Our objectives for the redeveloped website:
We believe it is important that the site will:
- Be developed with your requirements front of mind. We have done a lot of work on identifying the website’s many diverse audiences to ensure that content, structure and functionality are created in line with the requirements of all our users. Requirements have been identified through consultation and analysis and this work will continue throughout the project with the creation of user groups (sign up below)
- Actively deliver the council’s priority to put the customer at the centre of its work through clearly customer-focussed structure and information. This includes delivering content and functionality in a way that is focussed on localities
- Ensure the website complies with all relevant standards and laws, including usability, accessibility standards and industry good practice
- Feature high quality content that is up-to-date, written in plain English and regularly reviewed
- Maximise the potential for self-service across all applicable transactions to pass control back to you, the user. This includes being interactive from the outset – to allow you to fulfil your needs online – from making a payment to finding out where your local recycling point is, at a time that suits you, in a place that suits you
- Be built to share information – by making our information open and accessible to the community, the more transparent we can be as an Council and the more we can communicate the reach of our services
- Use open protocols to interface with key external applications to ensure we are not duplicating website functionality that already exists and that we are future-proofing the website, allowing for integration of future online services that haven’t even been conceived yet.
- Use performance benchmarking data to understand the performance of the current and successor site both internally and against benchmark council websites
- Have clear governance, reporting lines and accountabilities internally to ensure the new website continues to thrive after its launch
