NYS Forum

2008 NYS Webmasters' Guild "Best of the Web" Award Winners

Local Government
Westchester County Government
http://www.westchestergov.com

Site Information

Date Launched: March 1998

Approximate Number of Monthly Unique Visitors: 250,000

Site Developers: Westchestergov.com was designed and developed entirely in-house by a small team of graphic design and software professionals in the Department of Information Technology.

Summary and Background

One of the reasons that Westchester County Government had been a "best kept secret" was that there had been no effective way to communicate with the majority of its residents. While the county is big, from a media viewpoint it is only one small part of a 25 million person media market. The newspaper with the largest circulation is the New York Times, which provides little coverage of County Government. The major news radio stations are Manhattan based. The major broadcast television news also comes out of Manhattan. While these outlets have Westchester bureaus, very little of their coverage is devoted to Westchester County Government. Thus the Internet had to become the major way for the County Executive and government to communicate with Westchester residents.

Since there were only a few web pages before 1998, a major design and content infusion was necessary. The website has always been designed, developed and maintained in-house by a small team of graphic design and software professionals. This effort also started a long standing cooperative effort between the Department of Information Technology and the Public Communications (i.e. press) Office of the County Executive.

So in 1998 the County began a countywide campaign promoting the website. The County logo was changed to a stylized version of the domain name, westchestergov.com . The background wall paper for the County Executive's press conferences was layered with the new logo. Every County vehicle was painted with the new logo. Signs on entrances to County facilities had the logo. Business cards were replaced to include the logo. Every press release had a link to the website. Any and every way that the County could think of marketing the website was used. As a result, within the first year, the number of visitors to the site tripled.

Responding to changing times and needs and new technologies, the County Government launched major redesigns of its website in 2001 and 2007. The latest redesign effort reflected in the westchestergov.com visitors see today fully embraced a new era of web technologies. In various ways, including more video and advanced graphic design, the new website takes advantage of the higher bandwidth now commonly found in homes here. When developing the site, the web team listened to users who were looking for a progressive government website that consolidated and delivered services in a user-friendly fashion. From the beginning, visitors to the site have been encouraged to submit comments or inquiries to the countywide or department webmaster. Many of the changes that were implemented in 2001 and 2007 were based on the e-mails received.

Perhaps the most significant element of the 2007 redesign is the shift in information architecture which now advocates a user-driven approach to web services. The site used to be a portal to subsidiary websites of the various departments and offices of the County government. The new site provides a unified (Executive Branch) enterprise view and is organized in categories that are more meaningful to the public than our organization chart. Some of the myriad services that are now seamlessly integrated into Westchestergov.com are described in greater detail below.

The County's e-government success is largely reflected in the growing number of users attracted to the site and the feedback that is collected through the site's comments form. By this point, a majority of adults in the county use the web site at least once per year. And more adults use the County's web site than subscribe to either of the major newspapers in the county.

Throughout the site's evolution, the web development team has established and refined its design and usability standards to more closely reflect NYS OFT Technology Standards and Guidelines. For example, alt tags, the textual equivalent of a picture, are used throughout the site. The County also provides visually impaired users with a "text-only" version of the site, using high contrast colors as recommended by the NYS OFT and other guidelines for best practices. Document structures and coding practices are also in compliance (to be described in greater detail below).

Technology Overview

Currently, the County has one main website, www.westchestergov.com , which includes secured socket Extranets and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with interactive mapping applications that have been developed using ESRI's ArcIMS software. The County also has one main Intranet and 5 sub-Intranet sites.

The County uses two, seamlessly integrated content management systems (RedDot CMS & Joomla) to administer the majority of the site's content and edit the underlying code. There are still some FrontPage-based pages that are being managed by individual department webmasters. These are, however, in the process of being migrated into the CMS framework. All new web development is done using PHP with a MySQL backend. Older web content was programmed using a combination of ASP and HTML, with SQL Server on the backend.

As part of a more widespread effort to save taxpayer dollars and increase operational efficiencies, the County is in the process of replacing expensive off-the-shelf products with open source alternatives. Last year, the County saved an estimated $80,000 as a result of the shift toward open source for web-based products alone. Eventually, all westchestergov.com content will be managed through Joomla, an open source alternative with superior functionality and ease of use.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology is seamlessly integrated on our website. One popular application built from our detailed base map is known as Mapping Westchester County http://giswww.westchestergov.com/gismap/viewer.aspx , an online service that helps residents easily locate community facilities, download data about the county's transportation options, political districts and environment, and even formulate their response plan for Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant emergencies.

IT staff has partnered time and again with the County's Communications Office to create a more dynamic and interactive web experience. The site boasts a number of innovative features that draw upon the latest applications of web technology, such as RSS feeds, blogs to e.g. help residents quit smoking, interactive message boards to encourage such things as carpooling, and even expert systems used for assisting elderly and youth at risk.

The site also features a number of technologies that encourage residents to interact more directly with government officials and each other. For example, automated petitions can be submitted by visitors that are then automatically sent to relevant public officials. In addition to weighing in on topical issues, the website empowers Internet users to impact decisions made by the County's highest elected officials. For example, the site allows visitors learning about open space in the county to make concrete suggestions about future open space acquisitions via a user-friendly interface. Other examples of services include: finding the best gas prices in your area (http://www.westchestergov.com/gassurvey.htm ), signing up to become a county volunteer, and making a donation in support of Westchester parks (e-commerce application). The site also allows visitors to sign up to receive emergency updates (via email, text messaging and/or phone) before, during or after a major storm or other disaster.

The County's internal Intranet is currently being redesigned to encourage greater collaboration among employees, as well. Functionality found on popular social networking platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn will be leveraged by the platform. It will be easy for employees to form online working groups, send and collaborate on documents, create personal profiles, search for certain skills and expertise, etc.

In addition, The County has even built an interactive planning resource (http://www.westchestergov.com/w2025.htm ) that seamlessly integrates development policies with new sections on visualization, community overviews, regional partnerships, demographics as well as planning tools and interactive means to comment and communicate. The goal in creating this platform is to prompt and to assist municipalities to plan for their own community, to be proactive and to employ solid planning techniques and data so as to shape their land use policies rather than make decisions under the pressure of development proposals or crisis. The website is user friendly and takes advantage of cutting-edge 3D virtualization technology similar to Second Life.

One unique partnership receiving a lot of media attention is with e-Bay. The County has been selling its surplus supplies online at: www.westchestergov.com/finance/ebay.htm . In a mere six months, $33,196.56 worth of merchandise was sold. Beyond generating extra revenue, the County has saved money and prevented environmental harm from not having to dispose of these items in more traditional ways.

Westchester County has also partnered with a leading vendor in the knowledge management arena to jointly devise an automated expert system for responding to emergencies at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. By entering into a "dialogue" and responding to a number of questions, residents will be given a personalized response plan, including valuable geographic data.

Finally, the website has also been used to support the County's Global Warming Task Force. The County Government will serve as the electronic information clearinghouse for data that will assist the community in implementing their own Global Warming Action Plans. In addition, the County GIS team is in the process of folding their award-winning Green Map (http://giswww.westchestergov.com/wcgis/GreenMaps/Home.htm ) into the task force's other resources (http://www.westchestergov.com/environment_globalwarming.htm ).

Functionality

The latest westchestergov.com redesign was predicated on the needs of all groups of people in the county, including residents, tourists, businesses, minorities, etc. our agency's client base. Through print, public service announcements and other forms of public outreach and media, all of our programs and services are promoted via the website. Ten years of branding efforts of Westchester County Government and a shared understanding of the importance of the website is evident in the basis of all of our visual communication to the public: our logo is actually our web site address! But effective branding notwithstanding, the need to redesign the site became apparent if we were to continue our commitment to use our website as a primary tool to deliver useful services and information provided by Westchester County Government.

The website design that existed prior to 2007 made it difficult for us to communicate effectively with our client base and to maintain a useful, dynamic and aesthetically pleasing site on a daily basis. In addition, because the responsibility of web content updates was decentralized, the information was hard to find and segmented in old ways of thinking - based more on organization charts than user needs and behavior.

The thinking behind the redesign involved a review of a very large body of information with a focus on designing our way to unify singular, department driven messages across a broader "enterprise" level navigation. We remained focused on the successful branding of the larger "westchestergov.com" and categorized information more broadly, de-emphasizing the earlier parochial, siloed approach. Software was selected with these ideas in mind; it became crucial to look at a content management system to easily reuse content and maintain the site's consistent look and feel.

The redesigned website reflects the County's commitment to these principles. A single and central banner with four main categories is ever-present and illustrated with just the appropriate mix of images, headlines and navigation. The careful and controlled use of images (and new rules and methods to maintain them) ensures the site's readability.

In summary, the site's content is delivered to our agency's client base through:

• effective, professional web design;
• design that can be maintained by contributors without vast training or specialized skill;
• delivery of a text-only version of the site for visually or hearing impaired;
• graphic focal points and more eye-catching and dynamic home pages which keep the reader interested and coming back;
• a robust search engine;
• publication and video libraries
• two full-time dedicated web editing staff to support timely content edits; and
• a commitment to scheduled reviews to help maintain design standards which included keeping content fresh.

Efficiencies Associated with this Site

In general, the web has helped us run a much more efficient government. The paperwork, that the County Executive demanded be eliminated, has been replaced by Intranet-based applications. This includes almost every form that previously was on paper. The result is that the work now proceeds in parallel, rather than sequentially, and so it gets down faster with less effort.

Externally, the County has "web-enabled" government processes for residents and businesses. This includes filing complaints about consumer "rip-offs" or reporting standing water or reporting an odor from the sewer system. These are usually web applications, in which the public submits its information to a database, which is immediately presented to staff to handle a two-sided application. In the case of the odor complaints, this also is integrated with the GIS system.

As indicated in previous responses, the web team's innovative approach to development and content management (using primarily open source solutions) has also saved the County tens of thousands of dollars annually. Additional efficiencies associated with the site are inherent to the many services described in later sections.

Service to Customers

Through www.westchestergov.com , Westchester County offers services to a cross-section of people and community groups, many of which have already been described.

In summary, the website has evolved into being used by a variety of audiences for a variety of purposes:

• To educate people. In addition to the local news and the normal business of government, there are now specialized sites devoted to helping people understand what they can do about water quality. Another site provides focused information about health for women of various ages. Looking for the best prices on gasoline? The site has it. There is also library of video web casts on various subjects. The County Archives has found that its Virtual Archives enables the public to see and read some of the most important historical documents, without having to handle and thus possibly destroy the originals.
• To involve people in decision making. The County's website has easy ways to e-mail the county executive and other officials. It also includes copies of budgets, among many other documents. And residents can use the website to volunteer for activities.
• To communicate quickly and efficiently with many people. The website includes press releases about important things going on. It also encourages people to sign up for emergency alerts. The use of video on the website has also been expanded
• To spur economic development. The county's Office for Economic Development maintains an active presence on the county's website as does the Film Office. The web site has even featured the count's global trade initiatives with China (in both Chinese and English) and elsewhere.
• To protect people. In addition to notification during emergencies, the website has featured information on such subjects as how to protect children from Internet predators and how to evacuate if an incident occurred at the nuclear power plants in the county. The website is also used to improve the management of public safety. For example, to coordinate field care by tracking individuals in a chemical, biological or nuclear incident, there is a web-based reception center and tracking system that can be accessed securely over the Internet.
• To increase government efficiency. The website is filled with places to get information and ways to contact county employees about problems and issues.
• To coordinate public and non-profit agencies. With its many such agencies, Westchester is an ideal location to use the web to provide the integration that is necessary in face of the official separation. The County GIS, offered over the website, has become a shared planning tool by the many municipal planning agencies around the county and even at the State and Federal level. A "Treasure Hunt" page encourages the exchange of recyclables, instead of filling up landfills. The "Westchester Access" website is specifically devoted to encouraging local businesses (and the County) to supply surplus personal computers to needy community groups, thus helping to overcome the digital divide. More recently, the website was used to support the County Executive's Shared Services initiative which allows local governments, school districts & fire districts to share services and create cooperative contracts.
• The web can entertain and provide information about entertainment. More to the point, some public services are fun, but they need to be marketed. In Westchester, this has included County Parks and Playland. The web enables residents to reserve tee-times on golf courses or reserve spaces in County parks. It has extensive tourism information and a searchable calendar of events, which encourages local organizations to list their own events by offering direct data entry into the data base.

As a result of such efforts, Westchester County has been recognized as one of the "Top 7 Intelligent Communities of the Year" (2008) by the Intelligent Community Forum, as well as one of the "Top 10 Digital Counties" in the United States, four years in a row, by the Center For Digital Government as. In addition, the County has built up a world-wide reputation for its innovative use of e-government. In 2007, Dr. Norman Jacknis, then CIO of Westchester County, was invited by senior officials from Beijing's high-tech Haidian District to deliver an all-day course on Westchester's e-government initiatives.

Contact:

Scott Fernqvist

Special Assistant to the CIO

Westchester County Department of Information Technology

148 Martine Avenue, Room 908

White Plains, NY 10601

(914) 995-3078

nelsonrivera@monroecounty.gov