve our own service, but to help other public sector teams facing similar challenges.
Jemima Monteith-Thomas, Head of Product, Delivery and Digital Service Standards at Digital Public Services Wales, Welsh Government, said:
“One of our goals for service assessments is to find and share best practice across Wales and the way the team have approached this work has given us a great opportunity to do this.
“The team are working in the way the Digital Service Standards for Wales outlines really effectively, and have a clear plan for focusing on the areas where they recognise that improvements can be made.”
Where we need to improve
The main area for improvement is bilingual design. We design the service in Welsh and English, but we know we can go further. It’s important that we do not design in English and translate to Welsh – we need to design in both languages from the outset, so Welsh speakers have the same experience as English speakers. We’re thinking about how to embed Welsh language capability into the team and build more confidence and expertise in this area.
The panel also recommended we formalise our approach to ‘unhappy paths’ – the journeys users take when something goes wrong or their situation is more complex. And they suggested we do more direct testing with users who have additional access needs. Both are priorities.
What comes next
The 12 points of the Digital Service Standard for Wales have become more than just an assessment framework for us. They help shape conversations, priorities and decisions across the team at every stage.
We’ll use the findings from the assessment to inform our priorities as we move towards registration opening in October 2026. We’ll continue to test and improve, strengthen our bilingual capability, and make sure the service works for everyone.
We’ll also be looking at how we can hear more from the team – not just from me as service owner. Watch this space.
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If you have questions or would like to take part in research, email us at wracommunications@wra.gov.wales.
Please note: everything we share is work in progress and may change as we continue to develop the service.
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