CGI has partnered with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) since 2014 to support critical citizen-facing services, including theory testing, commercial vehicle, practical driving test and MOT services. Since 2019, CGI has helped DVSA strengthen its enterprise use of Microsoft Dynamics across live operations, delivery and assurance functions. Through a standardised Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) framework, CGI improved deployment predictability, reduced operational risk, strengthened governance and increased consistency across Dynamics services. The partnership has helped DVSA build a more scalable, resilient and sustainable approach to service delivery aligned to Government Digital Service (GDS) standards and long-term road safety objectives.

Client challenge: Maturing Dynamics for critical public services

DVSA is the UK government agency responsible for road safety. It’s services are public-facing, operationally important and closely linked to citizen trust. Its technology choices must support live service resilience, value for money and DVSA’s road safety remit.

DVSA had made a strategic investment in Microsoft Dynamics. The challenge was to support that choice and help DVSA mature how Dynamics was designed, assured, deployed and operated. This needed to happen in live environments and across services at various stages of maturity. DVSA needed a partner that understood both the technology and the operational realities of public service delivery. The organisation also needed honest, technology-agnostic guidance on where Dynamics was the right fit – and where another approach would better support service outcomes.

CGI had built a relationship of trust with DVSA since 2014, supporting critical services across multiple programmes and operational environments. CGI understood both Microsoft Dynamics and the operational realities of public service delivery, bringing together Dynamics engineers, application support specialists and consulting expertise. The team also provided technology-agnostic guidance, helping DVSA make informed decisions about the right approach for each service and operational context.

Benefits and outcomes: Delivering lasting value

CGI helped DVSA maximise the value of Microsoft Dynamics as an enterprise platform, delivering stronger governance, greater operational resilience and more predictable service delivery across live public services. By establishing consistent assurance, deployment and support practices across multiple service areas, DVSA improved deployment success rates, reduced operational risk and strengthened confidence in production releases. This provided greater control of technology change while enhancing the stability and resilience of citizen-facing services. Beyond platform delivery, CGI acted as a trusted strategic partner, helping DVSA make informed technology decisions that balanced business outcomes, risk, cost and long-term sustainability.

The value went beyond a platform. We invested in frameworks, services, graduates and specialist capability. These served to help DVSA build confidence in their technology choice – creating a stronger foundation for future change. Most importantly, CGI remained committed to the success of the service throughout the engagement. Our team worked alongside DVSA, bringing an understanding of the public service context and the critical importance of road safety. Together, the result was a more joined-up way of working that helped DVSA modernise with greater confidence, stronger control, alongside a partner who delivered what they said they would.

Solution: Designing and supporting together

CGI has worked with DVSA since 2014 building a relationship of trust through the delivery of several services and workstreams. Our work has included the support and assurance of Microsoft Dynamics services delivered across multiple programmes and operational environments, including the Theory Test Service that became our first Dynamics engagement with DVSA in 2019.

What began as operational support for a critical national service has developed into a broader partnership spanning live operations, solution delivery, architecture assurance and enterprise governance. The work supported the live environment and helped modernise how the wider portfolio was run. The approach was to embed within the service and build capability with DVSA. The team brought together Dynamics engineers, application support specialists and consulting expertise. This helped CGI remain close to operational realities as well as delivery plans.

Across Theory Test Services (TTS), Customer Complaint Management Service (CMMS), Enforcement Management Service (EMS) and the Driver Services Platform (DSP), CGI has helped DVSA establish a more scalable and sustainable approach to Dynamics delivery.

Together, we have improved how services are governed, deployed, supported and aligned to Government Digital Service (GDS) standards.

Through the Theory Test Service and later Commercial Vehicle Service work in 2021, we gained a wider view of DVSA’s Dynamics journey. The team could see where services were maturing differently and where standardisation would help DVSA move with greater confidence. At the centre of this work was CGI’s Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) framework, a standardised delivery and operational approach that improved deployment predictability, reduced operational risk, accelerated delivery and lowered support costs across DVSA's Dynamics services. The team also supported data retention and observability for Dynamics applications. This gave DVSA better visibility and control across its estate. The framework became the foundation for a more consistent, scalable and sustainable approach to Dynamics delivery across the organisation.

CGI’s strategic assurance across DVSA’s Dynamics services helped the organisation make informed technology decisions based on operational needs, delivery complexity and long-term sustainability. Drawing on hands-on experience across live services, we advised where low-code, pro-code or alternative approaches were best suited to support service outcomes. This technology-agnostic guidance helped DVSA reduce delivery risk, strengthen governance and apply the right approach for each service and operational context.

Outcomes

The framework became the foundation for a more consistent, scalable and sustainable approach to Dynamics delivery across the organisation.

The work created a stronger foundation for future change and helped DVSA modernise, while CGI remained committed to the success of the service throughout the engagement.

Together, the result was a more joined-up way of working across DVSA and CGI.

Discover how CGI can help government organisations modernise critical services and build sustainable digital capabilities by visiting www.cgi.com/uk/en-gb/central-government

Visit us at enquiries@cgi.com to find out more.

“Our investment in Microsoft Dynamics is central to DVSA’s digital transformation ambitions. CGI has played an important role in helping us realise the value of that investment, supporting delivery across multiple workstreams while providing assurance, governance and operational expertise. Their collaborative approach has helped us establish a more consistent and predictable delivery model, and they have become a trusted partner in driving successful outcomes for the organisation.”

Alexander Fiddes Head of Digital Operations, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency