APLAWS Content Management System What is content? Content is a resource Content -articles -reports -pictures -audio -email Call each of these a content

APLAWS Content Management System

What is content?

• Content is a resource

• Content- articles- reports- pictures- audio- email

• Call each of these a content item


What is content management?

• Create the content• Store the content• Retrieve the content• Publish the content• Archive the content• Manage the content end - to - end


What is content management?

• Create content • Need systems to manage content• Authors - write and produce content• Update and change content - editors• Describe the content - meta data • Keep track of the changes• Display the content in the right format• Share the content with others


What is a Content Management System?

• Stores the content in a database• Templates are separate from the content• Set of editing tools• Workflow can be set up between authors, editors and publishers


What can a CMS do?

• Enable self-service • Produce consistency • Avoid web publishing chaos• Help show relationships between content• Provide powerful site administration tools• Enable same content to be published differently• Allow a site to grow in size more effectively• Keep track of changes• Display different content to different people


APLAWS CMS

• Accessible Personalised Local Authority Web Sites• Open Source• Pathfinder Project• Partners - London Boroughs of Camden, Newham, Lewisham, Bromley,

Harrow, RNIB, Age Concern, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Red Hat Linux


APLAWS Workstreams

• Content Management• Information Architecture• Meta Data• Usability and accessibility


Information Architecture

• Survey of all London Boroughs Web Sites• Some with common architecture - but not all• Over 500 differently described links• Home page - 5 - 50+ links• Different ways to describe things -

- jobs, vacancies, employment• Consistent top level navigation


Information Architecture

• A - Z of local authority services• Category list• Top level set of categories• Common elements on a page

- latest page update- owner of page- privacy, disclaimer, copyright

• Common set of URL’s - eg www.yourcouncil.gov.uk/housing


Meta Data

• e-GMS - e-Government Metadata Standard• e-GMF - e-Government Metadata Framework• meta data - key elements to describe content• APLAWS metadata list• Use of category list and metadata• APLAWS has a metadata tool• 7 - 9 key elements• CMS - automate meta data


Accessibility and Usability

• e-GIF - e-Government Interoperability Framework• Accessible web sites• Sites that are easy to use• Make site accessible - easier for everyone• Use of Templates• XML and XSL - create text only version…

…but the graphic version is also accessible• Research - elderly people in Camden• visually impaired users in Bromley and Newham


Creating a business case

• May have 100 html pages - may have 1m• CMS - easier to increase size• Will cost money • Potential long term savings• Users and staff• In Newham, looked at current method - lots of staff going on html

authoring courses - 10k over 1 year. How effective?• Lot of money going to ‘design’ which wasn’t corporate • Work out savings if staff save 15, 30, 60 mins a week• Compare costs of user of web, letter, phone call, face to face• CMS = higher set up costs, lower running costs• reduce risk


Implementation

• Cultural change

– information strategy– corporate standards and guidelines– govt guidelines– content plan– teams of people?

– Technical culture of the organisation?


Lessons …!

• One year is a short time in IT development…• user evaluation• different way of working - costs of web production identified• evaluation of pathfinders?• What happens next to the products?• Its not all about technology - describing and organising content


Potential...

• Council tax online?• Creating online communities• Enabling community publishing• Showing relationships - library catalogue and community info• Get the users involved from the start = free consultancy• Enable effective publishing for non-technical authors• Share data more effectively across organisations• Share data more effectively within organisations• Share and capture data more effectively between users and organisations..


Resources

• www.aplaws.org• www.stoke.gov.uk• www.lgolpathfinder.gov.uk/

Documents

APLAWS Content Management System What is content? Content is a resource Content -articles -reports -pictures -audio -email Call each of these a content