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https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2014/12/19/finishing-what-we-started-transition-to-gov-uk/

Finishing what we started - transition to GOV.UK

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: GDS team, GOV.UK

A huge programme of work, transition has seen over 300 agencies and arm’s length bodies move their content to GOV.UK. This has been no cut and paste job. Instead, people at the agencies and arm’s length bodies have worked with the GDS transition team to reshape the existing content around user needs. Duplicate content has been removed and archived.

The GDS team, led by Elisse Jones, has trained over 1,000 writers and publishers. GDS transition managers have been at hand helping people in the agencies and arm’s length bodies with questions and queries. But much of the work has been done by people in the agencies and arm’s length bodies themselves, making sure their content is fit for GOV.UK, the government publishing platform. Here’s a film about the works that’s been done:

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Transcript:

Transitioning 300+ agencies and arm’s length bodies to GOV.UK

Elisse Jones, Delivery Manager, GOV.UK Transition Programme

We’ve moved 285 websites on to GOV.UK with a further 28 websites to move by the end of December. The main change for users is that there is now a single website that they can go to. Without the agencies and all of the hard work across the digital teams this transition would not have been possible.

Ragnar Karlsson, Web Content Administrator, Coal Authority

My biggest trepidation really was the sheer amount of content we had, well over a thousand pages worth of content.

Elisse Jones

They’ve had to work with their policy teams and the subject matter experts to really change the thinking around is this piece of content built upon a user need.

Andrew Rees, Website Transition Manager, Intellectual Property Office

It wasn’t about the Intellectual Property Office or GDS, it was just about what was good and what was going to work for our users.

Rachel Purkett, Digital Media Manager, Monitor

Focusing on user needs has really helped us to change how the whole organisation thinks about digital content, about communications.

Andrew Rees

It’s getting educated if you like into that sole kind of user need of the customer, what exactly is the customer going to look for.

Rachel Purkett

I’ve had good feedback from my team that the training on the style guide has been really helpful and has helped them to focus better on user needs and how to write for GOV.UK.

Andrew Rees

The transition managers we’ve had excellent relationships with, as well as people in the mainstream content teams.

Rachel Purkett

Our search traffic is up since our transition to GOV.UK so that’s a good indication that things are looking good and people are finding the site.

Ragnar Karlsson

GDS has done a really good job of pulling round the content and the information that they need to support those of us out in the wider elements of government. It’s actually brought about quite a bit of change internally within the Coal Authority of how we write, how we communicate. We’re using plain English for the intranet, we’re using plain English for all of our communications and social media. So it’s changing how people actually communicate as a whole within our organisation.

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2 comments

  1. Comment by Steve Smith posted on

    Agreed, but first they should turn their attention to the websites for local authorities, NHS Trusts etc.

    Everything which really is part of governent should be included and not the half-baked effort that currently exists.

    Fairplay, good work so far, but the project needs to continue until this work is complete. Not close now that that central government agencies have completed.

  2. Comment by Carl posted on

    I wish they would take other websites into GOV.UK, for example local medical centre websites with online appointments booking, my medical centres website looks like it was designed in 1970.