Faster, Cheaper, Better 2.0

When the Internet -- more specifically, the World Wide Web -- became popular in government more than 10 years ago, it opened up a new channel for the public sector to inform and serve its citizens. Since then, virtually every government -- from the national level down to towns, hamlets and school districts -- has developed a Web site as their portal to the online world 

Over time, those Web sites have grown to contain thousands of pages and links, online transactions and critical reports, all of which has to be accurate, up-to-date and available 24/7 to a wide audience from many locations using different devices. But as the Center for Technology in Government (CTG), a research institution affiliated with the State University of New York in Albany points out, "the technologies and processes used to establish Web sites have not kept pace with the efficiencies needed to manage them today and into the future."

As a result, the content and workflow that goes into a Web site can get bogged down, leading to higher costs and inaccurate information. While large governments may have the resources to keep pace with changes in technology, many smaller cities, towns and school districts do not. Not surprisingly, the part of the public sector that could benefit the most from an online channel for its citizens is often spending more and getting less when it comes to their Web sites.

To resolve this problem, CTG has published a toolkit, as well as a guidebook for governments looking to shift away from structured HTML files, proprietary databases or content management systems tied to specific hardware and software to XML, the vendor and platform-neutral software code that has proven much more flexible for Web development and maintenance.

As the report's authors point out, XML is well suited for the public-sector world, where Web site content often comes from many sources (program managers, public information officers, administrators, etc.), exists in different formats, contains lots of text, has to be delivered in different formats and has to meet federal and state accessibility requirements, to name just a few of the constraints and conditions that often exist. 

The benefits of XML Web site management are many:

• automatic generation of multiple formats;
• consistency across multiple formats and devices;
• clear content ownership and coordinated publication process;
• potential for data exchange;
• accessibility compliance;
• device independence;
• personalized content;
• standard format; and
• cost and time savings.

The last bullet is especially important for cost-sensitive governments that are counting nickels and dimes. With XML, operations and Web development costs shrink over time, according to the report. 

There's more to a good Web site than XML code, however. IT initiatives like this can't occur in a vacuum. They require a plan, teamwork, project management, business process analysis and executive support. But the CTG's XML guide and toolkit are a good first step in the right direction for many beleaguered government Web sites.