2009 Best of the Web Winners Announced

What is the criteria used to determine the winners?

What is the criteria used to determine the winners?

What is the criteria used to determine the winners?

Andy, why not post a link to the entire report or source document? Thanks!

Andy, why not post a link to the entire report or source document? Thanks!

Andy, why not post a link to the entire report or source document? Thanks!

Dave, Here's the article that captures some of the reasons VB won

Dave, Here's the article that captures some of the reasons VB won

Dave, Here's the article that captures some of the reasons VB won

Uath has great content, but according to WAVE (wave.webaim.org) it fails many ADA compliances tests. So, should it be elected the best site?

Uath has great content, but according to WAVE (wave.webaim.org) it fails many ADA compliances tests. So, should it be elected the best site?

Uath has great content, but according to WAVE (wave.webaim.org) it fails many ADA compliances tests. So, should it be elected the best site?

Whoa. At least one of these is "powered by civica". How about choosing towns/cities that don't have their website designed & maintained by expensive companies? This kind of thing just isn't feasible for most towns nowadays.

Whoa. At least one of these is "powered by civica". How about choosing towns/cities that don't have their website designed & maintained by expensive companies? This kind of thing just isn't feasible for most towns nowadays.

Whoa. At least one of these is "powered by civica". How about choosing towns/cities that don't have their website designed & maintained by expensive companies? This kind of thing just isn't feasible for most towns nowadays.

According to the entry form, the judging criteria are: INNOVATION (30%) This criterion focuses on the "Wow!" factor - that is, the innovative use of technology or stand-out approaches. What we are looking for here is what hasn't been done before or what is cutting edge. We are also interested in new ways of innovating across agencies or jurisdictions and co-creation through social networks and other collaborative platforms. A competitive submission will clearly describe its latest innovation through a Web site, Web service or other online application, delivered across devices including mobility devices. It will also explain the degree of innovation, why the innovation was needed, and how the innovation has improved service delivery and the user experience. FUNCTIONALITY (50%) This criterion focuses on the functionality that supports end-to-end transactions with high ease of use and satisfaction for interactions between citizens, businesses and governments. A competitive submission will include but is not limited to: 1. Security: the ability to securely complete transactions: 2. Privacy: a plain language statement explaining safeguards for any personally identifiable information collected or displayed through the site: 3. Usability: clean appearance and ease of navigation, and commonality of look, feel and functionality among transactions or interactions of similar type (or within the same environment or domain); and, 4. Accessibility: a commitment to universal design consistent with accessibility standards (commonly known as Section 508 or W3C Level One guidelines) and subject to third party validation or certification. EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY (20%) This criterion focuses on measuring the impact of the solution on the operations of governmental institutions. A competitive submission will identify: 1. Whether a Return On Investment (ROI) method was formally used in assessing the impact of the solution; 2. If yes, which ROI was used (Cost Benefit, Value-add, Net Present Value, etc.; 3. What those measures indicate; 4. Combined with soft-dollar benefits, what the impact of the solution was on the cost structure of performing particular functions; and 5. The degree to which the Web site was a function of austerity measures and how it contributed to easing financial pressures while preserving service delivery.

According to the entry form, the judging criteria are: INNOVATION (30%) This criterion focuses on the "Wow!" factor - that is, the innovative use of technology or stand-out approaches. What we are looking for here is what hasn't been done before or what is cutting edge. We are also interested in new ways of innovating across agencies or jurisdictions and co-creation through social networks and other collaborative platforms. A competitive submission will clearly describe its latest innovation through a Web site, Web service or other online application, delivered across devices including mobility devices. It will also explain the degree of innovation, why the innovation was needed, and how the innovation has improved service delivery and the user experience. FUNCTIONALITY (50%) This criterion focuses on the functionality that supports end-to-end transactions with high ease of use and satisfaction for interactions between citizens, businesses and governments. A competitive submission will include but is not limited to: 1. Security: the ability to securely complete transactions: 2. Privacy: a plain language statement explaining safeguards for any personally identifiable information collected or displayed through the site: 3. Usability: clean appearance and ease of navigation, and commonality of look, feel and functionality among transactions or interactions of similar type (or within the same environment or domain); and, 4. Accessibility: a commitment to universal design consistent with accessibility standards (commonly known as Section 508 or W3C Level One guidelines) and subject to third party validation or certification. EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY (20%) This criterion focuses on measuring the impact of the solution on the operations of governmental institutions. A competitive submission will identify: 1. Whether a Return On Investment (ROI) method was formally used in assessing the impact of the solution; 2. If yes, which ROI was used (Cost Benefit, Value-add, Net Present Value, etc.; 3. What those measures indicate; 4. Combined with soft-dollar benefits, what the impact of the solution was on the cost structure of performing particular functions; and 5. The degree to which the Web site was a function of austerity measures and how it contributed to easing financial pressures while preserving service delivery.

According to the entry form, the judging criteria are: INNOVATION (30%) This criterion focuses on the "Wow!" factor - that is, the innovative use of technology or stand-out approaches. What we are looking for here is what hasn't been done before or what is cutting edge. We are also interested in new ways of innovating across agencies or jurisdictions and co-creation through social networks and other collaborative platforms. A competitive submission will clearly describe its latest innovation through a Web site, Web service or other online application, delivered across devices including mobility devices. It will also explain the degree of innovation, why the innovation was needed, and how the innovation has improved service delivery and the user experience. FUNCTIONALITY (50%) This criterion focuses on the functionality that supports end-to-end transactions with high ease of use and satisfaction for interactions between citizens, businesses and governments. A competitive submission will include but is not limited to: 1. Security: the ability to securely complete transactions: 2. Privacy: a plain language statement explaining safeguards for any personally identifiable information collected or displayed through the site: 3. Usability: clean appearance and ease of navigation, and commonality of look, feel and functionality among transactions or interactions of similar type (or within the same environment or domain); and, 4. Accessibility: a commitment to universal design consistent with accessibility standards (commonly known as Section 508 or W3C Level One guidelines) and subject to third party validation or certification. EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY (20%) This criterion focuses on measuring the impact of the solution on the operations of governmental institutions. A competitive submission will identify: 1. Whether a Return On Investment (ROI) method was formally used in assessing the impact of the solution; 2. If yes, which ROI was used (Cost Benefit, Value-add, Net Present Value, etc.; 3. What those measures indicate; 4. Combined with soft-dollar benefits, what the impact of the solution was on the cost structure of performing particular functions; and 5. The degree to which the Web site was a function of austerity measures and how it contributed to easing financial pressures while preserving service delivery.

I agree with Jake. Seems like these awards follow the money. It's a lot easier to win when you've got money to spend. Also, why isn't there a list of the losing sites? I'd be curious to know which states came in last and why.

I agree with Jake. Seems like these awards follow the money. It's a lot easier to win when you've got money to spend. Also, why isn't there a list of the losing sites? I'd be curious to know which states came in last and why.

I agree with Jake. Seems like these awards follow the money. It's a lot easier to win when you've got money to spend. Also, why isn't there a list of the losing sites? I'd be curious to know which states came in last and why.

Jake, Thanks for your interest. You raise a legit concern -- but "at least one" does not a field make. Although I was not part of the evaluation team this year, the Center works hard to ensure that local governments receive recognition for good work. If you look across the field, you will find some that have used a third party (such as the one you mentioned), others that have collaborated with neighboring jurisdictions and still others that have done it by and for themselves. There's more than one way to get to a good result -- including both those that do it on a shoestring and those that get a little help from their friends, or outsiders.

Jake, Thanks for your interest. You raise a legit concern -- but "at least one" does not a field make. Although I was not part of the evaluation team this year, the Center works hard to ensure that local governments receive recognition for good work. If you look across the field, you will find some that have used a third party (such as the one you mentioned), others that have collaborated with neighboring jurisdictions and still others that have done it by and for themselves. There's more than one way to get to a good result -- including both those that do it on a shoestring and those that get a little help from their friends, or outsiders.

Jake, Thanks for your interest. You raise a legit concern -- but "at least one" does not a field make. Although I was not part of the evaluation team this year, the Center works hard to ensure that local governments receive recognition for good work. If you look across the field, you will find some that have used a third party (such as the one you mentioned), others that have collaborated with neighboring jurisdictions and still others that have done it by and for themselves. There's more than one way to get to a good result -- including both those that do it on a shoestring and those that get a little help from their friends, or outsiders.

I am also curious about source documents. Any chance we could find who did not make the cut, at least for states? Arizona and Iowa just released new versions of their respective .govs (within the last few days) and I was looking to see where they landed on the 2009 list.

I am also curious about source documents. Any chance we could find who did not make the cut, at least for states? Arizona and Iowa just released new versions of their respective .govs (within the last few days) and I was looking to see where they landed on the 2009 list.

I am also curious about source documents. Any chance we could find who did not make the cut, at least for states? Arizona and Iowa just released new versions of their respective .govs (within the last few days) and I was looking to see where they landed on the 2009 list.

What a shame that I have missed these awards in 2009. I have actually read about these nominations for the first time now, and I can say that it quite interesting to see who have won and who not. Utah has the best state portal for sure. I absolutely agree with this one. I can absolutely understood some websites which are not so good, because keeping a nice and fully functional web is really expensive. I know that because I am an web app developer by myself. Economical crisis and all this stuff had really stopped a little bit the web development in various places. However thanks for publishing this article here, it was really interesting to read it. Oh and keep posting them in the future too. Sincerely, Tim Nollton from web application development

What a shame that I have missed these awards in 2009. I have actually read about these nominations for the first time now, and I can say that it quite interesting to see who have won and who not. Utah has the best state portal for sure. I absolutely agree with this one. I can absolutely understood some websites which are not so good, because keeping a nice and fully functional web is really expensive. I know that because I am an web app developer by myself. Economical crisis and all this stuff had really stopped a little bit the web development in various places. However thanks for publishing this article here, it was really interesting to read it. Oh and keep posting them in the future too. Sincerely, Tim Nollton from web application development

What a shame that I have missed these awards in 2009. I have actually read about these nominations for the first time now, and I can say that it quite interesting to see who have won and who not. Utah has the best state portal for sure. I absolutely agree with this one. I can absolutely understood some websites which are not so good, because keeping a nice and fully functional web is really expensive. I know that because I am an web app developer by myself. Economical crisis and all this stuff had really stopped a little bit the web development in various places. However thanks for publishing this article here, it was really interesting to read it. Oh and keep posting them in the future too. Sincerely, Tim Nollton from web application development

It helped me with ocean of knowledge so I really believe you will do much better in the future I appreciate everything you have added to my knowledge base.Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer!

Whats the criteria used to determine the winner? If its innovation and functionality, then who judges it and makes decision whether a particular site is winner?

Whats the criteria used to determine the winner? If its innovation and functionality, then who judges it and makes decision whether a particular site is winner?

Thanks for this information it really useful for me to know. Thanks Anil Kumar from iPhone Development Offshore Team, KryptonSoft, India

Thanks for sharing this informative post to us and it is really useful and interesting post. Best Regards, iPhone Application Builder

Its very interesting for web developers like me, good to know about this and thanks to Andy for posting this article. mobile application development All the best to the 2010 web winners.

Great I am waiting for the 2010 Best of the Web winners. Allie @ Web Development

Great info! Thank you for the post. And m waiting for this year incident... Regards... Alena from Android Apps Development

I agree with Jake. Seems like these awards follow the money. It's a lot easier to win when you've got money to spend. Also, why isn't there a list of the losing sites? I'd be curious to know which states came in last and why.

Thanks for providing the report data. It was very curious to learn the statistics. Karen, from mobile applications development

In fact, I’m just starting out in management media and working on to find out how to do it well - resources like this blog post are a great resource. As our website is based in the US, is kind of new to us The reference mention is something that I worry about as well, how to show your own real enthusiasm and share to the community.

I would like to wish Congrats to all the winners. Thanks for announcing. Amber Management

Thanks for the info. Congrats to the winners. I missed the awards but m waiting for the current year. Nicole from iphone Development

Congratulations to the winner of the best of the web award to state country and city portals. Regards, Alisa Garner from Android Application Development