DELIVERY PHASES
Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live
An overview of the UK government digital delivery phases — what each stage aims to achieve, typical outputs, and how teams move from Discovery to Live.
UK government digital teams commonly organise work into four delivery phases. Each phase has a distinct purpose, expected outputs, and — for many services — an assessment against the Service Standard before moving on. The phases are not rigid waterfalls; agile teams run iterations within each phase, but the phase name signals what kind of learning the team is optimising for.
Read each phase guide for typical activities, what good looks like, common mistakes, and how the phase relates to the Double Diamond and Service Standard points.
Discovery
Understand the problem, users, and constraints before committing to a solution.
Outputs: User needs, problem definition, evidence, and a recommendation on whether to proceed.
Alpha
Test the riskiest assumptions with cheap prototypes before building the real service.
Outputs: A tested direction, validated assumptions, and a clear view of what to build or drop.
Beta
Build the real service and put it in front of real users, then iterate on live usage.
Outputs: A working service, performance data, support processes, and readiness for full launch.
Live
Run, support, and continuously improve the service in production.
Outputs: Ongoing measurement, iteration, incident response, and eventual retirement planning.
How these phases map to the Double Diamond →
Delivery phase guidance is published on GOV.UK. Content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. UCD Services is an independent resource.