Le National Audit Office (équivalent britannique de la Cour des Comptes en France) a publié le 13 juillet avec l'assistance de la London School of Economics Public Policy Group et de Oxford Internet Institute of the University of Oxford, un rapport fort intéressant sur l'utilisation des services gouvernementaux britanniques en ligne.
On y apprend notamment qu'il est difficile de trouver l'information utile sous une forme compréhensible, L'émiettement des sites est nuisible à cet égard et 551 sites sur les 991 estimés redondants ou moins utiles vont fermer ou être regroupés autour de 2 poles
www.directgov.gov.uk pour les citoyens
www.businesslink.gov.uk pour les entreprises
Les frais de fonctionnement sont estimés à 208 millions de Livres Sterling par an ...
Il serait utile de disposer d'informations similaires et publiques sur les sites européens du domaine ".europa.eu" ou bien sur les sites français ".gouv.fr"
Quelques recommendations extraites du rapport signalé par InternetActu (et commenté en français)
- To inform their investment decisions, all departments should commit to carry out regular channel research, to create and publish a formal channel strategy and to set out an implementation plan that is regularly updated.
- Criteria should be devised for helping departments and agencies to judge the correct level of investment in websites and transactional services.
- Require departments to report annually on costings for information and services online according to a common methodology.
- Given the scale and complexity of Directgov, a framework should be put in place to ensure regular, independent reviews and challenge functions to identify risks and assess how effectively these are being managed.
- Collect and analyse usage data and ensure that such data feeds directly into the design of government websites.
- Maximise the visibility of government websites to search engines and carry out usability testing to make sure users can find the information they need within sites once they find them.
- In order to make information quicker and easier to find, the Cabinet Office, in conjunction with departments, should develop a strategy to identify and promote best practice within and across government search facilities.
- Ensure websites meet accessibility and usability criteria: no government website should go online if it does not meet required accessibility standards.
Annual Reports should outline what actions have been taken to make web services and online information as useable as possible for all customers. Departments should attempt to assess the range of ‘reading ages’ of their users and design their web materials accordingly. - Departments should develop their strategies for dealing with intermediaries, including formalising channels for online interaction with intermediaries, more funding of intermediaries to support citizens wishing to learn how to use online services, and publicising the availability of the provision.
Sources
BBC "Many government websites are still too complicated and difficult to use, says the National Audit Office"
National Audit Office: Government on the internet: progress in delivering information and services online
National Audit Office: Government on the Web II ( dec 2006)
Treasury: Service Transformation: a better service for citizens and business, a better deal for taxpayers (dec 2006)
Cabinet Office: Transformational Government, Enabled by Technology (nov. 2005)