4.31 The challenges faced since 2012 provide lessons for how GDS develops its plans for Verify and other central services:
• Establishing a clear case
Verify presents an opportunity to improve the way that personal data is used across government enabling better use of data between departments and wider government, based on a single secure view of identity. But the current business case is based on reducing duplication or simplifying the way new services are developed.
• The importance of adequate early analysis or 'discovery'
Our review shows that GDS could have done more to understand the existing landscape of department services to support their early work on identity assurance for individuals. For example there was no full analysis of how existing services identified customers or analysis of the way in which customer data is held in existing services or how this might affect the user journey from Verify to completion of the service transaction. Such analysis may have provided more understanding about likely rate of take-up and the type of incentives required for departments to use Verify.
• Consideration of options
The Verify business case ruled out development of Government Gateway as an alternative to Verify, based on strategic, technical and contractual grounds saying that to change this service would involve 'disproportionate and duplicative investment'. Government Gateway currently hosts 138 live public sector services, and the Gateway is being improved. GDS has not reassessed the cost and security implications of an improved Gateway service.
• Assessment of options
GDS's estimate of savings is heavily dependent on avoided costs in departments. Estimates of avoided costs are high, based on rejected applications in spending controls. However, it is not clear that these are good benchmarks; rejected applications are likely to be high cost and savings may be due to traditional controls over spending rather than avoiding duplication through Verify.
4.32 GDS is now exploring ways to increase the use of Verify. For example, recognising that the current verification process is unnecessarily difficult for some services, GDS is considering ways to expand Verify to provide a lower level of assurance for services that do not need high levels of identity verification.
4.33 It is not yet clear whether Verify will be able to overcome the limitations that have prevented its widespread adoption across government, or whether attempts to expand in other ways will be successful in encouraging departments to adopt it. Take-up and cost projections remain optimistic and there will always be many services that do not use the current Verify service (for example, medical services with higher assurance requirements or businesses using tax services).