Comments on: Benefits of government website auditing http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/ Setting government digital policy with your involvement Tue, 03 May 2011 00:26:41 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Grand Re-Designs « UKauthorITy.Collective blog http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-903 Grand Re-Designs « UKauthorITy.Collective blog Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:28:21 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-903 [...] interesting footnote to this is that the Central Office of Information is drawing up guidance to help departments evaluate whether their websites are useful, usable and deliver value for [...] [...] interesting footnote to this is that the Central Office of Information is drawing up guidance to help departments evaluate whether their websites are useful, usable and deliver value for [...]

]]> By: Clerkendweller http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-543 Clerkendweller Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:41:24 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-543 Mentioned in a post about auditing Government web sites at http://www.clerkendweller.com/2010/1/19/Auditing-Government-Web-Sites Mentioned in a post about auditing Government web sites at

http://www.clerkendweller.com/2010/1/19/Auditing-Government-Web-Sites

]]> By: Damian Watson http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-212 Damian Watson Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:51:55 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-212 Hi Adam, Thanks for the link, really useful. This is a subject I've been researching for seminar presentations. I'm developing ways of measuring the delivery of social value through online services. It's interesting that across the board (government, commercial, third sectors) there is very little about how to do measure social value though there's plenty of word count saying it should be done! Damian Hi Adam,

Thanks for the link, really useful. This is a subject I’ve been researching for seminar presentations.

I’m developing ways of measuring the delivery of social value through online services. It’s interesting that across the board (government, commercial, third sectors) there is very little about how to do measure social value though there’s plenty of word count saying it should be done!

Damian

]]> By: Adam Bailin http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-187 Adam Bailin Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:06:17 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-187 Damian, I agree, site usage/analytics is only one side of the story. The key difference between uasge stats and the other standardised meaures of quality and value is the auditing. COI has issued a <a href="http://coi.gov.uk/guidance.php?page=262" rel="nofollow">standard set of measures for website costs, quality and usage</a> covering measurement of costs, satisfaction, advocacy, ease of use, goal completion etc. This will enable us to report not only on volume of usage and time spent online but also compound metrics such as cost per visit as well as more subjective, self-reported perceptions of quality. What is tricky is to encourage site owners to develop their own KPIs which fit with their business objectives. We have simply put the building blocks in place that will hopefully provide the impetus for more tailored measurement and evaluation of specific sites. Adam Damian,

I agree, site usage/analytics is only one side of the story.

The key difference between uasge stats and the other standardised meaures of quality and value is the auditing. COI has issued a standard set of measures for website costs, quality and usage covering measurement of costs, satisfaction, advocacy, ease of use, goal completion etc. This will enable us to report not only on volume of usage and time spent online but also compound metrics such as cost per visit as well as more subjective, self-reported perceptions of quality.

What is tricky is to encourage site owners to develop their own KPIs which fit with their business objectives. We have simply put the building blocks in place that will hopefully provide the impetus for more tailored measurement and evaluation of specific sites.

Adam

]]> By: Damian Watson http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Damian Watson Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:56:14 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-183 Hi Hayden, I absolutely agree with a standardisation of statistical audit across government. However, analytic stats can only provide a small part in ROI measurements and it is easy to reach misleading interpretations. For example, a high stickiness rating could equally suggest that visitors can't find the information that they need but know that it exists in the website. Again (and I've seen this happen), a high visitor count reported to a dept board in a management report could easily be presented as successful. Whilst getting people to the website is necessary, what's more important is the value they get from the content. It would be great to hear from you about other KPIs that COI is looking at and how they can be used across government to measure the delivery of value. Damian Hi Hayden,

I absolutely agree with a standardisation of statistical audit across government. However, analytic stats can only provide a small part in ROI measurements and it is easy to reach misleading interpretations.

For example, a high stickiness rating could equally suggest that visitors can’t find the information that they need but know that it exists in the website.

Again (and I’ve seen this happen), a high visitor count reported to a dept board in a management report could easily be presented as successful. Whilst getting people to the website is necessary, what’s more important is the value they get from the content.

It would be great to hear from you about other KPIs that COI is looking at and how they can be used across government to measure the delivery of value.

Damian

]]> By: ThePickards » An Analytics Problem for the UK Public Sector http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-137 ThePickards » An Analytics Problem for the UK Public Sector Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:22:13 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-137 [...] It is mandatory for Government sites to have stats audits: In the current climate of open, transparent and accountable government, it is now mandatory for government websites to have stats audits.Adam Bailin, Digigov: Benefits of Government Website Auditing [...] [...] It is mandatory for Government sites to have stats audits: In the current climate of open, transparent and accountable government, it is now mandatory for government websites to have stats audits.Adam Bailin, Digigov: Benefits of Government Website Auditing [...]

]]> By: September #5 « take21 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-78 September #5 « take21 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:42:40 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-78 [...] DataSF App ShowcaseCOI: benefits of government website auditing: open, transparent and accountable DigigovFull List of UK Councils now online (and accessible via API) CountCultureOpening up local government [...] [...] DataSF App ShowcaseCOI: benefits of government website auditing: open, transparent and accountable DigigovFull List of UK Councils now online (and accessible via API) CountCultureOpening up local government [...]

]]> By: September #5 at take21.org/blog http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-77 September #5 at take21.org/blog Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:05:12 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-77 [...] DataSF App ShowcaseCOI: benefits of government website auditing: open, transparent and accountable DigigovFull List of UK Councils now online (and accessible via API) CountCultureOpening up local government [...] [...] DataSF App ShowcaseCOI: benefits of government website auditing: open, transparent and accountable DigigovFull List of UK Councils now online (and accessible via API) CountCultureOpening up local government [...]

]]> By: Hayden Sutherland http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Hayden Sutherland Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:51:31 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-71 Adam Thanks for your swift response and URL for further info. It would certainly make sense to use the same common analytics package, if only to ensure commonality of KPI reporting and comparable metrics (hopefully leading to your eventual online cost/benefit calculations) Hayden Adam
Thanks for your swift response and URL for further info. It would certainly make sense to use the same common analytics package, if only to ensure commonality of KPI reporting and comparable metrics (hopefully leading to your eventual online cost/benefit calculations)
Hayden

]]> By: Adam Bailin http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/2009/09/benefits-of-government-website-auditing/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Adam Bailin Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:54:49 +0000 http://coi.gov.uk/blogs/digigov/?p=95#comment-70 Hi Hayden Government departments are free to choose whichever analytics package best meets their needs. Both Google Analytics and Webtrends are used by Government as well as many other packages. We have agreed guidance in place to ensure that regardless of analytics package, we all measure to the same standards. Of course, an alternative solution would be for all government websites to use the same analytics package. There was a <a href="http://puffbox.com/2009/03/31/coi-audit-open-source-analytics-piwik/" rel="nofollow">discussion about this on Puffbox</a>. Hi Hayden
Government departments are free to choose whichever analytics package best meets their needs. Both Google Analytics and Webtrends are used by Government as well as many other packages. We have agreed guidance in place to ensure that regardless of analytics package, we all measure to the same standards. Of course, an alternative solution would be for all government websites to use the same analytics package. There was a discussion about this on Puffbox.

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