The following interview field notes are produced here to give readers an idea of the results obtained by using the CyPRG research framework and interview questions.

These materials are copyrighted.  The results of earlier interviews may be made available on request. We would be delighted to welcome other researchers to join us in this research!

Summary:  The Home Office is roughly equivalent to an Interior Ministry, dealing with internal security, justice, immigration, and the like.  The self-generated site was established in mid-1995, in response to an offer of free hosting facilities by CCTA, where the site is still maintained.  The web operation began in the Research and Statistics Dept., which featured its  crime statistics.  When the Information Management Section took over the mission was extended to (gleefully!) publish all publicly available information put out by the ministry; the current webmasters have a library science background.  In this the operation has high-level support.  While the webmasters identify and post much material on their own, other branches also have posting authority; managing these relationships is a growing concern.  Few people have access to the Internet, and there is only a pilot intranet at the moment.

1) Date/how web operations established
When was your page established? 
May, 1995, by the Research and Statistics department.

What organization, person, and/or direction was the primary mover behind the establishment of the website?
In part it was due to CCTAís offer of free Web space.  The first material posted were crime statistics.  In April, 1996, the Information Management Section took over the operation.  In August, 1996, Rebecca Hart came on full time; previously, the web operation was staffed only part time.  In December, 1996, the operation was going full bore.
Existence of national action plan or other overarching strategy?
CCTA was the main motivator. 

Was the site self-generated, put together by a contractor, by a central ministry agency?
Site was entirely self-generated. 

2) Original purpose
What was the originally understood purpose of the web page for the organization, subunit, or individual initiator?  (Here the issues of prestige, idea contagion, operational intent, may come up.)
To be cool.  The technie people just wanted to bung it up.  With the arrival of Hart and Robbins, the purpose shifted.  They wanted to put everything public that the Home Office produced on the Net.  They see this arising from their library point of view.  Old documents no longer in print would get better exposure and use.  More information rich, less traditional publications could be produced. 
The possibility of making information guides like "frequently asked questions" or FAQs was also an impulse. 
They appear to be on a drive to put up on the site as much information as they possibly can, and are actively searching for it.  They ask no one for permission to do so, if the document has already been published.  They have high-level support from their boss (who is at the G3 level) for this.  It almost seems as though they relish plundering the ministry for material for the website.  The Home Office telephone directory is not classified, so they plan to publish it.  they have ambitious plans to provide contact and function information as well.

3) Control
Who was originally supposed to take responsibility for the various components of the page: 
CCTA has responsibility for hardware, construction, and technical maintenance. 
Content construction and selection, and regulation/oversight of subordinate pages is Robbinsí and Hartís responsibility. 

What procedures are there for posting? 
They FTP files to CCTA.

Who (how many people) has posting authority?
There are a number of elements in the Home Office with their own sites, which are linked to the main Home Office operation.  Research and Statistics can post directly on the site.  The Immigration and Naturalization Department, the Passport Agency, the Forensics Department, the Fire Service College, the Police Information Technology Organization, and the National Crime Intelligence Service all have their own sites.  The Prison Service has no web presence (?).  [Look on the web page for details.] 

Who is in charge of web operations now? 
Robbins in mostly in charge of the operation, and will assume more authority shortly.

Can you characterize how web is being used?  Is it being used operationally?
Not being used operationally.  Internet access is very limited in the Home Office, as they have to make a business case for an outside line and a stand-alone machine. 

How many people or units or functions internally use the external website?
Very few.

Who is in charge of the web operations budgets?
Money for the web operation comes from the directorateís IT budget, and from their regular salaries.  Internal charging for services is not possible. 

In what unit of the organization are web operations located:
Management Section of the Information Services Group of the Communications Directorate.  The Communications Directorate is responsible for publications, correspondence, the library, information technology and international communication.
There is currently a publications strategy review underway, which may change how people think about publications and the web operation.  Results not yet in.

4) Changes
How have any or all of the above changed since the establishment of the website?
People are now offering information to put on the website, and are being more generous with their materials.  However, Robbins and Hart still have to chase after people to get the information they want to put on.  They still read a lot of press releases about what is being put out.  The amount of material has doubled between May and December, 1997, to 800 pages. 

Significant surprises?
They are getting more information electronically, in its original form. 
The government initiative Government.direct (a direct access government plan) was a surprise to them. 

5) Effects, quantitative and qualitative
Traffic demands
3,000-5,000 unique hosts/day, between 30,000-40,000/week.  10,000 are for the Immigration and Naturalization Department site. 

Frequency of changes of site contents:  can you think of any major changes or milestones in the siteís contents?
Almost daily changes to site contents .  Press releases are not part of this--they are sent out by the Central Office of Information.  If the Home Office were to put out its own press releases, they would have to get their own server, since it takes too long to FTP material to CCTA to put up information in a timely fashion.

Cost of operations
CCTAís service is value for money for them.

Planned or budgeted increases or decreased
With Hartís departure, there is a staff decrease.  Donít know when it will be made up.

How has this affected you personally?
They have learned a lot on the job, particularly management skills.  This is a job, not a hobby for Robbins.  Hart is really attached to the Net as an institution, and is sorry more isnít on their site at the moment.  Both want to put more information on the site, as they believe that not even a quarter of the Home Officeís materials are web-accessible.  They would like the department to have a mandate to be up and using the Web more fully.

6) Intranets
Do you have an intranet?  If none, is one planned, and when?   Why?
There is a pilot intranet that involves only the communications department and the R&D unit. 

How many staff members are using it: 25 people.  They will start a new network in August, 1998.
Can you characterize how it is being used?  Is it being used operationally?  --

7) Social organization of webmasters
Do webmasters interact with other ministry personnel  to discuss web operations?
Webbies listserve.  There was a government webmasters meeting 2 years ago.

What fora are there for sharing information (list servers, clubs, meetings, etc.)?
The Internet Forum fun by the Government Information Service, which is really directed at press and public relations people, not webmasters.

Who in your view are the key members of this community?
Lee Chamberlain of the Cabinet Office, Simon Dickson of the Foreign and commonwealth Office, Mick Morgan at CCTA.  Hart envies the Education Ministryís way of getting information, and how it is organized. 

Training and surfing:  how do you learn about "good" web operations? 
Lots of surfing.

Have you received formal training, or have you learned on the job? 
Robbins and Hart both learned on the job.  They took some courses in specific aspects.

8) Final questions, issues we havenít addressed, personal reflections
They would like to have a "beautiful website."  They want to know how other web operations are organized, and how they are managed and controlled, particularly whether centrally or otherwise.

9) Is there anyone else we should talk to, things we should look at (reports, etc.)
David Smith in the Ministry of Health.  He has a library background.
Someone in Education.
Geoff Ryman, at the Central Office of Information.