Data about data – metadata
In the last post, I spoke about the way we are developing the information architecture to ensure that content is easily discoverable, relevant and able to be sliced and diced a number of ways.
But these aren’t the only issues regarding content on the site. In reviewing the focus group information and brainstorming ourselves, we came up with content questions such as:
- I need to drive this policy forward internally. What’s the basis of the compliance rating?
- Is this content still relevant?
- Who do I go to for help on this topic?
- That IA structure we came up with: how are we going to implement it when we don’t have a sophisticated Content Management System (CMS)?
Coming to our aid is, of course, metadata.
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Deliver me the content I need and nothing else or Information Architecture (IA)
One of the issues raised at the focus group we held a while back was that our users want information which is relevant to them. They want to find and make use of it quickly, without barriers. Our stats show us users tend to come with a purpose and want to fulfil it quickly:
“This guide is aiming at a whole bunch of people and one way you could address that is to say ok from a management point of view these are the important chunks, if you’re designing, these are the things that you should be looking at more seriously and if you’re the bunch of people who might be writing these pages then these are the sorts of things you should be across..” – Focus group response
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Behind the blog: Web 2.0 record-keeping and blog comments
We always intended this blog to have a dual purpose. First and foremost, it’s an online engagement tool used to keep in touch with people interested in the redevelopment of the Web Publishing Guide. But, importantly, the blog is also meant to provide lessons and examples about blogging for Australian Government agencies interested in setting up their own blog.
With this second purpose in mind, in this post I’ll look at record-keeping issues involved in managing comments submitted to our blog. Record-keeping may not be the most exciting topic, but it plays a crucial part in making sure that government agencies are accountable to the Australian people. Records provide evidence of agency activity and help create transparency as agencies go about serving the public.
However, as recent US Government policy acknowledged (PDF), and as the Government 2.0 Taskforce said in their final report, there are some issues that agencies need to consider when capturing records generated from third-party Web 2.0 sites and services.
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Behind the blog: what’s in a name?
In 2008, the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) hosted a two week trial blog seeking consultation on “thoughts and ideas about the digital economy”. Over the two weeks ten posts were made, either by a ‘blog team’ or the Minister. The blog attracted over 1500 comments, with a number raising the issue that blogs were supposed to be conversations with individuals and not with a ‘blog team’. Which brings us to an interesting issue. Who should author a blog post? A team? A person? If it is the latter, should they identify themselves fully?
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Social Media 101: A beginner’s guide for Finance employees
Firstly, an introduction: I’m the manager of the Online Services Branch of the Australian Government Information Management Office, which is part of the Department of Finance and Deregulation (Finance). My branch is responsible for redeveloping the Web Publishing Guide.
We know from our stats and from agency queries that some of the most popular pages on the existing Guide are those dealing with Web 2.0 issues. As part of the redevelopment of the Guide we’ll look to update this content to include new developments in this area.
In doing this we won’t just be providing agencies with proper advice – we’ll also be in line with the push in the last year or so for greater use of Web 2.0 tools in the Australian Public Service. Leading the way was the Government 2.0 Taskforce, which disbanded in late 2009 after making 13 recommendations about greater online engagement and release of public sector information to the Australian Government. The recently-released Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for the Reform of Australian Government Administration (the Moran Review) also made some recommendations in this space – see Reform 2: Creating more open government.
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