Checklist for buying local government websites

Appoint one person, the product owner, to lead the process and empower them to make the final decision, especially if they are the primary users/administrators.
Establish business rules/needs and guiding purpose/principles first (not vendor lists or technical specifications).
Move the process along so that you successfully launch in a timely manner and realize the immediate benefits of modern solutions to better serve your community.
Issue a request for information to gather external input as to what your best options are with respect to your business rules and needs.
Issue a request for proposal, if necessary, soliciting pricing information based on the RFI response.
Schedule a product demo meeting and allow ample time for questions and answers. Use this opportunity to fully understand the specific product offering and develop a rapport with potential vendors. Include key stakeholders in this meeting. Be prepared with questions specific to the vendor. Keep it conversational. If a proposal has already been submitted, make sure all participants have thoroughly reviewed this. See ‘Questions for vendors’ below.
Try before you buy. If the vendor is unable to provide a free trial, even for a limited time period, this might be an indication that this is a bespoke service, which may not meet long-term needs relating to product updates (new features, security updates, bug fixes).
Pick based on continuous software updates based on a standard pricing (preferably monthly/annually subscription) and service level agreement (hosting and support).
Request specific license information. For example, with open source, saying "we're open source" or "we use open source" is much different than "our license is "GNU General Public License, version 2 or later."
Ensure there is an application programming interface (API) that can integrate easily with other software.
Communicate effectively with all parties -- internal and external -- throughout the process.