Yesterday evening, whilst processing the minutes of the Belfast City Council Policy and Resources Committee from 18 March 2005, I noticed that they referred to a report into the Council’s strategic approach to communications – including a review of the Council’s corporate identity, the development of the website as a key communications tool and a review of the Council’s approach to graphic design, advertising, publications and leaflets. This sounded interesting, but, unlike most reports presented to the committees, this one wasn’t included with the minutes. So, at about 5:30 yesterday evening, I sent off a Freedom of Information request for it.

At about 10:30 this morning, I received a copy of it in email! This is probably the fastest result of a FoI request I’ve had yet!

If anyone else finds it interesting, I’ve added the report to the nigov wiki.

The section on the City Council website is a little bland:

Belfast City Council’s website needs to be properly resourced and positioned so that it plays its part in disseminating the council’s key messages. It also needs developed in terms of providing information and, even more importantly, services to ratepayers. The website is vital to the council’s reputation not only at home but overseas. A proposal is going before P&R to properly resource this operation and it needs to work closely or as part of Corporate Communications to ensure opportunities are maximised.

I’ve sent a follow-up request for the proposal.