1 E-Gov Act of 2002 and ICGI Recommendations for Federal Web Content Policies and Guidelines Sheila Campbell, Co-chair ICGI Web Content Standards Working Group July 27, 2004 NOAA WebShop 2004

2 Overview Overview E-Gov Act of 2002 established the Interagency Committee on Government Information (ICGI) The Act creates blueprint and framework for: –Information Policy –FirstGov.gov and All Federal Websites –Search and categorization of information Web Content Management one of 3 ICGI working groups Web Content Standards Group formed to meet requirements of Section 207(f)(1) & (2) of the E-Gov Act -- standards for federal agency websites

3 GOAL: U.S. Government websites will be the most citizen-centric and user-friendly in the world OBJECTIVES: Make it easier for all Americans to find and use the government information and services they want and need on the Internet; Provide more standardization and higher overall quality of federal websites; Allow agencies to identify and share web content best practices that exist across government. Goals and Objectives Goals and Objectives

4 Created interagency working group of content managers and other experts from cabinet and independent agencies Researched existing laws, regulations, and policies Reviewed federal websites and identified common content practices Compiled research and data about what the public wants from government websites Solicited public input through FirstGov.gov Developed draft policy recommendations, solicited input from content managers, and submitted them to OMB Process Process

5 AUTHENTICITY, BRANDING, AND TIMELINESS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PUBLIC WEB SITES Citizens must be able to identify official federal government websites and trust that those websites will provide current and accurate government information. Policy 1 Recommendation Policy 1 Recommendation

6 Every federal public website must: Be established in the.gov, fed.us, or.mil domain Display agency and U.S. government sponsorship Follow basic linking practices Include date stamps Policy 1 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 1 Recommendation (cont.)

7 FEDERAL WEB SITES MUST BE WRITTEN AND ORGANIZED FROM THE AUDIENCES’ POINT OF VIEW Under the President ’ s Management Agenda and Electronic Government strategy, federal agency web sites must be “ citizen-centered, not bureaucracy or agency-centered. ” When a website is funded by tax dollars, citizens deserve certain basic information -- presented in common terms they can understand. Policy 2 Recommendation Policy 2 Recommendation

8 Every federal public website must: Organize content in ways that make sense to citizens and intended audiences Have homepages that meet the public’s needs Not be used for internal, employee information Use basic common content and terminology (“Contact Us,” “About Us,” “Site Map”) Measure customer satisfaction and usability Policy 2 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 2 Recommendation (cont.)

9 FEDERAL WEB SITES MUST BE DESIGNED AND WRITTEN TO ENSURE THEY ARE EASY TO ACCESS AND USE All federal public websites must be designed and written to ensure that the audiences for whom they are intended can access and use those sites easily. Agencies must consider the needs of the general public, specialized audiences, people with disabilities, those without access to advanced technologies, and those with limited English proficiency. Policy 3 Recommendation Policy 3 Recommendation

10 Policy 3 Recommendations (cont.) Every federal public website must: Ensure common access to technology Have general information written in plain language Use appropriate file formats Allow access to data Implement consistent navigation Policy 3 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 3 Recommendation (cont.)

11 Policy 3 Recommendation (cont.) Every federal public website must: Have a search engine and minimum search standards Use standard metadata Inform the public about website changes Have procedures for operating during emergencies Policy 3 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 3 Recommendation (cont.)

12 TO PROMOTE SEAMLESS GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL AGENCIES MUST WORK TO SIMPLIFY AND UNIFY INFORMATION ACROSS THE GOVERNMENT Agencies must practice—and take advantage of—the principle that information and services are created once and used many times. Agencies should coordinate with each other to avoid duplication and better leverage resources of cross-agency portals. Policy 4 Recommendation Policy 4 Recommendation

13 Policy 4 Recommendations (cont.) Organizations should: Avoid duplicating or recreating content that already exists Collaborate in developing cross-agency portals Link to appropriate cross-agency portals Every federal public website must: Link back to the homepage Link to FirstGov.gov Policy 4 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 4 Recommendation (cont.)

14 AGENCIES MUST ESTABLISH PRIORITIES AND A SCHEDULE FOR POSTING CONTENT ON THEIR PUBLIC WEBSITES Agencies must comply with Section 207(f)(2) of the E- Gov Act of Policy 5 Recommendation Policy 5 Recommendation

15 Agencies must, by December 2004: Develop a process for determining which information is to be published on their websites Establish priorities and a schedule for publishing information Make priorities and schedules available for public comment and post them on the website Submit priorities and schedule to OMB in annual E-Gov report Policy 5 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 5 Recommendation (cont.)

16 AGENCIES MUST CONTINUE TO COMPLY WITH EXISTING FEDERAL LAWS, REGULATIONS AND POLICIES Agencies should continue to follow requirements from existing federal laws and regulations, general directives from previous Presidential and OMB memoranda, and other policies regarding federal public websites. Policy 6 Recommendation Policy 6 Recommendation

17 Every federal public website must comply with: Privacy Policy Section 207(f)(1)(b)(iv) of E-Gov Act: Security Protocols to Protect Information Accessibility Requirements (Section 508) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Information Quality Guidelines Executive Order (Limited English Proficiency) Records Management -- incl. E-Gov Act, Section 207(e) Digital Rights, Copyright, Trademark and Patent Laws Policy 6 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 6 Recommendation (cont.)

18 Every federal public website must comply with: Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Notification and Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Retaliation of 2002 (No Fear Act) Small Business Paperwork Relief Act Prohibition of Lobbying Categorization of Information recommendations Policy 6 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 6 Recommendation (cont.)

19 DEVELOPING WEB CONTENT POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS, REQUIRING STRUCTURE The federal government must continue to review and improve web content policies and practices and look ahead to practices that can make federal public websites– individually and as a group– the most citizen-focused and user-friendly in the world. Policy 7 Recommendation Policy 7 Recommendation

20 Establish a Web Content Advisory Council Develop process for reviewing requests for common links Develop process for reviewing and approving cross-agency portals Require agencies to report on compliance with web content policies and requirements in their annual report (required by the E-Gov Act) Policy 7 Recommendation (cont.) Policy 7 Recommendation (cont.)

21 OMB will review and consider ICGI recommendations (the current report contains recommendations, not final requirements) OMB may circulate draft guidance for formal agency comment OMB will issue final guidance and requirements by December 2004 Working Group will launch Website “toolkit” for content managers in September Working Group will sponsor workshop on Sept. 29 What’s Next What’s Next

22 Web Content Standards Working Group Co-Chairs: Candi Harrison x228 Sheila Campbell More info: Content Managers Forum ListServ: Questions? Questions?