What do I need to know?
Audience Types
This index is suggested reading by audience type, compiled to assist specific audiences to determine which sections are more relevant for them. It should not be considered an absolute reference by audience types; all readers are advised to read all of the standards and recommendations, to get complete coverage of what is expected of individual roles in their respective agencies or institutions.
Select the audience type that best fits your role:
- Senior and Business Managers and Vendors
- Vendors tendering for government Internet service requirements
- Web site Developers
- Web Site Managers
- Communications staff and those who have the ability to alter/edit web pages
- Web site Designers and all staff involved in the planning and design of a web site
- Test Analysts and all staff associated with Quality Assurance and User Acceptance
Senior and Business Managers and Vendors
Intended for Managers and Vendors tendering for NZ government agency service requirements
Most Relevant Standards:
- 6.1 Agency sites provide publicly available reports
- 6.2 Agency sites provide consultation documents
- 6.3 Agency sites provide press notices from the agency
- 17.1 Archiving preserving the context of documents
- 23.1 GETS notified of tenders on or over the government procurement threshold
- 23.2 Specifying compliance with web standards and recommendations
- 23.3 Data re-use by third party hosts
Most Relevant Recommendations:
- 6.1.7 Plan in place to ensure material on the web site is accurate and up-to-date
- 31.1.1 A comprehensive disaster recovery plan
- 32.1.1 Agency incorporating the E-government Policy Framework into its web strategy
- 32.1.2 Agency incorporating the Disability Strategy into its web strategy
- 32.1.3 Agency incorporating the Māori Language Strategy into its web strategy
- 32.1.4 Agency having a record-keeping strategy
Suggested reading:
- Strategies – Web Strategy – Agency Expectation
- Adherence to NZ government-endorsed policies
- Web Site Planning, Design and Operation
Note this includes references to associated documents if:
your web site is hosted by a third part or your intention is to do so, and/or
you would like a brief “starters” overview of what’s involved in web site planning, design, development and operational matters
- Web Site Planning, Design and Operation - Design
- Online Forums - Considerations if hosting
- Accessibility – what is it?
Vendors tendering for government Internet service requirements
Most Relevant Standards
- 23.2 Specifying compliance with web standards and recommendations
- 23.3 Data re-use by third party hosts
A separate associated document NZ Government web site Outsourcing guidelines has been created specifically for third party hosting situations. This is suggested reading.
Web Site Managers
Most Relevant Standards
- 6.1 Agency sites provide publicly available reports
- 6.2 Agency sites provide consultation documents
- 6.3 Agency sites provide press notices from the agency
- 17.1 Archiving preserving the context of documents
- 23.1 GETS notified of tenders on or over the government procurement threshold
- 23.2 Specifying compliance with web standards & recommendations
- 23.3 Data re-use by third party hosts
Most Relevant Recommendations
- 6.1.7 Plan in place to ensure material on the web site is accurate and up-to-date
- 31.1.1 A comprehensive disaster recovery plan
- 32.1.4 Agency having a record-keeping strategy
Suggested Reading
- Web Strategy – Agency Expectation
- Adherence to NZ government endorsed policies
- Web Site Planning, Design and
Operation
Note this includes a reference to an associated document, if your web site is hosted by a third part or your intention is to do so. - Expectations of web site content
- Web Site Planning, Design and Operation - Design
- Online Forums - Considerations if hosting
- Accessibility – what is it?
- Web Site Required items
- Content Change Management
Communications staff and those who have the ability to alter/edit web pages
All Standards and Recommendations are relevant with the possible exception of the following:
Less Relevant Standards
- 10.1 Ensuring dynamic content is accessible
- 13.1 Pages usable when scripts, applets and other programmatic objects turned off
- 13.2 Alternative event handlers and device dependence
- 15.2 Unique interfacing and device-independence
- 18.1 Minimum web browsers and their respective versions for sites to work in
- 19.2 Rules governing storage of tracking data
- 19.3 Client side personally identifiable data storage
- 23.1 GETS notified of tenders on or over the government procurement threshold
- 23.2 Specifying compliance with web standards & recommendations
- 23.3 Data re-use by third party hosts
Less Relevant Recommendations
- 8.1.2 Differing searches for skill levels if searching provided
- 31.1.1 A comprehensive disaster recovery plan
Suggested Reading
- NZ Government endorsed policies – legislated obligations
- Determine key audiences
- Design & content objectives
- Clear & simple language
- Expectations of web site content
- Content change management
- Text & Fonts
- Images
- Colour (its usage)
- Video
- Information Management – Information Collections
- On-screen writing
- Structuring documents
- Styles and templates
- Information Architecture
- Web site required items
- Corresponding with users
- Items of public information
- Navigation – further pointers for assistance
- Style sheets
- Unicode & Macrons
- Web Documents size
- Accessibility – what is it?
Web site Designers and all staff involved in the planning & design of a web site
All Standards and Recommendations are relevant with the exception of the following less likely:
Less Relevant Standards
- 17.1 Archiving preserving the context of documents
- 23.1 GETS notified of tenders on or over the government procurement threshold
- 23.2 Specifying compliance with web standards & recommendations
- 23.3 Data re-use by third party hosts
Less Relevant Recommendations
- 6.1.7 Plan in place to ensure material on the web site is accurate and up-to-date
- 8.1.2 Differing searches for skill levels if searching provided
- 31.1.1 A comprehensive disaster recovery plan
Suggested Reading
- NZ Government endorsed policies – legislated obligations
- Planning Considerations
- Determine key audiences
- Design & content objectives
- Clear & simple language
- Expectations of web site content
- Content change management
- Text & Fonts
- Images
- Colour (its usage)
- Video
- Information Management – Information Collections
- On-screen writing
- Structuring documents
- Styles and templates
- Information Architecture
- Web site required items
- Corresponding with users
- Items of public information
- Navigation – further pointers for assistance
- Style sheets
- Unicode & Macrons
- Web Document size
- Accessibility – what is it?
Web site Developers
All Standards and Recommendations are relevant, with the possible exception of the following:
Less Relevant Standards
- 6.1 Agency sites provide publicly available reports
- 6.2 Agency sites provide consultation documents
- 6.3 Agency sites provide press notices from the agency
- 17.1 Archiving preserving the context of documents
- 23.1 GETS notified of tenders on or over the government procurement threshold
- 23.2 Specifying compliance with web standards & recommendations
- 23.3 Data re-use by third party hosts
Less Relevant Recommendations
- 6.1.2 Paper based forms provided by an agency are made available on its web site
- 6.1.3 Agency sites provide contact details for specific policy or services
- 6.1.7 Plan in place to ensure material on the web site is accurate and up-to-date
- 8.1.3 Non-government links not an endorsement
- 16.1.2 Provide information about the general layout of a site
- 16.1.4 Provide information about document collections
- 16.1.5 Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages
- 31.1.1 A comprehensive disaster recovery plan
- 31.1.2 Accommodating any discussion forum(s)
Suggested Reading
- Browsers and Operating systems
- Text and Fonts
- Images
- Text in images
- Colour (its usage)
- Video
- Structuring documents
- Styles and templates
- Presentation of dates
- Navigation – further pointers for assistance
- Style sheets
- Scripting
- Unicode and Macrons
- Web Document size
- Accessibility – what is it?
- Usability – what is it?
Test Analysts and all staff associated with Quality Assurance & User Acceptance
Standard of most relevance:
18.1 Minimum web browsers and their respective versions for sites to work in
Recommendation of most relevance:
18.1.1 Operating Systems and Device types for sites to work on
Less Relevant Items
All Standards are relevant, with the possible exception of the following:
- 6.1 Agency sites provide publicly available reports
- 6.2 Agency sites provide consultation documents
- 6.3 Agency sites provide press notices from the agency
- 17.1 Archiving preserving the context of documents
- 23.1 GETS notified of tenders on or over the government procurement threshold
- 23.2 Specifying compliance with web standards and recommendations
- 23.3 Data re-use by third party hosts
All Recommendations are relevant with the possible exception of the following:
- 6.1.2 Paper-based forms provided by an agency are made available on its web site
- 6.1.7 Plan in place to ensure material on the web site is accurate and up-to-date
- 16.1.2 Provide information about the general layout of a site
- 16.1.4 Provide information about document collections
- 31.1.1 A comprehensive disaster recovery plan

