Optimized Website Helps Residents Find Help Faster

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Maricopa County Human Services Communication team's strategic plan to optimize the Human Services Department portion of the Maricopa County website has enhanced the level of citizen participation in, and understanding of, government programs. The plan condensed and eliminated unnecessary content and added new content for new programs created under the American Rescue Plan Act. The website was redesigned in alignment with mobile-friendly best practices, and new video content and text were added to provide more useful information to residents. The website was also optimized for search engine optimization, and the menu was redesigned to make it more intuitive for residents to find aid programs. Additionally, a directory page was created to centralize all aid programs on one page, and vanity URLs were created for easy navigation. This strategic approach has resulted in measurable outcomes, including enhanced employee productivity and improved constituent services. The redesign of every piece of marketing collateral for programs and services ensures equity in access to information, and partner agencies can now share and promote county-level programs by linking to or sharing the digital collateral. This plan has created better intergovernmental cooperation, facilitating effective public policy-making. Overall, the Maricopa County Human Services Communication team's strategic plan has had a measurable impact on improving the administration of existing county government programs and has resulted in cost savings, better service delivery, and increased citizen engagement. As such, they deserve recognition for their outstanding efforts in optimizing the county's website to better serve the community.