Cabinet Office
These revised guidelines grew out of the first edition, which was published in December 1999. This first version was commissioned by the Central IT Unit of the Cabinet Office and written by Cyberia, and underwent a lengthy consultation process. This second edition was commissioned by the Office of the e-Envoy as a result of advancements in technology and changes in government priorities. It builds on the previous version by updating, clarifying and extending the range of advice. This Executive summary is extracted from the Framework for senior managers published in 2001. [Revised March 2004]
The Guidelines for UK government websites support ambitions for current websites. We need to continue to progress from informing citizens to interacting with them and finally transacting with them. This framework document sets out key guidelines that should underpin all current government websites.
1. Government websites should be user focused. This means they are engaging; provide the information and services that users want; continually evolve to meet user demand; and achieve universal accessibility and usability.
2. Government websites must work together to join up the government and, in delivering this, adhere to the mandatory e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF).
3. Government organisations must be working to provide their services online.
4. Users should be able to have reasonable expectations about the quality, accuracy and uniformity of government content using, for example, the UK online brand.
5. Government websites must raise citizen confidence by abiding by the law and explaining their terms and conditions to users. They should also be secure from intrusion and address the issues raised by the draft Trust Charter for Electronic Service Delivery (e-Trust Charter) guidelines, which clearly set out the rights of the citizen with respect to the information held by government.
6. Users expect communication on the Web to be two-way. Government websites should provide opportunities for users to contact officials, express their views or make enquiries.
7. Government websites should operate within a strategy that includes a full range of channels, such as Digital Interactive TV and mobile devices.
8. Government websites should have systems for evaluating their success and determining if they are meeting the needs of users, making alterations where appropriate.
9. Government websites must provide consistent metadata (data about data) about their documents, as outlined in the mandatory e-Government Metadata Framework (e-GMF). Managers should also promote the site and register it with search engines.
10. Government websites should be well managed with adequate resources; clear strategy, aims, and target audiences; publishing and business procedures in place; and a strategy for future development including moves to dynamic databases and other digital media.
This summary describes key guidelines that form the foundation of any government website. They are evolving and will continue to be updated over time.
1. Engaging, accessible, usable
1.1. Government websites should be user focused. This means they:
Why?
1.2. Social exclusion policies: information have-nots should have access to services.
1.3. Websites that do not identify and meet user needs cannot be effective.
1.4. The Disability Discrimination Act means that you must take reasonable steps to change practices, policies and procedures that make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for people with disabilities to use your services. You must take reasonable steps to provide auxiliary aids or services, which would enable, or make it easier for people with disabilities to use your services. One aspect to note is the emphasis on usefulness. This may be taken to mean that services must not only be accessible but usable by people with special needs.
1.5. One of five key commitments of the Modernising Government white paper is responsive public services that meet the needs of all different groups in society.
1.6. Accessibility involves more than individuals with special needs. Some company firewalls strip out scripts, which is an issue for sites with a business audience.
1.7. New audiences will have different expectations for engaging and relevant content.
Issues
1.8. Accessibility means that a broad range of software and audiences, including business users and users with disabilities, can actually receive your online content and services.
1.9. The World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is an internationally agreed recommendation for website accessibility. Adopting their guidelines means that we do not have to invent a standard of our own. You are asked to comply with their Level A recommendation. This is defined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). New sites or redesigned sites should comply. Each revision of the WCAG will be examined by the Office of the e-Envoy to confirm our continued support. See: http://www.w3.org/WAI/Resources [External website]
1.10. WAI compliance alone will not give you a usable site. Usability means the site is easy to use by the intended audiences. For example the structure of individual pages may need to be made more understandable. It might mean that the structure of the site needs revision so that the site as a whole is more easily navigable.
Practical advice
1.11. Design should be professional, attractive and engaging depending on the needs of the different audiences.
1.12. Content aimed at the public must be written plainly and, where possible, be web-friendly: ie, at least 50 per cent shorter than printed text, broken up into lists and easily scanned.
1.13. Any formats or applications included in the e-GIF framework can be used. However hypertext mark up language (HTML) or other universally accessible alternatives must be provided to portable document formats (PDFs), JavaScript, Shockwave or other features that are less accessible. To be accessible, PDFs must be created as version 1.4 files using the latest Adobe Acrobat (currently version 5). PDF files created as earlier versions such as 1.3 will need to be amended or replaced. Even so, these files will be accessible only for users with Adobe Acrobat Version 5 readers. However, PDFs may be the best way to publish information in some minority languages that are not supported in HTML.
1.14. All new or redesigned government websites should comply with the
Web Accessibility Initiative's (WAI’s) Level A recommendation for accessibility. This can be achieved by following the Priority 1 checkpoints of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. For example, alternatives should be provided to less accessible scripts or formats.
1.15. The Disability Discrimination Act Code of Practice section 5 gives both explanations of what auxiliary services may be as well as some examples. Visit: http://www.drc-gb.org/law/codes.asp [External website]
1.16. A key aspect of this is providing alt tags to images that communicate important information. Images that are only decorative should be null tagged as ‘ ’.
1.17. Bespoke content that meets the needs and preferences of different target audiences will improve communications online.
1.18. Accesskeys are keyboard shortcuts to particular kinds of information. For example hitting the 0 key could take the user direct to the menu of accesskeys. These shortcuts are helpful for people who have difficulty using a mouse. Some government websites are already implementing accesskeys. However, because there is no agreed standard, different accesskeys on different government sites lead to different options. The Guidelines recommend introducing a uniform menu of accesskeys for UK government websites. See Section 2.4 Building in universal accessibility.
1.19. In the case of web-based kiosks and some other special circumstances, you may need further guidance on accessibility. In the first instance contact the Office of the e-Envoy at webguidelines@e-envoy.gsi.gov.uk.
There are 2 million visually impaired people in the UK – can they access your site? (RNIB ‘Accessible Web Design’)
“I would just like to see it look more interesting” – quote from an evaluation of a government website.
The guideline
2.1. Government websites must work together to join up the government and, in delivering this, adhere to the mandatory e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF).
Why?
2.2. Users do not want to know which government body does what or what the approximately 1,000 separate government websites provide. They want simple access to information and services organised around their needs not the needs of government organisations.
2.3. Many transactions will be provided across departments. For this to happen, government needs to be able to share information and services. This requires a minimum set of technical policies and standards to achieve interoperability and seamless information flows. These policies and standards are set out in the e-GIF.
2.4. Joined-up government in action is one of the keystones of the Modernising Government white paper, especially in the provision of electronic services.
Issues
2.5. All important government documents should have a stable URL, so that portals and search engines can readily link to information.
2.6. Departments must be considering how to work within the e-GIF framework and with the Government Gateway to provide online services.
Practical advice
2.6. Departments should link to other relevant sites and deep link to relevant documents.
2.7. Departments and their executive agencies should exchange links and clarify their mutual roles.
2.9. The UK online toolbar will link government home pages to a central site, and to important new announcements or documents on government websites
2.10. All government sites should link to cross-government sites if appropriate. These include the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway site, the local government gateway info4local.gov, Inforoute and official legislation sites.
2.11. Web managers are directed to the mandated e-Government Interoperability Framework.
The guideline
3.1. Government organisations must be working to provide their services online.
Why?
3.2. Government policy is to use IT to provide integrated, imaginative and convenient public services. For this reason the target is to make all government services available electronically by 2005.
3.3. As commercial sites increasingly provide effective and easy-to-use online transactions, users will begin to expect the same from government.
Issues
3.4. Government bodies will need to identify the services most in demand by users and those which will bring the greatest cost-benefit to their organisations. The real aim is to provide services that people will want to use.
3.5. The provision of online services reaches deep into the business processes of the rest of the organisation. It is not only a content or IT issue.
Practical advice
3.6. Older PDF forms cannot be filled in electronically even when downloaded. Simple webforms are still the preferred alternative for forms.
3.7. Departments should now be looking at the business process and resource issues involved, and need to identify how they can best use the Government Gateway.
3.8. They must be working within the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) to achieve this important target.
Twenty per cent of the UK electorate would vote online if they could. (Forrester Research)
“Overall I was quite impressed, but obviously you need more agencies to be able to accept electronic requests before this can be truly integrated (eg online birth registration).”
ukonline.gov user comment.
The guideline
4.1. Users should be able to have reasonable expectations about the quality, accuracy and uniformity of government content using, for example, the UK online brand.
Why?
4.2. Users should not have to learn an entirely new navigation system for each of the approximately 1,000 central government sites or to know which department does what.
4.3. Users have a right to expect that content will be up to date and current.
4.4. Users should be able to know that certain kinds of information such as contact addresses will be available from any government website.
4.5. Users expect to have news and new content highlighted.
4.6. We should be building relationships with citizens, trying to earn their trust so that we can meet their needs.
Issues
4.7. Government websites publish both high-level documents such as white papers and service-based information such as guidance. This means they are large and require updating and maintenance.
4.8. Many government documents are not aimed at the general public nor are they written to be read online. Web managers need to consider providing some content aimed at different audiences specifically written to be read online.
4.9. Information on government sites is subject to the conventions on government publicity, advertising and sponsorship.
Practical advice
4.10. Government websites should strive to be engaging to users and relevant to the different needs of different kinds of visitor to the site.
4.11. Government websites should provide the following minimum content:
News and updated content should also be provided and, when updates occur, shown on documents.
4.12. Government information must not be polemical and must be procured in a proper way that achieves value for money. Guidance on government information is available from http://www.gics.gov.uk/handbook/index.htm [External website]
4.13. The Easyaccess approach (as seen on the ukonline.gov portal) provides a structure and content that meets the needs of new or disorientated users as well as those with communication or visual difficulties. For example, often the elderly need an additional helping hand with complex sites when they are not familiar with the Web and may find learning everything at once difficult.
A recent evaluation of a Devolved Administration site shows that users’ top priorities were speed of download and up-to-date, accurate information.
The guideline
5.1. Government websites must raise citizen confidence by abiding by the law and explaining their terms and conditions to users. They should also be secure from intrusion and address the issues raised by the draft Trust Charter for Electronic Service Delivery (e-Trust Charter) guidelines, which clearly set out the rights of the citizen with respect to the information held by government.
Why?
5.2. This protects the government and helps build user trust.
5.3. Some users are reluctant to give government information about themselves. This reduces our ability to give them the information and services they individually need.
5.4. Advertising and sponsorship partners must be selected so that trust in websites is not reduced.
5.5. Security is an absolute necessity if users are to trust us with their details or make online payments.
5.6. Users’ trust in the security of government websites will be reduced if these sites are hacked and defaced.
5.7. Government websites should support efforts to build users’ trust in the Web as a whole.
Issues
5.8. Government webmasters must inform themselves about their legal obligations.
5.9. Departments need to have a security policy and ensure that their web hosting service or in-house server is secure.
5.10. Users must know what we are going to do with their data.
Practical advice
5.10. Websites must have a policy on the following areas which is explained on the site: the Disability Discrimination Act, the Data Protection Act, copyright etc.
5.11 Goverrnment websites should address the issues raised by the draft Trust Charter for Electronic Service Delivery (e-Trust Charter) guidelines. Information about the e-Trust Charter can be found below.
5.12 All government websites should be securely hosted and regularly penetration-tested. Passing this test on a regular basis should be a condition of all hosting contracts.
5.13 Government websites should have a Platform for Internet Content (PICS) rating. This works rather like the ratings system for film, except that it allows users automatically to filter out sites with certain kinds of content. Web managers need to register the site with at least the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) PICS service. They will need to include the site's rating in metadata. For more information visit: http://www.w3.org/PICS/ and http://www.icra.org.
“(You’ll) get yourself on some subversive anarchist list” female 50+ ABC1 user on why she distrusts giving government information about herself.
The guideline
6.1. Users expect communication on the Web to be two-way. Government websites should provide opportunities for users to contact officials, express their views or make enquiries.
Why?
6.2. The Internet is two-way by its very nature. Websites that do not provide channels for electronic enquiries or comments will be regarded as trying to evade them.
6.3. The Freedom of Information Act will require that enquirers be answered in their preferred format. This will include email.
Issues
6.4. Departments need to decide how best to handle email enquiries and response to them.
6.5. Web managers need to resolve the many issues of running discussion groups. Among these issues are resolving accessibility for people with disabilities to enable them to be included.
6.6. The Freedom of Information Act will require that all enquiries be responded to within 20 days in the enquirer's preferred format.
Practical advice
6.7. Full contact address information for the organisation should be provided.
6.8. Full contact information including email addresses for enquiry points or individuals and maps showing 'how to find us' should be provided.
6.9. Any discussion group should have a clear policy on what can and cannot be posted. Moderation is recommended.
“It’s got to be seen as a two-way street – to me it’s like they’re going to do it anyway, but they’ll throw the public a wee sweetie”
– female 30-49, C1C2DE, Consensus Research for ukonline.gov.uk.
The guideline
7.1. Government websites should operate within a strategy that includes a full range of technology channels, such as interactive digital television (DiTV) and mobile devices.
Why?
7.2. The Modernising Government white paper commits government to keeping pace with technological change including the use of new channels.
7.3. These new platforms will help us reach new audiences, sometimes audiences that we have difficulty reaching through PC-based digital media.
Issues
7.4. It is possible to design websites that can also be viewed directly on DiTV . Some will need to be automatically transcoded. For others, transcoding may not be enough. Care should be taken to meet the different needs of television audiences.
7.5. For many channels, such as wireless application protocol (WAP) or portable devices, bespoke information and services will be needed.
Practical advice
7.6. Organisations have a responsibility to ensure that their information and services are available through digital media where appropriate, for example interactive television, kiosks and mobile devices.
Sixty to 75 per cent of UK households will take digital TV by 200t. By 2005 broadband Internet will be available to between 55 per cent and 75 per cent of households. (e-Government policy framework: interactive digital television, draft version, November 2001)
The guideline
8.1. Government websites should have systems for evaluating their success and determining if they are meeting the needs of users, making alterations where appropriate.
Why?
8.2. Public money is being spent – some means of verifying value for money and effectiveness is needed.
8.3. Users’ needs should drive the site.
8.4. Uniform use of access statistics across government will allow a clearer picture of user needs across government to develop.
8.5. The sale of advertising space or gaining of sponsorship when appropriate will be made easier if sites can prove they are attracting an audience.
Issues
8.6. Different hosting services provide different access statistics. You need to be clear what access statistics you require when procuring hosting services or when setting up a server in-house.
8.7. Raw data is not information. It must be converted to useful information about user behaviour or preference.
8.8. Offline research will be necessary to find out the needs of the target audiences who do not visit your site or fill in feedback forms.
Practical advice
8.9. Government websites should collect, as a minimum, the following statistics:
8.10. Additional information on who is using the site, the level of data transferred and notice-of-error logs should be monitored. Other criteria for evaluating the site should be based on communication or service targets. Quarterly evaluations are recommended.
8.11. It is acceptable to use cookies to identify or track users’ use of the site. The site must contain a clear statement of policy on the use of cookies, and the site should still work when the cookies are turned off.
The guideline
9.1 Government websites must provide consistent metadata (data about data) on all new documents as outlined in the mandatory e-Government Metadata Framework (e-GMF). Managers should also promote the site and register it with search engines.
Why?
9.2. Users may not be able to find your site unless you promote it and ensure search engines list it.
9.3. Search engines of many types use metadata to locate documents and pages within your site.
9.4. Metadata will improve the ease with which government information can be joined up.
9.5. Metadata will improve ease of archiving and retrieval.
Issues
9.6. There are millions of websites. You will need to promote your website as appropriate through online search engines and directories, and through such means as press releases, your stationery and brochures, and perhaps advertising.
9.7. Web managers are not subject specialists. The authors of documents should help provide metadata about the content of their documents.
Practical advice
9.8. Webmasters are directed to the published framework on government metadata: http://www.govtalk.gov.uk/interoperability/metadata.asp [External website]
9.9. Metadata should be added to hypertext mark up language (HTML) pages and documents in metatags.
9.10. Information should be based on the e-GMF framework.
9.11. The authors of the document rather than webmasters should increasingly provide Metadata. This includes classifying all pages and documents with terms from the Government Category List, due for publication in November 2001. This will work with your own organisation's thesaurus of keywords.
9.12. Don’t abuse metadata. Adding subject terms describing every aspect of your organisation’s work to every page may initially increase the number of visits but is frustrating for users. Metadata should be used to take users directly to the information they want, wherever on your site it may be.
9.13. Web managers should be familiar with how to register the site and additions to it with the major search engines/directories.
9.14. Is your URL memorable and easily understood? Is it within government guidelines? Advice on naming policy in the .gov.uk domain is available below.
Search engines are the leading way users in the United Kingdom locate websites. Eightyone per cent said search engines helped them find sites. (Forrester Research)
The guideline
10.1. Government websites should be well managed, with:
Why?
10.2. Government websites typically publish more documents that are more detailed than commercial sites. Some sites now have roughly one 120,000 documents. Maintenance and updating alone is a logistical challenge.
10.3. Government websites have different and more complex aims and requirements than commercial sites – only good management balances all these priorities.
10.4. Good management may help retain skilled staff.
10.5. Good management will ensure that sites plan for change, evolving to meet user needs and moving away from static hypertext mark up language (HTML) to more efficient, dynamic websites.
10.6. Good management is the only way to build in and check for quality.
10.7. Good management is not a technical web issue – it requires senior management involvement.
Issues
10.8. Many government sites are not adequately resourced to carry out their publication tasks.
10.9. clear editorial policy needs to be supported by clear procedures.
10.10 Legal obligations for Welsh language provision, archiving of public records and freedom of information may not be met if management is poor.
10.11 Requirements to provide online services, metadata on new documents, and Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Level accessibility may not be met, or maintained, if management is poor.
10.12 Some sites need to provide information in European Community languages. We also have a moral obligation to reach ethnic minority communities in the UK. To translate and update material in other languages requires clear procedures.
10.13 Specialist skills may be difficult to recruit and retain. Training your own staff is one option.
10.14 A full mix of skills is needed to set the goals for, brief designers of, and manage websites. These skills include communication strategy, content and publicity, marketing, IT, information science and business process.
Practical advice
10.15 Websites should:
10.16. All staff should have ready access to the Internet and to their department's own websites. Training in preparation of documents for the Web should be available.
10.17 Set up sites to allow authors of information to input updates directly themselves.
10.18 Provision of minority languages in non-Roman alphabets will be difficult for a while. Web managers are advised to avoid graphic formats such as graphical interchange formats (GIFs) as some users turn these off. Portable document formats (PDFs) for non-Roman scripts are recommended. Anchor pages linking to all material in a particular language are recommended. This will make it easier to link all government information in these languages.
11.1. These guidelines have been adopted by the Office of the e-Envoy on behalf of ‘government e-Champions, e-Communications Group. It is expected therefore that all departments and agencies developing government websites will make all reasonable efforts to comply with them. This pertains to all new sites and existing sites that are being revised.
11.2. The Guidelines for UK government websites includes The Illustrated Handbook for Web management teams. This handbook provides detailed advice and reminders for hands-on web managers with, for example, checklists, summaries, useful uniform resource locator (URL) links, example screenshots, sample coding and specimen terms and conditions and guidance on archiving websites.
11.3. A small, self-contained, accessible and usable website template supports this handbook. This is designed for training purposes and to assist in building an accessible website. The template is fully marked up in HTML4 with accompanying Cascading Style Sheets and sample Easyaccess pages. This is provided for re-use free of charge without restriction, provided the source is acknowledged.