WEBMANAGER HELP
Overview
To support its mission, the GIC reaches out to State Agency Webmanagers with help and advice about accessibility, best practices, standards, usability, and Web publishing. By providing researched (and verifiable) Web publishing information to our partners, the GIC better serves the citizen, citizen organizations, and State Agencies. All services described below are provided upon request to State Agency Personnel or during the normal course of doing business.
If you have access to the State's intranet, please visit the GIC intranet pages for more information.
Accessibility Review
The GIC provides an accessibility review to interested Webmanagers and State Agency personnel. The review consists of examining each page of a Webmanager's Web site to determine its level of accessibility when measured against 508(c) and W3C accessibility requirements. Detailed feedback--from a design, codebase, and technology perspective--is given so the Webmanager has actionable data from which to work.
Practices Advisory
The GIC's research into public and private sector "best practices" enables the GIC to advise Webmanagers and State Agency personnel about the existing body of practices--and emerging practices--that can make the State's Web pages better for the citizen. The practices advisory can also reduce or streamline a webmanager's publishing and maintenance workflow by the introduction of new management techniques and updated publishing technologies.
Standards Advisory
Ongoing monitoring of Web publishing standards (ranging from HTML/CSS codebase requirements to accepted information publishing practices) enables the GIC to provide detailed advice. Upon request, the GIC will examine a Webmanager's Web site for adherence to standards--inclusive of standards applying to accessibility--and provide actionable data so the Webmanager can revise his or her pages appropriately. Additionally, the GIC can provide detailed and actionable information to Webmanagers about their Common Look and Feel (CLF) implementation--how it does or does not meet the State's standards.
Training/Workshops
Regularly scheduled First State Web Association meetings (sponsored by the GIC) help State Webmanagers learn more about trends--existing and potential--in the field of Web publishing. These meetings help to synchronize efforts across State Agency lines and open communication between Webmanagers to improve their service for the citizen. Additionally, the GIC provides one-on-one training sessions that are driven by a Webmanager's specific needs. Also, the GIC hosts workshops as needed to train State Agency personnel on the operation of Delaware.gov-related systems, such as Delaware.gov's calendaring system.
Usability Review
The GIC can provide two levels of usability review for Webmanagers. The first level of review (informal) consists of GIC personnel examining a Webmanager's Web pages for adherence to good usability practices and design. Feedback is provided to Webmanagers with actionable suggestions for improving usability. The second level of review (formal) involves a group of usability testers selected by the GIC to be demographically representative of citizens who may use the Webmanager's Web pages. Testing is conducted over a period of several weeks using agreed-upon testing scripts. At the conclusion of testing, a summary of usability findings are provided to the Webmanager along with actionable suggestions from the GIC for improving usability.
Web Publishing
For State Agency Webmanagers interested in improving (or simplifying) their Web publishing workflows the GIC can provide hands-on help. Whether a Webmanager needs help porting his or her site to the State's Common Look and Feel (CLF), is developing new pages or sites to support an initiative, or is taking on new Web publishing responsibilities, the GIC can provide advice and assistance.
