Delivery of the Digital Services Platform

WQ.212/2026

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER

BY DEPUTY A.F. CURTIS OF ST. CLEMENT
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 12TH OCTOBER 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2026

Question

"In relation to the Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 statement that "from 2025 and beyond, the delivery of the Digital Services Platform (the Platform) shall be built and designed following open design principles" (p. 65), will the Chief Minister advise how these principles have been adhered to, including –

1. whether any part of the Platform has been published as open-source;
2. what parts, if any, of the Platform have been developed using open-source technologies;
3. whether vendor independence' has been built into the platform from 2025, such as multi-cloud support of the platform or on-premises deployment;
4. whether  the  use  of  open  design  principles  has  supported  the  independent  procurement  and onboarding of multiple suppliers to develop the Platform; and
5. any specific examples from the Platform he considers showcase the best use of "open design principles"?"

Answer

1. whether any part of the Platform has been published as open-source:

When designing new features, Digital Services considers the solution that offers the best overall value, assessment of IT security risk and can be supported effectively within the Platform and local expertise, including the use of open-source technologies where appropriate.

Digital Services does not currently intend to publish publicly the Platform's source code and associated technical documentation; however, it is available for suppliers who are contracted with Government of Jersey for the Platform.

The approach reflects the current maturity of the Platform, level of cyber risk to Government of Jersey and the need to ensure appropriate governance, support and safeguards are in place. This is particularly important where our online services handle sensitive personal and tax information. Digital Services will keep this position under review as the Platform continues to mature.

2. what parts, if any, of the Platform have been developed using open-source technologies;

Several parts of the Platform use well-established open-source technology, including the tool used to build online forms and the technology used to build its web pages.

3. whether vendor independence' has been built into the platform from 2025, such as multi- cloud support of the platform or on-premises deployment;

The Platform is hosted on Microsoft Azure, the Government's current strategic cloud infrastructure service  provider.  This  means  it  follows  the  Government's  existing  technology  and  security standards and can be supported using current staff skills, licences and security arrangements.

Running the Platform across several cloud services or on Government-owned systems would need extra set-up and support. For Jersey, this would add cost and complexity without providing significant benefits.

The Government reduces reliance on any one supplier by using widely recognised technology standards, keeping control of how the Platform is set up, and storing important items - such as form designs - in formats that can be used with other suppliers.

4. whether the use of open design principles has supported the independent procurement and onboarding of multiple suppliers to develop the Platform;

The Platform has been set up so that different suppliers can work on it, rather than relying on the company that first built it. It is maintained by a local Jersey service provider, managed by the Government's Digital Services team, and is being further developed by other local Jersey digital suppliers working on digital projects, such as the replacement of Social Security systems and the new Pillar 2 digital tax system. All development teams follow the same Government standards and use the same shared building blocks. The Platform can also use specialist services from other digital providers, such as services that confirm a person's identity online.

5. Any specific examples from the Platform he considers showcase the best use of "open design principles"?

The following examples of open design principles' support the proposed Common Strategic Policy commitment to a leaner, less complex public sector:

• The new online Personal Income Tax return is built based on open-source design principles to provide digital forms and replacing forms previously supplied by a third party.

• Shared digital features – such as signing in, notifications and the citizen's profile – built once and reused across departments, including for Change of Name and broader Social Security functionality.

• A shared design library: one set of tested, accessible web page elements used by every service. Useful elements built for one service are reviewed and added, so other services can reuse them.