Press Release - Government on the internet: progress in
delivering information and services online
13 July 2007
Government has made progress in making a wide range of
information available to the public through the internet. But the
National Audit Office has found that although internet users rate
government websites reasonably well, the quality of those websites
has improved only slightly since 2002.
Todays report to Parliament looked at the progress made by
government in delivering services and information online since the
NAO last reported in 2002. Government organisations spend some 208
million on websites each year. Usage of the main government
websites has risen over time and some sites are widely and
repeatedly used. For example 78 per cent of Jobcentre Plus online
service users visited its sites at least once a week.
The report found that many government websites tend to be text
heavy and off-putting to the user. Internet users told the NAO that
some government websites are complex to understand and navigate and
information useful to them is often hard to find amongst large
amounts of policy material not relevant to them.
Government is seeking to improve this situation through
radically reducing the number of central government websites. This
will be carried out by moving customer-facing online information
into two main supersites Directgov and businesslink.gov.uk. This is
designed to provide the public and businesses a simple and clear
route to accessing information and performing transactions. The
report shows that Directgov content and presentation were
appreciated by citizens. This is a promising new initiative but it
is an ambitious programme and needs to be carefully managed and
kept under regular review.
Information on the cost of providing information online and user
data also need to be improved. A third of departments and agencies
have very little knowledge about how much their online provision of
services is costing them. And most departments do not have
sufficient information on who is using their sites and how they are
being used.
The report highlights the potential for better web-based
information: for example to inform choice such as finding schools
for children or choosing NHS hospitals for operations.
The report concludes that there is scope for departments and
agencies to improve value for money in the provision of online
services. Among its recommendations, the NAO says that departments
should carry out regular research to ensure they are providing
services appropriate to the needs of the public and gain better
knowledge about how people prefer to access government services.
They should also collect and analyse usage data and feed it
directly into the design of government websites, maximize the
visibility of government websites on search engines and ensure that
websites meet accessibility and usability criteria for the people
that use them. Directgov and businesslink.gov.uk currently follow
these principles and as the website content is converged onto these
sites citizens and businesses should be better served. The Cabinet
Office needs to ensure the risk management of the supersite
strategy by keeping it under regular review.
Head of the National Audit Office Sir John Bourn said
today:
Progress has been made by departments and agencies in
getting more information on the web. When I last reported on this
subject in 2002 I reported weaknesses in information across
government on the cost and usage of its websites. Todays report
highlights that little improvement has been made in these areas.
Departments need to focus on understanding the cost effectiveness
of their websites and who uses them and why, so that they can
better meet the needs of citizens. I therefore welcome the
initiatives of Directgov and businesslink.gov.uk which aim to
streamline and rationalize the Governments web estate and should
help to concentrate minds and focus efforts.
Notes for Editors
- This report was produced on behalf of the National Audit Office
by a joint team from the London School of Economics Public Policy
Group and the Oxford Internet Institute of the University of
Oxford.
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website, which is at www.nao.org.uk. Hard
copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702
3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 850 staff. He
and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 34/07
All enquiries to Donna Watson,
NAO Press Office: Tel: 020 7798 7038
Mobile: 07917 555 388