Blog post: Making it easier to change a species licence online

We've been working with the species licensing team to improve the service people use to make changes to their species licence.

We initially set out to replace the paper-based bird licence amendment form with an online service.

As we learned more about the existing process, we found six different forms for changing a species licence, many of which asked for similar information.

Starting with the problem

Users told us that species licensing was difficult to navigate. Information was spread across multiple pages, forms and guidance, making it hard to find what they needed.

When we mapped the service, we found:

6 different forms for changing a species licence
duplicated processes between forms
some changes required multiple forms
users being directed to different forms part way through a task

Users knew what they wanted to change, but not which form they needed to use or how to make the change.

Expanding the scope: one place to make licence changes

After understanding the issues users were experiencing, we agreed to expand the scope to create a single route for changing a species licence.

This meant simplifying the wider service rather than just replacing an existing paper form.

Supporting users before they start

We added a start page and new guidance to help users understand what they need before they apply.

This includes:

when to use this service
what information to prepare
who can be named on a licence

Let users make one change or many

People often need to make more than one change at a time. The paper form had different sections for different licence changes.

The new digital service guides users through each change and only shows the questions they need to answer. Users can add further changes as they go and submit multiple changes as part of the same application.

Only ask for information that matters

As we designed the digital service, we worked through each question with the species licensing team to understand what information was needed to assess a licence change request.

For example, users were asked for accreditation and membership information that was no longer used when processing requests, so those questions were removed.

Hide service complexity from users

Users should not need to understand how species licensing works behind the scenes to complete a simple task.

Users previously needed to understand charging categories to work out whether a charge applied.

The new digital service uses information provided by users to tell them whether a charge applies or whether they may qualify for a waiver.

What we learned

This project showed that improving a service is not always about creating new guidance or forms.

It often involves:

giving users clearer routes through a process
providing support before they start
reducing the number of decisions users need to make
asking fewer questions
reusing information already provided

We also learned that not every problem needs to be solved immediately. Instead of designing for every possible licence type and scenario, we focused first on making the most common routes work well for users.

Working together

This work would not have been possible without the close collaboration between digital and the species licensing team.

Subject matter experts spent significant time:

explaining licensing processes
reviewing designs
testing routes
helping identify where requirements could be simplified without affecting regulatory decisions

Many of the rules involved in species licensing are complex. Working through real examples helped make sure changes worked for different licence types while still meeting regulatory requirements.

Simplifying the service was not just a case of combining forms. It involved untangling routes, processes and requirements that had developed over time to create a clearer experience for users.

Looking ahead

The new service includes a feedback form so we can learn from real users and keep improving it.

We're also continuing to work with the species licensing team to improve bird control licensing, including the information and support users need before they apply.