The Department of Veterans' Affairs is tendering for a complete redesign of their Web site, www.dva.gov.au.
The final lodgement date is November 29, 2006. Work on the project is expected to start in January or Feburary 2006 and be completed by April 30, 2007.
Graphics, wireframes and content development for the site will all be done in-house and are not part of this tender.
According to tender documents, the current Web site only enables a limited number of e-business portals and the intention is to expand on this short-term, and redesign the entire site for a user-centred approach.
"The new Information Architecture design of the Web site will need to encompass the breadth of clientele and services while providing a particular focus on the needs of our younger group of clients (those under 45 years of age, current and former Defence Force members and their representatives)," the document states.
"This RFT seeks to conduct a user-centred approach to the redesign of the Internet Information Architecture for the DVA Web site (www.dva.gov.au) and provide detailed documentation that sets out the information architecture and folder structure, and a rationale for its design.
"The current main Web site enables certain limited e-business interactions. It should be noted that DVA's intention is to significantly expand its e-business capability in the short-to-medium term."
Project Coordinator Margaret Millard from the Department of Veterans' Affairs said the aim of the project is to develop a service-oriented architecture for users of the Veterans' Affairs Web site, a key element of which will be meeting with established focus groups.
"We want to redesign the architecture of the site because people cannot find stuff," Millard said.
"What we are doing now is long overdue and the Web site has been in need of redevelopment for several years and we have finally got approval to do it."
Millard was unable to confirm whether the redevelopment of the site for an "e-business focus" was related to the forthcoming Australian health and social services access card