Questions to ask when buying local government websites

In the event these items are not addressed in the RFI/RFP response, get vendor clarity on the following questions:

  • Do you meet Digital Government Platform Standards?
    • Ongoing WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility conformity
    • Adaptive/responsive design
    • 100% HTTPS encryption
    • Ubiquitous platform updates
    • Recurring release schedule
  • How often do you release product updates?
    • Are the product updates front and back end?
    • Do updates include new features, enhancements, bug fixes, security?
    • Can you specify what you mean by new updates?
    • Do all customers receive these updates at the same time?
    • Are there additional costs for these updates?
  • What flexibility do we have in changing design templates over time?
    • Is this something we can do ourselves?
    • How can we eliminate the need for a ‘refresh’ once every few years?
  • What is included with your support offering?
    • Do you have open documentation where we can self-service?
  • Is there a limit on the number of user accounts we can have?
    • If so, how many, and what are the additional costs?
  • What is your software license?
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