Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1197. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the external company undertaking an audit of her departmental website; the cost of the audit; the timeframe for its completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45859/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department’s external website (www.welfare.ie) currently acts as the core information link between the Department and its customers and stakeholders.

With some 7.9m visits and 4.3m unique visits during the period from October 2016 to October 2017, it is a central source of up to date information on the schemes, programmes and initiatives provided by the Department.

It is important that the Department’s website keeps pace with changes in website and user interface design in order to provide a modern, responsive and accessible website that more fully meets a wide range of customer information needs and expectations.

The last independent strategic review of the website was undertaken in 2006 and the last design update of the Department’s current website took place in 2011. The Department issued a request for tender for a strategic review of the website in March 2017 and three tenders were received.

Upon evaluation of the three tenders, a winning tenderer was selected and the contract was awarded to Clickworks Limited and iReach. The total value of the tender is €59,100 (including VAT). The audit is currently underway; it is envisaged that it will take around 16 weeks to complete and is expected to be concluded by year end 2017.

The Strategic review includes;

- an in-depth review of the current website (design/layout/usability);

- in-depth analysis of customer/website user requirements;

- an in-depth understanding of internal and external customer and stakeholder requirements through interviews and focus groups;

- detailed mapping of customer personas and customer journeys and

- technical and architectural analysis and recommendations.

This strategic review will provide the Department with clear options and recommendations as to both the design requirements and architecture options for the development of a new website.