Neil How
Monday, January 19, 2015
Let me get this clear from the start; this is constructive criticism, not an attack - I hope for positive results. My observation is that the GoM website needs some work doing on it to keep it going as a fully functioning tool.
I don't know how many people use the website http://www.gov.ms/ which is promoted as demonstrating Montserrat's leadership in the region in governmental and administrative affairs online. It certainly was when it was launched a few years ago. So, how about a thorough examination of its current state? Of course, this is from a "customer's" point of view; how it operates internally for Ministers and Government Departments is not a question that can be considered here.
Landing on the Home page on today Sunday 11th January 2015, there are a few oddities. Latest News is a 6th January ZJB news summary. Yet in tiny letters above the Ebola information splash, there is a link to "Click here for the Latest ZJB News" http://www.zjb.gov.ms/ which takes you to ZJB Evening News Thursday 8th, 2015. And there was an evening news on Friday 9th on the radio that I heard.
Below the Environmental Health splash (by the way, should it not read "hoard" rather than "horde" ?) is a "Review & Respond" link which heads a list of downloadable pdf Government tender documents ( why are they here? There is a Tenders tab at the top of the page where they can also be found). However clicking on the link takes you to http://www.facebook.com/MontserratAnnualFestival for some unexplained reason.
Let's try a few other links on the Home page.
Visa Application Online https://www.immigration.ms/ . I used the Online Residents Visa Renewal system last year, which worked fine, although it would not accept a 4 digit Amex security code; it ended my session and I had to re-enter all the data and use a credit card with a 3 digit Security code. I have heard from a friend that this has since been fixed. Below the Welcome box are three advertisements for Adventures on Montserrat - Volcano, Nature, Water. All three links are broken, with the well-known 404 Not Found error.
Next the Land Information Online http://landinfo.gov.ms/ This is a seriously advanced utility for which one can pay $5 to examine the land parcels, their details - size, ownership etc, buildings, contours and physical geography of the island. Signing up works fine, but there is no need to enter a valid email address, mermaid@chancespond.ms worked just fine. It is slightly slow to load, but then there is a massive amount of data to transmit, so be patient. There is a slight mismatch between the boundary lines of the cadastral plans and the underlying aerial reality - perhaps co-ordinates need adjusting a little, but it is a fantastic achievement for Montserrat. My BIG worry is that the ownership details are not up to date - we bought our property in August 2008 and it is showing ownership by the previous owners still ! The same problem with a friend's property. Form an orderly queue at the Lands & Survey Office, folks, and check that you are the registered owner of your property. I did inform them of this, but was not favoured with a reply. Also, apparently the "temporary" free access mentioned at http://www.gov.ms/2012/11/21/this-friday-november-23-is-gis-day-2012-on-montserrat/ still works... Finally, while using the program, be sure not to press Esc or the browser Back arrow, you will be logged straight out and have to pay again to continue - I've done just that before.
Where next? Via the Government tab I arrived at the Ministry of Finance http://finance.gov.ms/ where the latest news is dated Monday 24 March, 2014. Via the Publications tab the latest Public Accounts are for the Year ended March 31st 2012 and the latest Bills (Acts of Law) are for 2008. Does this represent the latest information available to the public? Part of their Mission Statement via the About Us tab is "to deliver relevant reliable, relevant and timely information". (sic). The link to Tourism and Culture is to http://www.visitmontserrat.com/ where there is a "Soon come !" message, but a link to a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/islandofmontserrat which has relevant information including Ferry schedule; but I hope the Tourist Board (aka MDC) is not going to abandon its own website to piggyback off the oh so dull and monotonous Facebook interface.
On to Ministry of Communications, Works, Energy and Labour. Related Websites: Public Works link does not work. Online information, please - for example, the new vehicle licensing system explained, road projects under way and planned. Labour link has a wealth of useful information. MICA (Montserrat Information Communication Authority) will doubtless put online soon Digicel's new licence to operate at http://www.mica.ms/notices/licensees-2/
Ministry of Education, Health and Social Services There are no Related Websites: Ministry of Health - Ministry of Education - Youth & Sports ; is there nothing of value from these departments that can be communicated via the Government website? Hard to believe.
Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Lands, Housing and Environment Related Websites: Agriculture | Housing | Environment | Physical Planning | Only Physical Planning link works. Following to their news http://ppu.gov.ms/?page_id=141 the last news is posted by admin on 19/10/2011 The Home page states "Here you will find updates on our present projects and information on the various services we provide." Are there no updates since late 2011?
Lands and Survey Department you will find via the A-Z listings on the GoM Homepage http://ls.gov.ms/ There is a lot of useful information via the Laws and Judgments, Publications and Forms tabs. The News is slightly "elderly" - up to 10th November 2013.
Attorney General’s Chambers http://agc.gov.ms/ has a wealth of up to date information, including laws of the land and full court judgments relating to Montserrat and Montserrat residents. My emails to them have always been answered promptly and usefully.
I have also always received prompt and efficient replies to email enquiries to Montserrat Customs & Excise Department, but http://customs.gov.ms/ Homepage - oh dear ! I believe Frank Ferguson left some years ago as Director General but the Latest News is dated 19th September, 2012. I thought perhaps their merger with Inland Revenue meant it was just an obsolete link, but The Montserrat Inland Revenue Department http://ird.gov.ms/ carries even older "news", up to 17th January 2012, and their Publications tab offers 2012 tax tables to download - are these current ?
Anyway, enough already. I think the conclusion I draw is that a website is like a garden. After clearing the land and landscaping, the plants are put in, the earth is weed-free, the pathways are clear. However, with the passage of time, unless continual work is put into maintenance of all parts, the garden's neglect will show - month by month, year by year, pests, disease, overgrowth and weeds will gradually creep in and turn it into something far from the vision there was at the beginning. GoM, perhaps it is time to engage a dedicated team of "gardeners" to restore your website to the great resource it was when it was first implemented. A neglected website sends out all the wrong messages.
And a final word. I have tried many times over the last few months to send some of these points to the GoM website via the Home page Contact Us tab http://www.gov.ms/contact-us/ without success - see below. Can anyone reading this manage better?
