An effort is underway to ensure the websites of each state agency have the same “look.” Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds says reforming state government’s on-line presence will make it easier for Iowans to navigate those websites. “Recently the Center for Digital Government gave Iowa a C+ rating in relation to other states on effectively utilizing technology,” Reynolds says.
“That C+ in short means that the use of digital technologies to serve our customers, it’s stable, but it’s not getting better.” Reynolds says one goal is to have some sort of recognizable icon on each webpage — so people know they’re still on the website of a state agency.
“When you go on the state site right now a lot of times it’s hard to tell that you’re in the state site…It’s convoluted,” Reynolds says. “…When you go to one agency, it’s difficult to get back to the home page or to navigate to another agency.”
Governor Branstad has issued an executive order creating a new, 13-member task force to streamline websites in the executive branch of state government. The effort does not include the state universities or the websites for the legislative or judicial branches of state government.