STARTUPKIT. Everything you need for your new CivicPlus Website. Helping Communities Engage & Interact

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1 STARTUPKIT Everything you need for your new CivicPlus Website Helping Communities Engage & Interact

2 IT S TIME TO POWER UP Welcome to the production phase of your CivicPlus experience. Not only will you receive a new face to your online presence, but you will have access to all of our modules and features along with professional advice and continuous support. Your Project Production Site: 1 StartUp Kit

3 YOUR PROJECT TEAM PROJECT MANAGER Your Project Manager will lead your CivicPlus Project Team and guide you through the development process. They will ensure all project deadlines are met while delivering the highest quality of product and service. This results in a highly functional website that is optimized to increase citizen engagement and provide easy access to key information. DESIGN TEAM Your graphic design team will orchestrate the graphical presence of your website. Their goal is to capture the essence of your community as well as optimize the placement of crucial information for optimal functionality. During the design phase, they, with the help of the entire CivicPlus Project Team, research your project, collaborate with you on recommendations and advise you through the creative process. The end result is a highly functional user interface, wrapped in ambiance that is unique to your community. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT TEAM Your content development team will guide you through the process of developing highly usable and functional content on your website. The goal is to make your site accessible, functional and a valued resource in your community. The Content Department analyzes cutting-edge industry standards and best practices and tailors your content and information architecture to the accessibility and usability needs of your citizens. Throughout the content development process, they ensure consistency with established best practices and standards and maintain an open line of communication. The finished product is a site that is an effective communication platform with intuitive navigation and accessible information. StartUp Kit 2

4 GETTING STARTED We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with you on your new site. Let s get started! While our team gets ready to perfect your new website, here are a few things you will need to address to prepare for the consulting phase: WHAT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE The following are important items to have prepared prior to consulting. This information helps the Project Team create the strongest possible website for your community. Website Statistics Provide statistics from your current website from the past 12 months. Pages most visited by site visitors - Top 100 Most downloaded documents - Top 25 List of Departments Provide a list of all divisions and/or departments within your organization. Site Map Pull a site map or outline of your current site s navigational structure. This gives a clear overview of the existing information on the site, including the number and location of pages. Photos Collect/Submit pictures to be used in the overall design of the website. See our Guide to Imagery for tips on taking or choosing great photos. Verbatim Content Provide a list of any content on the current website that must remain as is (verbatim) due to legal requirements. Template for PDFs Provide a MS Word document template that features your branding / logo. This will be used when converting content into a PDF. Apps Submit a list of third-party and in-house developed applications presently being utilized on your site. *Your 16 week project timeline is dependent on meeting all agreed upon due dates. Failure to meet key dates will require the project to be rescheduled based on resource availability which may cause forfeiture of the 16 week timeline. 3 StartUp Kit

5 TASKS YOU NEED TO COMPLETE Assess Your Current Site Take the 6 Stages of Digital Community Engagement Assessment, if not previously submitted. Clean House Update the content on your live website. This step is critical to guaranteeing the information available is relevant, fresh and on-point. Delete any pages from your current website that you no longer want or need. Ensure the remaining information is applicable and up-to-date. If you cannot update your live site, let the Project Team know right away. Update Internet Browsers To maximize your experience when using the CivicPlus GCMS we strongly recommend you upgrade your internet browser to its latest version. This will allow you to fully utilize all the exciting features and functionality available to you. Supported browswers include the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer 9. Give Us Your Opinion Submit the consulting forms located at: Start Learning Visit CivicPlus University to begin your selfpaced, web-based training. Then take, and pass, the Jump Start test to gain access to your production website and begin using the GCMS. StartUp Kit 4

6 OUR PROCESS WORKS Our experience in building websites for local governments and their citizens is the foundation for our inspired process. With minimal work and time commitments from you, CivicPlus will build you a highly usable and incredibly beautiful website. Let's Kick Off! Your project begins with a Kick-Off meeting that introduces you to your CivicPlus Project Team. The meeting agenda includes: Establish a project timeline Review this Starter Kit Discuss the items that need to be completed prior to consulting CONSULTING A CivicPlus consultant will work with you to determine the right direction for your new website. The items you complete prior to consulting play a critical role in establishing the best approach for your site. The information to be reviewed is: Setting Goals - Review the goals and expectations you submitted on the Web Team Form to make sure there is a clear understanding of what the new website needs. Community Engagement Goal - Review the 6 Stages of Digital Community Engagement Assessment to determine at which stage your current website is and set a goal for your new website. Establish what it will take to get your website to your goal. Training - Ask any questions you may have after training regarding what you learned on CivicPlus University. Functionality & Design - Review the information submitted via the Functionality & Design Form to make sure there is a clear understanding of what the new website has to have. Department Needs - Meet with your departments to ensure a clear understanding of CivicPlus Best Practices & Standards for content and gather information on the potential pain points for each department. You will be provided a consulting follow-up that will outline the discussion and action items. 5 StartUp Kit

7 WEBSITE PREVIEW PRESENTATION: Information Architecture & Site Layout Based on your results and goals outlined during consulting, your Project Team will collaborate to present the most effective user interface for your website. Layout - You will be presented with two custom layouts that will showcase the placement of your navigation and key functionality. Very similar to the floor plan of a house, each layout will allow you to focus on where things are and if the function and proportion of the space is adequate. Mood Board - Your Project Team will also present a custom mood board reflecting the color and imagery that will set the tone for your design. WEBSITE REVEAL PRESENTATION: Your Completed Website Your Project Team will present a fully functional website based on your goals, our recommendations and our combined vision. They will explain how their expertise has shaped your design and transformed your navigational structure. At this time, you will have the opportunity to evaluate and collaborate with the Project Team on proposed changes. Your website is now 85% complete and, with minimal time investment, your website will be ready to launch! Upon approval of your layout and mood board, your designer will begin development of your design. CUSTOMIZED WEBSITE TRAINING GO LIVE! Our goal for training is to give your staff the skills and tools it needs to be able to quickly and easily keep your website current. Trainers will work with you to ensure your staff is correctly trained. We want to make this an enjoyable experience, while encouraging your staff to participate in learning activities that give them a comprehensive understanding of your website. Regardless of technical ability, we will help your staff gain the confidence to effectively maintain your website. Your Project Team will provide you the information you need to prepare your site for Go Live. This is an exciting time; it is the last step before your site goes live! StartUp Kit 6

8 MODULE OVERVIEW Modules are constantly being developed to meet your ever-expanding government needs. From Citizen Request Tracker to a Bad Links Identifier, we deliver suites of tools for you and your citizens to access important information and keep your online presence at a standard that reaches above and beyond any expectation. Public Notification Tools Economic Development Tools CP Mobile Tools Interactive Tools MOBILE CP MOBILE TOOLS ALERT PUBLIC NOTIFICATION TOOLS iphone and Android Apps All of our clients have access to an all-inclusive mobile smartphone app for both the ios and Android platforms. This all-inclusive app includes all of the functionality from the client s website in a complete app package. All a user has to do is download the app, search for their community from a listing and then begin to utilize the functionality. Clients that choose to do so can upgrade to a customized app that can be branded specifically for their community. MuniMobile The majority of your citizens have mobile phones. Without CivicPlus, most of these devices render your website nearly unusable when accessed from their mobile interface. CivicPlus has eliminated this problem with its MuniMobile tool, automatically displaying the mobile version of your website to fit on any mobile phone. CRT Facebook App When your citizens add the CRT app to their Facebook page, they can report a city or county issue from anywhere they have Internet access. Alert Center Will your website be prepared if disaster strikes? Is your website a valuable and necessary communication tool for your citizens? During an emergency, it may be the only up-to-date resource you have. Enhance your response to your community s emergency situations by using the CivicPlus Alert Center to keep your citizens ready and prepared for every situation, and to keep them updated at all times. Calendar The CivicPlus Calendar can quiet your phone and foot traffic by giving your community the most up-to-date information possible! Citizens can sign up for RSS feeds, ical, or text message notifications to keep up with their favorite local meetings or events. Notify Me With Notify Me you can keep your community notified with and/or text message notifications. Both government staff and citizens can use Notify Me to build profiles, contact lists and much more. 7 StartUp Kit

9 $ ECONOMY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLS Job Postings CivicPlus offers the quickest way to post jobs and send out notifications about new or updated information on each job listing. Not only can staff post jobs, but community employers can also list jobs in a separate section in the Job Postings area. Real Estate Locator The Real Estate Locator holds the keys to commercial and residential real estate in your community. Help your residents find new homes and encourage businesses to move into the area by creating one location for all of the local real estate listings. Resource Directory Enable citizens to inform themselves by looking up community services, local businesses, service providers, voting places and new resident information like utilities, water, cable and much more through the Resource Directory. Licenses and Permits The best way to fill out applications and buy permits or licenses is to do it on your own time and online. With Licenses and Permits, your residents can view, fill out, submit and pay for basic city and county permits and licenses without the hassle of traffic and long lines. INTERACTIVE INTERACTIVE TOOLS For more information about any of the modules listed below you can access Citizen Request Tracker Suite More than 8 million citizens can use CRT suite to report their community issues are you among them? Your community can use the CRT suite to report suspected illegal activity, graffiti, potholes or any other non-emergency issue. Community Voice The Community Voice Module allows residents to submit their ideas for improvements and changes they d like to see implemented within the community, or provide their input on important issues, which in turn allows other residents to comment on ideas and vote ideas up or down. Ideas or suggestions that are feasible and make sense can eventually be implemented, showcasing citizen-driven guidance for the betterment of the community. epayment Pay utility bills, class registration fees, purchase permits, obtain licenses and more. How does it work? Through epayment, an electronic payment option via a web browser for goods and services using a debit or credit card or echeck. Facilities and Reservations Use this website module to search for a community facility, such as a community center or park, view the amenities the facility offers and then reserve the space for a meeting, family reunion or get-together. StartUp Kit 8

10 INTERACTIVE INTERACTIVE TOOLS (continued) Agenda Center Agenda Center allows for the creation and management of the entire agenda process, from submitting preliminary items at the departmental level, to a robust and easy-to-use workflow, to the publishing of the agenda live to the public one smooth and seamless process. Archive Center The Archive Center has been developed specifically for the storage and retrieval of agendas, minutes, newsletters and other date-driven documents. Archives can be searched by date, category or keyword, and the unique View Most Recent link functionality on your website pages automatically pulls the most recently uploaded item every time you add a new document within that category. Bid Postings The Bid Postings Module provides a simple and easy-to-use method of posting and organizing bids, RFPs and RFQs online for vendors or local contractors. Provide links to upload the full RFP package, links to related web pages or post other bid details like the scope of work. Bids can be searched by category, title or closing date and by open, closed, cancelled or awarded. This module is integrated with the Notify Me Module, allowing site visitors to sign up to be notified when new bids are available or when bids are updated let interested parties know of amendments, cancellations and to whom the bid was awarded. Bids can also be set to automatically expire (become unpublished) from the site if you so choose. Blog The Blog Module helps open up the lines of communications between administrators and citizens, increasing government transparency and citizen interaction. The Blog features the option to allow citizen comments for feedback. Community Connections Community Connection allows communities to interact more fully with their citizens online. It utilizes social media principles to allow citizens to become even more plugged into their community. Create groups for efficient citizen collaboration Follow discussions and stay informed in a social media-like environment Frame, drive, facilitate and moderate citizen input on important community interests Document Center The Document Center is a document storage center that allows for a variety of file types (e.g., PDF, spreadsheets, pictures, video files, sound clips and more) to be downloaded or viewed by the end user, allowing for easy access for your site visitors. 9 StartUp Kit

11 Frequently Asked Questions Help your citizens reduce time-consuming phone calls or trips to government offices by answering commonly asked questions through your website. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which can be organized by departments and/or category may be added to any page of your website and can be set-up to link to additional information or documentation for easy reference. News Flash The News Flash Module provides an area where important and timely news and announcements are posted. Any department may utilize this module for posting information that is specific to their department, like a change in meeting location, results from an election, rainout announcements for sports fields and more. Online Job Application Allow applicants to apply completely online by filling in the application, attaching supplemental paperwork and submitting to your HR department, with applications time- and date-stamped. Applicants can also create an online profile, which allows them to update their application and apply for other jobs without filling out multiple applications. Opinion Poll The Opinion Poll Module allows you to interact with your site visitors. Once a user submits their vote, poll results are displayed. This is a popular module and is an easy way to keep people coming back to see what s new on your site. Postcard Highlight your community by giving visitors the opportunity to virtual picture postcards with personalized messages. Quicklinks The Quick Links Module allows you to place links to related and often-requested information directly on the page of your choice. The entire collection of these links is contained within the actual module, and is unlimited in the amount of categories and links that you can provide to your users. Spotlight The Spotlight function creates additional space on a webpage that allows you to highlight important text or widgets in a compact, easy-to-update module. The information posted with this module can relate to one or more pages. Staff Directory Staff Directory provides detailed contact information for your staff and various offices all in one place, decreasing the number of calls requesting contact information. Staff Directory entries can be linked to pages throughout your site, providing quick access to a specific department or employee s information. StartUp Kit 10

12 RESOURCE CENTER With CivicPlus, you ll discover a team of people ready to help you at any time. We re not just with you for the development, design and launch - we ll be here year after year to respond to new needs and new opportunities for you to build your site into the best site it can be. ACCOUNT MANAGERS The right tools matter! In a time of rapid change, it's more important than ever to find the best tools to help your municipality run smoothly, efficiently and effectively. CivicPlus knows the importance of helping implement these tools. We have added a team of Account Managers to help you do just that. You now have a dedicated member of this team to help you keep up on new CivicPlus products and optimize your site. This specialized team can provide you information on how to engage your citizens, utilizing the tools CivicPlus has to offer. SUPPORT SPECIALISTS support@civicplus.com , ext. 307 Our CivicPlus Support Team is ready to respond to your needs 24/7. When you need a hand, we are available to assist with anything from your basic tasks to the delivery of emergency notifications. 11 StartUp Kit

13 CIVICPLUS UNIVERSITY This free online resource is exclusively for our clients. Receive access to online training sessions, training manuals, monthly webinars and upcoming features. CIVICPLUS CONNECTION Our own online community of government peers and professionals provides a valuable network to all CivicPlus clients. Share your ideas, network and learn about solutions from other municipalities. Access published articles and other key documents as often as you require. StartUp Kit 12

14 WAYS TO CONNECT egovernment is growing and changing as the digital world evolves. Are you ready? At CivicPlus, we are changing the ways governments and citizens interact digitally. We are not just dedicated to improving digital community engagement; we are dedicated to providing you with the software, information and tips to get there. Connect with us online for the latest news and guidance to achieve your digital government goals. BLOG + Articles + Research & Findings + Case Studies + egov Insights go.civicplus.com/cpblog FACEBOOK + Company News, Updates & History + egov Tips, Articles & Resources + Client Showcase + Trivia & Contests go.civicplus.com/cpfb TWITTER + Company News & Updates + egov Tips, Articles & Resources + Social Media Best Practices + Trivia & Contests go.civicplus.com/cptw GOOGLE + + Company News & Updates + Company Photos + Infographics go.civicplus.com/cpplus PINTEREST + Website Designs + Infographics go.civicplus.com/ 13 StartUp Kit

15 GET CONNECTED Are you ready? Since our founding in 2001, we ve been dedicated to working with municipalities to make the work of online government easier and more efficient. Today more than ever, you need affordable innovation delivered by people who care. We are the new normal. Welcome to the world of community engagement. Welcome to CivicPlus StartUp Kit 14

16 TM Digital Community Engagement Solutions CivicPlus.com 317 Houston Street, Suite E Manhattan, KS info@civicplus.com