Guide
Style guide
This style guide sets out how to write and review content for Government Project Delivery website pages and products. It supplements the GOV.UK style guide, which should be followed in full.
The communications and website teams are responsible for ensuring that all published content meets these standards.
Write in plain English
GOV.UK tells people to write for a 9 year old reading age. That does not mean writing for children. By age 9, most people have a core vocabulary of around 5,000 words they recognise by shape, not letter by letter. Adults still find these words easier to read than words they learned later.
Government is publicly funded so content needs to work for everyone. This includes people with lower literacy, a disability or who have English as an additional language.
Research shows that higher literacy people prefer plain English because it allows them to understand the information as quickly as possible.
View a Government Digital Service blog on the importance of clarity in specialist writingUse project delivery terms accurately
Plain English does not mean removing specialist language. Words like assurance, gateway and even project have specific meanings in project delivery. Use them when they are the right word. Do not swap them for vaguer alternatives. Refer to the project delivery glossary for terms with a defined meaning and make sure the surrounding context helps readers who are encountering them for the first time.
This guide applies to all content created or reviewed within the Government Project Delivery function and profession. When in doubt, refer to the GOV.UK style guide or consult a content designer.
This guide supports consistency in Government Project Delivery content. Where exceptions are needed, they should be made deliberately and with clear justification.
Styles A to Z
Use Government Project Delivery Accreditation Scheme in full. Do not capitalise if not using the full term, or if using it in a generic or descriptive way.
Do not capitalise foundation, practitioner, senior practitioner, or master practitioner.
Example
Get accredited. Find out more about accreditation in project delivery. A person has achieved foundation level accreditation in project delivery.
Someone is a project delivery practitioner, as achieved by the Government Project Delivery Accreditation Scheme.
Reason
The Government Project Delivery Accreditation Scheme is a proper noun. Other terms are not. Referring to it as a programme causes confusion from the definition of a programme in the functional standard.
From GOV.UK style guide
Only use when it’s unavoidably used many times on a page. Always write out in full the first time on a page.
Reason
Acronyms create confusion. PDCF could also mean Public Data Collection Framework, Private Debt Capital Fund, Portfolio Diversification Control Framework, or Project Data Collection Form.
From GOV.UK style guide
Address the user as ‘you’ where possible and avoid using gendered pronouns like ‘he’ and ‘she’. Content on the site often makes a direct appeal to citizens and businesses to get involved or take action: ‘You can contact HMRC by phone and email’ or ‘Pay your car tax’, for example.
From GOV.UK A-Z style guide
Use in full the first time you use artificial intelligence (AI). Then AI is fine.
From GOV.UK A-Z style guide
Reference British nationals by their activity where possible, for example British tourists, British farmers. If you’re talking about them in the general sense, use British people.
Do not use British nationals unless you need to refer to them in a legal context, for example in eligibility criteria.
Do not use British citizen unless you’re referring to people with that particular type of British nationality.
Avoid using ‘citizens’ generally. Many people in the UK who benefit from government services and guidance are not citizens, including residents, visa holders and others.
After colons
Use lowercase after a colon, unless what follows is a proper noun or a complete sentence.
A colon signals continuation, not a fresh start. The text after the colon elaborates on what came before and is dependent on it. Lowercase reinforces this relationship.
Example
‘Green Book: UK government guidance on appraisal’
‘Orange Book: management of risk — principles and concepts’
The business case covers three areas: strategic, economic and financial.
Referencing other documents
Use sentence case for most titles, capitalise the first word and any proper nouns within the title, regardless of how the original publication styles its own title.
Exceptions
Some publications are more like books, people know them by name, not what they describe. Treat these as proper nouns and capitalise them.
This includes:
- the Government Functional Standard for Project Delivery, alongside the other functional standards
- codes of practice across government, like The Teal Book and the Green Book
This eliminates inconsistency and avoids arbitrary judgments about which words warrant capitalisation.
Use the format:
Figure 1. Caption text here
Figure or Table should not be italicised. The number should be followed by a full stop, not a colon
Write captions in sentence case (capitalise first word and proper nouns only), but there’s usually no need for a full stop at the end.
From GOV.UK style guide
Do not use ‘click’ when talking about user interfaces because not all users click. Use ‘select’.
Only use colons:
- to introduce lists
- next to short labels like ‘Phone:’
- in headings only when it helps categorise the content, for example ‘Housing: A report title’ or ‘Template: News article’
See capitalisation for guidance on case after colons.
Use a comma, not a colon, between publisher and title in references.
Avoid using the term on its own. Be specific about what the user should do and the service they’re accessing.
If there are a number of methods to get in touch, list them in the order users are most likely to use.
Example
Get help with using the Government Online Skills Tool.
Report an issue with the website.
Reason
Being clear about exactly what type of contact it is will reduce confusion for users who are not sure they’re contacting the right person about the right thing.
From GOV.UK A-Z style guide
Avoid negative contractions like can’t and don’t. Many users find them harder to read, or misread them as the opposite of what they say. Use ‘cannot’ instead of ‘can’t’.
Avoid should’ve, could’ve, would’ve, they’ve too. These can also be hard to read.
When referring readers to other pages or sections, give them enough information to understand what they’re being sent to.
Links to other pages
On first mention, try to use the full page title as the link text. This helps readers decide whether to follow the link.
For subsequent links to the same page, you can use a shorter form if the context is clear, or repeat the full title if it helps provide context.
Links within a page
For longer documents with chapters or numbered sections, include the chapter or section number and title on first reference.
After the first mention, use the chapter or section number alone if the context is clear.
Example
See Chapter 13, The governance and management of programmes and projects, for more detail.
See section 11.4, Managing portfolio risks, for guidance on risk escalation.
References to figures and tables
Use the capitalised form with the number.
From GOV.UK style guide
Do not use unless the meaning changes without it.
From GOV.UK A-Z style guide
Links to document downloads should include file type and size. You should also include a way for users to request an accessible format near the download.
Example
Download the Government Project Delivery Strategy (PDF, 13MB) or request an accessible format.
Reason
This differentiates downloads from regular links, so users know to expect a document download.
They also need to know the format so they know whether they have the right software to view the document.
Some people have limited access to internet data, or have bad signal, so when they know the size of the document they can make an informed decision as to whether or not to download it.
Ideally link to someone’s user profile if their profile is viewable, or use a contact form.
Do not share email addresses on content for the public site, use a contact form instead.
Do not use a mailto:link without the full email address in the link text.
Use equality unless referring to something specific.
Use equity only if referring to the Project Delivery Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2023.
Use fairness instead of equity if it fits the context.
Reason
Equality is more commonly used and understood, and consistent with government laws, strategies and policies.
From GOV.UK style guide
Do not use frequently asked questions. Work with comms and website teams to develop content that starts with user needs.
Capitalise when referring directly to the scheme. Use Fast Stream scheme where relevant.
When referring to people on the Project Delivery Fast Stream, use fast streamer (lowercase).
Capitalise Project Delivery Fast Stream when used in full only (for example, people on the Project Delivery Fast Stream).
Use Government Functional Standard for Project Delivery, or ‘Government Functional Standard GovS 002: Project delivery’.
For subsequent uses on a page, use ‘the functional standard’ (unless referring to multiple standards).
Only use when referring to government departments. Use government organisations if it includes arm’s length bodies, public organisations or other bodies.
Do not capitalise the word department or departments.
Use Government Project Delivery website members if referring to content just for signed-in users.
Government Project Delivery is the collective term for the people, work and development of project delivery across government.
Do not use. Use Government Project Delivery website or projectdelivery.gov.uk instead.
Reason
Hub can refer to many things, including the Government Hub Network, the Modern Civil Service Hub, internal websites (there are many hubs across government).
Use capital letters when referring to a specific person’s job title. Use lowercase when referring to a role in general.
Example
Carwyn Williams is a Content Designer at Government Project Delivery.
A content designer is responsible for creating clear content.
From GOV.UK style guide
Front-load your link text with the relevant terms and make them active and specific. Do not use ‘click here’ or ‘here’.
If linking to an external website, include the publisher’s name in the link text, or put the domain in brackets.
Links to document downloads should include file type and size. Also include a link to request an accessible format.
Example
Find out more from HM Treasury’s Green Book.
Find out more in the Green Book (GOV.UK).
From GOV.UK style guide
Always start a list with a leading sentence that makes sense if you read it then any of the bullet points.
Only use numbered lists when it’s a step-by-step process or numbered principles.
Do not put a full stop at the end of bullet points.
Avoid using more than one sentence in a bullet point, consider using a heading with paragraph text instead.
When a list item has a term followed by an explanation or elaboration, use bold for the term, followed by a comma, then the rest of the content in regular text.
Do not use colons, hyphens or en dashes for this purpose. Colons imply a definition. Bold with a comma creates a clear visual separation without overstating the relationship between the term and its explanation.
From GOV.UK style guide
There’s usually no need to say ‘please’ or ‘please note’.
List in this order, not projects, programmes and portfolios. Only use them as described in the Project delivery glossary.
Do not capitalise unless used as part of a proper noun (for example, Project Delivery Advisor). Do not use PD.
In body text
Use single quotation marks around publication titles. If the title is a link, do not use quotation marks — the link styling already distinguishes it.
Include the publisher in the link text where possible. This helps users know where they’re going. If you cannot, add it in brackets after the link.
Punctuation following the title sits outside the quotation marks.
Example
With a link: See HM Treasury’s Managing public money for more information.
With a link but publisher not in link text: The requirements are set out in Managing public money (HM Treasury).
Without a link: The requirements are set out in ‘Managing public money’.
In further reading sections
Use the format: Publisher, Title
Do not use quotation marks. The structured list format makes it clear what is a title.
Example
HM Treasury, Managing public money
From GOV.UK style guide
Use the blockquote component for long references from other sources.
Use single quotes:
- for extracts from publications
- for unusual terms, but only for its first mention
- when referring to publications without a link
- when referring to interface labels, like button text or menu items
Keep double quotes for direct speech.
Try to be specific where possible, like internal teams, people affected by the change or delivery partner.
Always use The Teal Book in full with capital letters.
From GOV.UK style guide
Page titles should:
- be 65 characters or less
- be unique, clear and descriptive
- be front-loaded and optimised for search
- use a colon to break up longer titles
- not contain dashes or slashes
- not have a full stop at the end
- not be questions
- not use acronyms unless they are well-known, like EU, and if using write out in full on first opportunity
Avoid in news stories and website pages. Instead, write who (for example, Government Project Delivery is…).
Acceptable in blog posts where the meaning is clear and author biography shows what organisation or team they’re in.
Reason
Government Project Delivery is the collective term for the project delivery function and profession in the UK government. The website publishes content from a range of organisations. Using we can be unclear as to who we is.