HHS Web Council Meeting Notes - May 20, 2008

Welcome

• Introductions and welcoming remarks

HHS.gov/web

• The “web/web” subsite (hhs.gov/web) outgrew current information architecture (which was not task-oriented at first); needed to add left nav and content off FAQs
• Tour of the live site with the revised layout
• What remains to do: breadcrumb trails, GovDelivery, new categories
• If your OpDiv Web governing body has a page, please email Marsha Carey with the link and/or information about it

Preview of a New Intranet and FAQ System

• FAQ prototype:
  • We’re moving FAQs to a database; one problem with current interface is that users can’t get the same results using search and categories
  • Thought about how people really look to find FAQs
  • Presented prototype that allows users to drill down using faceted search
  • Question about how the categories are derived: Example from Womenshealth.gov, which is generated on the fly
  • FAQs are used differently: Q&A format used to present content or to put people in a circular loop (referring to additional FAQs); WCD intends to use FAQs to drive people to web pages
  • The web page should be the primary source of information/content
  • Question about creation of taxonomy: Will use trends, search terms, feedback, etc.
• HHS Intranet review:
  • Current intranet was difficult to manage, navigate; multiple versions of the same content, old content that was seriously out of date
  • New model may use iGoogle
  • Building in management tools to track page id, broken links, accessibility, review dates; will use the WCMS and follow standards and guidance
  • Described the process for reviewing and tracking pages owned by different offices
  • Tracking code will be a field in the WCMS, with a link to the content owner; triaged content and sorted into different “destinations”
  • Move restricted content to a portal; contact Craig Lafond for more information
  • The sorting & evaluation tool is portable; Billy Tolar’s group offers support to use the form
  • Timeline: naming contest ($50 gas card), metadata, beta intranet, going live in July
  • Discussed search feedback (3 point scale), usefulness of content (skimmed from “information”); code can be embedded into search and improves search results (ranking influences results)

Web Diet and Evaluation Tool (Intranet as Lab)

• Consider using Billy Tolar’s tool to import inventory and sitting down with customers regarding their pages
• Can use the usability lab to evaluate tool and determine if you want to use it for your tracking efforts

508 Web Tools Panel Discussion

• Need to have consistent, repeatable results; current tool is usable, but not perfect or foolproof
• Tools workgroup soliciting membership now; contact John Booth from CMS to join
• Initial focus will be on 508 tools; future could be WCMS, multimedia, Web 2.0, Web analytics; trying to leverage what CMS has done/is doing
• Tools need to have VPAT, other must-have features (non-administrator configuration in desk-top setting), some nice-to-have features (enterprise, market presence in government)
• Desktop tools in 4 categories (HTML, PDF, other file types, assistive technologies)
• Drawing the line at Adobe Acrobat Pro 8 for the foreseeable future; strongly recommend at least purchasing a couple of copies if not able to afford to have a copy on every machine; also being reviewed: CommonLook plug-in
• SAMHSA is arranging for Adobe to provide demo training; HHS is working on hands-on training; additional resources on HHS.gov/web
• NIH noted that Adobe Pro 8 has issues: It passes tables not properly coded (known issue – complex tables need to be checked with a reader).
• Server tools focus on auditing and reporting with a history, but no remediation; will have to consider integration points with WCMS, for example
• Being reviewed: Watchfire and competitor tools; PDF enterprise evaluation tools, Adobe LiveCycle
• Identified issues: Define enterprise licensing, strategy for legacy tools, availability behind/beyond firewall; leverage current investments, what can HHS do to assist?
• Next steps: Build out membership, build out tools inventory, portal community, report on progress

Q&A Session on Current 508 Plans/Issues, Plan Status, Training

• 508 plans:
  • Need to define which tables are data sets, which are for layout; what needs to be made compliant, and what needs to have accommodations provided
  • Web crawler: Need to combine funding to purchase an enterprise application? In talks with several vendors, should have information n next two to three weeks; do not buy a crawler; the tools committee is meeting immediately to begin researching an enterprise solution
  • Question: We need to identify the tools to avoid. What tools can I use?  (Send requirements for optimal tool, and experience with freeware to John Booth at CMS)
• 508 inventory:
  • Inventory sent out was preliminary; sent out list of domains yet to be scanned – next set of domains identified will be scanned by end of May – it’s not a final list because more domains will likely be found and scanned; how do we track progress? We’ll create an algorithm
  • Ways to identify top 7 percent of files for remediation: visits & downloads, activity, mission critical, info important to people with disabilities
  • NIH mentions that broken links are important, but can we take them off the table? No; they need to be fixed
  • Is there a contractor we can go to to make our products accessible? We don’t have the resources in-house to do this; we need centralized support, to some degree; complex documents or infrequent documents may be a reason for such support; we’ve raised the issue. We have training modules in process– one coming out soon on evaluating a contractor deliverable.
  • NIH asks whether we should allow Access Board standards to rule because there’s concern of “a moving target.” WCD has a 508 policy (accessibility); the standard defines what constitutes accessible.
  • SAMHSA would like best practice on what information is best suited in what format.
  • CDC wants specific guidance that leads to compliance, with separation of best practices from 508 issues.
• Three standards (send comments to Dick Stapleton): tables, PPT (Language is helpful; NIH would like standard that PPT is not the same as a meeting summary; concern about animation and flyout being turned off, but HTML equivalent if desired; need help with alternatives) Skip nav is final.

Transition Preview

• Will be talking about this more in June and July council meetings
• This time of change is a strategic opportunity: Web will be solid, council works together
• In the last transition, asked to get rid of political appointee and program information; next administration will be web savvy
• Discussion of possible emphases by candidate
• Where are we now? In the beginning of a void, with agency heads leaving for other jobs; career staff in charge in the interim, sometimes avoiding making big decisions or big changes
• Next council meeting we will talk about what exactly you need to do

Closing and Next Meeting

• 9am to 12pm, June 19, Room 800, Humphrey building
• Web 2.0, standards, 508 implementation and training and resources, transition, liquid skin and portal