A better website guaranteed?
The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) relaunched its website yesterday …and fans of this blog might instantly notice it bears one or two similarities to the Department for Business site my team launched back in March.
That’s because ECGD are the first customer for the BIS shared web service, using the ready-made templates and CMS platform we developed for use by any of our partner bodies and a handful of central government departments with whom BIS shares a minister (ECGD being one of the latter).
I wasn’t directly involved in the migration and launch, so can’t say too much about that, but am pleased to welcome them on board and proud of my part in enabling the dramatic improvement shown in these before and after shots below – all at a far lower cost than could ever have been the case if they’d gone it alone.
Lots more sites will follow ECGD onto the platform in the months ahead, with flexible options to re-use the same set of ready-made ‘BIS partner’ templates or to develop their own, saving lots of lovely public lolly in the process.
ECGD site before:
And after:
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Comments
We saved on development, we save on hosting, we get a more modern site that’s accessible and easier to navigate. A no-brainer, eh? I’d recommend the shared service to anyone. (I’m head of communications at ECGD, by the way.)
Great work Neil, looks much better. Is it only for BIS-related organisations or can any government body use?
Chris > I would never be so disparaging, and design isn’t everything (but yes, isn’t it?)
Steve > Really glad you dropped by, thanks for the endorsement from your end and I look forward to the next phase. We’ve got a great development roadmap – thanks in no small way to that @wilcallaghan character – and we will share our thoughts with you when you have a mo. It’s mainly stuff around making the back end faster and easier to use, integration of discussion/commenting, better use of email alerts and support for digital campaigns. (Which, let’s face it, is all going to be vital!)
Adam > Thanks! Short answer: BIS related orgs only. Long answer: under the terms of the procurement, nay the govt procurement rules which quite rightly protect open competition for govt contracts, we tendered for a service that can be shared by a handful of named depts plus any orgs funded by or descended from BIS. None too shabby – we have 70+ partners (and many more websites) so the economies of scale could be huge. One day I’ll put a figure on that, but it’s a moveable feast.
I’m like a proud mother, I’ve had so many compliments from my fellow techie nerds….. Thanks very much for your help, it has been great working with you.
Massive improvement and delighted to see that process I started has resulted in such a great outcome. Also a great example of cross-govt collaboration
Thank you for your article, I really find it helpful with the information you have provided. My thinking would like to create a site using a good CMS, but the barriers are not yet mastered my CMS programming. now is the process of learning.
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Hello, I'm Neil Williams. I'm a government web geek, a dad, a husband, a grower of veg, a keeper of hens and a lapsed comedy writer, roughly in that order. 
Nice to see the dinosaurs are becoming extinct. Sharing and collaboration is the brave new world. Saves us taxpayers money too. nice one.
chris