This publication brings together 8 case studies which highlight the work of Smart Cities’ partner municipalities to update and improve their websites and transform them into customer-focused e-service channels.
This is complemented by the results of a survey of Smart Cities partners about their website strategies and plans. The survey examined the local drivers and ambitions that shape the efforts of cities to develop their municipal web portals and offer online services. Our analysis of the municipalities’ responses has highlighted some of the important elements for municipal web portals, some common user demands, and the importance of stakeholder and user engagement in any such web portal project.
Over the three years of the Smart Cities project our municipal partners made significant investments in their web presences. Some cities have added online services, often in the form of digital ‘e-forms’ which allow users to submit service requests at their convenience, without having to visit the town hall or call a service centre during office hours. Some municipalities have revamped their website’s navigation to make it easier and faster for users to find the information they seek. Some have changed the back end systems which effectively power the website, integrating the portal into other electronic workflows. Some partner portals even allow citizens to log and see the status of their service requests and access their case files.