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This is a guest post by Steven Killeen. Steve is an Alterian Account Manager in the UK with a passion for assisting government in utilizing technology to better meet their constituent’s needs.
Government cuts hundreds of ‘unnecessary websites’, the Central Office of Information has conducted a report indicating that £94 million was spent on Government websites. The intimation is that it is too much and a waste of money for the tax payer.
UK Government should learn to utilise the Internet and websites in the same way that private sector companies do. For many the website is the start of the ‘brand’ experience, the window into the soul of the organisation. Why can this not be the same for UK Government? Services should be put online, information, advice and content should all be published and with the help of optimised search engines or single citizen portals, people should be directed to the information they need; it is more efficient and in the long run cost effective.
Martha Lane Fox is the UK Digital Champion and has been tasked with getting more of the population online. Martha is working with Cabinet Minister Francis Maude to review the 820 websites to see which ones are necessary and which one are ultimately for the chop. Labour announced in 2007 that it was going to close 551 websites protecting 26 from closure, but in reality more websites have appeared than have been closed down.
Why?
Websites should be part of a wider strategic communications policy that facilitates interaction and engagement with citizens. A digital engagement strategy allows organisations to address how to communicate effectively with its audience, ensuring the right branding and messaging are being delivered. With the state of the spending review, government departments need to do more with less, even less with less in some circumstances. If you drive all citizen communication from the website, including email communication and social media conversation, then it will not only reduce infrastructure costs but it will also provide a level of consistency and control leading to trust and interaction. Engaging digitally with citizens means that interaction can be measured, which means it can be assessed, it can be monitored to make sure communication objectives are met, which ultimately means a better informed and engaged public.
Should we be cutting UK Government websites to adhere to the Government’s austerity programme, or should we be looking to make the most out of Digital Communication?
