Each of the following chapters closes with suggestions for how the website could be improved. With a final push for a digital switchover of the majority of public services¹⁵, a renewed emphasis must now be placed on what consumers need from Directgov, and how they want to access and experience services. For a genuinely consumer-centred approach to drive reform, the Government’s existing approach to online public services must be re-examined. The report concludes with a summary of our recommendations and an invitation to debate a new approach to digital public services.

15. BIS and DCMS, Digital Britain final report, June 2009

Many of these frustrations originate from a lack of clarity about what the website actually offers, how it delivers services and information, and what is expected from consumers as they use the site⁸.

The website says it allows ‘easy access to the public services you use and the information you need’ and describes itself as a ‘superstore’⁹. However, on closer inspection, it is clear that not all public services are included; information is inconsistent across the UK’s devolved administrations and the way people are able to interact with different public services varies greatly between applications. There are supposed to be different services for the devolved administrations but there is a lack of signposting. For example, when looking for child care providers, the user is presented with a search form for England only. There are links to websites for each of the devolved nations, but for Wales, this returns to the same English form.

Previous research highlights important areas of concern from consumers. This includes the National Audit Office’s set of commissioned reports on Government on the Internet¹⁰ whose focus groups found internal search engines to be unhelpful, and research found a limited amount of fully online processes. Additionally, the DWP’s regular monitoring reveals that over a third of people could not find all the information they wanted on Directgov¹¹ ; recent research on the information provided for jobseekers found users confused and frustrated by the presentation of content¹² ; and perceptions of quality compares unfavourably with commercial sites¹³.

Figures for 2007 show that while 72 per cent of internet users had used the internet to get information about a Government or local council product or service, only 32 per cent had used it to interact with them¹⁴.

8. These points closely relate to Clay Shirky’s three rules for successful social media: a plausible promise, an effective tool and an acceptable bargain with the users. (see Shirky, C, Here Comes Everybody, 2008)
9. Visit these pages for the online advert: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/SiteInformation/DG_4004497
10. National Audit Office, Government on the internet: progress in delivering information and services online, HC529 Session 2006-2007, July 2007
11. Department for Work and Pensions, Directgov’s regular online research 2009 only 65 per cent find all, or most of what they wanted. FOI request Consumer Focus, 3 April 2009
12. National Audit Office, 2009. Department for Work and Pensions: communicating with customers. London: National Audit Office.
13. National Audit Office, 2007. Government on the internet: progress in delivering information and services online. London: National Audit Office.
14. Dutton, W. and Helsper, J., 2007. The internet in Britain. Oxford: Oxford Internet Institute

The idea is that improvements in services are led by public need, as opposed to technology’s capabilities. In theory, this should be good for consumers with improved customer experience and the creation of more responsive services with, presumably, cost savings. A cross-departmental process for achieving transformation in services was put into place in 2005.

Following this in 2006, Sir David Varney led a review of service delivery which focused on key opportunities for delivering services in a more responsive way to consumers. The recommendations from his Service Transformation report³, included making the Directgov and Businesslink (the Directgov equivalent for business customers)⁴ sites primary channels for Government information and transactions. This recommendation was enshrined in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review Public Service Agreement target to ‘migrate more than 95 per cent of the total identified websites to Directgov and Businesslink.gov by 31 March 2011’⁵.

This saw a dramatic reduction in a number of different Government websites (considered superfluous or defunct), the idea being that consumers would now use Directgov as the first port of call for any Government or public service information or transaction.

Users should soon be able to access information on all Government services, complete some transactions, and be directed elsewhere for other information and support. Directgov attracts almost 10 million visits a month⁶, making it one of the fastest growing websites in the UK. Its information is also available to a limited extent on mobile phones and digital TV. Figures from the Department of Work and Pension (DWP) show the website cost £13.1 million to run for the year 2007-08⁷.

1. HM Government, Transformational Government: Enabled by Technology, 2005
2. HoC Hansard Written Answers, 22 Apr 2009: Column 764W
3. HM Treasury, Service transformation: A better service for citizens and businesses, a better deal for the taxpayer, December 2006
4. Business Link. Available at: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk
5. HM Treasury, Meeting the aspirations of the British people, pre-budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review, 2007
6. Directgov web statistics show visits at 12,470,557 in July 2009, audited by ABC Electronic. These figures exclude partner websites such as jobcentreplus.gov.uk
7. HoC Hansard Written Answers, 22 Apr 2009: Column 764W