With more and more consumers using the internet for services and information, Consumer Focus is calling for a fresh debate on how to put consumers at the heart of Directgov, the Government’s central online portal. With its discussion paper ‘Does Directgov deliver?’, the consumer champion questions whether the Government delivers on its promise to ‘provide information and online services for the public all in one place’.

The paper provides a new analysis of the portal’s structure, usability, functionality and content as well as suggestions for rethinking key aspects and areas of the website¹. It highlights areas needing improvement such as: the site’s unclear layout, an inconsistency of information and signposting and time-consuming methods of accessing some services². Processes for some items, such as getting a pension forecast, are drawn-out and confusing. This chimes with the Department of Work and Pensions’ own monitoring which shows that over a third of people cannot find all the information they want on Directgov³.

Consumer Focus suggests that the Government’s drive to meet its 2011⁴ target of moving content from more than 4,000 websites to three sites – NHS Choices, Directgov and Businesslink – has taken focus away from developing online services that truly reflect customers’ needs and preferences.

Liz Coll, Public services expert at Consumer Focus, said:

‘The Government must remember that the human element has to be its starting point in the push to find IT solutions. There needs to be a fresh look at Directgov from a consumer’s perspective, where people’s needs and experience of using the site are put first. The website has to move from being an information ‘warehouse’ to an accessible, interactive service with consumers at its heart.’

Consumer Focus will be conducting further research through consumer and stakeholder workshops in the New Year, to agree recommendations on how to make Directgov and digital public services of the future fit for consumers’ needs. Consumers, website developers and other stakeholders are being encouraged to join the discussion and contribute their suggestions for improvements to Directgov and other public services sites by commenting on the report at http://directgov.consumerfocuslabs.org. Pdf copies of the report are available on www.consumerfocus.org.uk.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. Consumer Focus commissioned an external research consultant, an expert on public engagement and interaction with technology, to replicate how consumers actually use Directgov. This involved:

• A ‘walk through’ of various services including: registering with a doctor, obtaining a NI number, reporting a minor crime, finding emergency childcare, paying tax and submitting an idea about changes to public services
• Content was assessed as to which parts of the website offered services that could be completed online and which was information only
• Analysis of the 200 plus services listed in the ‘Do-it-online’ section to establish how many were actually available to complete in full online
• Analysis of structure, types and format of information and external links
• Testing of search engine searches and analysis of results by number, relevance, and date

Areas of Directgov which need improvement include:

1. Department for Work and Pensions, Directgov’s regular online research 2009 only 65% find all, or most of what they wanted. FOI request Consumer Focus, 3 April 2009.
2. Department of Business of Innovation and Skills and Department of Culture, Media and Sport, Digital Britain final report, June 2009.

• Some services, such as applying for a disability living allowance and applying for a care grant, require a Government Gateway password which is sent by post following registration. A different password is needed for each request.
• Most of the services listed in the ‘money, tax and benefits’ section involve forms that need to be printed off and sent away and cannot actually be completed online.
• The site claims to offer ‘public services in one place’, however with many services consumers are pointed to: an external Government website; an external website with a Directgov template; or a page on the Directgov website where part of an external website has been pulled in – all of which result in a disjointed and awkward consumer journey.
• Some of the links on the site do not even point to the relevant page on another website but instead link to a home page. For example the ‘Make a complaint about unfair trading’ links to Consumer Direct’s home page as opposed to the relevant page.

Consumer Focus is the independent champion for consumers, created from the merger of energywatch, Postwatch and the National Consumer Council (including the Scottish and Welsh Consumer Councils). We are the voice of the consumer, and work to secure a fair deal on their behalf.