Province of Overijssel ready for the future with new websites
The task in the tender was to create a new Content Management System (CMS) for Overijssel.nl. An open source CMS, compliance with digital accessibility, and robust security were requirements.
The website also needed to have a modern look and a user-friendly CMS for the web editorial team was also a requirement. Together with our partner ilionx, we won this tender. Over a period of nine months, we developed a new website for the province using Umbraco CMS.
"The appearance of the website has improved significantly, both on the front end and the back end. From here, we'll work on the sprinkles on the cupcake: improvements and additional functionalities." Claudia Hageman, editor-in-chief of Overijssel.nl
High demands in terms of digital accessibility and security
"The contract with the previous supplier expired," says Claudia Hageman, Editor-in-Chief of Overijssel.nl. This is the official website of the province where residents can find all information about policies and regulations, among other things.
This initiated the process of mapping out all requirements and wishes and issuing a tender (which is mandatory when the financial scope of a project exceeds a certain amount). This process took one year. "We had a few requirements," Claudia explains. "We wanted an open-source system because we had encountered a vendor lock-in with the previous supplier. Additionally, it had to be a cloud-based solution, and we had strict demands in terms of digital accessibility and security. Our colleague Rik Verkade conducted a risk analysis, which resulted in specific security requirements. The combination of ilionx and Novaware turned out to be the only party that could meet those requirements. Moreover, they scored slightly higher than the other contenders on all aspects."
A new website delivered in nine months
The new website was delivered within nine months. Initially, the visual design was presented, and once approved, it was built into the CMS. "This process continued with sprints of two to three weeks. There was always a small group making decisions. This combination allowed us to proceed quickly," Claudia explains.
For the province, this was one of the first projects approached using Agile methodology, and it turned out well. Claudia says, "It allowed us to make adjustments along the way. There was tight control to align everyone's goals. In the end, the website was delivered exactly on time and within budget." In addition to collaborating with ilionx, Specialisterren was engaged to test the new website for user experience, functionality, and accessibility.
Sprinkles on the cupcake
Accessibility is a crucial requirement for the province. We made the website accessible for visually impaired, blind, hearing impaired, and low-literacy individuals. The Umbraco CMS provides additional possibilities for animations and is very user-friendly for the web editorial team. Claudia says, "The appearance of the website has improved significantly, both on the front end and the back end."
Bonte Kern, Functional Administrator at the Province of Overijssel, adds, "It is much more visually pleasing now. I hope that visitors can easily find the information they need." Moreover, the new CMS is scalable and has already been implemented for Overijssel.nl, Werkenbijoverijssel.nl, and Overijsselkiest.nl, ensuring a consistent look and feel across all platforms. To meet high security requirements, the hosting of the revamped websites is managed on the Kubernetes platform.
Claudia discusses future development and plans, stating, "We have achieved what we envisioned, and now we'll work on the sprinkles on the cupcake: making further improvements and adding extra functionalities."
