Challenges / Objectives

Solution

Results

Challenges / Objectives

Solution

Results

Challenges / Objectives

Solution

Results

Mayor Anthony Williams, elected in 1998, saw an immediate need for improving the web site for one of the most wired metropolitan areas in the nation. At the same time, he was a visionary; he saw that e-government would grow from static web sites to fully interactive electronic city halls capable of delivering online a wide variety of government services from vehicle registration to tax filing. For Mayor Williams the goal became to be a "model for the very best of American cities." The heart of this goal was to build the portal and have it function as a 24-hour city hall. Residents, businesses and visitors were to be able to do business with the city, request services, and have a forum where their voices could be heard by city officials, 24 hours a day.

To meet the District government's goal the new solution had to improve the delivery of information and services to residents, national and international visitors, businesses, and the District's employees. It had to bring order to the earlier disparate efforts of its more than 70 departments and independent agencies. It had to improve government services through greater efficiency and reduced operational costs. It also had to be a good business decision in its own right.

The District's requirements were clear and precise:

		A robust infrastructure that was scaleable and supportive of present and future needs
		A look and feel that honored the city's past, its present and its future
		Ease-of-use for visitors to the portal
		Consistent presentation and navigation throughout the portal and individual agency web sites
		A content management system to improve the delivery of information to web site users
		American Disability Act, Section 508, compliance permitting access to information by handicapped and disabled individuals
		The District government partnered with Filnet Inc. to build the future of e-government in the District of Columbia.

Next >

Partnership, planning, experience, and implementation are the four cornerstones of the effort by Filnet to meet the challenge proposed by the District government in its web initiative.

		Filnet approaches every project as a partnership. Partnerships improve communications and responses to achieve desired goals.
		We also place strong emphasis on planning. Planning saves money and time.
		We use experience to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of a successful implementation.
		Then we implement responsibly and with avid dedication to successful results.

Solution 1

Architecture
A good architect designs a house based upon how people use different rooms. In other words, she designs people-friendly structures. Filnet and the District government felt that the same principles applied to building the structure for the new portal. Using surveys conducted by the District government, Filnet organized the District web site structure to be people-friendly. The resulting structure organized information into three main categories: citizen services, business services, and government information. The navigation scheme reflected the structure and gave any user direct and immediate access into these three categories. This design made the District government portal one of the easiest on the web for access to the right information with the least effort.

The architecture of the new portal also had to fit with current business processes and IT structure, much as a well-designed house fits into its environment. However, the web site had to withstand the constant addition of new content and applications as it grew. In developing the site, Filnet first studied the current IT structure of the District government, which is based on Microsoft NT and 2000 server platforms. Each newly developed application and new configuration were integrated into the existing structure. Our effort here was to make the new portal as government friendly as it was people friendly.

Solution 2

Consistent appearance throughout the portal
A tour of the D.C. Government site (washingtondc.gov) will quickly tell you how successful Filnet was in accomplishing this goal. Page after page - whether visiting the portal, the Department of Parks and Recreation site, or the Mayor's page - the user always knows they are on familiar and solid ground. Another common problem is that web portals change and grow rapidly. Filnet overcame this challenge with the use of templates. Thus, new content didn't mean a new look and feel or design.

To achieve this overarching objective, Filnet worked with the District government to develop a Web Development Kit (WDK). The WDK provided tools, templates, and knowledge to create sites that easily integrate into the District's portal. The WDK included customized templates and a manual with details of the use of the templates for building web pages, a blueprint of the infrastructure, substantial guidance in tying into the common navigation scheme of the portal, and content guidelines established by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). Every agency received a copy of the manual, which was also downloadable from the web along with the Filnet-designed templates.

Solution 3

Seamless and invisible functionality
Interactivity is a must for every government site today. Constituents want to communicate with governments through the portal, and to receive communications back. They also want the interactivity to be easy and the technology invisible. Once Filnet made the communication possible, our next goal was to make sure that every interactive element was as natural and intuitive to the user as technology would permit, and never disruptive of the browsing experience.

Solution 4

ADA Accessibility
Another major concern was making the portal accessible to citizens with disabilities. The American Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508, states that all government media communications must be accessible to handicapped and disabled persons. Filnet applied sixteen different criteria to every page to meet the requirements of the Act.

Solution 5

Content management tools and search engine
It is easy for content creation, management, and delivery to get in the way of a successful experience for web users. As portals grow into thousands of pages, it's easy for content to get "lost." Unmanaged content can destroy a portal's integrity, and can allow content and the portal to become irrelevant and ultimately reduce its value to the constituent. With this in mind, Filnet builtcustomized content management tools to improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, and expand online services through the wise use of technology.

Applying advanced programming skills and open-source solutions, Filnet designed and built tools based on the needs of the content providers:

		A Newsroom feature allows public relations staff members to keep important community and government news current and relevant.
		A Calendar of Events feature allows the District government and its agencies to keep the community informed about important upcoming events.
		The Mayor's Schedule allows his staff to keep the public aware of his schedule on a daily basis.
		Headlines for Public Service Announcements are posted as they arise, including weather and traffic delays.
		A state of the art Search Engine makes it easy to find information by key words and phrases.

All of the features above only require government employees to have a web browser and access to the Internet. No HTML knowledge is needed. No costly software need be downloaded to the user's computer. There is no need to shuffle content around the office and through the agency halls for approval, and then be reformatted for the web. Costs for the production of web content were cut and the quality of content increased ten-fold.

Solution 6

Fulfillment of Special Agency Requirements
Of the sixty District departments and agencies with web sites, Filnet has provided web development services to thirty over the past 18 months.

		Content Management Functions for the Department of Health A Filnet team provided development and implementation services for the complex 2,000 page Department of Health (DOH) site with its more than 35 separate sections, assuring compliance with the District government's web standards, a standardized navigational scheme for quick and easy access to the hundreds of pages of public information, and easy content management functions for DOH news and updates.
		Document Management Center for the Department of the Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Filnet revamped the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs' web site. In addition Filnet designed and built a database-driven Document Management Center for the agency's vast depository of important consumer and business documents. Documents included business license applications, corporate registration forms, master business license applications, and regulatory information. The addition of the Document Management Center not only made the District government more accessible to the public, it decreased the management costs of delivering that information to the agency's web site.
		Content Management System for the Department of Parks and Recreation Filnet completed a content management system (CMS) for the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) early in 2002. The application approved DPR's ability to deliver fresh and useful information to the users of the cities parks and recreation facilities. Because the staff can update facility information quickly and easily, residents can find current events information for recreation facilities in their neighborhood. The online seasonal catalogs are always current because they can be updated in minutes as new programs are brought on line and discontinued programs are dropped - all achievable at a lower cost of maintenance than previous manual systems.
		GIS Consulting and Interface Design of the DC Atlas intranet for government employees In 2002, Filnet worked with Michael J. Baker, Inc. and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) to create the DC Atlas, an online GIS application for DC employees. Filnet was responsible for building the interface that makes it possible for employees to access many different layers of information and view it in a useful visual format. Filnet is also working closely with OCTO to create a civilian version, currently called DC Citizens' Atlas. In April 2002, Filnet provided OCTO with a study of current usage of GIS applications by other municipalities. In May 2002, Filnet conducted focus group studies to determine who would use a public GIS application and how they would use it. DC Citizens' Atlas is expected to be available by the end of the 2002.
		Site Manager for the District Computer Emergency Response Team Filnet designed and built a content management system (CMS) for the District Computer Emergency Response Team (DCERT) in the spring of 2002. DCERT is responsible for handling hardware and software emergencies along the District's WAN. Their web site is used to track "trouble tickets," to generate warnings, and to provide system updates for WAN users. The SiteManager automates all the processes for DCERT and makes information available faster and at less cost for its clients.

< Previous  |  Next >

The partnership between Filnet and the District government has delivered some impressive results:

		Online use has dramatically increased. It continues to grow as new services and features are added.
		The District government has already realized cost savings from the content management systems custom built for their use - and these cost savings are not a one-time event. Over the life of its web site, the District government will continue to reap cost benefits created from automating web content delivery and management.
		Staff jobs have also been made easier, and they take pride in the dramatic improvements they have seen in their ability to deliver information and services to the city's constituents.

< Previous