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	<title>Does Directgov Deliver?</title>
	<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org</link>
	<description>An invitation to debate the future of the UK&#039;s online public services</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:01:06 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Structure of our report</title>
		<description><![CDATA[For these reasons, Consumer Focus has appraised Directgov from a consumer perspective to see if it is delivering on its promise to provide easy access to Government and whether it is truly driven by citizens’ needs. We began by considering the extent to which it delivers a quality service in terms of both online transactions [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/introduction/structure-of-our-report</link>
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		<title>Lack of clarity</title>
		<description><![CDATA[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 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/introduction/lack-of-clarity</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>About Directgov</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Directgov is the most prominent form of e-Government in the UK. It is a web portal that links together many different central Government departments’ and agencies’ websites. Directgov was set up in 2004, replacing the UKonline website, and it has steadily increased the quantity of information available. Since 2004 the way information has been presented [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/introduction/about-directgov</link>
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		<title>Speaking a different language</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As well as the somewhat confusing layout of the website, the way much of the information is presented feels outmoded. When Directgov was launched in 2004, a lot of emphasis was placed on representing information in an accessible and understandable way. This was an admirable aim but, in the digital realm, things move very quickly [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/information-provider/speaking-a-different-language</link>
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		<title>How we use the web</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As internet use has grown, users are much more likely to use search engines to find information than before: up from 19 per cent in 2005 to 57 per cent in 200728. A good example of this is the recent global outbreak of Swine Flu which during one week in May 2009, saw UK searches [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/information-provider/how-we-use-the-web</link>
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		<title>Devolving to consumers</title>
		<description><![CDATA[While Directgov and digital public services are taking small steps towards experimenting with the potential of the web, other public sector organisations are taking greater innovative leaps by ceding control of data and information to consumers. These are examples of how central and local Government, and independent websites are delivering transactions and services to consumers. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/making-the-most-of-the-web/devolving-to-consumers</link>
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	<item>
		<title>Difficult to search</title>
		<description><![CDATA[With navigation through the website architecture proving difficult, the performance of the search engine becomes critical for finding information. Online surveys of visitors to Directgov shows 35 per cent of people are unable to find everything they want, this is a high proportion for a site whose key purpose is to help people find what [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/information-provider/difficult-to-search</link>
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		<title>Odd juxtapositions</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Directgov’s website architecture also leads to some odd juxtapositions, making the site feel less like the ‘superstore’ it claims to be, and more like an online bric-a-brac stall. The ‘home and community’ do-it-online page has a link to voting at the top, which makes sense, but this is followed with a link to buying a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/information-provider/odd-juxtapositions</link>
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		<title>Join the debate</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Consumer Focus would like to discuss these recommendations in collaboration with digital services experts and developers, public service designers, providers and consumers. You may have your own ideas for digital services, or feel that these recommendations need to be much more radical. We will ensure the consumer perspective is included right from the start, so [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/join-the-campaign/join-the-debate</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Small steps to innovation</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Directgov has shown itself to be open to testing new ideas and innovations to resolve some of the implicit challenges it faces in trying to join up services that are essentially separate. The Directgov Innovate website39 has been created for technical developers to share new ideas with the aim of supporting and encouraging innovation. By opening [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org/discussion-paper/making-the-most-of-the-web/small-steps-to-innovation</link>
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