Lack of clarity

We believe that the emphasis on rationalising Government department websites and converging all their information onto Directgov is to the detriment of the general public. It has distracted from the central idea of the Government’s strategy which is delivering effective user-focused, online services. The Directgov website has some clear problems that frustrate consumers.

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