In January 2006, PHMSA began a major initiative to redesign its public face - its websites. By leveraging advanced technology, industry standard system development methodologies, and best practices, PHMSA is making great progress in achieving its goal of developing a consolidated website which improves and increases services to all stakeholders, including the public. The redesign effort is based upon, and continues to rely heavily on, internal and external stakeholder input.

A powerful Content Management System (CMS) suite of software was chosen as the architectural backbone of the site. This suite (Vignette Enterprise Content Management and Portal) is a proven, scalable, and reliable technology which uses open, industry standards to ensure seamless integration of other solutions and components. It provides a flexible foundation for resolving many of the current performance gaps in the existing PHMSA websites.

Keeping its site up-to-date is essential to PHMSA's Safety Mission. The most important component of any website is content maintenance. The redesigned public website will be integral to PHMSA's goal to become a transparent, risk-based, data driven organization by supporting data quality and data integrity issue resolution; advancing the organization's capability to collect, analyze, and apply information as the driver for safety decisions; improve the safety performance of operators through education, inspection, and enforcement; and leverage technology and innovation to help address safety problems with 21^st Century solutions.

The new public website is being developed and released in stages. The processes behind the website redesign effort allows PHMSA staff and stakeholders to observe progress and make appropriate observations, suggestions, and contributions as the site is built. These same processes also have allowed PHMSA staff and stakeholders the ability to evaluate such things as look-and-feel, proposed content placement, and layout of the navigation of the site.

This first release, or "Phase 1," of the project establishes the site foundation, including its base architecture, navigation, and design. The Phase 1 release also presents the "Storefront" and serves to present the new PHMSA Home Page and establishes a unified PHMSA branding and agency identity. It consolidates the former main PHMSA and Chief Counsel websites, as well as supporting the Contracts and Procurement, Human Resources, and Civil Rights areas. It also includes the new Hazmat and Pipeline Safety "Audience" or site home pages, and the Training and Outreach pages for each program.  For the time being, the underlying program (Pipeline and Hazmat) sub-pages will remain in place, linked to the new site.

Phase II (full integration of the Hazmat and Pipeline Safety sites) of the project has already begun. The existing content of the Hazmat and Pipeline Safety sites will be migrated to the new site, and as that content is migrated, updated versions of the new site will be released as appropriate. This process will be completed in two or three major publication events. The associated pages on the old PHMSA site will be systematically retired until the content of the old site is completely absorbed into the new site by September 2008.  Their various subsidiary sites (Stakeholder Communications, Hazmat Electronic Services, Gas IMP, ODES, NPMS, etc.) will remain as functions and services available from within the main PHMSA site.

Be sure to check back for updates on site progress and a summary of new and upcoming developments!

Based on interviews with PHMSA staff during the first phase of the project, an inventory of all current site content, and an analysis of the older site's user trend data, the new navigation structure presents several paths to access information based on who a user is and what each user is looking for. At the core of this methodology is a navigation scheme designed to host information that is accessible with a minimum number of clicks.

This process identified members of the Hazardous Materials and Pipeline communities, the public, the media, Congress, and people interested in doing business with PHMSA as the primary stakeholders. Alternatively, it was recognized that others come to the site looking for general information about the Agency's mission, functions, and services.

In recognition of these diverse needs and perspectives, a navigational architecture was developed that would meet both needs.  Information can be accessed through two main navigational methods: the vertical Key Content Menu on the left of each page and the horizontal Audience tabs across the top. The Key Content Menu offers information at the PHMSA or Agency level presenting the Agency's organization, services, and resources.

The horizontal tabs offer information grouped by audiences in a series of audience‑specific "mini-sites" for the agency's primary stakeholders - the Hazardous Materials Safety and Pipeline Safety communities. Sites for the other identified key audience groups are comprised of members of the public, the media and Congress, and people who want to do business with PHMSA.

Each Audience site home page, including the Hazmat and Pipeline Safety programs, presents a menu across the top of the page.  It includes an alphabetical listing of important topics and key information and services.  On the Hazmat Safety program, this alphabetical listing replaces the placards-based menu on the former Hazmat Home Page.

As users accesses sub-pages that are represented by each of these menu topics, such as Training and Outreach, the program Home page menu shifts to the top left of each page, and the Key Content Menu remains available, but drops down in visibility to the lower left of each page.  Most sub-pages will include a Mini-Menu on the right that will be specific to the topic.  

The lower center section of each home page presents Audience or Program-specific topics only.  The "Latest Events" list roll-up to each of the technical program calendars and the Main PHMSA calendars and the PHMSA archive. For the Technical Program sites, "Rulemaking Events" links allow the Programs to highlight regulatory activities. 

Important Audience or Program information is presented on the right side of each home page.  This area presents a 1-stop-shop for critical information.

Using feedback obtained from PHMSA staff and stakeholders, industry design best practices, and an analysis of color and design elements used across DOT, the "look-and-feel" provides a unique but distinctive PHMSA branding and audience identity against a background that supports DOT-wide consistency and design compatibility. Emphasis was placed on the incorporation of various design elements to convey a sense of PHMSA's mission and the varied stakeholders it serves.  Using many representative images, the site presents visual variety in a consistent framework that offered audience-specific images and color context against a framework of "PHMSA blue."  In developing the design, careful attention was given to the special needs of disabled stakeholders through design features that aid compliance with the requirements of Section 508 (refer to the Accessibility link at the bottom of every page).

All content on the former PHMSA site was reviewed and updated before being presented in the Phase 1 release of the new PHMSA public site.  New content was also developed for current and new subject areas before each Phase 2 release.  

• Hazmat Special Permit & "Party To" Letters Search & Retrieval provides a search of Hazardous Materials Special Permits by number, Company Name, or State.  For the first time, those search results also provide a link to the special permit authorization letter as well as the individual grantee letters.  Search results can be sorted by any column head and can be exported to CSV, Excel, XML, PDF, or RTF.  Watch for a similar Approvals tool coming soon.
  
  
• Interpretations Letters Internal Search This internal search engine provides a keyword search restricted to the body of Pipeline- or Hazmat-specific Letters of Interpretation to speed retrieval and ease use.
   
• Feedback Forms allow the PHMSA Stakeholder to target specific questions to specific recipient groups, such as the DOT Office of the Inspector General to report Fraud & Abuse, the PHMSA Webmaster to request accessibility assistance, Hazmat Info Center, Pipeline Training & Qualifications, and many others.
   
• Calendars, Latest News, Latest Events, and Rulemaking Events are accessible from a variety of locations.  The main Calendar, located on the Key Content Menu, presents a roll up of all PHMSA events.  The most current 5 calendar items from the main Calendar are presented on the Home page.  Calendar items are identified by Program and color coded for ease of identification where needed.  Expired events automatically roll-off and are stored for access in the Calendar Archives.  More Latest News areas are provided and feature topic-specific content.  Program-specific Calendars such as the Hazmat- or Pipeline-specific are available as well as very specific Hazmat International and Pipeline Technical Committees calendars. Open Comment Periods and view-specific event displays are available.
   
• Automated Lists of Federal Register and Interpretation Documents allows the site to feature lists of documents from various pages without duplicating the documents or having to update them manually when they age.  Look for lists of Final Rules, NPRMs, Interpretations, or general "articles" on various pages.  Some areas are updated weekly or even more frequently.
  
  

• Email Notifications of Content Change through out the Site ("GovDelivery") "Sign Up for Updates" boxes appear on many new pages which allow users to have email notification of changes.  These are generated by a service called "GovDelivery" and specific "watched" pages are be managed by a subject matter expert who determines the frequency and content of these emails.