The Borough of Watchung invites qualified website design firms/ consultants to submit proposals to redesign, upgrade and host their municipal website found at www.watchungnj.gov. The project completion date is scheduled for June 30, 2021.
Project Goals
The goals of the redesign of the Borough of Watchung website are to:
a. Provide simple interactive electronic access to public services, public domain information and serve as a communications tool on various types of hardware used by the end-user. The redesign should have responsive web design.
b. Provide an improved look, enhanced functionality, be easy to use for the public, media and municipal staff and offer robust search capabilities.
c. Provide information aimed at attracting new residents and businesses to the Municipality.
d. Comply with WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards and strive to meet W3C guidelines for content and accessibility.
e. The website should have photos of key people within the Borough of Watchung and include background information.
f. There should be a news and events page with updated information along with a page of supplied photos.
g. The webpage should link to the Borough social media accounts (Facebook & Twitter).
h. Videos of council and board meetings are currently hosted on Vimeo. The website should have a link to the individual videos on the page along with the minutes and agendas.
i. The service should include an annual hosting package and updates to the software to comply with the changing security needs.
j. A content management system should be included so Borough employees can easily add items to the webpage.
Background:
The Borough of Watchung was organized on April 20, 1926 and covers an area of approximately 6.2 square miles. Watchung was settled in the early eighteenth century and grew slowly until recent years. In 1960 the population was 3,312 and in 2000 it was 5,613.
The Legend Of Watchung
Around 1670, a group of Dutch settlers was traveling from the Amboys up an old Indian trail which is now Somerset Street. They were under the leadership of Captain Michaelson. The Watchung tribe of the Lenni-Lenape Indians was traveling the same trail for their summer trip to the ocean to fish and collect shells for wampum.
During the night the settlers were camped near what is now the center of the Borough. Deer Prong, an advance scout for Chief One Feather’s tribe, was shot when he surprised a sentry. During the skirmish, Captain Michaelson was captured and was to be burned at the stake. Princess Wetumpka, who was traveling with the Dutch, and had some years ago saved the life of Chief One Feather, intervened and saved the life of Captain Michaelson. The Indians befriended the Dutch and allowed them to settle in the valley. The legend ends with the full tribal ceremony marriage of the Princess and Chief.
Scope of Work:
a. The scope of this project is to design, implement and host a municipal website Content Management System that will allow modifications and ultimately will be easily maintained or updated by non-technical municipal staff.
b. The services to be obtained via this RFP are expected to include analysis, information-architecture and content-style design, implementation, including conversion of content from the current website and the addition of interfaces to several applications running on the Borough of Watchung website.
c. Staff training and, as needed ongoing technical support for problem resolution, software updating, and assistance with the integration of future applications.
d. The design itself shall be a collaboration of ideas from the Municipality and the proponent. Additions to the present website include: interface with Social Media (Facebook and Twitter); a number of web-based software solutions including, but not limited to: online registrations &calendar.
e. The successful proponent will be expected to conduct a public needs assessment by surveying the public, work closely with a project team to consider the look and feel of the web-site, ensure that the Municipality is accurately represented, identify font preferences, consider corporate branding, determine if any animated elements are required, and determine the expected number of HTML pages required.
The new website requires an easy to use Content Management System (CMS) that municipal staff will use for creating and updating content. The CMS must also allow for future development and continuous improvement. The output of the CMS must support a wide diversity of end-user hardware and software that will range from no-longer-supported to state-of-the-art desktop computers, laptops, tablets, Smartphones and other mobile devices running a variety of operating systems. The content must display with all of the common user-device browsers, and dynamically adjust to whatever screen-size area the user has chosen for the browser window.
Further requirements may include but are not limited to:
• Include information on the current website.
• Allow for website integration of interactive mapping, online tenders, and online recruitment and web applications.
• Meet ADOA standards for accessibility, preferably W3C standards.
• Search functionality.
• Visually appealing –including a mix of text, photos and graphics.
• Continuity throughout the pages, common theme, consistent design.
• Calendar of events, including announcements, meeting dates, special meetings.
• Posting board forums for discussion of municipal topics by residents.
• Online surveys/polls.
• Mailing list subscription management system with the ability to collect subscriber information and email addresses, send newsletters, notices.
Budget
Provide a detailed cost proposal to accomplish the scope of the project as outlined. The budget must encompass all design, consultation, production and software acquisitions necessary for the development, as well as upgrades, support and training. Hourly rates shall be provided for any additional items that may be requested to be completed outside of an agreed contract.
Work Plan
The proposal must include a work plan and schedule, including meetings, proposed project milestones, a breakdown of major tasks and a time/task matrix in sufficient detail to allow a complete understanding by the Municipality of how the work is to be carried out and how long it will take to complete the work. The proposal should set out what work, if any, that the proponent will require the Municipality to do.
Due Date:
December 18
Address:
Borough of Watchung Attn: Borough Clerk 15 Mountain Boulevard Watchung, New Jersey 07069
Magrino PR and Kaplow PR are agencies to consider.