Small Business Intranet

Situation

Like many organizations, the BC Government’s Small Business and Revenue department started posting much of its public information, including tax information, legislation and regulations on its website. But over the years, the volume of information grew, to approximately 1,500 html pages and over 1,500 PDFs, making it increasingly difficult to locate the right document. Some documents that worked in a paper-based format proved difficult to use effectively online, especially for members of the public who didn’t have someone to explain the complicated forms to them.

Objectives

• Based on consultations and extensive reviews with content providers, staff and the public, design a “customer centric” website that will allow easy navigation for visitors to ensure they find the information they need.
• Review the exiting content and revise it to ensure that it’s written in plain language that is accessible for all visitors.
• Document the process to ensure that other government departments can use it as a model for their own re-designs.

Work Plan

• Review every page of the existing website and rate the information on how easy it is to find, understand and apply.
• Conduct consultations with a representative sample of staff, both users and content providers, as well as members of the public who visit the site and use its content.
• Develop a Project Charter, with detailed workplan, timelines, and communication activities.
• Create a Web Steering Committee with representatives from all branches of the ministry.
• Analyze the content to understand what it says and revise to ensure that the content is readable, understandable and useful – in “plain language.”
• Build a new navigation structure, based on consultations and current best practices, which works for the staff who deal with the site and visitors.

Outcome

Small Business and Revenue’s new, redesigned website went live in October 2007, on-time and on-budget. The response from visitors to the site and the staff that used it daily has been enthusiastic. In focus group testing, the new site earned a 92% approval rating The revamped design and improved navigation structures are being used as an example for other ministries to follow as they begin to re-design and update their sites to be more customer-centric. The new site can be viewed at www.gov.bc.ca/sbr.