drupal4gov

todaysagenda

1. Current Issues

2. What is Drupal?

3. Advantages and Disadvantages

4. Case Studies

5. Government Drupal Community

Section 1

issuestoday

Accessibility, UsabilityDeadlines have been set for the implementation of the accessibility and usability guidelines.

Information ManagementWe have become storing tremendous amounts of data. But some of us are storing this data in ways that is costly to maintain.

CollaborationOur internal systems are failing to be collaborative. It’s difficult to find any information that is require.

ConstraintsEvery day we are faced with time and budget constraints. And it looks as thought these constraints are abut to get much tighter.

Today, we are expected to do much more with a lot less. To achieve this, we must work smart.

drupal7Content ManagementSystemMany people call Drupal a content management system because it can store and display content for websites.

Content Management FrameworkDrupal is more closely described as a content management framework. It is an empty canvas that can be configured to meet any information management requirements.

drupal7Drupal AssociationWhen Drupal became mainstream, a formal organization was formed to ensure the stability and future success of the technology.

CommitmentsThe Drupal Association has committed to ensuring that all components of the Drupal core adhere to WCAG 2.0 and ATAG 2.0.

Drupal

systemflowLayers

5. Template

6. User Permissions

3. Blocks & Menus

2. Modules

1. Data

Drupal

modulesCore (required)A set of modules required for the base functionality in Drupal.

Core (optional)Frequently used modules so they are included in the base distribution.

ContributedModules created by contributors that have been shared with the community.

15%

25%70%

Core (required) Core (optional) Contributed

Drupal

documentation

Drupal.orgwww.drupal.orgThe office Drupal website. You can download Drupal, read documentation, and download modules.

Drupal Moduleshttp://drupal.org/project/modulesWhere you read about and download Drupal modules.

Drupal Variant Projecthttp://tbs-sct.ircan-rican.gc.ca/projects/gcwwwdrupal

The Government of Canada Drupal community.

The Drupal Cookbookhttp://drupal.org/documentation/customization/tutorials/beginners-cookbook

Documentation for Drupal beginners.

There are thousands of websites devoted to Drupal. Most problems you may encounter have been solved and documented online.

Drupal

learningcurveContent Editors1 – 2 weeks

Configuration2 – 3 months

Developers4 – 6 months

additionalsupportThird PartiesDrupal supported is available for third parties for organizations that need assistance maintaining their systems.

IncludesSupport normally includes ensuring the system and modules are always the latest and greatest, which is recommended when implementing open source technology.

Drupal

drupal+

CostDrupal is free. Drupal modules are free. Drupal templates are also free.

AccessibilityThe Drupal Association has committed to ensuring that all core features are WCAG 2.0 and ATAG 2.0 compliant.

TemplatesThe layered system flow of Drupal allows us to update the visual component on our systems without changing the business logic.

Semantic DataBuilt-in taxonomies allow for content categorization and tagging. Content that is tagged is much easier to find.

Content Management Frameworks have changed the way organizations manage their websites. We no longer depend on low-level programmers to maintain our Internet presence.

Advantages

drupal+

CollaborativeThe modular nature of Drupal allows us to share our code and templates across organizations. No need to build anything twice.

ExtendableThere are 9,500 modules that extend the Drupal core. Popular functionality is very well support.

FlexibleDrupal starts as a blank canvas and can evolve into any type of system. It can be a tool for managing our websites, or a data entry and reporting system.

Content Management Frameworks have changed the way organizations manage their websites. We no longer depend on low-level programmers to maintain our Internet presence.

Advantages

drupal-

ConnotationOpen source still has a negative connotation within some departments. From time to time, we meet an executive who won’t even consider.

Policy and ProcurementVery few government policies and processes have been written on the implementation of open source technology.

Learning CurveThe learning curve for Drupal developers is long, and it is not covered in most post-graduate programs like Java or .NET.

Open source technology still carries with it negative stereotypes and poor connotation.

Disadvantages

Case study

collaborationPROJECTContent management system implementations

ClientRCMP, PCO

DescriptionImplement a content management system to host the Economic Action Plan website, as well as all the RCMP websites.

Together, they are able to share modules to reduce costs and time.

Case study

flexibilityPROJECTCentralized Publication Management System

ClientScience and Technology Cluster

DescriptionImplement a single solution that can be used and configured by multiple departments.

Centralize the data collected so we can share content across departments.

Provide a public facing portal to access the data.

Case study

open sourcePROJECTDrupal Variant Project

Client12 Departments

Description

A community of practioners was formed over a year ago to bring together all public servants involved in a Drupal implementation.

At the moment, they ensure the templates meet TBS guidelines. In the future, much more.

Get in touch

contactusOPIN a provider of enterprise content management systems for governments.

Address126 York, Office 300Ottawa, Ontario.

Phone(613) 600-8069

Websitewww.opin.ca