BrazilConsulum e-Government tool helps develop world-leading online services to citizens
Government advisory firm Consulum has developed a comprehensive assessment tool that rates government websites against industry best practices, with its insights providing the foundation for improving online services to citizens.
Developed with the aim to help government leaders and organisations meet their objectives towards citizens, Consulum’s so-called GovSite Score methodology assesses key performance indicators across websites with diverse objectives, pinpointing areas for improvement. Scoring criteria include: technical performance; accessibility; and functional and aesthetic design.
In the inaugural analysis, Consulum applied its GovSite scoring methodology to a representative sample of 15 government websites (covering all regions with varying levels of economic prosperity and multiple languages), to reveal which governments are achieving success in e-government services.
The results show predictable high performers – for example, Germany and the UAE – and under performers; but also some surprises, with Argentina and South Africa scoring highly in terms of the usability, accessibility and design of their online websites and the tools they offer for citizens.
Consulum Senior Director and Digital Infrastructure specialist, Mayank Mittal, who led the study explains why such variation is seen between nations: “Not all governments recognise the importance of websites or understand how to make a great one. The task can be far more challenging than commercial web design, and it’s an area where few developers have expertise.”
“That’s why we created this tool for measuring the effectiveness of government websites, and to help identify opportunities for improvement.”
“The assessment covers key indicators of technical performance, including speed, bounce rate, SEO optimizations, security, mobile friendliness, accessibility and aesthetic design and overall website experience, giving governments a valuable tool for improving performance.”
Becoming world-class
In addition to providing an overall score to 15 countries, the GovSite Score methodology analysis revealed two important insights for governments; mobile access to websites dominated desktop access across all countries, underpinning an urgent need for mobile-first web design thinking. Secondly, demand for online services was high, with users persevering, even with the lowest scoring sites.
Alan Griffin, Consulum’s Head of Digital, emphasises the urgency for governments in delivering world class online services, saying, “Governments cannot underestimate the social and economic benefits of quality e-government services, nor, conversely, the opportunity cost of poorly executed online services. There is so much to be gained simply through better online services to citizens.”
Meanwhile, government websites – as part of a vibrant ICT infrastructure – have also proved to be excellent tools for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Good e-government lowers the costs of doing business by boosting efficiency, easing information flow, reducing processing times, and slashing red tape and opportunities for corruption.
KSA market
With the timeframe to deliver on Saudi Arabia’s Vision2030 goals coming to a close in just four years, e-Gov could play a key role in the achievement of those goals, says Nader Naamani, Partner and Head of Consulum’s Saudi office.
“Saudi Arabia is a digital-first economy, and digitisation, efficiency and greater quality of life are key elements of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 goals. Effective digital platforms that make a real difference to the day to day lives of citizens could be one of the key reasons for success for many leaders. This tool can help them quickly get an understanding of how they are doing and where they need to go.”
