Future_of_Government_Online

Yes We Can: The Future of Government Online

ExEcutivE BriEfing SEriES

A publicAtion of

These are epic times to be a public-sector leader. Those who fail to embrace the moment risk more than the embarrassment of dysfunctional websites. They risk the very relevance of their organizations. But those who do will find unprecedented and nearly limitless opportunities to innovate the business of government.”“

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YES WE CAN: THE FUTURE OF GOVERNMENT ONLINE© Modus Associates, LLC www.modusassociates.com/government 2

A stimulus package for the public sector webThe Internet revolution has presented public institutions with perhaps their greatest opportunity in history to transform government services and people’s relationship to them.

From transportation to education to elections and public safety, the digital age promises to improve public services, slash inefficiencies, and offer average citizens access to a degree of information and influence that until recently was available only to our most powerful citizens. Yet for many citizens today, the federal government web remains a backwater of hard-to-find information, poor usability, and outdated design.

This white paper offers public sector leaders an accessible vision for the future of government online as they evaluate and embrace the Internet to improve services and operations, as well as some practical tips for achieving that vision within their organization.

The promise of eGovernmenteGovernment (sometimes called “Government 2.0”) has been defined as the use of technology to enhance access to and delivery of government services for citizens, businesses, and government employees. Or to put it in plain English: The use of the Internet as a means to achieve better government.

The potential benefits of eGovernment are well-documented:

• Better services to citizens and businesses

• Improved access to and quality of public data and information

• Improved government workforce knowledge and collaboration

• Streamlined organizational structures

• Improved operating efficiency and governance

• The breaking down of information silos

• Improved decision-making

The barriers to successful eGovernment are equally well-known:

• Concerns about personal privacy and data security

• Budget constraints

• Agency cultures

• Obsolete procurement policies

• Obsolete design approaches

Yes We Can: The Future of Government Online


It’s payback time

Government funding and research have seeded commercial innovation for decades. Now the web allows government leaders to learn best practices from their private-sector peers for free.

Challenges with security, political turf, and other issues that hold back the government web are not unique to the public sector, however. The private sector has been grappling with these same issues for years, providing public sector leaders with a convenient road map and glimpse into their own future online.

The future of eGovernmentWhat will the future of government online look like? It will look a lot like the commercial web does today.

The commercial web is driving best practices in communications, search, data visualization, content publishing, customer service, employee intranets, online transactions, collaboration, the use of social media, mobile experiences, and more, providing public agencies with a free test laboratory for their own initiatives on the web.

This is a godsend for resource-strapped public agencies. Looking to innovate your employee intranet, email newsletter, or create a virtual tour of your facility? It’s out there. And you know it’s working because others are doing it successfully.

Not sure whether a hyped technology has staying power? Observe it in the wild and see if it catches on before you use it. This also shortens the learning curve for your users because you’re leveraging web experiences that they are already familiar and comfortable with.

Of course the private sector doesn’t have a monopoly on innovation. Great ideas are being developed at the federal, state, and local government levels across the country as well. For example, the tiny city of Manor, TX has launched Manor Labs (www.manorlabs.org) to improve its services. Citizens suggest ideas for local services like law enforcement, and their ideas are ranked by the community. Good suggestions are rewarded with “Innobucks” that can be redeemed for prizes.


State of the Union: The best and worst of federal government websites

The dark pasT – worsT governmenT websiTesThe following is a small sampling of the sites and practices that give government websites a bad name: Poorly designed, poorly functioning, and more focused on their own org charts than user needs.

senate budget Committee

Fedstats.govWould you trust this data?


U.s. Court of appeals for the armed Forces

national Transportation safety board


The Federal register

army special operations Command Clear evidence that the armed services have a lower standard for their internal sites than they do for their excellent public-facing sites.


The brighT FUTUre – besT governmenT websiTesThe election of our first tech-savvy president, Barack Obama, has raised the sights of federal government web leaders and is already resulting in a number of forward-thinking sites that are notable for their usability, usefulness, and clean, modern design approach.

Usa.govUSA.gov goes further than probably any government website to consolidate content and services from numerous government agencies into a single resource organized around the everyday needs of citizens. It’s still a work in progress, but for our money, USA.gov is the current champion of federal government websites.

USA.gov is also forward-thinking in its use of social features and mobile, offering a broad social media presence, a mobile version of the website (http://search.usa.gov/?locale=en&m=true), and a growing range of interesting mobile apps (http://apps.usa.gov).


The new whitehouse.govA signal from the President that when it comes to the Internet, there’s a new sheriff in town.

Usaspending.govWhat easily could have been a dense data disaster is instead a helpful, easy-to-use tool for citizens to understand where their tax dollars are being spent.


goarmy.comThe armed services were early government leaders in the online space because they compete intensely with the private sector for recruits.

Us postal serviceLike the armed services, the USPS competes in the private sector and has long aimed for private-sector web standards.


The 8 laws of great government websitesEven with limited resources, most government agencies can create a successful web presence like the examples shown above. All that’s required is that you look at things a little differently than you have in the past.

Law #1: geT The sTraTegy righT FirsT

Web projects can have a tendency to begin and end in the details. That’s why at the beginning of every Internet project it is critical to establish a clear strategy first, before you define your features and technologies.

Start by answering questions such as “What is our web presence for?” and “How does it support our business objectives?” Challenge your assumptions. Do you need to redesign your website right now? If so, do you need to redesign everything, or just a few key areas?

These questions are part of a needs analysis, which should be done at the beginning of every web project. Needs analysis lets you take a good hard look at the goals of your organization, the needs of your target audiences, and the current state of your web presence. Only at this point can it be decided where your investments should be directed.

Government procurement practices often make needs analysis impossible by directing that websites be fully defined before they can be budgeted and services procured. Progressive government leaders are increasingly dividing their website procurement into two parts: One to develop their strategy, and the second to execute on that strategy.

Law #2: sTarT smaLL and bUiLd on inCremenTaL sUCCesses

The phrase “trying to boil the ocean” refers to tasks that are clearly and heroically impossible. This is what many web teams take on when they try to redesign every part of their 2,000-page website, or try to make their new website a best-in-class effort with all the bells and whistles.

In order to avoid becoming overwhelmed, a phased approach should be taken with your web presence, starting modestly and expanding your feature set over time. “Starting small” doesn’t have to mean addressing just a small number of your target users. While early phases should be simple, they should also benefit as large a part of your user community as possible.

Some agencies prioritize news and communications in their early phases. Another option is to automate an important process first, such as online form submission, because it’s both valuable to most users and highly impactful to the organization.

Wherever you choose to start, build upon your successes by continuing to address your other high-usage and high-value audiences as you go, saving more marginal features for later projects. This also ensures the highest possible benefit when budget trade-offs are required.

Law #3: TreaT yoUr websiTes as bUsiness projeCTs, noT iT projeCTs

Website planning should not begin and end in your IT department, though for a great many organizations it does. While IT must always be responsible for maintaining the technical infrastructure and development aspects of your web presence, this is only a small part of the landscape.


Web teams also need strong communication and content skills. As a consequence, they are increasingly moving out of IT and into other areas of the organization. Whichever department “owns” your web presence, a group effort will be required by IT, communications, customer support and other stakeholder groups, because no one department will have the required skills and resources to fully deliver on and manage your websites.

Law #4: design aroUnd peopLe, noT TeChnoLogies or org CharTs

When developing their web presence, agencies often make significant investments in consultants, technology, hardware, and design. Yet despite these efforts, a large percentage of web projects fail to meet expectations.

These failures are often due to the oversight of one fundamental premise: Know your users and plan everything with them in mind. This mantra is not always self-evident, nor is it easy to follow. Many web projects are quickly derailed by stakeholders who confuse their own needs with those of their users, or turf battles that override design best practices.

That’s why the single most important thing you can do to ensure the success of your web presence is to follow a user-centered design process (sometimes called “citizen-centered design” in the public sector). User-centered design is the only way to reliably create useful and usable technology products time after time.

In broad terms, user-centered design is a best practice in which the needs, wants, and limitations of the users of a product are given close attention at each stage of the design process. The chief difference from traditional software design philosophies is that user-centered design tries to optimize the user experience around how people can, want, or need to work, rather than forcing users to change how they work to accommodate your system.

With user-centered design, you are significantly more likely to:

• Make websites that people find valuable and want to use

• Reach the right people with the right communications

• Eliminate misspent development costs by making things right the first time

old way:

Design technical solution

Design interface to go on top of

technical solution

Design user experience

Design technical solution to support

user experience

new way:


A great example of user-centered design in the public sector is Usa.gov. USA.gov consolidates content and services from numerous federal agencies into a single resource and organizes it around the needs and viewpoints of citizens. Visitors to USA.gov can search for information based on who they are (citizen, business, government employee), by topic (public safety, jobs), by service (locate public records, apply for a government grant), or even the old fashioned way: By government org chart.

Law #5: beware The hype

Everyone is talking about Web 2.0 these days. While there’s no single definition of Web 2.0, we’re referring to trends such as social media, blogs, and user-generated content. Understandably, many web leaders feel they have to either get on board with Web 2.0 or be left behind. This can be a dangerous trap.

It’s not that the latest technologies are inherently bad. In fact, they can be quite effective when used appropriately. For example, social features can be valuable on agency intranets because an agency’s employees are an authentic community with a shared interest.

However, it’s just as common to find Web 2.0 features that get in the way of users or simply don’t matter to their core needs. When this happens, it’s usually because the feature was deployed as an end in itself (e.g. to be “cutting edge”), and not in response to a demonstrated business or user need.

The bottom line? While appropriate Web 2.0 features can be beneficial, advanced features are rarely the most important contributor to a successful web presence, especially when resources are limited. When you get swept up in the hype, you risk diverting valuable attention and resources from the simpler things that matter most to your users.


Law #6: no more aLphabeT soUp

Government agencies are notorious for their use of acronyms and other beltway language that outsiders can’t understand without a glossary. When designing your websites and other communications, it is important to dispense with insider terms and instead use everyday language that your constituents understand. Even if your audiences are government employees—on your employee intranet for example—plain English will make for a better experience. Just ask yourself: Would a new employee understand what we’re saying?

Law #7: aim high, Like The air ForCe

Do you want to achieve something great, or are you just here to phone in an acceptable solution? Remarkable successes are born from an affirmative answer to the former.

Many government websites suffer from the diminished expectations that often pervade public web initiatives. But sites like airForce.com, USA.gov, and the new WhiteHouse.gov prove that with the right ambition and approach, the best government websites can stand among the best sites on the web.

Low quality sites diminish the performance and perception of your organization, and ultimately undermine your investments. Better to develop a scaled-back but high-quality web presence than create a bad experience with all the bells and whistles.

AirForce.com stands up in quality to the best sites on the web.


Law #8: Think oUTside The agenCy box

While citizens and businesses usually know what they need from government, they often don’t know which agency provides it.

When evaluating how best to serve your constituents online, think beyond your agency boundaries to understand the resources and services that will meet their needs. This may take you outside your own agency (like USA.gov), or even outside of government itself. Examples of websites that successfully integrate public and private content include:

• Fixmystreet.com in the United Kingdom lets local residents across the country post digital photos of streets that need repair.

• healthmap.org global disease alert map brings together private and public data to achieve a comprehensive view of the current state of infectious diseases and their effect on human and animal health.

Conclusion These are epic times to be a public-sector leader. Those who fail to embrace the moment risk more than the embarrassment of dysfunctional websites. They risk the very relevance of their organizations. But those who do will find unprecedented and nearly limitless opportunities to innovate the business of government.


Additional Resourcesbooks

> Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, by Steve Krug

> Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

websiTes

> GovLoop: http://www.govloop.com Online forum where more than 30,000 members share ideas on improving government at all levels.

> Government 2.0 Club: http://www.government20club.com

> IBM Center for The Business of Government: http://www.businessofgovernment.org

> WebContent.gov – Best Practices for Government Websites http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/reqs_bestpractices/best_practices.shtml

> Usability.gov: http://www.usability.gov A one-stop source where government web designers can learn how to make websites more usable, useful, and accessible.

> Federal Web Managers Council: http://usa.gov/webcontent/about/council.shtml An interagency group of senior federal government web managers who collaborate to share common challenges, ideas, and best practices, and improve the online delivery of U.S. Government information and services.

> Web Manager University: http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu Practical and affordable training for anyone who works on a federal, state, tribal, local, or territory U.S. government website.

> Web Content Managers Forum: http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/community/forum.shtml An ad hoc group of more than 2,200 federal, state, local, and tribal U.S. government web managers responsible for the content of their agencies’ websites.

> Web Content Managers Forum Networking Website: https://forum.webcontent.gov

> Federal Intranet Content Managers Group: http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/community/groups/intranet.shtml Over 160 federal intranet managers who meet monthly to discuss issues related to managing federal intranets, including content development and organization, governance, and technology.

oTher resoUrCes

> Nielsen Norman Group Report: 15 Best Government and Public Sector Intranet Designs: http://www.nngroup.com/reports/intranet/government

> White Paper: Putting Citizens First: Transforming Online Government: http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/documents/Federal_Web_Managers_WhitePaper.pdf


aboUT modUs assoCiaTes

Modus Associates helps public sector leaders and institutions to see fresh possibilities, better understand and serve their constituents and more fully harness the power of the Internet to make tomorrow’s experience of government not only more user-friendly, but more valuable and empowering as well. Clients include Architect of the Capitol, United States Postal Service, Cleveland Clinic, NBC Universal, Wyndham Hotels, and Dow Jones & Company.

Contact UsModus Associates37 West 20th Street, Suite 304New York, NY 10011Tel: 212-255-6768Fax: [email protected]/government

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