Socitm proposes new model for council website development
Tuesday 27th March 2012
Councils must make radical changes to the way they govern and manage their websites and adopt a new model for future development, says a new briefing from Socitm Insight.
The world is moving relentlessly towards digital delivery, says Better connected 2012, a briefing for the top management team, and the council's website has become critical to it's ability to deliver services effectively at lower cost. Consequently, the role and performance of the council website has become an issue for the top team.
Too many council websites - specifically, the 58% achieving two stars or less in Socitm's comprehensive Better connected assessment of all council sites published earlier this month - are not up to the job, says the briefing.
Strong corporate direction of the website must now replace what is sometimes a battle of interests over control and management of key space on the website. Channel shift to the web must be regarded as essential, rather than optional. Top tasks, which need to be featured prominently throughout the website, must be selected on the basis of hard evidence of customer needs, rather than managers' judgment. The size of the website must be rigorously controlled as should website content. Improvement should be continuous and detailed, rather than something that happens periodically, through 'big bang', technology-led projects.
Better connected 2012: a briefing for the top management team is available now to Socitm Insight subscribers to download free of charge.
Printed copies of the 20pp briefing will be available from April 9 and can be ordered now at the following prices: Socitm Insight subscriber (additional copies): £20; Socitm members who are not Insight subscribers: £50; other non-Insight subscribers: £75
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