Montgomery County Park, Planning Website Wins Award for Excellence
SILVER SPRING, MD – Less than a year after
launching a new website aimed at improving information delivery and providing
24/7 access to key park and planning services, the Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission’s Montgomery County technology and communications staff
won an international award recognizing innovative, informative, easy-to-use
websites.
The Web Marketing Association, founded in
1997 to encourage Internet marketing and development awarded M-NCPPC an
“outstanding website” designation in its 11th annual competition
judging the best web sites in 96 industries. The agency’s site scored 64 out of
70 possible points.
“This is a great site,” said one of the judges, who served on a panel of at least three web experts, adding that he or she had given the site the highest score to date. “Simple, clean information is plentiful, easy to find, and easy to review.”
The
award puts the agency in good company. Other winners in the “outstanding”
category include the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. House of
Representatives, National Geographic, AOL and the Disney Channel.
It also validates the agency’s efforts to shed more public light on its
policies and regulatory agenda. “Over the past year, we have made greater
transparency a top priority, and our improved website is a key part of that
process,” said Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson. “I’m very pleased our website
has been recognized.”
The agency’s website – accessed through MontgomeryParks.org and MontgomeryPlanning.org – provides a range of user-friendly options for residents and others seeking information about parks and land-use initiatives. Last winter, the agency’s technology staff unveiled a new design featuring better technology, easier navigation and snazzier graphics.
Current
online services for web users include detailed trail maps of the county’s more than 200 miles of
trails, visionary community plans, proposed development projects, parks classes,
volunteer opportunities and a system to sign up to testify before the Planning
Board.
The Web Marketing Association, made up of marketing, online advertising, public relations and web site professionals, judged the sites based on design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, innovation and content. The award named eight agency staffers who collaborated on the website redesign and maintenance.
