Website Design Services

The Vendor is required to provide for the design, development, implementation and maintenance of a robust, accessible, and modern website platform.
- This initiative will replace many disparate, existing websites with a unified platform that streamlines communications, improves public service delivery, and enhances user experience.
- The solution must support the county’s diverse population, align with its mission to deliver high-quality services, and adhere to digital accessibility and transparency standards. 
- Managing this project on time and within budget, while meeting the needs of a large group of stakeholders, will be key to successful delivery.
- This initiative began with assessments and community feedback findings from a discovery review phase overseen by an external vendor that highlighted the need for an accessible, user-friendly, and technologically advanced website.
- This project aims to create a centralized website platform that:
•    Supports County’s mission and values: deliver services to the highest standards, enhance transparency, and ensure equity in digital access.
•    Enhances user experience: provide intuitive navigation, responsive design, and accessible content across devices and connection speeds.
•    Improves digital equity: ensure compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA standards and offer multilingual support to meet the needs of all residents, including those with disabilities and limited connectivity.
•    Streamlines operations: consolidate over 25 websites while ensuring data retention and seamless integration with current systems and services.
•    Promotes scalability and security: leverage sustainable, secure technologies to adapt to future requirements.
- The County currently has many disparate websites. These platforms support essential integrations such as GIS mapping tools, payment gateways, and document repositories.
- Verify the compatibility of the proposed CMS with the County’s existing IT infrastructure and third-party integrations.
- Ensure the technical requirements align with the County’s needs for scalability, security, and ongoing support.
- Communication protocols, including:
•    Regular progress web meetings / conference calls
•    In-person or virtual meetings that will include the kick-off meeting, stakeholder meetings, and others as requested by the County
•    E-mail communication protocols
- Development of UX prototypes that define the user journey for key tasks and features.
- Development of a logical and user-friendly website structure that aligns with project objectives and stakeholder needs.
- Conduct usability testing to refine navigation and workflows.
- Development of a Consistent and Accessible Visual Design
•    Design modern, visually engaging, and practical templates that align with County’s branding guidelines.
•    Ensure responsive designs for desktop, mobile, and tablet use.
•    Adhere to WCAG 2.2 AA guidelines, with attention to color contrast, font sizes, and alternative text for visual elements.
- CMS Implementation
•    Supports multilingual content, advanced search capabilities, and flexible content management workflows.
•    Integrates with existing systems, including GIS tools, document repositories, and payment gateways. A qualified vendor is expected to detail a general approach to integrations with their proposed CMS.
- Implement development and testing strategies before a scheduled launch date.
•    Develop interactive forms, GIS integrations, event calendars, and search functionalities.
•    Implement “click-to-call” features for mobile users and self-healing redirects for outdated links.
•    Perform rigorous testing across devices, operating systems, and browsers.
•    Validate compliance with accessibility standards and functionality requirements.
- Work with the project management team to define and implement user roles, permissions, and workflows within the CMS.
- Develop and implement strategies for staff training, training documentation, and ongoing technical support.
- Ongoing Hosting, Maintenance, and Support - To ensure the long-term success, security, and performance of the new County website, the consultant will propose a strategy for hosting, maintenance, and support services.
•    Hosting – Provide a secure hosting environment, performance optimization, and a disaster recovery and back-up plan.
•    Ongoing Maintenance – Provide ongoing system monitoring, security updates, and performance enhancements.
•    Technical Support – Provide helpdesk support for County staff and a strategy for content and user support.