Better Connected 2006: names Jadu as most accessible CMS

The SOCITM Better Connected 2006 report has highlighted several Jadu Local Authority partners as examples of good practice - with Burnley Borough Council achieving 'Transactional' status and Kettering and Lichfield councils both named as good examples.

Burnley's Jadu A-Z was described by Better Connected as: "Brilliant A to Z, has contact info, links to online services and service summary. Best example so far." - Better Connected 2006 Page 69

Content management systems can help in encouraging accessibility. We have been able to track those that seem to do better. We can select one that has had good results. Six out of 13 councils that we know to have Jadu systems pass level A. Other suppliers have had a few successes, but not in the same proportion.

Better Connected 2006 Page 86

Interestingly, the SOCITM report used automated 'testing' tools to benchmark websites for accessibility and availability.

Although automated accessibility testing is flawed - since many WCAG checkpoints are manual and open to interpretation, the report does highlight a few areas that may be useful to authorities in understanding the gaps in their web strategies - such as search, navigation and A-Z's.

The report also does not investigate the underlying technologies that enable interoperability and compliance to eGIF (a Priority Outcome) and integrated service delivery - such as complex back office integrations with CRM or planning systems.

Suraj Kika, CEO of Jadu said: "It's a shame that the report chose to focus on accessibility with testing methodologies that are not conclusive or accurate. We've seen a lot of authorities state accessibility as one of the highest priorities for procuring CMS, which is encouraging."

Jadu have been leading the accessibility challenge for over 18 months - having engineered the Jadu CMS engine to generate more accessible content and crafting web interfaces using CSS and web standards.

"Jadu have made a commitment to creating systems that we can all use - its a huge challenge and something that requires time and fore-thought." Says Suraj.

"Unless government can come up with non-commercial, impartial human-led accessibility testing, we are always going to have to argue about standards with commercial organisations that claim to 'measure' accessibility. Look for an automated 'testing' organisation that can test for eGIF compliance or the new IPSV standard (used correctly) and I think you will quickly run out of options."

The Better Connected 2006 report makes just one reference to eGIF -
where it uses the SiteMorse automated testing service for eGMS. This testing does not identify correct contextual use of the LGCL or GCL taxonomy - nor does it include support for any local authorities already adopting the new IPSV standard.

Also, SiteMorse cannot distinguish between the pages generated by the CMS - from an inaccessible web interface for an epayments system, an eforms package or a GIS system - none of which sit inside a CMS.

The Jadu CMS generates clean, accessible content - enabling end-users to publish without the need for knowledge of WCAG A or AA standards.

Lee Pilmore, Head of design at Jadu commented: "Ask a planning officer to generate accessible XHTML pages that pass AA checkpoints and hear their reply. I guarantee that the response will be a blank stare, with references to their lack of time and resources and something about: 'should'nt the CMS do all that?'. The answer of course should be 'YES!' and that's what we spend our days making happen at Jadu."

Lee continued: "Automated testing helps identify issues and it's great for that, but using them to measure sites against each other is completely the wrong thing to do."

Many Local Authorities are focusing on more complex technology tasks such as delivering added value. For example, the simple customer 'Change of Address' request is a highly complex integration task covering many systems.

In a story published by The Register, SOCITM Insight programme manager Martin Greenwood said: "Use of the internet is central to around 80 per cent of the 'transformational' projects and programmes recently researched and published by SOCITM. The website should, therefore, be positioned as a vehicle that will help to drive transformation forward in local authorities. The engine of that vehicle must be up to the job. The findings of Better Connected 2006 can be used by councils as a self-audit tool to diagnose the current state of the vehicle."

"Almost all Jadu partners are talking to us about Government Connect,
LocalDirectGov, CRM integration, e-enabling Planning units, online HR, and generally getting on with electronic service delivery through their websites. They are leaving achieving an accessible design to us and we are working very hard to make that happen - it's an ongoing consideration that we don't anticipate will ever cease." - Suraj Kika.

Jadu will be demonstrating how the Jadu CMS makes the publishing process within local authorities much easier at the Lichfield District Council open day on April 11th.