International recognition for Department of Primary Industries
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The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI)’s intranet website, InSite, has been named as one of the best 10 intranets in the world, DPI Director-General Dr Richard Sheldrake said today.
Dr Sheldrake said the DPI took out the prestigious award through an annual review by Jakob Nielsen, an internationally renowned web usability expert and principal of the Nielsen Norman Group.
"NSW DPI was the only Australian winner, with the majority of the top 10 list for 2008 being large international corporations from Europe and the United States," he said.
"This is a major international coup for NSW DPI and the NSW Government.
"This puts us on par with well-known corporations such as British Airways and the Bank of America.
"The Department faced tough competition from hundreds of organisations, which submit their intranets to the Nielsen Norman Group for judging in these awards each year.
"I understand representatives from all divisions worked with the Communications Branch to determine the structure of the site, its features and appearance."
The intranet is used for internal communications between 3,500 staff based at more than 130 locations across NSW.
It has been crucial in the creation of the ‘super’ department to meet the needs of NSW’s diverse primary industries including agriculture, fisheries, forestry and mineral resources.
"This ranking is a credit to all staff, particularly Internal Communications Manager Kate Needham and Web Content Officer Penny Wheeler for their thorough research, active consultation, technical expertise and creative energy," Dr Sheldrake said.
"It’s also an opportunity for all staff to be proud of the many outstanding achievements from all areas of the Department including agriculture, fisheries, forestry and mining.
"I encourage DPI staff to continue to utilise and support this valuable communications tool through intranet content."
Media contact: Trudy Glasgow (02) 8289 3928 or 0427 217 354