Proposed new ranking system and updated assessment criteria for Better connected

Produced by: Socitm Insight

Type: Consultations

From this page you can download two documents with proposals for a new ranking system and updated assessment criteria for Better connected, Socitm's annual survey of all local authority websites. Responses are required by 25 September 2009.

Socitm Insight subscribers, council webmasters, web managers, and other interested parties are being invited to comment on the proposals by 25 September 2009. Changes agreed will become effective for the 2010 survey carried out in November and December 2009, results of which will be published, as usual, on 1 March.

IN BC10 Proposed new ranking system contains details of the proposed new ranking system to replace Better connected's existing three ranks of 'excellent', 'transactional' and 'standard'. In future, it is proposed that there is a four star rating, with four stars equating to the current rank of 'excellent' through to one star denoting a 'poor' site.

The changes are being made because of confusion about the descriptive terms used for the current ranks. In addition, Better connected reviewers have found it increasingly difficult to separate borderline 'transactional' sites from the better 'standard sites'. Also, the range of standard sites has become very wide, including those that are good with some limitations, to those that are, frankly, poor. The additional rank being introduced will separate these sites from each other.

IN BC10 Criteria for Better connected sets out proposals for updating the criteria for 'useful' and 'usable' websites that are reported on in Better connected and used to assess and rank websites. 16 criteria are used: information; currency; links elsewhere; news value; transactions; e-mail; participation; ease of finding; use of a to z; use of search; use of location; navigation; design of transactions; accessibility; readability; and resilience. Each of these criteria is defined in detail by Socitm Insight, and the document published now, when finalised, will update Version 1 of these criteria, first published in Better connected: aiming high (January 2005).

If you would like to discuss the proposals please visit the Socitm Insight Web Improvement and Usage community with the IDeA Communities of Practice platform. If you are not a member already, you will need to register to join the 420-strong community that we established earlier this year. (http://www.communities.idea.gov.uk).

If you would like to respond to the proposals please email your response to: insight@socitm.net.

Last modified: 19th January 2010