A new platform for LocalGov Digital

Last week a project I'm managing launched two new websites, this week I'm part of a group that's launching a new beta website for LocalGov Digital.

We aim for the new LocalGov Digital website to become both a voice and a resource for digital practitioners working in local government.

It's the new home for the Content Standards, which aim to help content designers create local government websites in easy to understand, plain English. It's the new home for the guide on how to share code, helping digital practitioners work more collaboratively. Both these and more come under the LocalGov Makers banner, the design and development network from LocalGov Digital.

More than that just a resource though, it's a voice for digital practitioners bringing together tweets, blogs and more from those who work on the digital front line, in or around local governments, through Sarah Lay's creation, LocalGov Digital Voice.

We hope that a regular audience will return to see what's happening across local government digital and we can add your voice to the site too. Haven't got a blog yet? Now's a great time to start and get your localgov digital voice heard.

The site was built using open source CMS Umbraco, which means, true to the aims of LocalGov Digital, it can be amended and added to if someone feels they can create something to improve it. I found it a great opportunity to get to know this CMS and feel we've only scratched the surface of what we could achieve using it.

I would like the site to become a collaborative space for local government digital practitioners which means it's very much a start and a new platform to build on, rather than the finished article.

We'd love to hear your feedback and for you to shape the future direction of what we add to the site. Please get in touch with us @LocalGovDigital or with me @PhilRumens of you'd like to be part of it.

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