SOCITM new advice released for council websites

Socitm Insight announces important changes in the way in which council websites will be assessed for the Better connected 2012 report. Given that we provide solutions to provide local authorities with a set of tools to better connect with its public, I was very interested to read recently about these new changes.

The changes are to reflect the way in which Socitm Insight believes that council websites should be evolving to meet the needs of their existing online customers and encourage more people to shift to the web channel. Socitm have decided for the first time to announce the survey topics in advance,  as they believe it is important that councils implement top tasks as quickly as possible in order to achieve the financial savings from a programme of channel shift.

Task 1 Apply for a council job

Task 2 Comment on a planning application

Task 3 Find winter gritting routes  

Task 4 Find rubbish collection day

Task 5 Pay a parking fine

Task 6 Pay council tax

Task 7 Renew a library book 

Task 8 Find out about getting help at home

Task 9 Find out school term dates  

Task 10 Find opening times for local swimming pool

Task 11 Find records office opening hours 

I can’t help but feel that by providing criteria in advance it’s a bit like providing the questions to an exam well in advance of the actual test, so would it not be more productive to merely suggest that a view would be taken over all aspects of the services that councils should be providing via the web?

After looking at the list of tasks that SOCITM have provided, I think its fair to say that their ideas on how council websites should operate is a relatively narrow one, especially when you take into consideration the large range of services that local authorities currently could, or perhaps should, be providing to the public. With these current tasks local authorities are working towards, instead of providing an improved site in all areas, the focus will be targeted on the tasks that will score points rather than potentially provide the biggest benefits.