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Monitoring and evaluating the usage that This checklist is intended to complement
target groups make of websites and other the Demand and Value Assessment
e-government initiatives are an important methodologies developed by AGIMO
part of the ongoing management of www.agimo.gov.au/publications/egovt_
these initiatives. Results can inform future benefits.html, as well as audits undertaken
development and, in combination with the and recommendations made by the
evaluation of other aspects of the initiative, Australian National Audit Office on the
such as costs, can help ensure that the initiative monitoring and evaluation of Internet
meets the business needs of agencies. services by government agencies.
A key role of the Australian Government Comments about the checklist and suggestions
Information Management Office (AGIMO) for additional checkpoints can be directed to:
is to identify and promote ‘Better Practice’.
This checklist has been created to help Better Practices and IMSC Secretariat
agencies to evaluate the use of their websites Australian Government Information
in the wider context of program output Management Office
and outcome monitoring and evaluation. Phone: (02) 6271 1514
The items in the checklist are, however, not Email: better.practice@agimo.gov.au
mandatory. Agencies will need to consider
other issues not covered in this checklist Copies of this and other checklists are
when using channels apart from the Internet available at www.agimo.gov.au/checklists.
to achieve their outputs and outcomes.
It should be noted that the checklist is not This checklist was developed with the
intended to be comprehensive. Rather, assistance of Australian Government agencies.
it highlights key issues for agencies. In particular, AGIMO would like to thank
The checklist is iterative and draws on the the Australian Customs Service, Australian
expertise and experience of practitioners. National Audit Office and Centrelink.
The subject matter and issues are reviewed
and updated to reflect developments.
Checklist 11 3
SUMMARY OF CHECKPOINTS
FUNDAMENTALS METHODS
BEFORE STARTING
CHECKPOINTS
• specify a range of monitoring information The Guidelines for Federal and ACT Government
World Wide Websites supplement the IPPs for
• provide for scheduling of periodic evaluation handling personal information through websites
www.privacy.gov.au/internet/web/index.html.
• clarify reporting and accountability
arrangements.
Checklist 11 5
CHECKPOINTS
Checklist 11 7
CHECKPOINTS
■ Consider the use of focus groups Website statistics can be particularly useful when
collected and reviewed over a period, so that
Directly interacting with small groups of people patterns of use can be seen. Statistics can also
selected from the site’s target audiences, including be used to assess the impact on site usage from
current users, non-users and potential users of the significant events. These could be changes to the
site, allows in-depth exploration of participants’ website design, a specific marketing campaign
opinions and preferences through active discussion for the website or its subject, or changes in
and hands-on activities. Focus groups can be users’ needs.
used to gather data on issues such as website
preferences and priorities, use of related websites, While a wide range of website usage statistics
purpose and intention of visits to the site, and may be available, caution is needed in
reaction to visual design (for example, home page interpreting them. They are most useful to
mock-ups, colour palettes, logo designs). indicate trends rather than provide definitive
data/statistics on website usage. Consider the
An advantage of focus groups is that they provide following:
the opportunity to have broad-ranging and in-
depth discussion on issues that impact upon the • Hits. This is the number of times all website
website. The group interaction can lead to new files (including graphics) have been viewed,
insights about the website, which can then be and each hit is a single entry in a server log file.
taken to the next level by the website team. A single web page could include 50 files
(1 html file, 49 graphic files) and generate 50
A potential disadvantage of focus groups can be hits. Hits are generally not a useful measure
that, as they rely on participants’ opinions and of user activity as they are influenced by the
interpretations rather than hard evidence of actual design of the website rather than by actual use.
behaviour, group and individual opinion can be
swayed by dominant participants or by the facilitator. • Page views. This is the number of visits to
This can, however, be countered by careful selection individual pages on the website. This can be
of participants and skilled facilitation. used to identify the most frequently accessed
pages and, conversely, which pages are not
used. This information can be used to identify
■ Consider user testing pages that should be promoted more often in
the site, track the effects of putting particular
User testing is a useful method of determining
links on the home page, or identify broken
whether users are able to interact with the
navigation paths.
website effectively, so it can establish whether
the needs of both the users and the agency are • Visits and unique visitors. This indicates
met by the website. Further information on user specific visits to the website and shows the
testing is available in Better Practice Checklist 3, number of users who come to the site, how
Testing Websites with Users. often they visit and how long the visit lasted.
Users may open multiple sessions of the
website during a single visit.
■ Consider website statistics
Page views and visits can be cross-referenced
Website statistics measure the activity on the
to find out how many people went to only
website. Website statistics may be provided by
one page on the site, compared to how many
either web server logs or browser-based systems.
visited two to 10 pages, or 10 pages or more.
By setting up servers to record the information,
This information will indicate if people are
these logs can be used to provide answers to
coming to the site to read a single page or
questions such as: How many visitors have come
browsing more generally.
to the site? What content is most visited? What
browsers are being used?
Checklist 11 9
CHECKPOINTS
www.agimo.gov.au