Site Receives Congress Online Bronze Mouse Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Science Committee today was identified in a non-partisan, independent study as having one of the best Web sites in Congress. The site (http://www.house.gov/science) received a Congress Online Bronze Mouse Award from the Congress Online Project, a joint research project of the Congressional Management Foundation and the George Washington University.
The report, Congress Online: Turning the Corner on the Information Age, stated that Bronze Mouse Award winning sites “should serve as models for other congressional offices.” According to the report, “Committee Web sites have further expanded opportunities for those outside the Beltway to get a first hand look at what occurs in Congress. Through Web broadcasts of committee hearings and other committee meetings, these sites are allowing citizens from Alaska to Florida to view, both in real time and after-the-fact, the proceedings that were once only accessible to those who could attend them in-person. Additionally, by posting schedules, legislation, and correspondence on their sites, committees enable citizens to better follow and understand their work and their roles in the legislative process.”
“The Science Committee Web site was one of only 35 sites recognized last year in the first Congress Online Awards, and I’m thrilled that we’re continuing to lead the way in providing unique services and up-to-date information to the American public,” said Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY). “I’m proud of the staff members responsible for the design and maintenance of our award-winning site, and I know they will continue working to enhance and improve our web site, for the benefit of all citizens.”
The study concluded that overall quality of congressional Web sites improved significantly during the last year. More specifically, the study determined that 50% of congressional office Web sites received a grade of A or B, compared to only 10% of the sites in 2002 – a five-fold increase in A and B sites. The Science Committee Web site grade improved to A-, from a grade of B+ last year. However, because of an increase in the number of Web sites receiving higher grades, the award received fell from a Silver Mouse to a Bronze Mouse.
The study evaluated 610 Web sites in Congress — all Member office, committee and leadership sites — to determine which sites were the best and to assess how well Congress was using the Internet to communicate with the public. This research is the second annual report to combine a comprehensive analysis and grading of all congressional Web sites.
The report is designed to both critique current Web site practices and provide a blueprint for congressional offices that wish to improve their Web sites. The Web sites were graded from August through November of 2002 using five criteria essential to good congressional Web sites: audience, content, interactivity, usability, and innovations. The research included multiple reviews of the sites by the project team and an independent panel, interviews with congressional staff, and available studies on best practices in Web sites.
The complete list of the Congress Online Award winners is available in the report: www.congressonlineproject.org/webstudy2003.html.
