The Government of Saskatchewan says its new website, Saskatchewan.ca will improve access to information and services for residents as well as those considering visiting or moving to the province.
The previous Saskatchewan government website at gov.sk.ca was created in 2006, before tablets and smart phones were commonly used. It has since grown to more than 400,000 pages of content and its size and complexity make it hard to find information and services.
Research with Saskatchewan people found that grouping information by related topics under the headings "Live," "Work," "Play" and "Government" will make the new website more user friendly, as it will be organized by Saskatchewan people's interests rather than by government ministries. This change also reflects what Saskatchewan has to offer visitors, potential investors and people considering moving to Saskatchewan. The new website uses analytics to track and promote frequently visited pages like the Highway Hotline, saskjobs.ca or where to find day care so the most sought after information can be highlighted and kept current. The $1 million cost of the project came from existing government website and IT budgets.
The web project included planning for the new digital program, gathering citizen feedback into their wants and needs, selection and implementation of a new content management system, reviewing more than 400,000 pages of content on the current website, design for the new site including a more accessible and mobile-friendly site; build of the new website and testing of the new site.
Both gov.sk.ca and Saskatchewan.ca will operate until the transition is complete.
