The City of Panama City Beach (the “City”) hereby gives notice that it has issued a Request for Proposals from experienced and qualified firms to redesign its current website, www.pcbgov.com, and thereafter host, manage and maintain the redesigned website. The City envisions a new website that is responsive, mobile, dynamic and resourceful. The City seeks qualified government website designers who focus on innovation as well as functionality. The City’s emphasis is on incorporating extensive content management tools and database driven architecture. The website must be user-friendly, intuitive and ADA compliant with an attractive interface. The City would like a vendor to provide hosting services for the website in a secure data center. Interested Firms are asked to carefully consider the City’s expectations of experience and qualification as stated in the RFP Instructions.
Background:
Panama City Beach is comprised of its own Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation, Utilities and Water Billing, Public Works, Building and Planning, and Administration Departments. On any given month the City receives 20,000-70,000 active website users with 61% of the traffic on mobile devices, 33% on desktop, and 6% on tablets. The City’s Water Billing and Job Postings receives the highest page views next to the Home page. The City of Panama City Beach has a population of 13,975 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2018 Estimate). It is estimated that more than 4 million people visit Panama City Beach each year.
Scope of Work:
The City is looking for a qualified person or firm to redesign its current website, and thereafter host, manage and maintain the redesigned website. The City envisions a new website that is responsive, mobile, dynamic and resourceful. The City seeks qualified government website designers who focus on innovation as well as functionality. The City’s emphasis is on incorporating extensive content management tools and database driven architecture. The website must be user-friendly, intuitive and ADA compliant with an attractive interface. The City would like a vendor to provide hosting services for the website in a secure data center.
The City’s new website vendor must be able to provide at a minimum the components listed below. Other features may be recommended or added.
Website:
A) Portray a positive image of the City through design and engagement features:
1) Promotion of City brand through graphic elements, photography, colors and design
2) Website is easily accessible on popular mobile and desktop device
3) Provide responsive design compatible with popular devices and browsers, specifically
a) Browsers that operate on iOS, Android, Windows (7, 8.1, 10) and MacOSX devices
b) Site visitors using Google Chrome (v55 and later), Apple Safari (v10 and later), Microsoft Internet Explorer (v11 and later), Microsoft Edge, Firefox (v58 and later)
c) Content managers using Google Chrome on Android, Windows or MacOSX; Microsoft Internet Explorer on Windows; or Safari on iOS or MacOSX
B) Create satisfying and effective user experience with important and needed resources easily found
1) User-driven navigation
) In-site search functionality
3) ADA Compliance – Section 508 compliance
4) Effective search engine optimization
5) Frequently asked questions – dynamically generated content
6) Newsroom function without standard template and shareable to social media and other platforms
7) Calendar function configured for displaying on department pages, shareable to social media and other platforms and linkable to direct calendar items
C) Facilitate interactivity between the City and residents
1) Online forms for content editors to create and insert onto department pages
a) Polls/Surveys
b) Interactive Online forms for secure submittal
c) Video
2) Printable pages – print friendly function
3) Website security with https
D) Ability to integrate with currently-used applications and envisioning expansion for future software companies
1) Third-party products such as Site Improve, Google Analytics, SuiteOne Agenda Management, Passageways Ensemble
2) Social Media interface (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feed shares and follow buttons)
3) Portal function for additional resource access
E) Easy to manage CMS with robust tracking, reporting and governance tools
– Management reporting capabilities to identify website analytics, broken links, etc.
1) Easy to use editor/modules for content managers
2) Easy to configure approval workflow
3) Templates to allow for flexible use of graphics, widgets, photos with cut lines, etc.
4) Easy to organize resource modules for images, PDFs, etc.
5) Ability to track content in the workflow processes and document when content was submitted/edited and by whom
6) Ability to track when content was last updated and run reports on that data
7) Easy to use process for creating new pages or reorganizing existing content
8) Ability to run reports on broken links and fix those links
9) Ability to utilize analytics to analyze site usage, demographics, etc. and to identify content that is either of little interest or difficult to locate
10) Efficient, organized administration of user accounts, profiles and permissions to edit content 11) Ability to set dates for content to automatically expire
12) Ability to roll back page content to previous 2-5 versions
F) Provide efficient transition from old site to new site
1) Efficient process of migration of identified content from old site to new site
2) Efficient process for training users with detailed user manuals that include specifications for specific template content such as images, video, calendar entries, etc.
3) Pages should be redirected from the old site to the new site
G) Provide comprehensive and detailed training for content managers
1) Training should be conducted on site or remotely with all participants able to work at computers
2) Online CMS documentation and training materials
3) Provide best practices for content organization and presentation such as text, use of graphics and images, metadata tagging, PDF organization, file name protocol, etc.
H) Ability to provide required features as well as features and functionality available on the exiting website
1) Alerts and notifications displayed prominently on website with notifications sent to subscribers via email and text messages
2) Browser-based administration to update, delete and create content from any device with Internet access
3) Update and publish calendars for departments and categories, with a main calendar to display all events
4) Content scheduling
5) Ability for departments to have dedicated pages within the site that may or may not follow the same design as other interior pages
6) Searchable directories for staff contacts
7) Searchable document center
8) E-notifications 9) Facility management
10) Frequently asked questions
11) Live edit
12) Multilingual support
13) Development of a dedicated newsroom page; migration of content from existing news website
14) Online form
15) Photo center 1
6) RFP/Bid postings
17) RSS Feeds out
18) Rotating photos and slideshows
19) Sharing capability
20) Site search (internal site search with auto complete)
21) Site statistics
22) Sitemap and breadcrumbs
23) Social media interface
24) Online job applications
c. Experience in website design in general
d. Experience in private business or government
e. Experience providing services for governmental units
f. Professional recognition, licenses, awards, etc.
Due Date:
March 10
Address:
Jason Pickle, IT Manager
City of Panama City Beach
116 South Arnold Road
Panama City Beach, Florida 32413
Telephone: (850) 233-5100
Edelman PR and Zeno Group are agencies worth considering.