The document discusses strategies for improving government websites, emphasizing a citizen-centered culture and actionable online strategies. It highlights the need for better user understanding, improved findability, and a user-centered design process to enhance government services. The author argues that government should prioritize these changes to transform public sector efficiency and accessibility.

1. Trent Mankelow How to create government websites that don’t suck

4. Trent Mankelow How to create government websites that don’t suck rock!

6. "Despite promises of dramatic change and continuous innovation early on, ...the public sector today looks much as it did when the Internet began its ascendancy" - United Nations e-Government Survey 2008

7. 64% of public sector organisations expected to spend money on a new/upgraded website in 2008/09. 53% expected to spend money on new/upgraded online services in 2008/09. - Government Use of ICT 2008

8. We are falling behind We slipped from 19th place in 2007 to 31st in 2008 according to the Global E-Government Report We were 13th in the UN list, now we’re 18th

9. The Internet should TRANSFORM government

10. The Internet should be the number one channel for government agencies Improve public sector efficiency Convenience and 24 x 7 availability Advance democracy

12. But instead of transforming government, innovation has tended to be small-scale and gradual

13. How to create government websites that rock 01: Create a citizen-centred culture 02: Create an actionable, citizen-centric 03: Improve findability 04: Follow a user-centred design process online strategy

14. 01: Create a citizen-centred culture

15. Currently many government departments have a shared accountability model When something is owned by everybody, it is owned by nobody This model can't help but trend toward mediocrity

16. ‘ Competing priorities’ was the most commonly cited factor restricting the implementation of new ICT in government

17. So don't make it compete

18. Hire a Chief Citizen Officer

19. Reboot culture

20. Values for successful web teams Networking and broad contacts externally and internally Respect for individuals Trust Sharing of ideas and information Sound underlying systems and procedures Continuous learning and development Creativity and innovation

23. 02: Create an actionable, citizen-centric online strategy

24. Know who your users are and what their goals are

25. Stop designing for "all New Zealanders"

26. The trouble is that when you design for everyone, you design for no-one

27. Better websites start with better understanding

28. Conduct basic research to segment and understand your audience

30. One great way to stop designing for “all New Zealanders” this is to use personas

32. Create a coherent, lightweight online strategy

33. Use a simple process Interview stakeholders Understand your users (user survey, web analytics) In a workshop: Agree your key users and their tasks (based on research) Brainstorm website goals and vision individually and then collate common themes and patterns Brainstorm future initiatives individually and then collate common themes and patterns Firm up goals, provide definitions and ways to measure the goals. Research themes and get other example websites In a workshop: Finalise goals and vision Talk through the initiatives Map the effectiveness of each initiative to achieve each goal Prioritise initiatives based on their effectiveness across all goals Finalise strategy

34. Don't develop the strategy in isolation – create a cross-channel strategy

35. 03: Improve findability

36. Finding stuff …and get bigger

37. In 2020, the amount of info on the web will double every 72 hours

39. In some government departments, new websites spring up like mushrooms Governments are broken up into competing agencies and jurisdictions Too many sites

40. Citizens shouldn't have to know about the mechanics of government in order to be able to interact with it

45. Remove redundant content, and consolidate sites to make stuff easier to find

48. Fix iGovt

51. Make iGovt seamless

52. 04: Follow a user-centred design process

53. There are real costs when government websites are unusable

54. Website use typically doubles when the site is made easier to use

55. Use ISO13407

56. Use ISO 13407 Project planning shall allocate time and resources for the human-centred activities. This shall include time for iteration and the incorporation of user feedback, and for evaluating whether the design solution satisfies the user requirements. Relevant user and stakeholder groups shall be identified and their relationship with the proposed development described in terms of key goals and constraints. There are four linked human-centred design activities that shall take place during the design of any interactive system Understand and specify the context of use; Specify the user requirements; Produce design solutions; Evaluate.

57. "Usability standards are likely to have the most influence when cited in commercial contracts....Require a design and development project to carry out activities that conform with ISO 13407” - International Standards for Usability Should Be More Widely Used, Nigel Bevan, Journal of Usability Studies, Volume 4, Issue 3, May 2009, pp. 106-113

58. Conclusion

59. Success stories

65. The results Original success rate Final success rate Increase Client 38% 74% 36% Provider 44% 69% 25% Business 29% 77% 48% Target increase Actual increase Page views (users) 10% 25% Page views (staff) 10% 32%

66. How to create government websites that rock 01: Create a citizen-centred culture 02: Create an actionable, citizen-centric 03: Improve findability 04: Follow a user-centred design process online strategy

67. It shouldn't be “e-Government”. It should just be government

68. Thanks Trent Mankelow Optimal Usability [email_address]