1. seamlessUK seamlessUK – standards in action Cathy Day Essex County Council

2. seamlessUK What is it?

3. seamlessUK A public (community) information service n Web-based citizens gateway service n Single search of multiple sources - 24/365 n Databases, websites etc n One place to search local and national information n Resources selected for quality, coverage and applicability

4. seamlessUK Benefits to the public n Single point of search and retrieval from joined-up data sources n At deeper level than hypertext links n Information is quality controlled and current n Selection of definitive resources u not everything n Information is from local, regional and national sources

5. seamlessUK Benefits to Information Providers E-gov@local: 7 critical tests n Joined up n Accessible n Delivered/supported electronically n Delivered jointly n Delivered seamlessly n Open and accountable n Used - promotion of available and accessible new technologies

6. seamlessUK Whats the background?

7. seamlessUK The problem Other……... Search engines/web sites/portals The library Local /voluntary agencies Council sources multiple places to look too much information varying quality

8. seamlessUK History n SEAMLESS project in Essex u BLR&D – distributed searching of Essex local information providers (1998 -) u First element of the Essex Community Information Network, includes development of Essex Online portal

9. seamlessUK

10. NOF Consortium Approach n NOF Digitisation bid by Essex to search national and local sources together n SCADS n CA/SP Community Advice, Seamless Portals n seamlessUK n Available from seamlessUK national portal (www.seamless-uk.info) n and Local Authority websites/portals

11. seamlessUK Who are the partners?

12. seamlessUK Core partners n Essex County Council u Project Leader n Fretwell Downing Informatics Ltd u Technical Developer n MDR Partners u Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation

13. seamlessUK National information providers Age Concern BBC Common Purpose HMSO - Inforoute learndirect LASA The Community Legal Service NACAB NCVO NHS Direct Online nhs.uk RAD UKOnline (e-Envoys office) more in the pipeline...

14. seamlessUK Local authority partners n Essex n Bexley, Brighton & Hove, Bromley, East Sussex, Kent, Lewisham, Medway, North Lincolnshire n Target audience c6m people

15. seamlessUK

16. e ssexonline Partnership n Business & Advice Services u Essex Investment Office u Essex Returners Unit u Learning Skills Council u Careers & Business Partnership u WayMArk u Witham CAB n Childcare u Early Years Partnership n Health organisations u Mid Essex Community Health Council u Essex HA u North Essex Mental Health Partnership n Educational Establishments u Anglia Polytechnic University u Chelmsford College u Colchester Institute u University of Essex n ECC departments u Learning Services u Social Services u Trading Standards etc.

17. seamlessUK e ssexonline Partnership (cont) n Local Government u Brentwood District Council u Braintree District Council u Castle Point Borough Council u Chelmsford Borough Council u Colchester Borough Council u Epping Forest District Council u Harlow District Council u Maldon District Council u Rochford District Council u Tendring District Council u Uttlesford District Council u Southend on sea Unitary Council u Thurrock Unitary Council n Others u Essex Fire Service u Essex Police n Regional organisations u Go East/EEDA u Co-East n News Services u Thisisessex n Utilities u Essex & Suffolk Water n Voluntary Organisations u Essex Association of Community Volunteers u Essex Community Foundation u Essex Disabled Peoples Assoc. u Royal Association in Aid of Deaf People

18. seamlessUK Whats the timetable?

19. seamlessUK Summer 2002 Phase 1 system n Search - keyword, place name n Admin interface - configure local targets n Reporting - stats n Thesaurus - add terms n Portlets n Accessibility n Investigation into GIS solutions n Initial user evaluation

20. seamlessUK Phase 2 n Map based stuff u Implement geocoder module u Directional maps link n Thesaurus u Thesaurus browse u Query re-writing u Drop into more specialised thesauri u Map across multiple thesauri n Metadata u Profile refinement u Metadata creator refinement

21. seamlessUK Phase 2 cont. n Multilingual stuff u Translated interfaces u Search foreign material u Translate thesaurus? n Data sources u Content Management Systems u OAI u SOAP n User Evaluation n Delivery channels? n Accessibility

22. seamlessUK Phase 2 cont. n seamlessUK Geocoder will search a number of geographic data sources to interpret the users query u All Fields Postcode Data u Address-Point u Boundary Line u OS 1:50,000 Gazetteer

23. seamlessUK How does it comply with e-government targets?

24. seamlessUK Government standards n e-GIF u XML as integration technology u converts existing schemas to XML structures on the fly u leveraging legacy systems n and e-GMS u Ver. 1.0 (April 2002) - qualified Dublin Core (refinements) + some extensions u seamlessUK application profile

25. seamlessUK Metadata n 2 levels u Resource level tagging of individual records/web pages F seamlessUK application profile u Collection level descriptions F RSLP model and schema (Research Support Libraries Programme - www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata.rslp) n Control of vocabulary

26. seamlessUK seamlessUK Metadata Application Profile n First draft (Jan 2002) Dublin Core plus some additional elements u Compliant with e-government metadata standard (v1.0 April 2002) u Comments from partners and others u Interim flat HTML version developed and used in seamless.dot metadata creator u Full XML or RDF schema, implemented in metadata creator, with associated documentation, instructions and training available later in year

27. seamlessUK seamlessUK Metadata Application Profile - Elements DC.Audience (draft) Availability (some draft) n Address details n Contact details n Access restraints - cost, time, service coverage DC.Coverage n Spatial n Temporal DC.Creator DC.Date n Modified n Issued DC.Description DC.Format n Medium Function (draft) DC.Identifier DC.Language Learndirect/ MILO tags? (draft) DC.Publisher DC.Rights DC.Subject n Keywords n Category DC.Title n Alternative Title DC.Type

28. seamlessUK seamlessUK.dot metadata tool n seamlessUK.dot Metadata Creator u semi-automatic metadata tool configured to seamlessUK application profile u template approach - hides the syntax u verifies metadata is complete and correct u output suitable for inclusion in web site u links directly to seamlessUK thesaurus and other standard encoding schemes eg. for GIS as required by project.

29. seamlessUK seamlessUK metadata creator template

30. seamlessUK seamlessUK metadata output

31. seamlessUK seamlessUK thesaurus n Background u Initially developed from Essex Libraries keyword list for Seamless in Essex u Augmented by terms supplied by partner organisations u Full scale revamp 2001 with input from thesaurus expert

32. seamlessUK seamlessUK thesaurus (cont) n Comprehensive UK Community Information Thesaurus n Government category list n Controlled vocabulary for indexing and searching n Consistent search and retrieval across the system and for browsing and navigation n Centrally maintained n ISO standard for monolingual thesauri

33. seamlessUK seamlessUK thesaurus (cont) n Development work in seamlessUK u Further work on hierarchy and content F Ability to identify and display subsets for different purposes F Available for partners to use F Available for others to use - subscription u Incorporation of terms from other partners F Partners input into future maintenance u Synonyms and homonyms u Query expansion and refinement u Mapping across domain specific or richer thesauri

34. seamlessUK Whats happening now?

35. seamlessUK User focus n Survey of users needs u libraries, councils, one stop / first stop shops, CAB etc. n Mapping the results to content u new national information providers u model for local content n Designing and testing the interface u how do people search? u presented in a user-friendly way

36. seamlessUK Rolling out now n Current members rolling out now u phased approach n Open to new members u local authorities u libraries u museums u archives u Contact Essex now, go live early 2003 n Open to new national information partners

37. seamlessUK seamlessUK basic portal

38. seamlessUK seamlessuk branded for e ssexonline

39. seamlessUK Local services page in e ssexonline

40. seamlessUK e ssexonline search results

41. seamlessUK e ssexonline detailed information

42. seamlessUK seamlessUK project web site – www.seamlessuk.info

43. seamlessUK Contact details n seamless@essexcc.gov.uk u 01245 436560 n maryr@essexcc.gov.uk u 01245 436524