Architecture design governance and assurance
Responsibilities and decision-making
- Last reviewed
- 4 June 2026
- Owner
- Head of Architecture
The Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) or Service Owner (usually a Deputy Director) is accountable for all delivery within their service, programme, portfolio or division. They rely on the advice of subject matter experts in their multi-disciplinary teams, when taking ownership of important technical decisions and risks in their domain.
The Digital, Data, Technology (DDT) Senior Leadership Team are collectively accountable for strategic design decisions across the organisation, ensuring all cross-divisional or cross-functional impacts are considered. This decision-making is supported by specialists in professional communities.
Everyone is expected to comply with the digital, data and technolgy standards for DfE. Where this is not possible or not happening (an exemption), a group of specialists may be brought together to help guide the team. This can take various forms, but we typically call this a ‘design forum’. They would discuss and agree an appropriate course of action for the exemption.
In the unlikely event a consensus cannot be reached, escalation to the DDT Senior Leadership Team or DDT Design and Delivery Board may be required.