Digitalisation of Blue Badge Application for Cold City Council, United Kingdom
Background & Context
Cold City Council is undertaking a wider digital transformation programme, aimed at modernising citizen-facing services in line with digital-by-default and accessibility principles. As part of this programme, the Blue Badge service has been identified as a priority for improvement due to increasing demand and service pressures.
The current service operates in a semi-digital state, where applicants can submit information online, but core back-office activities — including eligibility checks, evidence validation, decision-making, and applicant communication — remain largely manual and paper-driven. This fragmented delivery model has evolved over time and no longer reflects the Council’s strategic ambition to deliver efficient, inclusive, and user-centred services.
With rising application volumes and increasing expectations from citizens, the Council recognises the need to transition the Blue Badge service to a fully integrated end-to-end digital solution that supports both citizens and staff.
Problem Statement
The existing semi-digital Blue Badge application process is inefficient, resource-intensive, and inconsistent, leading to poor service outcomes and operational strain. The reliance on manual processing has resulted in:
If left unaddressed, the current operating model will continue to drive higher costs, poorer citizen experiences, and increased delivery risk, undermining the Council’s wider digital transformation objectives. Project Blue Badge has therefore been initiated to address these challenges by replacing the semi-digital model with a robust, scalable, and fully digital service.
Introducing Project Blue badge
At the discovery phase, the following Solution Options were considered
Option 1 – Do Nothing
Option 2 – Optimized Paper-Based Process
Option 3 – Semi-Digital (Manual Back Office)
Option 4 – Fully Digital Web Application (Preferred)
Option 5 – Wait for Future National Platform
Proposed Solution (Preferred Option)
A secure, end-to-end digital Blue Badge web application delivering a streamlined, accessible, and automated service
Core Business features:
Future Enhancements
What Success Looks Like
Success will be measured through service, operational, and people outcomes:
Role of the Business Analyst (By Project Phase)
Discovery & Initiation:
Requirements & Design
Build & Delivery
Test, Launch & Learn
