UK Government web site report from the NAO

The National Audit Office (NAO) have just published their review of how UK Government publish information and make transactionas available on the Internet, it's at http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/06-07/0607529.pdf.

The report makes interesting reading and illustrates how far there is to go before we get Transformational Government, a few (admittedly out of context) quotes:

"Most departments still do not have sufficient information on who is using their sites and how they are being used"

"There is an as yet largely unrealised potential for government websites to signpost citizens towards organisations that have sites with information, services and web communities that can offer help, advice and guidance on, for example, childcare, health matters, legal problems or finding employment. This is particularly the case with third sector organisations, many of whom
act as important intermediaries between government departments and citizens, but to which few government websites provide links."

"The DirectGov strategy of..........:

• re-ordering information to make it easily findable;
• re-presenting information so that it is clearer and makes sense for citizens or businesses, and;
• joining up information effectively so that it better meets people’s and enterprises’ overall needs.

This approach is challenging because of the complex departmental structure of national government against a background of ten or more years of un-coordinated growth of government websites."

Let's hope the strategy is successful and applied to the other channels that Government uses.