eGovernment Website Appraisal

8/14/2019 eGovernment Website Appraisal

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Marano Consultants, 21 Northumberland Place, Dublin 4

Tel: +353 87 6481344, E-mail: [email protected]

Reg. No: 408887, VAT No: 6428887N

Marano ConsultantsImproving Access to eGovernment Information on the Web

A speculative appraisal of eGovernment Websites

12th March 2009 (Version 1.0)10th November 2009 (Version 2.0)

Prepared by:

Kieran OHeaDirectorMarano Consultants


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2Improving Access to eGovernment Information on the Web.

Contents

Table of Contents

1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3

2. Searching on Google for eGovernment Ireland ..................................................................... 3

3. Objective of this Document ...................................................................................................... 3

4. Initial Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 4

5. eGovernment Action Plans ....................................................................................................... 4

6. eGovernment Structures........................................................................................................... 6

7. eGovernment Report from the Comptroller & Auditor General, 2007 ..................................... 6

8. eGovernment International Best Practice Report from Forfs, 2008 ........................................ 7

9. How the Web Contributes to eGovernment Strategic Objectives ............................................. 8

10. Conclusion and Recommendation ............................................................................................ 9

Annex I - Critique of eGovernment Content on Department of the Taoiseach Website ................. 10

Annex II Information about Marano Consultants ......................................................................... 12


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1. IntroductionMarano Consultants specialises in online strategy. While searching for information about IrisheGovernment projects, we were alarmed by what we found (see section 2). This prompted closeranalysis which raised important questions about the way in which Irish eGovernment initiatives are

presented on the web. The analysis was carried out in March 2009 and again in November. Most ofthe issues identified in March still remain. This indicates that the maintenance of these sites needsto be improved. In our opinion, this needs to be done as part of a customer engagement strategy.

Marano Consultants brought its findings to the Governments attention in June 2009 but were told itwas not a priority. We have extensive experience in this area and believe it should be a priority.Poorly maintained websites affect public perception at home and abroad. eGovernment is animportant way to provide more efficient and cost-effective government services and a lot ofattention is being paid to eGovernment activities around the world. Ireland has an excellentportfolio of eGovernment services and these deserve to be publicised accurately on high qualitywebsites which are easily accessible to all users.

2. Searching on Google for eGovernment IrelandFor most people, the Internet search engine of choice is Google. When Marano Consultantssearched Google for eGovernment Ireland, the first result returned was a link to the page below.

This link should either lead to a page populated with relevant content or it should redirect people to

www.gov.ie. Instead the user is directed to the page above, which contains no relevant content. For

a visitor arriving at this page after searching on Google for eGovernment Ireland, the trail has now

gone completely cold. Searching on Google is the main way that people find websites, so the page

above may be the first introduction to eGovernment Ireland for web users from all over the world.

3. Objective of this DocumentThis is a speculative document prepared by Marano Consultants which highlights the variable qualityof eGovernment information available on Irish Government websites. We propose to address this byproviding an expert in online strategy with extensive experience in public sector websites todetermine what improvements should be made in order to provide the public with up-to-date, well-presented and well-managed website content about Irish eGovernment initiatives.

Once a more detailed analysis has been completed, the expert will present his recommendations

and, if requested, can subsequently supervise their implementation. Cost estimates will be provided
http://www.gov.ie/http://www.gov.ie/http://www.gov.ie/


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once interest in this speculative proposal has been expressed and the assignment has been fullyscoped out. Details of the proposed expert are provided in Annex III.

We wish to stress that the objective of this document is not to analyse the content or quality ofIrelands eGovernment strategy or Information Society action plans. It is solely concerned with

improving the process by which information about these programmes is disseminated online.

4. Initial AnalysisAs demonstrated in later sections of this document, there are many ways that the web can supportthe achievement of Irelands eGovernment objectives, including:

Providing a central point of access Improving public perception at home and abroad Disseminating best practice Gathering customer feedback Increasing engagement with eGovernment services

However some of the existing eGovernment websites are confusing, out of date and not properlymaintained. Despite being of variable quality, they are live and accessible to people around theworld, including decision makers and potential investors. The results of the aforementioned Googlesearch, together with the review of Irish eGovernment websites that appears at the end of thisdocument, provide clear evidence of the following:

Terminology including Information Society, Knowledge Economy and eGovernment are usedinterchangeably.

Statements on web pages are not dated. Relevant documents exist on numerous government websites with no centralised list of

links.

Documents which are supposed to exist cant be found either on government websites or onGoogle.

eGovernment content on official websites has been removed and some information has notbeen updated for several years but is still accessible.

This is what anyone with an interest in eGovernment in Ireland will currently find if they use the webto search for it. This not only includes Irish citizens at home and abroad, but also international peersand partners (including organisations such as the European Commission) and perhaps mostimportantly in todays economic climate, business leaders all over the world who are considering

either investing, locating or perhaps even remaining in Ireland.

5. eGovernment Action PlansIn 1999, the Government launched the first information society action plan,Implementing theInformation Society in Ireland

1. Its main objectives were to ensure that the benefits of theInformation Society could be availed of by Irish citizens and Irish businesses, thus contributing to theongoing improvement of the Irish society and economy.

1http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdf
http://www.epractice.eu/document/2887http://www.epractice.eu/document/2887http://www.epractice.eu/document/2887http://www.epractice.eu/document/2887http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.epractice.eu/document/2887http://www.epractice.eu/document/2887http://www.epractice.eu/document/2887


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In the second Information Society action plan, New Connections2, published in 2002, the IrishGovernment was committed to the objective of having all public services that were capable ofelectronic delivery available online, through a single point of contact, by 2005.

The Department of the Taoiseach website states that a third action plan is due within the coming

months but there is no date on that commitment, and the document does not appear to have beenpublished. If it has been published it may have been done so by another department or as part ofanother report. If it has been published, it is not clear how to access it online.

Dil ireann Private Members Business, 30th April 20083, cited the October 2007 report oneGovernment by The Comptroller and Auditor General4. This report stated that no formaleGovernment strategy has been in place since early 2006. It called on the Government to producewithin six months an action plan for the achievement of a comprehensive system of eGovernmentwithin two years.

That action plan should have been published before the end of 2008. In the meantime, the report

Transforming Public Services

5

was published by the Task Force on the Public Service in November2008. It recommended that a rolling programme of eGovernment projects, a combination ofcentral, enabling projects and citizen-centred initiatives in the Health, Local Government, Educationand other sectors, should be developed with regular reports to Government on its implementation.

It further recommended that a plan to deliver this programme should be furnished to theDepartment of Finance within 3-5 months. The government responded by saying that it wouldannounce priority e-government projects in all sectors of the Public Service within 5 months andpublish 6-monthly progress reports on implementation of projects. Neither the project list nor theprogress reports appear to have been made public.

The fact remains that the last eGovernment action plan was published in 2002 and expired in 2005.Thats a four year gap without a national plan for eGovernment, with a corresponding failure to keepsome of the related web sites up to date. This is not only likely to inhibit the introduction andadoption of the online public services themselves, it is likely to prevent people from learning abouttheir objectives and their achievements.

According to the report Leadership in Customer Service: Delivering the Promise6 released byAccenture in June 2007, Ireland ranks 11th out of 22 countries worldwide with high quality publicservice delivery, and it gets the 6th best score among all European countries studied. Partly based ona citizen survey, the report reveals that 62 % of Irish citizens polled believe that public service hasimproved since 2004, and 78 % stated they were satisfied with the service they had most recently

received from the Government. This is the type of positive information that should be published oneGovernment websites.

eGovernment provides the promise of greater transparency and accountability in public decision-making enabling citizens to avoid the need to understand the complex structures of government inorder to be able to deal effectively with it. Providing transparency is a crucial step in building publicconfidence. Yet access to information about eGovernment on the governments own websites iscurrently far from transparent.

2http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdf

3http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/op/apr08/supple/sp300408.pdf

4

http://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdf5http://www.onegov.ie/eng/Publications/Transforming_Public_Services_Report.pdf

6http://nstore.accenture.com/acn_com/PDF/2007LCSDelivPromiseFinal.pdf
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdfhttp://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/op/apr08/supple/sp300408.pdfhttp://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/op/apr08/supple/sp300408.pdfhttp://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/op/apr08/supple/sp300408.pdfhttp://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.onegov.ie/eng/Publications/Transforming_Public_Services_Report.pdfhttp://www.onegov.ie/eng/Publications/Transforming_Public_Services_Report.pdfhttp://www.onegov.ie/eng/Publications/Transforming_Public_Services_Report.pdfhttp://nstore.accenture.com/acn_com/PDF/2007LCSDelivPromiseFinal.pdfhttp://nstore.accenture.com/acn_com/PDF/2007LCSDelivPromiseFinal.pdfhttp://nstore.accenture.com/acn_com/PDF/2007LCSDelivPromiseFinal.pdfhttp://nstore.accenture.com/acn_com/PDF/2007LCSDelivPromiseFinal.pdfhttp://www.onegov.ie/eng/Publications/Transforming_Public_Services_Report.pdfhttp://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/op/apr08/supple/sp300408.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdf


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6. eGovernment StructuresA number of cross-cutting structures were established to co-ordinate the implementation of theeGovernment plans. These included:

A Cabinet Committee on the Information Society An e-Strategy Group of Secretaries General An eGovernment Implementation Group of Assistant Secretaries, with a remit to co-ordinate

activities relating to implementing the Information Society and to contribute to policydevelopment in this area.

However its very difficult to find anything on the web about these groups and who is in them. Thereis not enough transparency to ensure that interested third parties can inform themselves aboutwhat these groups are doing.

Meanwhile the Department of the Taoiseach saw its role as providing a sense of direction and

prioritisation for eGovernment, including:

Establishing broad goals Providing a framework of policy and reporting Providing a means of encouraging certain strategic development areas.

However the list above does not include dissemination and promotion of results in the publicdomain. This might explain why up-to-date information about eGovernment initiatives is difficult tofind on the web.

Responsibility for implementing eGovernment strategy now lies with The Department of Finance and

specifically with The Centre for Management Organisation and Development (CMOD). CMOD has ageneral strategic role for ICT in the public sector in relation to strategic direction, common servicesand common infrastructure. In addition, it has an internal operational role in relation to ICTdevelopment and support for the Department of Finance.

Despite this, it is virtually impossible to find any information about CMODs role in eGovernmentimplementation. It does not appear in the list of Government websites atwww.gov.ie. Search resultsfor CMOD on Google relate mainly to its role as a training centre. A CMOD website might be a logicalplace to find eGovernment information but one doesnt appear to exist at the moment.

While there may be little in the way of easily accessible information about the new eGovernment

strategy or its owners, it is clear where responsibility lies for publicising the outcome of theseinitiatives on the web. In response to a Dil question last April regarding the delivery ofeGovernment services, the Taoiseachs reply was: The Department of the Taoiseach does not haveresponsibility for the delivery of many public facing services, with the exception of our websiteswhich have been expanded and enhanced in recent years. Therefore, the question of my Departmentdelivering new or improved services for members of the public does not arise in practice.

7. eGovernment Report from the Comptroller & Auditor General, 2007The October 2007 report on eGovernment issued by the Comptroller and Auditor General7 was

undertaken in order to examine the extent to which the eGovernment projects and initiatives7http://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdf
http://www.gov.ie/http://www.gov.ie/http://www.gov.ie/http://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/vfmreports/58_eGovernment.pdfhttp://www.gov.ie/


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outlined in the 1999 and 2002 Information Society action plans had been implemented in the period2002 to 2005.

One of the issues dealt with by the report was the extent to which the eGovernment initiatives weremeeting their objectives in terms of providing better public access to the latest information about

the services offered by government departments and agencies. (Note: not to the servicesthemselves, but to information aboutthe services)

The report referred to the fact that the estimated final cost of eGovernment activity undertaken orcommenced in the period 2000 to 2005 would be almost 420 million. There is little or no referenceto the dissemination of results or promotion of achievements. In fact in the majority of cases,quantified benefits of implemented eGovernment projects were not reported. It seems unlikelytherefore that any of the 420 million was earmarked for publishing information about the impactand benefits of eGovernment initiatives as opposed to the delivery of the services themselves.

The report also observed that the momentum towards developing eGovernment that was evident in

the early years of the last decade appears to have faded somewhat. This is evident in the absence ofa formal eGovernment strategy since the beginning of 2006. However, the report also states that theDepartment of the Taoiseach is currently working with other departments and agencies on thedevelopment of a new strategy. It is now November 2009 and there is no evidence on anyGovernment website that this strategy has been published.

8. eGovernment International Best Practice Report from Forfs, 2008This comprehensive report from refers to what it terms WebsiteConsolidation:

A multiplicity of Government websites has been allowed to form in most countries. There is a

general trend to consolidate provision to offer a more streamlined and consistent brand and feel toGovernment. This also reduces government expenditure. Most countries now seek to provide a one-stop Government Portal typically a separate portal for citizen and business customers.

It also recommends the provision of a single face to Government:

This inclusive customer-centred approach matches the implicit expectations that people have ofsimple-to-access quality public services where the power rests more in the hands of the user.

While creating a single face to online public services is still a work in progress, there is no excuse fornot having already put in place a single face to information about those online public services and

the strategies and programmes behind them.

The report examines best practice in eGovernment in administrations around the world. Thecharacteristics of the leading countries examined include strong (and sustained) political leadershipand support for rolling out eGovernment.

What this means at its most basic level is that a champion is needed who will ensure thateGovernment plans are disseminated, progress is reported and achievements are highlighted ongovernment websites.

The report includes a number of case studies about leading eGovernment practitioners including:


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TheBusiness.gov.au8website is Australias first whole-of-government service deliveryinitiative and as such constitutes a breakthrough as a customer value proposition. Usersenjoy improved business transactions with federal, state and local government. The site alsohelps businesses to find, manage and complete government forms online without having tounderstand the structure of government or individual agencies

Singapores eGovernment programme is the ongoing leader in customer service rankingsdue to its strong combination of an innovative customer centric vision and entrepreneurialattitude. EGovernment services are widely used and perceived as easy to use due to its One-Stop Government Portal for businesses and the consistent and unified look across differentwebsites and e-services through Web Interface Standards.

Directgov is the UK Government's website which provides public service information andservices to citizens. A separate business oriented site called Businesslink.gov.uk similarlyprovides small and medium-sized businesses with access to e-services and transactionsthrough one primary site.

The report also believes that the web can be instrumental in supporting Customer Leadership:

To truly deliver effective and efficient eGovernment services requires an outside-in view of servicedelivery as opposed to inside-out. This fundamental change requires a change of mindset andculture, a customer engagement strategy, and collaborative working between tiers of governmentand across Government agencies.

9. How the Web contributes to eGovernment Strategic ObjectivesThe objectives of eGovernment articulated in the first action plan, Implementing the InformationSociety in Ireland

9, focused mainly on the delivery of specific projects by departments and agencies.

In the second action plan, New Connections10, four strategic objectives for eGovernment were

articulated. These were that:

1. All services capable of on-line delivery should be available on-line by 2005, through a singlepoint of contact

2. The delivery of Government services should be reshaped around user needs (includingcontinuous on-line availability and delivery of integrated services).

3. Irelands international competitiveness should be improved (through reduced businesscosts, higher efficiencies, better services and opportunities for businesses to develop newservices and content)

4. The business community and the general public should be stimulated to wider engagementwith ICT (through contact with quality on-line public services).

Furthermore it was recommended that annual eGovernment progress reports should be published,focusing on the achievement both of strategic goals and of planned project impacts. Theeffectiveness of the eGovernment strategy should be formally and independently evaluated fromtime to time.

Dissemination via the web would be an ideal way to publish information about the eGovernmentprogramme in the public domain. In doing so, it would help in the achievement of the objectivesabove.

8http://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/9

http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdf10http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdf
http://www.business.gov.au/http://www.business.gov.au/http://www.business.gov.au/http://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/http://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/http://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/NewConnectionsMarch2002.pdfhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/upload/publications/238.pdfhttp://www.business.gov.au/Business+Entry+Point/http://www.business.gov.au/


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It would contribute to Objective 1 by providing a single point of contact with details of theservices that are available and links to the appropriate websites where they can be accessed.

It would contribute to Objective 2 by incorporating an online forum for user feedback,capturing information which would allow eGovernment services to be continuouslyreviewed and improved.

It would contribute to Objective 3 by reaching a global business audience with details ofIrelands increased competitiveness, gained through the successful implementation of

eGovernment initiatives.

It would contribute to Objective 4 by providing an introduction to eGovernment services andby promoting the wider engagement of the business community and the general public.

Furthermore, the web would be an ideal place to publish the annual eGovernment progress report,including the achievements of the strategic goals and of the planned project impacts.

10. Conclusion and RecommendationThe accurate promotion of eGovernment on the web is essential in order to publicise its ongoingimplementation and the vital role it has to play in the Smart Economy. The web can also help toreconcile past expenditure with the success of eGovernment initiatives to date. Based on the initialanalysis Marano Consultants has carried out, we have no doubt that more effective use of the webas a dissemination channel will help in meeting eGovernment objectives.

The pages we have analysed and found issues with are the ones that users searching foreGovernmentIreland currently find themselves on. Some of these pages are confusing and out-of-date. They should either be properly maintained or removed. They do not accurately reflect thestatus of online public services, the investment in their development or the rollout of theeGovernment action plan.

Based on the quality of the online information available at the moment, people may form anincorrect perception of Irish eGovernment achievements. On the basis that the correct perception isvital, we recommend that:

The issues we have identified are addressed immediately. Immediate consideration is given to the development and implementation of an effective

customer engagement strategy.

Taking these steps will improve not only the quality of the information but also the customerexperience and hence the public perception of eGovernment. This doesnt necessarily need to be anexpensive process but one which will provide significant added value to Irish eGovernment efforts.

For further information about this proposal, please contact:Kieran OHea, Director, Marano Consultants,21 Northumberland Place, Dublin 4.Tel: +353-87-6481344, E-mail: [email protected]. No. 408887 VAT No. 6428887NThe document is Marano Consultants. Its content may not be used or reproduced without the authors permission


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Annex I - Critique of eGovernment Content on Department of the Taoiseach

Website

Navigating to the eGovernment section on the Department of the Taoiseach website is not easy andleads to the page above, which is out of date, referring to objectives that will be met by 2005. TheKnowledge Society and eGovernment section onwww.taoiseach.gov.ieappears under the headingPolicy Sections and has the following links:

1. Knowledge Society and eGovernment Policy a page summarising the various InformationSociety Action Plans and the work of the Information Society Policy Unit (ISPU). This containsthe following links:

o eGovernment which incorrectly links to a page called About the Information Society.This contains the following links:

eGovernment which contains links to: New Connections, the 2002 action plan for the Information Society

in Ireland.

Public Services Broker (PBS)

The REACH Agency, which links to the homepage of the Departmentof Finance website where there is no reference to REACH.

eCabinet which links to an unrelated page called Government Secretariat. eEurope which is a dead link. Information Society Structures and Groups leads to a page which states that

Minister of State, Tom Kitt, T.D., is responsible for coordinating theInformation Society agenda across all Government departments. Tom Kitt isno longer a Minister of State.

Information Society Fund, this page has not been updated since 2005. Itincludes a link to Details of some of the projects supported under the Fund

to date.This lists projects funded by the Information Society Fund between1999 and 2002.
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Department_of_the_Taoiseach/Policy_Sections/Knowledge_Society_and_eGovernment/IS_Funding_Opportunities/Projects_supported_by_the_Information_Society_Fund_1999-2002.htmlhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Department_of_the_Taoiseach/Policy_Sections/Knowledge_Society_and_eGovernment/IS_Funding_Opportunities/Projects_supported_by_the_Information_Society_Fund_1999-2002.htmlhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Department_of_the_Taoiseach/Policy_Sections/Knowledge_Society_and_eGovernment/IS_Funding_Opportunities/Projects_supported_by_the_Information_Society_Fund_1999-2002.htmlhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Department_of_the_Taoiseach/Policy_Sections/Knowledge_Society_and_eGovernment/IS_Funding_Opportunities/Projects_supported_by_the_Information_Society_Fund_1999-2002.htmlhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Department_of_the_Taoiseach/Policy_Sections/Knowledge_Society_and_eGovernment/IS_Funding_Opportunities/Projects_supported_by_the_Information_Society_Fund_1999-2002.htmlhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Department_of_the_Taoiseach/Policy_Sections/Knowledge_Society_and_eGovernment/IS_Funding_Opportunities/Projects_supported_by_the_Information_Society_Fund_1999-2002.htmlhttp://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/


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eGovernment the same link appears twice on this pageo The Access, Skills and Content Initiative (ASC), which ended in 2007.o The National Payment Conferenceo The Information Society Policy Unit (ISPU) e-newsletter, which was last published in

May 2007 but is still accepting new subscriptions.

2. ASC Initiative which leads to the same page as the one above3. About the Information Society which leads to the same page as above4. Information Society Structure and Groups which leads to the same page as above5. Speeches and Press Releases leads to a page which lists speeches and announcements made

about the Information Society between 2002 and 2007. The list is not in chronological order.

6. Information Society Publications leads to a page which lists in chronological order thedocuments produced about the Information Society since 1998. The most recent entry isdated January 2005.

7. Links leads to a page which provides:o Links to four external publications of which three dont work. o Links to eleven relevant websites of which two dont work and one is redirected.


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Annex IIInformation about Marano Consultants

Marano Consultants are experienced in managing all aspects of the development andimplementation of online strategies. This includes providing some or all of the following services:

Review the current online presence, including web site quality, traffic and revenue figures,arrangements with suppliers, size of web team and the e-culture within the organisation.

Conduct a period of consultation, identify stakeholders and decision makers, meet suppliers,workshop with internal users, external user testing, identify online champions.

Write the online strategy, including vision, best practice review, competitor analysis,business requirements, risk analysis, time frame, success criteria, investment needed.

Secure funds to carry out interim improvements, measure impact over a defined period,present results to stakeholders, secure budget for complete overhaul of online presence.

Hire staff to create web team, develop a functional specification, issue and manage call(s)for tender, develop the content plan, manage the project development and rollout.

Put in place web analytics for measuring usage, domain management, hostingarrangements, search engine optimisation and search engine marketing techniques.

Develop the e-marketing plan, co-ordinate online and offline marketing plans, promotionsand campaigns, working with marketing teams in different departments and/or countries.

On an ongoing basis, keep client informed of progress and brief them on developments in e-business best practice.

As a result of delivering these services, significant performance improvements have been achieved ina relatively short period of time.

Search engine rankings improved, visits to websites increased and sales leads and onlinerevenue grew significantly.

The online skills base within the organisations also grew as a result of the use of appropriatetechnology and proper training.

The importance of the online function in relation to the offline activities was also increased,encouraging more integration between the two.

Organisational change occurred as the Internet established itself as a significant businesschannel.

About the author

Kieran OHea specialises in developing online strategies for public sector organisations and NGOs.He recently managed the development and implementation of successful new online strategies forTourism Ireland and for Concern Worldwide. The Tourism Ireland project was the most ambitious

web project ever undertaken here, delivering 28 websites in 18 languages.Prior to managing the above projects, Kieran was an advisor at the European Commission whom hehelped to set up and manage some of the first online projects in Europe. He has also advised anumber of Irish state agencies including Forfs and InterTradeIreland in relation to digital media.

His goal is to help more organisations to embrace innovation and to develop world class onlinepresences. He aims to achieve this through a combination of evangelism, strategy development andproject management.