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ARCHIVED - Performance Measurement for the Government On-Line Initiative
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These international benchmarks serve as a context for the results that the GOL initiative achieved in 2003, as assessed through its measurement regime.
A citizen/client focus – The GOL initiative has improved the convenience of on-line federal information and services. A strong majority of Canadians who use the Internet think that these services are easy to access and use; they rate the Internet channel as more convenient than the telephone or in-person visits. Partly because of this, the use of the Internet is increasing in popularity over time, and is now the second most frequently used method of contacting the federal government. There are still challenges, however, in effectively organising on-line information and services so that access is intuitive for all users, and in improving the performance of search engines on federal Web sites. Efforts to enhance on-line offerings in ways that are consistent with user feedback will continue. In addition, the roles and performance expectations for gateways and integrated Web portals will be clarified, and a performance measurement regime will be developed and implemented to periodically assess them.
For the most part, federal Web sites provide information and services in both official languages, although the quality of French language content is occasionally less than desirable or inconsistent with the English equivalent. The majority of these sites also provide descriptive or alternative text for elements such as sound, videos, and images. Doing so improves access for persons with disabilities who rely on Web readers or other assistive technologies. Departments and agencies need to continue to work to ensure that French language content is of a high quality, and that there is equitable access for everyone who wants to use the Internet to interact with the federal government.
A high percentage of Internet users think that on-line federal information is up-to-date; they are more likely to think that it is the most current information available. User satisfaction with the amount of information on federal sites varies, but it is clear from the results of surveys that satisfaction increases with greater knowledge of federal Web sites – implying that site layouts can be improved – and there is a healthy demand for more information to be put on-line.
