Official Information Request - Council website

Sent: Wednesday, 13 October 2021 3:49 pm
Subject: LGOIMA request - Council website

I refer to your LGOIMA request of 17 September 2021 regarding the Council website, and note you had questions under LGOIMA and questions for comment.

Please find below both responses to the LGOIMA questions and comment on the other questions.

LGOIMA RESPONSES:

• All feedback from the public regarding its website (rotorualakescouncil.nz) since it launched in its new layout/format, including but not limited to formal feedback (if applicable), complaints, emails, suggestion box items and feedback received by phone (phone call recollections).
  There has been no feedback sought or recorded, only notifications of broken links. Any received by the customer centre (by email or phone) were passed on to staff who manage the website to correct. The Customer Centre did not keep records of notifications regarding broken website links and there were no formal complaints lodged.
• All internal feedback from council staff and or contractors regarding its website (rotorualakescouncil.nz) since it launched in its new layout/format, including but not limited to formal feedback (if applicable), complaints, emails, suggestion box items and feedback received by phone (phone call recollections).
  There has been no formal feedback but a few staff who have given verbal feedback have been positive about the change.
• How much the website cost, including the cost of the platform/format and including how much it cost to transfer data onto it. If this was done by staff, please provide an estimate of how much time that took.
  No cost.
  In June 2021 RLC transitioned to a new underlying platform that was introduced by its website provider Datacom and has a different look. It is not a new website. Datacom decided to retire the previous underlying platform it was using for the website. This was not at Council’s request.
  Work undertaken by Datacom to lead and support the transition to the new platform was covered by existing contracted support hours.
  Council staff time related to migrating content to the new platform was part of the day-to-day work of those involved and has not been recorded separately.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

Publication of responses to LGOIMA requests

Please note: Our LGOIMA responses may be published on the Rotorua Lakes Council website after they have been responded to, with requesters’ personal details withheld. If you have any concerns about this please contact the Council on info@rotorualc.nz.

QUESTIONS FOR COMMENT (Comments attributable to Oonagh Hopkins, DCE District Leadership and Democracy):

• Please provide details of how the new website was created - ie the council used x software or platform and transferred information etc - just some background details on the process.
  This is not a new website. It is an updated platform that has been introduced by Council’s website provider, Datacom, and has a different look and some changes in terms of navigation for users. Datacom decided to retire the previous underlying platform that it had used for Council’s website and this necessitated the change to the new platform. As the website provider, Datacom led the process to migrate content to the new platform, in collaboration with Council staff. Datacom also provided training for Council staff who manage the website. Other councils that contract the same website provider have gone through a similar changeover process.
• Why that method was selected?
  As above, Datacom decided to retire the previous underlying platform it had used for the Rotorua Lakes Council website and this necessitated changing to the new platform. Datacom led the migration of content.
• How the website renewal programme worked to avoid 'dead' links (ie ones that when clicked on lead to a 404 error page, screenshot of example attached). How many of these dead links does the council estimate are on its website since the new website was launched?Overall, we have been pleased with the transition to the new platform.
  Overall, we have been pleased with the transition to the new platform. Broken links occur for a number of reasons and dealing with these is part of the day-to-day management of any website. These are unavoidable following a platform change such as ours, given the number of links on the RLC website.
  Considerable effort went into cleaning up and redirecting content prior to migration. However, Datacom advised there would be remaining broken links after migration was complete, due to the sheer amount of content and factors such as the time it takes Google search results to update.As part of the transition, council monitored and resolved broken links within its control, prioritising high volume hits. There is also a feedback form presented on 404 to enable the public to report and for council to provide access to requested information if necessary.Datacom has estimated that of the approximately 800,000 links on the website, there are approximately 5000 broken links, so less than 1% of the total number of links. Many of these are due to previous domains no longer working as a result of the changeover (eg the old website address before council’s name change to Rotorua Lakes Council, and the authoring site for the previous platform).

Regards