DfE Target Architecture

From user journeys to architecture

• Part of: Architecture: work in progress collection
• Last reviewed: 23 June 2026
• Owner: Head of Architecture

Although services appear very different from a user perspective, many rely on similar underlying capabilities, including:

• common operational datasets
• shared business rules
• similar workflows and validations

Historically, these capabilities have often been implemented separately in different systems, which has led to duplication, inconsistent data and higher delivery costs.

The target architecture addresses this by introducing reusable engines that provide shared capabilities across services.

These engines separate user experience, business capabilities and operational data, so they can evolve independently and be reused across many services.