Rep. Burgess’ Web Site Wins 2007 Bronze Mouse Award
WASHINGTON, DC,
Jan 16 -
The Website of Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Lewisville) has been honored by the non-profit, non-partisan Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) as one of the best in Congress. The site, http://burgess.house.gov/, is commended in The 2007 Gold Mouse Report: Lessons from the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill.
“The people who elect me want to know where I stand, what I am doing, and how I can help them. My website is a one-stop-shop that provides that information,” said Rep. Burgess. “I’m pleased to see that a third party ranks the site as one of the best at meeting these needs,” continued Burgess.
To identify the awards, CMF analyzed 618 Congressional Web sites, including those of all Senate and House Members, committees (both majority and minority sites), and official leadership sites. Web sites were graded on how well they incorporate five basic building blocks which extensive research identified as critical for effectiveness: audience, content, usability, interactivity, and innovation. Using these building blocks, an evaluation framework was developed that would be fair and objective while still taking into account important qualitative factors that affect a visitor's experience on a Web site.
“Rep. Burgess’ Web site shows that he understands the value of creating a virtual office to reach specific audiences who have come to expect having their needs met online,” said Beverly Bell, CMF’s Executive Director. “Web sites like Rep. Burgess’ provide a template for other congressional offices to follow,” continued Bell.
A full copy of the report, the 2007 Gold Mouse Report: Lessons from the Best Web Sites on Capitol Hill, is available on the Congressional Management Foundation’s Web site at www.cmfweb.org.
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