Scottish A-Z/Knowledgebase Project

FAQs, forms and case studies

Tessa Darley

Scottish A-Z/Knowledgebase Project

• Accessible through Communities page on esd toolkit at:

www.esd.org.uk/a-zscotlandor

via esd toolkit’s communities page

“A-Z Scotland” Community Homepage (www.esd.org.uk/a-zscotland)

Knowledgebase Outputs

• FAQs database– Search and download– View and comment– Download full set

• Forms database – Search, upload, comment– Best examples

• Case Studies – Guides, best practise

FAQs Session Objectives

After this section you will be able to:• Access, search and view FAQs using the facility in

esd toolkit• Comment on an FAQ• Download your chosen sections of the FAQs as a csv

file or XML• Download all FAQs as a csv, XML or HTML file• Understand how one council has already begun to

incorporate the Scottish FAQs into their website

FAQs

• FAQs now available via esd toolkit after draft consultation period during Aug-Oct 2006

• ~1,700 generic/core from 5,500 collected• Categorised according to SSL• View, search, download• View and comment • Download

3 ways to FAQFAQs are available to logged-in users on esd toolkit via the Tools menu option

under:

1) FAQ search– search on text/keywords– search on service area or navigation branch– download full or sections of FAQ database (csv or XML)– search for specific FAQs

2) Tree views– view FAQs categorised by

• Navigation branch service area• Core and local FAQs

– comment on FAQs3) Report

– Download full set of FAQs as HTML, csv or XML

FAQ Search

Log in and select Tools>FAQ search

FAQ Search – Selecting your search criteria

Search on text

Search on service or navigation branch

Perform search/download selected FAQs

Search for specific FAQ

FAQ Search - Using the tree picker

Expand picker to service required

FAQ Search - Searching

Search (or download)

Selection shows (in this case service PID 59 – Council tax discount)

FAQ Search - Search results page

Select your download choice to download the FAQs showing from your search

Click on a question to view full the FAQ

FAQ Search - View FAQ

FAQ Search - Download FAQs as csv

FAQ Tree View – Viewing FAQs

Select Tools > Tree views

FAQ Tree View – Viewing FAQs

1) Select your local tree

2) Expand tree selection to show the service you want to see FAQs for

3) Select tab

4) Select FAQ type

5) View the FAQ by clicking on it

FAQ Tree View – Viewing FAQs

FAQ Reports – downloading all FAQs

Select Tools> Reports> FAQ download

FAQ Reports – downloading all FAQs

Select core, local or all FAQs to download

Select format of output

Download FAQs

FAQ Reports – downloading all FAQs (csv)

3 ways to FAQ (reprise)You must log in to esd toolkit first. These options are available from the

Tools menu.

1) FAQ search– search on text/keywords– search on service area or navigation branch– download full or sections of FAQ database (csv or XML)– search for specific FAQs

2) Tree views– view FAQs categorised by

• Navigation branch service area• Core and local FAQs

– Comment on FAQs3) Report (all FAQs downloaded as csv, HTML or XML)

FAQs – Council implementation

• Information audit - filling in the gaps

• Service centre involvement/buy-in

• Pick ‘n’ mix

• Integration with website, crm and customer service

Actual FAQ implementation – Renfrewshire Council

FAQs are usable by anyone with access to the website including customer service representatives as well as citizens, thus ensuring continuity of information provision.

The FAQs have been incorporated by:

• downloading FAQs and separating them into service areas• distributing FAQs to service areas for revisions, additions, deletions etc

and results fed back to core set. Data set now has flags for local and core FAQs and workflow designed to facilitate keeping the FAQs current as well as feeding back to core set on esd toolkit

• tagging webpages according to SSL so that there is a link between FAQs and webpages (because all FAQs have at least one SSL service associated)

• re-organising navigation of website to facilitate inclusion of FAQ-specific area of site, searchable according to various criteria. FAQ also appears under A-Z, “What’s New”, and popular links.

Hands-on - FAQs1. Use the A-Z Scotland communities site on esd toolkit to access the FAQ database.2. View all FAQs.3. Using the SNL tree picker in the FAQ Search facility, view the FAQs associated with

training and personal development. How many are there? (20) What is the ID number for the last FAQ in this selection? (79970) When would you be subject to a Disclosure Scotland check if applying for a job at the council? (Disclosure Scotland checks are undertaken for all posts that are going to be working with children and other vulnerable groups of people such as the elderly and disabled clients.) Download/view the results of your search as a csv or XML file.

4. Still using the FAQ Search, find FAQs about freedom of information. How many are there? (9)

5. What is FAQ number 80114 about? (working at age 12)6. How many FAQs are there about Blue Badges? (18)7. If you wanted to use the full FAQ database at your council, what term should you search

on to isolate those FAQs which have been identified as needing to have answers that are specific to your council? (“to be inserted locally” or any logical part thereof) How many FAQs need answers to be inserted locally? (694) Download/view these as a csv or XML file.

8. Using your local tree view, find out how many core FAQs there are for registering a birth (Hint: if you can’t find the right category using the drill-down on the local tree, you can use the tree search, under the “tree options” section above the tree). (16)

9. Using the Report facility, download/view all FAQs in a format of your choosing.

Forms session objectives

After this session, you will be able to:• View all forms• Search and view forms by

– Name/description, – SSL identification number, and – Interaction type

• Comment on a form• Add a form for comment/consideration

Forms

• Collation tool available• Concentrate on ESD 46• Upload file/URL• Comment• Identify best• Deconstruct elements to create building

blocks

Forms collation tool – search forms

Search using SSL tree picker

Forms collation tool – search forms

Search titles using text search

Search forms showing same interaction

Forms collation tool – search forms results page

Click Title to view information about the form, including comments

Click on the link/file download to view the form/launch the e-form

Shows if file is uploaded or a hyperlink to website location

Forms collation tool – view info

Add a comment to a form

What is good/missing/erroneous?

What do you/don’t you also include in forms at your council?

Can you provide a form showing a good example? If so, comment here and upload it.

Add a form

Name the form, ending with the name of the council it’s from

Select interaction type

Select SSL service

Adding a form – selecting an interaction

There are ten top-level interactions on the LGIL and eighteen second level interactions. You can select an associated interaction at any level of granularity.

• Applications for service (for general application forms, e.g. for jobs, grants, school places, etc)–     Appealing–     Appointment booking (for appointments with council staff)–     Changing circumstances–     Complaining–     Entitlement/eligibility checking (for applications for benefits etc)–     Renewing–     Repairing–     Replacing–     Reporting–     Status checking

• Booking venues, resources and courses–     Course booking–     Reserving a resource–     Venue/facility booking

• Collecting Revenue (for regular payments to the council e.g. rent, council tax, etc)• Consultation

–    Customer surveys–     Democratic consultation–     Statutory consultation

• Paying for goods and services (for one-off payments e.g. special uplift, parking fines, licences, etc)• Procurement• Providing access to community, professionals or business networks• Providing benefits and grants• Providing information• Regulation

–     Enforcement–     Issuing (licence, consent or permit)

Hands-on - Forms

• Search all forms in the database (hint – start by going to the communities page). How many are there? (334) Choose a form and view the information associated with it. Open the link to the form and view the form. Do you think the information associated with it is correct? Is the interaction right? Has it been associated with a sensible service? If not, post a comment.

• View all forms pertaining to applications for a Blue Badge. How many are there? (Answer: 6)

• Using the Add new form option, choose a form from your council’s website, add it to the database (remember to include the name of the council in the title), and add a comment to it asking for feedback.

Case Studies

• Councils are piloting project outputs

• Case studies

• Build on experience

• Guidance, best practice

Pilots

• Inverclyde piloting full suite (service list, navigation, FAQs)

• East Dunbartonshire piloting full suite • North Ayrshire piloting FAQs and service list• Renfrewshire piloting FAQs and service list

(already underway and partially implemented)• Other councils incorporating/utilising FAQs in

various ways

How the project deliverables relate to one another

SNLNavigation Structure

IPSVIntegrated Public Sector Vocabulary

A to Z

SSLServices

List

FAQs Forms LGIL

Thank you!

Find more information at the A-Z Scotland Project community site on esd toolkit:

www.esd.org.uk/a-zscotland

Tessa Darley0141 842 5424

tessa.darley@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Any questions or comments?