What are the essential skills and competencies for a GDS service manager?

2 Agile and lean methods

As a service manager, you need to adopt agile and lean methods to deliver your service in an iterative and responsive way. You also need to foster a culture of collaboration, feedback, and continuous improvement within your team and with your stakeholders. You should be able to apply agile principles and practices, such as Scrum, Kanban, or XP, use tools such as Trello or Jira to manage your backlog and sprints, and facilitate agile ceremonies such as stand-ups, retrospectives, and show-and-tells.

3 Digital technology and data

As a service manager, you need to have a good understanding of the digital technology and data that underpin your service. You also need to ensure that your service is secure, reliable, and scalable, and that it complies with the relevant policies and standards. You should be able to work with technical experts, such as developers, architects, and security specialists, to define and monitor the technical requirements and performance of your service, and use data and analytics to measure and improve your outcomes.

4 Leadership and communication

As a service manager, you need to have strong leadership and communication skills to inspire and motivate your team, manage your resources and risks, and align your vision and goals with your stakeholders. You also need to be able to communicate effectively with different audiences, such as users, senior managers, policy makers, and other service teams. You should be able to articulate the value proposition and benefits of your service, present your progress and achievements, and negotiate and influence decisions.

5 Governance and assurance

As a service manager, you need to have a clear understanding of the governance and assurance processes that apply to your service, such as the Digital Service Standard assessment, the spend control process, and the service lifecycle stages. You also need to be able to prepare and submit the required evidence and documentation, and engage with the assessors and reviewers in a constructive and transparent way. You should be able to demonstrate how your service meets the criteria and principles of the Digital Service Standard, and how you address any feedback or recommendations.

6 Learning and development

As a service manager, you need to have a growth mindset and a commitment to learning and development, both for yourself and your team. You also need to be aware of your strengths and areas for improvement, and seek feedback and support from others. You should be able to identify and pursue opportunities for learning and development, such as training courses, mentoring, coaching, or peer networks, and share your knowledge and experience with others.