Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area: Lawrence, Kansas

Website Redevelopment Proposal for:
Freedom’s Frontier
National Heritage Area
Lawrence, Kansas
March 15, 2010
Developed by
Carrie Broeckelmann • Regional Account Manager • Direct Line 785-477-4982 • Broeckelmann@CivicPlus.com
Icon Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a • CivicPlus • 317 Houston St., Suite E • Manhattan, KS 66502
Toll Free 888-228-2233, Ext. 315 • Fax 785-587-8951 • www.CivicPlus.com
Dear Selection Committee Member for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area:
When you partner with CivicPlus, you will receive a website development experience unmatched in the industry. Your new
CivicPlus website will boast significantly increased functionality, next-generation features and a stunning new design, all
created to meet your organization needs.
The features in our content management system have helped hundreds of municipal government organizations connect more
easily with residents, visitors and businesses. Your CivicPlus website is built with the future in mind: our unrivaled service and
support ensures that your website will keep pace with ever-changing technology trends.
We are excited about this opportunity and eager to share our comprehensive knowledge of government-sector
communications. Serving more than 575 municipalities in 46 states and Canada for more than a decade, CivicPlus’ proven
development approach means that we’re the nation’s leading authority on local government websites. Here’s why:
• Experienced Professionals – Your website will be produced by a team of experienced designers, programmers,
content developers and project managers.
• Custom Design – Other companies talk about custom designs but offer the same tired approach to web
development. With CivicPlus, your team will create an award-winning site that specifically reflects the unique qualities
of your community.
• Transparent Pricing – Meeting your fiscal obligations and being a good steward of available resources is vital to
your organization’s success. Our staff openly identifies cost options to foster a trusting relationship that maximizes
your community’s resource dollars.
• Service and Support – Our content management system has been developed not just for local governments, but
with direct input from hundreds of municipalities. As we upgrade our system and launch exciting new features, our
customers reap the rewards. And our 24-hour support line and online training center means you’ll have an unlimited
support system.
• Avoid RISK – To ensure minimal risk to your organization, we provide a Lifetime Warranty – another unparalleled
offering from the experts in government website development.
The following proposal outlines your personalized solution that will reduce the staff workload for Freedom’s Frontier, respect
budget constraints and, most importantly, provide your citizens with a sophisticated online resource that promotes open and
transparent access to your municipal offices. When it comes to expertise in municipal government websites, there simply is no
comparison – you can count on CivicPlus to take Freedom’s Frontier’s website to the next level of online service.
I sincerely welcome the opportunity to elaborate further on our proposal and CivicPlus’ services, and look forward to working
with Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area to demonstrate our commitment to your success.
Respectfully,
Carrie Broeckelmann • Regional Account Manager • Direct Line 785-477-4982 • Broeckelmann@CivicPlus.com

Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Contents
Executive Summary and Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 2
The CivicPlus Advantage – The Leader in Municipal Website Development ........................................................................ 2
The Nation’s Choice for Website Expertise .............................................................................................................................3
Three Essential Factors of Effective Government Websites ................................................................................................. 3
The CivicPlus Philosophy – A Proven Development Approach ............................................................................................. 4
The CivicPlus Effect – Award-Winning Websites and Exceptional Results ........................................................................... 5
History of CivicPlus ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Company and Contact Information........................................................................................................................................ 6
Dedicated Project Team............................................................................................................................................................. 7
References .................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Our Project Development Approach....................................................................................................................................... 10
Objective I: Understanding Your Audience and Establishing Your Site's Focus ................................................................. 11
Phase 1: Analysis and Timeline Development ............................................................................................................. 11
Phases 2 & 3: Website Design and Navigation Architecture ........................................................................................ 12
High-Impact Custom Designs Created Specifically for Your Community ..................................................................... 13
Phase 4: Modules and Site Set-Up ..............................................................................................................................14
Objective II: Content Development and Page Layout.......................................................................................................... 16
Phase 5: Content Development ................................................................................................................................... 16
Phase 6: Review and Testing ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Objective III: Equipping Your Staff for Successful Website Maintenance............................................................................ 18
Phase 7: Training ......................................................................................................................................................... 18
Objective IV: Website Deployment ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Phase 8: Go-Live and Project Review ......................................................................................................................... 19
Phases 9 & 10: Marketing and Ongoing Consultation.................................................................................................. 19
Reliable Maintenance, Support and Hosting ......................................................................................................................... 20
Hosting and Security Features ............................................................................................................................................ 21
Intuitive Content Management System .................................................................................................................................. 22
Project Timeline ....................................................................................................................................................................... 24
CivicPlus Project Development Estimate...............................................................................................................................25
Annual Support, Maintenance and Hosting Services .................................................................................................... 28
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................................ 30
Exceptions to the RFP ............................................................................................................................................................. 31
1
Executive Summary and Introduction

Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area has initiated a Request for Proposals to transform its website with an innovative
design that enables visitors to find the services and information they need. This organization serves 41 counties in western
Missouri and Eastern Kansas, and seeks a website that is user-friendly and utilizes the latest technology to provide a
convenient source of information to better communicate with citizens.
The CivicPlus Advantage – The Leader in Municipal Website Development

At CivicPlus, web development for municipal government entities is all that what we do. It is our dedication and expertise in
this industry that led the Center for Digital Government to award CivicPlus their “Best Fit Integrator” award in 2009 for being
among the best private sector information technology integrators for delivering extraordinary digital solutions to public IT
projects. This distinction puts CivicPlus alongside Accenture, IBM, Motorola and Northrup Grumman as the true leaders in
municipal government technology. No other web-development company can come close to the service, support and product
offerings of CivicPlus.
Our company is built on more than a decade of experience and more than 575 municipal customers throughout North America.
We view our relationship with you as a partnership where you will experience a level of personal service that our competitors
quite simply cannot match. Several key differentiators set CivicPlus apart from the crowd:
• We Develop Your Content with Usability Expertise. Our experience with municipal governments of all sizes
means that you can expect implementation of proven and effective website architecture with the latest trends in
usability and web writing applied to your website.
• Government Processes are Re-engineered with Web Applications. The modules, features and functionality
included in our content management system will allow your staff to simplify process for site visitors and automate
internal procedures.
• You receive a Website Designed with Your Guidance and for Your Community. Our designers tailor each new
website development project to meet the needs and requests of the customer, meaning your design will be positively
unique and reflective of your vision for your community.
• Our Continuing Partnership Means Your Questions are Always Answered. We don’t disappear after your
website is launched. In fact, we’re committed to your continued success, and our always-available support team
ensures your complete satisfaction with our products.
• We Continually Set the Standard for Government Websites with Your Website Services. Technology and trends
are always changing, and your organization should not be restricted by the limited software and half-hearted support
of our competitors. The CivicPlus development approach means that as standards and technologies change, your
content management system will be upgraded to keep pace with your residents’ changing needs.
The following proposal contents address specifications per RFP Website Redevelopment. The contents include:
• CivicPlus’ capabilities, experience and commitment to clients
• Approach and methodology to transform your site
• Ongoing training and consultation
• Creativity and recommended functionality usage to engage and attract site visitors
• Price estimate
These requirements are demonstrated through an overview of recommended design, functionality and content management
solutions as well as our successes with relevant projects.
The recommendations for Freedom’s Frontier were developed to address your defined needs. All estimates are negotiable
based on client requests. We encourage you to schedule a 45-minute demonstration to visualize all that our services can do
for your organization by an overview of the latest site developments and the administrative interface that allows non-technical
users the ability to update their website as frequently as needed.
2
The Nation’s Choice for Website Expertise

With CivicPlus, you will be working with a key partner to some of the nation’s most prominent cities and counties, including
four state capitals. Through our experience and ongoing research on web standards and communication, we have developed
the Three Essential Factors of Effective Government Websites. These factors drive the creation of successful, award-winning
websites, and as a CivicPlus customer, your site will be built upon these principals.
Three Essential Factors of Effective Government Websites

1. Engaging and Easy to Navigate
The presence of a graphically-pleasing website is an essential factor in reflecting a credible and professional image for
any organization. The design and format of websites set the overall impression visitors form of your organization. Good
design, clean navigation and thoughtful page layout guarantees visitors leave with not only the information they seek but
with a positive impression of the organization.
2. Interactive Functionality
Since websites are such an important communication resource, it is essential they are engaging and provide
opportunities for two-way communication. An effective website is more than an informational brochure; it should also
enhance the interaction and communication with the organization’s community.
3. Relevant and Timely
Websites that serve municipalities have the obligation to provide useful and relevant information to thousands of
community members on a daily basis. A website must be dynamic, yet easy to update in order to ensure the
communication of important information to its visitors. Providing pertinent information that is readily accessible at
anytime will serve as a timesaver and a convenience for site visitors and staff members alike.
With these three essential factors in mind, your website can be transformed into a powerful communication resource.
The above criteria serve as a constant reference throughout all phases of any CivicPlus website development project.
3
The CivicPlus Philosophy – A Proven Development Approach

Our product and service suites are designed around the Three Factors of Effective Government Websites. Our strict
development guidelines mean that our customers can expect:
• A completely customized website design
• Intuitive navigation and page layout with unlimited submenus and subpages
• Interactive functionality through our included features and functionality
• CivicPlus’ intuitive Content Management System, designed by governments and for governments
• Dependable training and support
Beyond our polished approach to website design and setup, our content “CivicPlus is so professional,
management software includes more features and functionality as a standard part organized, and knowledgeable.
CivicPlus deals only with
of your system than any other product in the industry.
municipalities and you can really
Furthermore, when you select CivicPlus as your website management partner, you tell. You get so much for your
will receive ongoing maintenance, support and hosting services for the duration of dollar, it’s great. I just can’t say
enough good things, working with
your contract. Our clients are reassured by our proven commitment to customer
CivicPlus was a great experience.”
service and ongoing consultation exhibited by the following services:
-Cheryl Winberg, Fort Morgan, CO
• Around-the-clock technical support
“I knew the way we were doing
• Automatic CivicPlus software and module updates
things with our old website wasn’t
• Continued communication and consultation going to work. I found some great
• Monthly e-newsletters city websites and every time I
• Regular care calls with staff dedicated to customer satisfaction looked at the bottom of the
• Access to an online user forum and training materials library homepage it said ‘Powered by
CivicPlus’. I showed our city
• Comprehensive support website
manager your sites and she loved
• Monthly webinar series featuring top industry speakers them. It was a very easy decision to
• Regular training and update webinars introducing the latest releases from make.”
CivicPlus -Lance Crenshaw, Guthrie, OK
• Regional training and user groups
CivicPlus develops websites for municipal government entities – and only municipal government entities. More than $5 million
has been invested in strengthening the content management system, building enhancements and new features, and taking
your suggestions into account. As a result of our targeted customer base, our ongoing research and development will continue
to benefit your investment long after your website has launched. Our upgrades are just part of the CivicPlus philosophy…our
transparent pricing model assures that local government websites continue to advance and improve.
4
The CivicPlus Effect – Award-Winning Websites and Exceptional Results

As a Center for Digital Government Best Fit Integrator, CivicPlus represents the ultimate in municipal website development.
Our customers are proof, as using the CivicPlus solution, dozens have earned awards for website design, architecture and
features. Below is a sampling of some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, earned by CivicPlus customers in 2009:
American Association of Webmasters Marcom Awards

Dripping Springs ISD, TX dsisd.txed.net Missoula, MT ci.missoula.mt.us
Great Bend, KS greatbendks.net National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO)
La Crosse, WI cityoflacrosse.org Contra Costa County, CA co.contra-costa.ca.us
Watertown, MA ci.watertown.ma.us Cumberland County, PA ccpa.net
City County Communications&Marketing Association (3CMA)
Hidalgo County, TX co.hidalgo.tx.us
Burien, WA burienwa.gov Maui County, HI (2 awards) co.maui.hi.us
Cumberland County, PA ccpa.net National Association of Government Webmasters
Hidalgo, TX co.hidalgo.tx.us Hutto, TX (2 awards) huttotx.gov
Common Cause of Massachusetts Maui County, HI co.maui.hi.us
Amherst, MA amherstma.gov Navasota, TX navasotatx.gov
Needham, MA needhamma.gov The Web Marketing Association’s Web Award
Woburn, MA ci.woburn.ma.us Emeryville, CA ci.emeryville.ca.us
Communicator Awards National School Public Relations Association Publications &
Burnett County, WI burnettcounty.com Electronic Media Awards
Carlsbad Dept. of Development, NM developcarlsbad.org Bay Village City School District, OH bayvillageschools.com
Cowichan Valley Regional District, BC cvrd.bc.ca Edgecombe County Schools, NC ecps.us
Hutto, TX huttotx.gov San Bernardino City USD, CA sbcusd.com
Mt. Iron-Buhl Public Schools, MN mib.k12.mn.us Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers Awards
Shannon Co. School District, SD shannon.ws Hutto, TX (2 awards) huttotx.gov
Digital Counties Survey Little Elm, TX littleelmtx.us
Cumberland County, PA ccpa.net Shenandoah, TX shenandoahtx.com
Frederick County, MD co.frederick.md.us Temple, TX ci.temple.tx.us
Horizon Interactive Awards
Union of British Columbia Municipalities Community
Carlsbad Dept. of Development, NM developcarlsbad.org
Excellence Award
Maui County, HI co.maui.hi.us
Cowichan Valley Regional District cvrd.bc.ca
Onslow Water & Sewer Authority, NC onwasa.com
Raymore, MO raymore.com
Wheat Ridge, CO ci.wheatridge.co.us
5
History of CivicPlus
Since our inception, CivicPlus has been capturing the passion our customers have for their communities and their residents
with high-quality, next-generation websites. We consider it a privilege to partner with municipalities to provide the individuals,
families and organizations of your community a website that serves as a primary, interactive communication tool.
CivicPlus is a division of Icon Enterprises, Inc. Operating under the divisional names of Networks Plus and CivicPlus –
incorporated in Kansas in 1998 – they began providing technical-related services in 1994.
CivicPlus was born out of four rural cities’ desire for a progressive way to maintain their websites without the burden of
employing a continual webmaster. They sought a system that would allow routine updates and changes to be implemented by
city staff, regardless of technical skill. After close consultation with these four initial cities, an innovative tool that automated the
process of updating website content was developed.
Today, under the leadership of founder Ward Morgan, CivicPlus employs more than 70 staff members and continues to
implement new technologies and services to maintain the highest standards of excellence and efficiency. Our commitment to
setting the standard in website design, management and government communication has been instrumental in making
CivicPlus a leader in web design, programming, hosting and serving the communication market.
Our technical and development staff holds a variety of certifications including: Microsoft Certified System Engineer, Cisco
Certified Engineer, Microsoft Certified Software Developer, Microsoft Office User Specialist and Project Management
Professional from the Project Management Institute.
Company and Contact Information

Carrie Broeckelmann Legal Name: Additional Office Locations:
Regional Account Manager Icon Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a CivicPlus Charlottesville, VA
Broeckelmann@CivicPlus.com Joliet, IL
Company Website:
Toll Free 888-228-2233, Ext. 315 Mt. Pleasant, SC
www.CivicPlus.com
Cell 785-477-4982 Muskego, WI
Primary Company Office: Olathe, KS
Founder: 317 Houston Street, Suite E Renton, WA
Ward Morgan, President/CEO Manhattan, KS 66502 Topeka, KS
Toll Free 888-228-2233 Salina, KS
Fax 785-587-8951
6
Dedicated Project Team

CivicPlus maintains a staff of dozens of personnel who excel in the development and support of government websites. From
project management, design and development to training and support, our highly qualified staff ensures the success of your
website throughout all phases of construction and beyond. Our expert project leaders – listed below – will match you and your
needs to a team of highly qualified specialists who will work directly with you throughout the entire project.
Education 15+ Years Experience Role at CivicPlus

BS Elementary Education Manage multiple client accounts Determine the best solution for
in higher education and your website and budget
Resume technology industry Overall account management
Client Sales Communicate and negotiate with Ensure customer satisfaction
executive management
Sales Management Oversee product development
Develop and forecast marketing and product marketing
prospectus
Client-first focus to achieve
collaborative website goals
Carrie Broeckelmann
Regional Account Manager

BS, Information Technology Superior resource management Direct tasks and staff members
skills
PMP Certified Management Timeline allocation
Professional Client needs analysis
Project consultation and quality
Customer service assurance
Resume
Deadline satisfaction goals
Logistics Management
Communication Equipment
Diagnose and repair hardware,
Repair
software and peripheral
Process & Logistics
equipment problems
Management, US Army
Cindy Peters
Director, Project Management

BA, Fine Art Print and web design Heads creative development
and graphic representations
Realistic and stylistic drawings
Resume Directs design team and
Scientific Illustrator Branding expertise programming
Freelance illustration business High-level skills in color

coordination and design Responsible for each website
Nationally published designs management overview and uniqueness
Thorough recognition of full

publishing, project management Proficient in site layout, initial
and pre-press processes design, setup of initial pages and
Tammy Irvine functionality of site
Creative Director, Design
7
Dedicated Project Team, continued
Erin Cheever Amy Vikander 10+ Years Experience

Content Development Team Content Development Team
Leader Leader Role at CivicPlus
Stay abreast of usability guidelines, incorporate them into CivicPlus
Education Education standards
Global Marketing Graphic Design
Train incoming content developers in CivicPlus standards and
Communications and
usability guidelines
Advertising
Consult with clients regarding content usability during the content
Resume development process
Resume Property Manager
Oversee content quality management
Planning, Promotion and Client Service Team Leader
Marketing Client Implementation Test new products and services for CivicPlus
Office Assistant Coordinator Ensure incoming projects remain on schedule and are completed in
Website Maintenance an excellent manner


Masters in Music Website Development Customize the training
BA Education Manage support agents to experience to your skill set
troubleshoot system repairs Provide creative application
Resume System learning and tutoring ideas for the CivicPlus System
Teaching and training a variety proficiency Effective communication in
of age groups plain language
Expertise in MS Word, Website
Network Administration Management Systems, module
Assistant with dual platform functionality, admin functions and
creativity

Harlan Bryan
Director, Training
Resume 10+ Years Experience Role at CivicPlus

Training / QA team manager Troubleshoot equipment and Conscientious care of the
software issues continuing relationship between
Leadership training
Case management CivicPlus and client
Sykes’ Management Prompt aid on support issues
Assessment training; Success Create and review QA processes
for Your Team Specialize in team management Knowledgeable answers for
and leadership “how to” questions from client’s
staff
Manage timeline processes,
website projects and customer
satisfaction relationship
Mike Smith
Director, Client Services
8
References
Geary County CVB, KS www.junctioncity.org
(Pop. 24,500) Client since June 2007
Rick Dykstra, Asst. Director, 785-238-2885, rickdykstra@junctioncity.org
Grand Central USA, KS www.grandcentralusa.com

Client since September 2007
Donna Cordle, 785-296-4922, donnacordle@msn.com
Harrisonville, MO www.ci.harrisonville.mo.us
(Pop.10,000) Client since November 2006
Jeremy Smith, IT Director, 816-380-8904, sysadmin@ci.harrisonville.mo.us
Sheryl Stanley, PR Coordinator, 816-380-8909, sstanley@ci.harrisonville.mo.us
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns, KS www.kcdcinfo.com

Client since April 2007
Kerrie Bacon, Program Consultant, 785-296-6527, kbacon@kansascommerce.com
Manhattan CVB, KS www.manhattancvb.org

Client since January 2003
Karen Hibbard, Dir., Manhattan CVB, 785-776-8829, karen@manhattan.org
Dena Huff, 785-776-8829, dena@manhattan.org
Riley County, KS www.rileycountyks.gov

(Pop. 63,000) Client since January 2006
Dawn Shoffner, 785-537-6308, dshoffner@rileycountyks.gov
9
Our Project Development Approach

Consulting, design, usability guidance, expert programming, secure hosting and dedicated training: CivicPlus delivers all of
this expertise and more during the development of your new website. Our proven development approach and team of
specialists will ensure a project that yields the most value for your dollar.
Our project-development approach focuses on collaboration. Each step in the process is consultative, with our staff working in
partnership with each client to provide a website that adheres to the Three Factors of Effective Government Websites. Our
efficient and thorough project timelines transform your website goals into reality, resulting in a valuable, next-generation
communication resource for your residents, business and staff.
Objective I Phase 1
Understanding Your Audience and Establishing Your Site’s Focus Analysis and Timeline Development
Phase 2
Website Design
Phase 3
Navigation Architecture
Phase 4
Modules and Site Setup
Objective II Phase 5
Content Development and Page Layout Content Development
Phase 6
Review and Testing
Objective III Phase 7

Equipping Your Staff for Successful Website Maintenance Training
Objective IV Phase 8
Website Deployment Go-Live and Project Review
Phase 9
Marketing
Phase 10
Ongoing Consultation
10
Objective I: Understanding Your Audience and Establishing Your Site's Focus

Communication and collaboration are primary objectives for websites, and every organization has different
communication goals. Prior to developing or redesigning your website, your project manager will identify the unique
needs of your site’s visitors.
Strategic Planning: Getting to Know You

As more people turn to the Internet as a first resource for finding information and communicating with organizations, your “first
impression” is critical. In the beginning stages of project development, our project team will help you craft the position and
image that you want to portray to the site visitor.
Our Trained Professionals will Explore and Discover:

• What image does Freedom’s Frontier desire?
• What services and tasks will the site deliver?
• What are the key messages or themes for the community as a whole?
• What are the key messages and themes for individual departments and services?
• Why is this important to your community?
• What data needs to be presented on the website for self-service?
• What collaborative tools does your community need to effectively communicate concerns?
Five Basic Functions of Your Site:

• Identify the site and establish a brand
• Set the tone and personality of the site
• Help users get a sense of what that site is about
• Let site visitors find critical information to start key tasks immediately
• Guide people on the right development path, effectively and efficiently with efficiency as the core focus
Phase 1: Analysis and Timeline Development

Information Gathering and Brainstorming
Your Project Manager will suggest information-gathering techniques to prepare for the design and content development
phases of the project.
Communication Goals Development

After brainstorming and setting your site’s focus, the information gathered will be organized into specific goals and solutions.
Collaboration and Implementation

With information-gathering and goal-setting complete, further collaboration with design and functionality experts will begin to
shape your website into an effective communication resource.
11
Phases 2 & 3: Website Design and Navigation Architecture

At CivicPlus, our designers will collaborate with your staff to create a website that is visually engaging, intuitive to use and
reflective of the uniqueness of your community. This is achieved through the following process:
Collaborative Planning and Development

"Having the full CivicPlus system
Your project manager will lead a kick-off meeting between your staff and our
in place has proven to be a great
designers to identify specific design elements, navigational structures and the overall benefit for both city staff and
focus of your site. residents. The system is
extremely easy to learn and use
Custom Design
and is an invaluable time-
Our designers will develop a striking, custom design that delivers on all your
saving tool for our employees."
expectations. Since you are part of the CivicPlus team, your input is vital to the -Rami Altherr, Deerfield Beach, FL
process. We will work to tailor the design to your expectations.
“I've designed websites for more
Designs that truly represent your unique image, message and brand come through than a decade and I must say
your new design is
extensive access to and consultation with our design team during the project
outstanding. Understated,
development process. Custom designs are rarely produced in anticipation of a
tasteful and effective use of color
project; however, we currently showcase custom designs for more than 500 clients, combined with standardized
each done to their specifications, not using a cookie-cutter, template-based approach. layout techniques produced a
Our portfolio demonstrates our graphic designers’ vast creative abilities, showcasing very attractive and useable
a wide variety of site styles and structures. Additional examples of either live client website. Awesome!
websites or sample compositions can be provided upon request. - Shannon Gowan, Temple, TX
Copyright authorization and/or photography production are required unless you already have quality, useable photographs.
Additional fees assessed for stock photographs or other images are not included in the estimate.
Intuitive Usability
Simple navigation and consistent page layout structured with your input and guidance will be used throughout the site to
ensure your visitors will easily find the information they seek.
ADA Compliant (Section 508)

Our designers and programmers will automatically implement all the accessibility features necessary to ensure your site is
compliant with the specifications within Section 508.
Scope of Project, Deliverables (from the RFP)

The successful vendor will provide a detailed style guide that describes colors, fonts, graphics, borders, tables, layout,
included files, JavaScript (or similar) and other design elements.
CivicPlus creates a basic styles page free of charge and accessible to your users. A more detailed, print style guide is
available for an additional fee.
12
High-Impact Custom Designs Created Specifically for Your Community

Our programmers will accommodate and implement design techniques or elements used by our designers – not the other way
around – so the options for a unique site are endless. Visit our design gallery at www.CivicPlus.com/DesignGallery for a more
comprehensive display of our design capabilities.
Under Development www.eurekasprings.org
www.sewardcountyks.org www.greatbendks.net
www.mexicomissouri.net www.ci.missoula.mt.us
13
Phase 4: Modules and Site Set-Up

CivicPlus has developed dozens of functionality modules to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Based on the specifications
for your web project, we recommend incorporating a combination of several of the CivicPlus modules into the graphic redesign
of your site.
Additional functionality modules are available. You ultimately control the functionality that your site offers -- and the cost -- by
selecting which modules to showcase. Review and testing during the project development ensures that you are taking
advantage of our expertise in web communication as well as meeting your specific communication goals.
And with CivicPlus, you will receive upgrades and enhancements made to our
system -- automatically and at no additional cost -- throughout your contract. This
“My favorite thing about our
ensures your site is constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of your website is the ease of
web audience without the hassle of additional budgets or annual upgrades. maintenance; it’s so easy to
make updates to the pages and
Design Review the modules. It is easy to keep
Immediately following design approval and functionality development, we conduct a your site fresh when it is easy to
review to ensure your expectations are met and best website practices are upheld. update.”
- Laurene Saathoff, Cedar Falls, IA
Our design approach takes all of your suggestions and guidance into account to
“The CivicPlus designs really stood
determine the best design options for you and your new website. Incorporating the
out for us. Some sites you open up
functionality and usefulness of the site, designers work directly with you to establish and feel lost immediately, but you
colors, pictures, navigation and design options that best suit your community’s do not experience that with
communication goals and objectives for a uniquely created website. CivicPlus. Their implementation
of usability practice and the
sheer talent of their designers
combine to produce an
outstanding product that is both
clean and simple.”
- Wayne Nation Jr., Montrose, CO
14
To have a successful experience on a website, people have to:

• Find what they need – Our intuitive designs facilitate easy recognition of which path to take
• Understand what they find – Good content development is essential
• Act appropriately on that understanding – Comprehensive functionality helps people start or complete a task quickly
and easily
Some important elements and themes which will help your site visitors include the following:
1 9
7
3
5 6
1. Site identification (banner)

2. Home page links to most requested items
3. E-Communications - automated, instant, customized communication between
staff and citizens
4. Links to print or email page, RSS, social media - on every page
5. News items with RSS capabilities
6. Permanent links - on every page
7. Calendar, FAQs, or other services your community frequently uses
8. Global navigation with hierarchical structure
9. Powerful search ability
15
Objective II: Content Development and Page Layout

CivicPlus will migrate a pre-defined number of pages for your site to ensure necessary content is available for your site
visitors upon deployment. Your project manager will work with you to identify what content should be migrated from your
current site and/or if new pages should be developed to fit within your new site. There is no limit to the pages you can
create after the launch of the site.
Phase 5: Content Development

When you partner with CivicPlus, you receive expertise in web writing. Following website principles documented by Steve
Krug in Don’t Make Me Think, Ginny Redish in Letting Go of the Words, and Jakob Nielsen in Designing Web Usability and
Homepage Usability, CivicPlus’ content developers may adjust your content to align with the principles of these authors.
Website visitors are skimmers; content should be laid out in a way that is easy for the visitor to quickly scan and retrieve
desired information.
Initial Content
Reformatted Content
• Ensured action item is near the top and obvious

• Minimized long blocks of text
• Added bullets for easy scanning
• Created a separate contact info area
• Increased the size of the headings
• Made a larger/clearer table for fees
16
Phase 6: Review and Testing

As established earlier, each phase of your project undergoes a review and testing “The real success of CivicPlus
stage. At the completion of content development and page layout, the following lies with the people who sell it,
teach it and support it. I doubt
reviews will take place:
that you will find another
Content Development Review company that offers the
CivicPlus conducts a quality-control review to ensure the content and layout meet professional support and
friendly encouragement that I
web usability standards and contain all the information necessary for your site visitors;
have experienced from the
the way content is written and displayed directly affects usability.
employees of CivicPlus on a
Pre-Training Review continuing basis.”
- Bernie Hayen, Manhattan, KS
We will identify any issues (programming, design or content) that need to be
addressed prior to training.
Website Planning Review

This review will include recommendations for training and motivating your staff to make updates that align with your overall
communication goals.
17
Objective III: Equipping Your Staff for Successful Website Maintenance

During this phase, you are thoroughly trained how to manage your site, covering basic system functionality through
advanced site administration. Training concludes with practical application and consultation in order to apply the
expertise in web-usability standards that are covered during training directly to your site.
Training is done before your site is launched to ensure that once the site is live, your staff will have all the knowledge,
tools and comfort level to maintain the site’s integrity from day one.
Phase 7: Training
“CivicPlus training was great. You
Brainstorming about your internal daily tasks and workflow, CivicPlus consultants will dealt with all of the different
guide your staff to a better understanding of delivering automated services to your site knowledge levels of our staff
visitors. One-on-one or departmental specific task analysis is included as part of the perfectly.”
excellent service you can expect with CivicPlus. “Training went well, Harlan was
Administrative Features & Basics of Back-End Training great. He checked back with us and
made sure we got answers to all our
With a goal to create a basic understanding of navigation and page layout and how
questions.”
this affects target audiences, trainers will instruct your staff on creating area rights
and back-end features for site administration. “Quinton really provided us with a lot
of great information when he came
Module Training & Page and Menu Creation Training out here to train us. It wasn’t just
Trainers will review all the modules included with your site. Individual consultation for training but he shared a lot of know-
departments and service areas will be covered to facilitate baseline knowledge for how and that was great.”
your team.
Page Development Training

Our professional trainers cover standard website usability. Encouraged to recognize the differences between various media,
your staff will learn how to create links, chunk text and lay out pages for scannability.
Each session is created to promote a hands-on experience and create a lasting impression with your team. The skills, tips and
tricks are easy to understand and implement into your daily tasks. Each session is designed to enhance your team's
communication skills and highlight their individual specialties that emphasize your public value.
All training schedules are based on the needs of your employees and your selection of modules
Your training schedule may vary. Training manuals are available online and updated on a regular basis.
18
Objective IV: Website Deployment

Upon completion of a collaborative final review of the website, the domain name is directed to the developed website.
Phase 8: Go-Live and Project Review

We will ensure that your initial communication goals developed in Objective I have “CivicPlus provided us with
incredible customer service
been met. Additionally, we will develop a strategic plan to ensure that your website
and technical support through
grows with your organization. While this phase marks the launch of your new site, you
every step of the development
will continue to receive both technical and consultative support. process. They demonstrated
flexibility and patience in the
CivicPlus employees constantly research web standards, principles and trends in
face of the many changes we
order to develop effective government websites. Our philosophy is to share that
requested and always provided
information with our clients to ensure they are capable of maintaining an effective site expert guidance and
for years to come. recommendations.”
- Jessica Zegler, Marana, AZ
Ongoing References to Our Research
Throughout all phases of your project we provide the reasoning and explanation of
our actions so that you and your staff become communication experts.
Opportunities for Peer Communication and Idea Sharing

Throughout the year, there are several opportunities for peers to communicate and share ideas. We hold regular webinars for
clients, host regional trainings and user groups, feature client case studies and new clients on our website and provide contact
information for clients willing to share unique experiences and the resulting solutions.
Continuous Consultation Beyond Site Deployment

Our Support Team members are available to assist your staff with any questions once the site is deployed. They provide
ongoing support and recommendations for maintaining your website in several ways.
Phases 9 & 10: Marketing and Ongoing Consultation

Continued Communication
Upon deployment of your site, you will be provided ongoing support as your site grows. Our support team will ensure that you
receive the following resources:
• Monthly e-newsletter
• Automatic service updates
• CivicPlus online support
• Annual site reviews
• CivicPlus Website Management Webinar series
• Regional trainings and user groups
We are so confident that you will benefit from a partnership with CivicPlus that we provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee
throughout all phases of your project.
CivicPlus’ business strategy is based upon our clients’ successes. We continue to listen to our clients after the sale and strive
to constantly improve our service and our products.
19
Reliable Maintenance, Support and Hosting

Other website management providers have a distorted vision of how to help “In working with sales reps,
product developers, managers
governments serve their citizens, offering little or no ongoing support for their
and trainers, I have come to
products. CivicPlus takes the opposite approach. We realize that you want to be a
believe that CivicPlus really
good steward of taxpayer dollars, and that means minimizing the total cost of wants to earn and keep a great
ownership of your new website. In addition to secure hosting services, CivicPlus reputation for being efficient,
provides ongoing maintenance and upgrades to the content management system as affordable and customer-
well as continuous technical support. Our clients are reassured by our proven oriented.”
- Gary Mangus, Winfield, KS
commitment to customer service, exhibited by the following services:
“Everyone promises great
Automatic CivicPlus Software and Module Updates customer service, but then they
All CivicPlus customers receive the benefits of new features and upgrades that we make the sale and it goes away,
add to our ever-growing content management system. The core of the CivicPlus but with CivicPlus their people
product offering grows with you and your community, ensuring that your site never are always there, they are
always nice, and they always
grows stale and that your website is truly an investment.
have the answer.”
- Corky Brown, Cedar Hill, TX
Around-the-Clock Technical Support
The goal of a content management system is to spread the responsibility of updating
the site among multiple staff members or departments. Our support personnel are ready to answer your staff members’
questions and ensure their confidence in using our site. Our knowledgeable staff is available from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm CST to
field your calls and e-mails, and emergency services are available after regular hours, with our staff on-call 24-hours a day.
In addition to fielding support requests, CivicPlus is proactive in identifying any potential system issues. Through regularly
scheduled reviews of site logs, error messages, servers, router activity and the Internet in general, our personnel often identify
and correct issues before they even affect our clients’ websites. Our expertise in website management provides assurance to
our clients that their site is in good hands.
Hosting
CivicPlus’ Network Operations Center is maintained specifically for website hosting and administration; ninety-seven percent
of CivicPlus customers utilize this hosting facility for their hosting and backup needs. Redundant power sources and internet
access ensure consistent and stable connections, and regular hardware upgrades ensure that CivicPlus-hosted sites are
maintained on the most up-to-date, reliable equipment. Full backups are provided as a regular service for CivicPlus-hosted
customers, with all servers backed up nightly and additional optimization processes run on a weekly basis.
20
Hosting and Security Features

Physical Security • Proximity card key system prevents unauthorized access to servers
• High resolution, closed circuit video with time lapse recording covers all secured areas
• All visitors require a full-time escort within hosting area
• Redundant cooling systems
Power • All systems are fed by Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) with natural gas-powered generator backup
Bandwidth • 97Mbps of bandwidth for optimal speed

• Multiple carriers (AT&T, Qwest and Cox) to provide redundancy for continuous connectivity
• AT&T: 45Mbps fiber optic network
• Cox: 100Mbps fiber optic network
• Qwest: 6Mbps over an MLPPP connection
• AT&T: 6Mbps over an ATM connection
• Routers and switches automatically balance Internet load between carriers for optimal speed
• Redundant Cisco routers running Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP)
Monitoring • Round-the-clock (24/7/365) monitoring of all critical components, including: Internet connectivity, servers,
routers, switches and power systems
Backup • Tape backup performed daily

• Off-site tape archive
Antivirus • Continuously scan system

• Signature files auto-updated every 4 hours from national registry
Data Security • Server operating systems applied as necessary

• Router level port blocking and reporting
• Router level packet filtering and reporting
• Server level port blocking and logging
• Ongoing security analysis by Cisco Security Specialist
Data Redundancy • RAID Level 5 data storage array

• RAID 1 + 0
Intrusion Detection • Redundant Cisco ASA multi-service firewalls that combine intrusion detection with intrusion prevention
Staff Certifications • Full-time Electrical Engineers (EE)

• Full-time Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers (MCSE)
• Full-time Certified Novell Engineers (CNE)
• Full-time Cisco Router Technicians
Server Requirements
Clients have the option to self-host. These requirements must be met:
• Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, Standard or Enterprise, 32 Bit.
• Microsoft SQL 2005 Enterprise, 32 Bit is recommended, however Microsoft SQL 2005 Standard, 32 Bit can be
supported.
• Server with at least 4GB RAM and 80GB of useable storage space. For better performance, IIS and SQL should run
on different servers.
• Additional software dependent upon modules purchased.
21
Intuitive Content Management System

The CivicPlus Content Management System is developed specifically for “CivicPlus makes my life a little
municipalities, allowing users with a variety of technical skills to easily update any easier. Because the backend
portion of their website instantly. The CMS guides users through step-by-step user interface is so simple to
processes to update announcements, calendars, page content, drop-down menus, use, I am able to train non-
images and much more. Through our integrated permission system, you decide technical personnel from each
department to be able to
where users fit in the approval cycle, and because the CivicPlus CMS is browser-
administer their own pages.
based, any member of your staff can manage their section of the site without installing Each department now has their
additional software or requiring the assistance of your technical team. own ‘Webmaster’.”
-Brandy Severson, Buckeye, AZ
CivicPlus Content Management System Administrative Features
“I would absolutely recommend
Dozens of modules and administrative features are included as a standard part of the
CivicPlus, the whole structure of
CivicPlus CMS, allowing for extreme flexibility in website maintenance and
the way the site works is great,
responsibility sharing. From basic content updates through management of integrated one person doesn’t have to do
features like citizen-request management and job applications, our easy-to-use all of the work and doing it this
system ensures that clients are able to fully maintain a website that they and their way keeps the information
residents can be proud of, all with minimal effort. fresher. Departments can keep
all of their own pages up to
Recognizing that not all site administrators possess similar levels of computer date which helps with accuracy
expertise, CivicPlus provides a variety of methods to develop new content: and making information readily
available.”
• Page Wizard provides the ease-of-use of a standard text editor while
- Corky Brown, Cedar Hill, TX
automating consistencies in content layout and graphic layout.
• Online Editor provides full editing toolbar choices, including image and
media management, a slideshow creator and a table wizard.
• HTML Upload gives technical site administrators a method to upload more complex pages developed using desktop
HTML tools.
Allowing Your Website to Grow

At CivicPlus, we build your website with growth in mind. Our CMS tool is dynamic, allowing you to make updates and changes
to existing pages as well as create new pages and menu items through straightforward administrative features.
Each year, we invest approximately $400,000 in upgrades and enhancements to the CivicPlus system to meet your ever-
evolving needs. Some of the features of the CMS system are highlighted in the chart on the following page.
Maps – Clickable or JavaScript

Direct your website visitors to expressive maps that will help to visualize the location of areas of the Freedom’s Frontier Area.
Maps can be customized as simple, clickable maps, or more sophisticated JavaScript. Prices for maps (listed by number of
clicks):
• 1-50 $2,500
• 50-100 $5,000
22
System Requirements
The administrative side of CivicPlus websites support the following PC operating systems and browsers:
• Windows 2000 and higher
• Internet Explorer 6.0 and above
• Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and above
Macintosh operating systems and browsers are also supported:
• OS/X 10.1 and higher
• Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and above
Feature Description Benefit
Timesaver – Administrator can distribute work among

Level of Rights Central administrator establishes specific
specific departments while still maintaining control over
editing rights.
the content and layout of the site.
Updates are posted to the live site in real-time

Instantaneous Updates Timesaver – Ensures your site is communicating the
once the administrator saves and publishes the
most up-to-date information.
page.
Convenience – Updates can be made anywhere at

No programs or software are necessary to
any time.
Browser Based install, meaning you and your staff can update
the site from any internet connection or
Money Saver – Doesn’t require $ per seat to install
platform (Mac or PC) at anytime.
software.
Mobile Updates Immediately update your site from any location Crisis Communication – Warn audiences of crisis
with urgent announcements using your PDA. situations from anywhere at any time.
Direct access to a queue of items waiting to be

Action Items Convenience – This work order helps the
published or reviewed by the administrator
administrator stay organized and timely with the site.
provided immediately upon login.
Pages can be set with a start and/or expiration

date. This means that pages can be created in
Content Scheduling Convenience/Timesaver – Ensures your site is
advance and be automatically released and/or
communicating only timely information.
removed from the site as the administrator
indicates.
The CivicPlus CMS system makes it easy to

Timesaver/Ease – The multiple options for page
Multiple Page upload new content and keep a consistent
creation ensures that everyone on your staff can
page layout through use of either: Page
Creation Options update the site, regardless of key items on the
Wizards, Online Editor, HTML upload, Front-
homepage.
End Edit.
Powerful site search automatically indexes all

Site Search and Site Knowledge – The search log serves as a tool in
content making it easy for all visitors to find
making decisions about updates and upgrades as well
Search Log information. This feature also keeps a log of all
as placement of key items on the homepage.
words that are searched by your visitors.
Unlimited Levels of With a properly designed website, you may

Money Saver – As your site grows, you will not have to
easily add as many levels as you would like to
Depth redevelop the underlying structure.
promote your services.
Specific areas of your website, e.g., Parks & Ease – Site visitors can find relevant information for
Sub-Site Recreation, Police or Fire, can provide their their area of interest by following a redirect link, e.g.,
own calendar and news items. www.yoursite.org/police
Convenience – Editor does not need to know Section

Automatic Alt Tags Built-in features ensure your site is ADA
508 requirements as the system will automatically
compliant.
format to accommodate for ADA Compliance.
23
Project Timeline
Project Timeline
Needs Assessment and Timeline (may vary based upon on-site meetings 2-3 weeks from initial timeline
Includes: Timeline approval, statistics from current website due, department listing from client meeting
Website Design and Navigation Architecture

Includes: Main navigation & standards meeting, main navigation & standards worksheet due,
2-3 weeks
pictures due, initial design meeting, initial content meeting, content process meeting, website
design comp due to client, initial design feedback meeting, design approval
Site Development and Module Set-up (varies based upon development options)
3-4 weeks
Includes: Wireframe due
Content Development (varies based upon amount of content)

Includes: Content worksheets due, content starts, content development completed, content 5-6 weeks
finalized and approved
Reviews and Testing 2 weeks
Training 1 week
Final Review and Test 2 weeks
Marketing 1 week
Go-Live 18-22 Weeks on Average*
* Timelines are set according to your needs and may be modified upon discussion with your project manager. This timeline
represents our experience and is based upon the client meeting all deadlines. Many clients indicate a preference toward a
more relaxed schedule that allows ample time for each task and review.
24
CivicPlus Project Development Estimate

Provided below is a project estimate based upon deliverables in your website design. Additional options may be added in
phases or as desired.
Consulting, Website Design, Setup, Programming and Training Options

All Quotes are in US Dollars and Valid for 120 Days from March 15, 2010
Project Development Fee (see project details) $18,598
Project Development Fee includes use of CivicPlus CMS with these Modules & Functionality:
Modules Functionality
• Archive Center • Action Items Queue
• Bid Postings (1 Category) • Audit Trail / History Log
• Business/Resource Directory • Automated PDF Converter
• Calendar • Automatic Content Archiving
• Carbon Calculator • Dynamic Breadcrumbs
• Document Center • Dynamic Sitemap
• Emergency Alert Notification • Expiring Items Library
• Facilities & Reservations (50 Facilities) • Graphic Link Administration
• FAQs • Links Redirect and Broken Links Finder
• Featured Info Module • Menu Management
• Forms Development Tool (5 Forms - Client develops) • Mouse-over Menu Structure
• Healthy City Initiative • Online Editor for Editing and Page Creation
• Intranet (1 Group) • Online Web Statistics (Only with CivicPlus Hosting)
• Job Postings (1 Category) • Page Wizard for Preformatted Page Options
• News Flash • Printer Friendly / Email Page
• Notify Me Email Subscription • Rotating Content
• Online Job Application (1 Generic Application) • RSS
• Opinion Poll • Search Engine Registration
• Photo Gallery (50 Photos) • Site Layout Options
• Postcard Module • Site Search & Entry Log
• Quick Links • Slideshow
• Real Estate Locator (25 Properties) • User / Group Permission with Author & Publisher Rights
• Request Tracker (5 Users) • Web Page Upload Utility
• Staff Directory • Website Administrative Log
These Upgrades are Included in the Project Development Fee:

Module Upgrades Functionality Upgrades
• None • eCommerce – Dynamic Page created in conjunction
with your third-party eCommerce provider
Gov 2.0 Upgrades
• Blog – Basic • Share
• Facebook – Advanced Profile Setup • Twitter – Advanced Profile Setup
25
As we develop your project, your development team may come up with more ideas for enhancing your visitors’ website
experience. These optional add-ons and the associated costs are shown below.
Pre-Implementation Options Optional Fee Fee

Optional: On-Site Kick-Off Meeting
• Project kick-off meeting with departments to • Assign information gathering tasks. Optional - Add
provide overview of website project, • Deliverable: A document summarizing $2,200
capabilities and introduction of effective the meetings, with analysis and
website communication. recommendations. Design information
• One day meeting with website committee to gathered.
discuss design goals and review audience • Quote includes all travel expenses.
goals
• Discuss design and layout standards with
website committee.
Optional: On-Site Strategic Planning Meeting with Individual Departments
• Interpretation of current departmental • Deliverable: A document summarizing the Optional - Add
processes and services resulting in meetings, with analysis and $2,200
recommendations for website solutions. recommendations. Design information
• Two days of meetings with up to 12 gathered. Add $1,800 per
departments. • Quote includes all travel expenses. additional day (up
to 6 departments
each day)
Objective 1: Establishing Your Site’s Focus Optional Fee Fee

Phase 1: Analysis and Timeline Development
• Identify custom modules and integration • Establish project timeline. $1,584
projects. • Coordinate the DNS details.
• Phone interviews with departments and gather • Deliverable: Project Timeline and
information worksheets.
• Review current site statistics, if available.
Phase 2: Website Design
• Create a professional and attractive “look and • Determine customization of modules or $5,450
feel” for the entire website. custom development projects and
• Create the layout for each page which will provide estimates for project changes.
incorporate photographs, graphic illustrations, • Deliverable: Website Design
topic headings, and dynamic components. Composition.
• Modify design with input from client.
Phase 3: Navigation Architecture Development
• Develop the global navigation and sub- • Determine optimum taxonomy structure. $405
navigation, persistent navigation, and resource • Deliverable: Navigation structure
links for the client’s website. optimized for your website.
• Optional: Onsite Meeting for Individualized Content Planning (up to 12 departments)
• Two days of onsite meetings. • Review functionality and how it applies to Optional – Add
• Analyze call log. individual sections. $2,200
• Review assignments. • Deliverable: Presentation on best
• Review individual section’s navigation. practices, review worksheet Add $1,800 per
• Identify services and needs of departments assignments, and review design additional day (up
• Demonstrate best website practices. composite. to six departments
each day)
• Quote includes all travel expenses.
Phase 4: Modules and Site Setup
• Set up dynamic elements on pages. • Deliverable: Set up a fully functional site, $3,120
• Additional modules may be established based the software that runs the site and
upon recommendations in Phase 1. statistical analysis for the site.
26
Objective 2: Content Development and Page Layout Optional Fee Fee

Phase 5: Content Development
• Develop sitemap as pages are being • Approximately 50 standard pages and up to Optional - Add $2,025
developed 250 supporting elements will be developed $1,450 per 50
• Gather content worksheets from your (You will have ability to create unlimited additional pages
departments and contact departments pages after training)
as needed for additional content • Ongoing review with your staff as major
• Develop new web pages as needed with areas are developed
assistance from client and migrate • Deliverable: Website content development
existing content and module content.
Phase 6: Test and Review / Establish Future Expectations
• Make final revisions to website. • Review ongoing responsibilities of $1,372
• Quality Assurance review of new department heads and administrative staff.
website • Deliverable: List of items that need to be
addressed.
Objective 3: Equipping Your Staff for Successful Website Maintenance Optional Fee Fee
Phase 7: Consulting and Training for Your Trainers or Website Administrator
Included - Basic Page Admin Training Included - Advanced Module Admin Training & Use
• Basic page development using Page Wizards • Archive Center, Notify Me, Intranet, Emergency Alert Notification (Single
• Applying modules to pages Page Push)
• Applied use and usability consulting Also includes - Module Upgrade Training
Bid Posting, Facilities & Reservations, Forms Development Tool,, Online
• Effective communication through your website
Job Application, Photo Gallery, Real Estate Locator, Request Tracker,
Included - Basic System Admin Training Where Do I…?, Emergency Alert (Site Wide Push)
• Set up groups and users Also includes - Gov 2.0 features
• Establish permissions • Basic Blog, Advanced Facebook, Advanced Twitter, Share)
Included - Basic Module Admin Training & Use
Slideshow and Images, Document Center, News Flash, Staff
Directory, Opinion Poll, Resource Directory, Calendar,
FAQs, Quick Links, and RSS
ON-SITE TRAINING Optional -
3 eight-hour days of on-site training and usability consulting for content administrators (up to $5,800
10 employees). Quote includes travel expenses. Laptop training available for additional
fee.
TRAIN-THE-TRAINER Optional -
24 hours, online phone training and consulting for up to two employees $1,200/day
Training in Manhattan, KS - 3 eight-hour days of On-Site Training and Usability Consulting $3,600
for Content Administrators (up to 10 employees) in our Manhattan, KS office. Client is
responsible for all travel-related arrangements and expenses.
Additional Option - One day of On-Site Consulting with department administrators to Optional -
review the website and additional time for basic learners. Review website procedures. Must be $2,500
combined with on-site training above.
Objective 4: Website Deployment Optional Fee Fee
Phase 8: Go-Live and Project Review
• Launch site. • Deliverable: Final project review report. $792
• Gather feedback from staff involved in
project.
Optional: Content Fixes – This is a site review and cleanup; the Quality Control team will Optional - Add
clean up the site, correcting any issues found in pages that were created by client staff. $656
Optional: Website Presentation – One day of on-site meetings to present website to Optional - Add
stakeholders. Quote includes travel expenses. $2,200
Optional: Agenda Creator – Allows staff to prepare comprehensive and professional Optional - Add
agendas. Additional $1,500 training fee to be added. $8,500
Phase 9: Marketing
• Registration of site with all major search engines $250
Phase 10: Ongoing Consultation

• Site review and consulting • Recommend site enhancements for improved Included
• Layout, design and content visitor interaction
recommendations
Optional Fee Fee
Total Project Development Fee Varies $18,598
27
Annual Support, Maintenance and Hosting Services

Invoicing for Annual Support, Maintenance & Hosting begins four months from contract signing or upon project Go-Live, whichever occurs first.
Annual Support, Maintenance and Hosting Fee

$3,760
(Server Storage not to exceed 15 GB)
Optional Monthly Pay Plan (includes $10 monthly surcharge) $323
Annual Support, Maintenance & Hosting Includes:

Hosting CivicPlus Application & Modules Support
9 Shared Web/SQL Server 9 Install Service Patches for OS 9 7am-7pm (CST), Monday-Friday (excluding
9 DNS Consulting & Maintenance 9 Upgrades holidays)
9 Monitor Bandwidth-Router Traffic 9 Fixes 9 24/7 Emergency Support
9 Redundant ISP 9 Improvements 9 Dedicated Support Personnel
9 Redundant Cooling 9 Integration 9 2-hour Response During Normal Hours
9 Natural Gas Powered Generator 9 Testing 9 Usability Improvements
9 Daily Tape Backup 9 Development 9 Integrate New & Upgraded Services
9 Intrusion Detection &Prevention 9 Usage License 9 Proactive Support for Updates & Fixes
9 Antivirus Protection 9 Online Training Manuals
9 Upgrade Hardware 9 Monthly Newsletters
9 Phone Consulting
*NOTE: No surprise additional costs! After working with local government clients for 12 years, we understand it is very
important to stick with a planned, set budget for your website on a year-to-year basis. The Annual Support, Maintenance and
Hosting Fee helps you do just that by covering everything with one set fee. However, if you prefer to purchase a block of
service hours, we are happy to accommodate that request.
28
Optional Payment Plan – CivicPlus Advantage

CivicPlus has helped more than 500 customers nationwide launch and manage successful websites, and because of our
extensive interaction with municipal governments, we’re sensitive to your budgetary limitations, particularly in difficult
economic times. CivicPlus Advantage offers local governments an alternative payment plan that eases the impact of a new
website on your budget and spreads the one-time project development costs over a longer period of time.
Through a minimum three-year contract, CivicPlus Advantage dramatically lowers the one-time project development and start-
up costs of launching a new website, combining one-time and recurring fees and spreading them over the life of the contract.
And because we value our continuing relationships with our customers, those who extend their contract beyond the three-year
minimum will receive a redesign at the end of their fourth year with CivicPlus – at no additional charge.*
Customers who choose the CivicPlus Advantage have the option to pay annually or monthly.**
CivicPlus Advantage 1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4th Year
Annual Recurring Fees $9,959 $9,959 $9,959 $9,959
OR Monthly Equivalent $840 $840 $840 $840
Site Redesign (End of the Fourth Year) Equivalent to: $7,900
*Redesigns that include additional features not available on the original website may be subject to additional charges. Additional features
include, but are not limited to, additional modules, integration of third-party software or capabilities, additional design services beyond the
standard website redesign and custom programming for new site modules or features.
**Monthly payment option includes an additional $10.00 surcharge for processing.
29
Conclusion
As your website committee narrows the search for a partner to create the website for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage
Area, CivicPlus would like to be your partner of choice.
Our experienced and knowledgeable professionals are committed to creating the communication infrastructure that Freedom’s
Frontier desires.
• Your organization will have access to the most experienced staff in the municipal website management market, and
your project team will work with you to create a unique and engaging site that reflects your community.
• CivicPlus will remain a trusted advisor and support resource after the site launches – Freedom’s Frontier National
Heritage Area will have access to government communication experts.
• Your site will grow and change with you as industry trends and technology change. CivicPlus will ensure that your
website is on the cutting edge – ALWAYS.
We Build AMAZING Government Websites.

If you don’t agree we’ll refund your money. GUARANTEED!
30
Exceptions to the RFP

Scope of Project, Deliverables (from the RFP)
The successful vendor will provide a detailed style guide that describes colors, fonts, graphics, borders, tables, layout,
included files, JavaScript (or similar) and other design elements.
CivicPlus creates a basic styles page free of charge and accessible to your users. A more detailed, print style guide is
available for an additional fee.
Scope of Project, Deliverables (Optional Services)

Original Source code
This Agreement is not a sale of the CivicPlus Content Management System (CMS) and its associated applications and
modules (the Proprietary System). CivicPlus owns the Proprietary System and provides a right of use to the Client during the
period of this Agreement. Rights are non-transferable.
Upon full and complete payment of submitted invoices for the development of graphic designs, web content, page designs and
banners (“Customer Content”), client will own the Customer Content that is incorporated into the Proprietary System in the
course of using the Proprietary System.
Upon completion of the development of the site, client will assume full responsibility for Web site content maintenance and
content administration. Client, not CivicPlus, shall have sole responsibility for the accuracy, quality, integrity, legality, reliability,
appropriateness, and intellectual property ownership or right to use of all Customer Content.
Annual audit
Annual audit is an optional service and would be chargeable as consulting. CivicPlus can complete a brief review at contract
renewal, but there no concrete numbers are provided.
Mandatory Contract Terms

With those items specifically noted as contract exceptions, the following terms and conditions need to be included in CivicPlus contracts.
1. The City shall sign a project completion and acceptance form prior to project go-live. The date may be extended if
material system or operational failures are encountered. Immediately upon project Go-Live the final bill for the project
development services will be billable and payable, and the first year's annual support and maintenance fees will be
billable and payable. All Parties agree that the website will not go-live until the project is accepted in writing by the City.
2. Invoicing for Annual Support, Maintenance & Hosting will begin four months from the date this contract is signed by
the client, or upon project Go-Live whichever happens sooner.
3. Service will be discontinued if payment is not made within 30 days after the invoice due date.
4. Payments received will be applied first to finance charges, then to the oldest outstanding invoice.
5. If the Client's account exceeds 90 days past due, the web service may be temporarily removed from service until the
Client's account is made current. Client will be given 30 days notice prior to removal of the website for non-payment.
6. Provided the Client's account is current, at any time the Client may request an electronic copy on CD of the website
Customer Content. Client agrees to pay $225 per completed request.
7. Each year this Agreement is in effect, charges for Annual Support, Maintenance & Hosting services may be
increased by CivicPlus by no more than 5% per annum.
8. CivicPlus will provide unlimited telephone support Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 7:00 pm (Central Time) excluding
holidays, for all trained Client staff. Emergency Support is only provided on a 24/7/365 basis for emergency contacts
named by the Client. Client is responsible for providing CivicPlus with contact updates.
9. Support includes providing technical support of the CivicPlus CMS System, application support (pages and modules),
and maintenance of Client’s website. Following initial setup, additional page design, graphic design, user training, site
modification, and custom programming may be contracted separately for an additional fee.
31
10. During the period of this agreement and subsequent annual renewals, CivicPlus warrants that it will, without
additional charge to the client, immediately correct any problems or defects discovered in the System and reported to
CivicPlus by the client, such warranty to include ongoing maintenance upgrades and technical error correction.
11. CivicPlus provides online website statistics software at no extra charge. If Client desires to use another website
statistic software, CivicPlus will provide the necessary log file access.
12. If applicable, Client agrees to work with the CivicPlus Marketing Department to gather information and meet
deadlines associated with website award contest entries throughout the term of this Agreement. Client permits
CivicPlus to include an example of the Client’s home page and a link to the Client’s website on the CivicPlus
corporate website.
13. Client will cooperate with the CivicPlus Marketing Department to create a news item to be released in conjunction
with their project Go-Live date. Client will provide CivicPlus with contact information for local and regional media
outlets. CivicPlus may use the press release in any marketing materials as desired throughout the term of this
Agreement.
14. Client will cooperate with the CivicPlus Marketing Department to create a case study related to their website.
15. Client agrees to allow CivicPlus to display a “Powered by CivicPlus” insignia and web link at the bottom of their web
pages. Client understands that the pricing and any related discount structure provided under this Agreement
assumes such perpetual permission.
16. This Agreement is not a sale of the CivicPlus Content Management System (CMS) and its associated applications
and modules (the Proprietary System). CivicPlus owns the Proprietary System and provides a right of use to the
Client during the period of this Agreement. Rights are non-transferable.
17. Upon full and complete payment of submitted invoices for the development of graphic designs, web content, page
designs and banners (“Customer Content”), client will own the Customer Content that is incorporated into the
Proprietary System in the course of using the Proprietary System.
18. Upon completion of the development of the site, client will assume full responsibility for Web site content
maintenance and content administration. Client, not CivicPlus, shall have sole responsibility for the accuracy, quality,
integrity, legality, reliability, appropriateness, and intellectual property ownership or right to use of all Customer
Content.
19. Client shall not (i) license, sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, distribute or otherwise commercially exploit or
make available to any third party the Proprietary System in any way; (ii) modify or make derivative works based upon
the Proprietary System; (iii) create Internet “links” to the Proprietary System or “frame” or “mirror” any functionality on
any other server or wireless or Internet-based device; or (iv) reverse engineer or access the Proprietary System in
order to (a) build a competitive product or service, (b) build a product using similar ideas, features, functions or
graphics of the Proprietary System, or (c) copy any ideas, features, functions or graphics of the Proprietary System.
20. The CivicPlus name, the CivicPlus logo, and the product and module names associated with the Proprietary System
are trademarks of CivicPlus, and no right or license is granted to use them.
21. Client shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless CivicPlus, its partners, employees, and agents from and against any
and all lawsuits, claims, demands, penalties, losses, fines, liabilities, damages, and expenses including attorney’s
fees of any kind, without limitation, in connection with the operations of and installation of software contemplated by
this Agreement, or otherwise arising out of or in any way connected with the CivicPlus provision of service and
performance under this Agreement. This section shall not apply to the extent that any loss or damage is caused by
the gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of CivicPlus.
22. CivicPlus will not be liable for any act, omission of act, negligence or defect in the quality of service of any underlying
carrier or other service provider whose facilities or services are used in furnishing any portion of the service received
by the customer. CivicPlus will not be liable for any failure of performance that is caused by or the result of any act or
omission by customer or any entity other than CivicPlus that furnishes services, facilities or equipment used in
connection with CivicPlus services or facilities.
23. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, CivicPlus makes no expressed or implied representations or
warranties, including any warranties regarding merchantability or fitness for a particular cause.
32

Appendix / Additional Information:

Module Descriptions & Services
Proposal for:
Freedom’s Frontier
National Heritage Area
Lawrence, Kansas
Website Redevelopment
March 15, 2010
Developed by:
Carrie Broeckelmann
Regional Account Manager
Broeckelmann@CivicPlus.com
Icon Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a

CivicPlus
317 Houston St., Suite E
Manhattan, KS 66502
Toll Free: 888-228-2233, Ext. 315

Direct: 785-477-4982
Fax: 785-587-8951
www.CivicPlus.com
Additional Information for
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area

CivicPlus Website Management System ....................................................................... 3
Navigation Options .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Dynamic Layout ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Dynamic Page Components ............................................................................................................................. 4
Dynamic Breadcrumbs ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Dynamic Site Map ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Unlimited Navigation Options ............................................................................................................................ 4
Levels of Rights .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Extensive Site Administrative Controls ........................................................................................................... 5
Portal Page Development .................................................................................................................................. 6
CivicPlus Basic Modules .................................................................................................... 7
Events Calendar .................................................................................................................................................. 7
News Flash ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Staff Directory ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
Opinion Poll ........................................................................................................................................................... 9
Quick Links ............................................................................................................................................................ 9
Document Center ................................................................................................................................................ 9
Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................................................................................... 10
Notify Me .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
CivicPlus Select Modules ................................................................................................. 11
Photo Gallery ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Archive Center .................................................................................................................................................... 11
Forms Development Tool ................................................................................................................................ 12
Business/Resource Directory .......................................................................................................................... 13
Bid Posting .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Job Posting ......................................................................................................................................................... 14
RequestTracker System .................................................................................................................................. 14
Online Job Application System ....................................................................................................................... 15
Info ........................................................................................................................................................................ 16
Facilities ............................................................................................................................................................... 16
Emergency Alert ................................................................................................................................................ 17
CivicPlus Administrative Modules ................................................................................ 18
Link Redirects ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
History Log .......................................................................................................................................................... 18
Site Search .......................................................................................................................................................... 18
Site Search Log .................................................................................................................................................. 18
Bad Links Identifier ............................................................................................................................................ 18
Website Statistics ............................................................................................................................................... 18
CivicPlus Additional Services ......................................................................................... 19
Intranet/Extranet ................................................................................................................................................. 19
RSS Feeds .......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Interactive Forms and Surveys ....................................................................................................................... 19
E-commerce ....................................................................................................................................................... 20
Search Engine Registration ............................................................................................................................. 20
Maps – Clickable or JavaScript ...................................................................................................................... 20
ADA Compliance ................................................................................................................. 21
Warranty ................................................................................................................................. 21
2

CivicPlus Website Management System
Developed for organizations that have a need to update their site frequently, CivicPlus provides a powerful
content management structure and website menu management system. The system allows non-technical
employees the ability to easily update any portion of your website instantaneously. The CivicPlus Website
Management System utilizes Microsoft SQL Server, ASP, JavaScript, and HTML for web development.
No HTML knowledge is needed to update your website. If desired, HTML code can be used throughout the
website for advanced users.
With extensive web applications in place, continual enhancement and an easy-to-use interface, our clients are the
proud owners of their websites and are excited to be part of the CivicPlus community.
Additional benefits of the CivicPlus Content Management System include: webpage version controls,
customizable levels of user-rights, searchable data, accessible customer support services, instantaneous
functionality updates, comprehensive security, and much more.
Each website begins with a unique design developed to meet your specific communication and marketing goals,
while showcasing the individuality of your community. Features and capabilities are added and customized as
necessary and all content is organized in accordance with web usability standards.
Navigation Options
CivicPlus provides many different navigation structures and options. A few are presented here.

3

Dynamic Layout
The layout for your website is determined by you and the designer. The placement of navigation and dynamic
areas are important in guiding site visitors to key information quickly and easily. Our consultants make
recommendations based upon website-user studies and research on best practices.
Dynamic Page Components

Events Calendar, FAQs, Opinion Poll, News Flash and other new features may be included as dynamic page
components. Dynamic Page Components may be placed on any page and will help dedicated areas of the site
appear as its own website. For example, the entry page for your Parks and Recreation department can be
customized with specific lists of events, FAQs, and news announcements, pertaining to that department.
Dynamic Breadcrumbs
When a user visits your site, Dynamic Breadcrumbs are used to show their location within the website.
Breadcrumbs are automatically generated by the CivicPlus system. This feature assists a site visitor in
understanding the site structure and navigation.
Dynamic Site Map

The dynamically-generated site map automatically updates itself to your menu system. So if a menu item is
renamed, added, or deleted in your navigation, then the site map will reflect those changes.
Unlimited Navigation Options

We work with you to determine the best
navigation setup for your needs. Unlimited
pages can be created with the CivicPlus
system and there is no limit to the depth of
pages that can be created.
Levels of Rights
User Group
Most information is constantly changing and Administration:
needs to be updated frequently. With Establish Module
CivicPlus, each department is capable of rights for the
updating their own content. Even though Human Resources
each department can update their Group.
department’s information and web pages,
the menu structure, top of page, banner and
navigation throughout the site remains the
same.
A central administrator is given the ability to

establish groups with specific rights and User Group
capabilities to update the website. Users are Administration:
then assigned to those groups based upon Establish Page
the role they will have in updating the rights for the Human
website. Resources Group.
Users of the administrative system may be
defined as publishers or authors of the
content, or as administrators of modules. A
central publisher for each department can
then approve the pages.

4

Module,
Within each
granular security is also
provided. This allows
each category within the
have its own
module to
assigned to
user groups
update that
area.

An Action Item queue provides links to website

administrators when information is waiting to be
published or reviewed.
Extensive Site Administrative Controls

System administrators may review many facets of the website. Administrative tools like Login History, Website
Log, and Bad Links allow the administrator to review the website administrative procedures. Redirects allow the
administrators to easily establish a direct path to a page within the website.
Our unique Site Search Log offers tremendous value to decision-makers, informing them on what items are being
searched for on a frequent basis and giving insight into the best placement of this requested information.
The CivicPlus Website Management System captures and processes referrals to pages that cannot be displayed
(404 errors). The system allows the site visitor to make a note concerning how they reached this page. This
feature allows you to track down old links from other sites or your own website.
5

Portal Page Development

Portal pages are often developed to bring numerous site resources together into one central entry location.
Creating a graphic overview, the portal provides direction to a diverse group of site visitors while reinforcing your
website’s key message. Portal pages may be simple links or may be developed using animation such as
JavaScript or flash programming.
6

CivicPlus Basic Modules
Modules are constantly being developed that meet the needs of our clients. Modules are displayed according to
the client’s specifications. Custom modules can also be developed to interact with your site’s existing databases.
A partial list of our most popular modules follows.

Events Calendar
The calendar allows administrators to set up
calendar items and recurring events, and
this can be done for multiple months in
advance with short descriptions and
hyperlinks to display the details of the event.
The calendar recognizes the current date as
the starting date for the display of events
and also provides for easy navigation to Home Page’s Mini Calendar
future events. Multiple calendars are
available with customizable dynamic
categories/types of events.
Mini-Calendar: You may choose to have any page on

your site display the most current calendar items in a
special content area. This Mini-Calendar is a dynamic
page element and may be placed anywhere on a
page.
Library’s Mini Calendar
Featured Events:
Unique to CivicPlus, the Featured Events
module allows you to highlight future events
that are not scheduled to display in the current
month, allowing you to draw attention to an
upcoming event months in advance. Calendar
supports multiple views, including a monthly
view that displays all events in a month.
This is an item originally requested by one of

our clients. All of our clients may choose to
take advantage of the upgrade ideas of others with no additional development or implementation fees.
7

News Flash
News Flash provides your website with an area on the home page where “hot” information is posted. Any
department may utilize News Flash for posting information that is very timely and short in length. The information
that may be posted here might include a change in meeting location, results from an election, rainout
announcement for sports fields, and more. News Flash is a dynamic page element that may be placed on any
page. Each News Flash item has its own begin and expiration date.
Staff Directory
Providing detailed contact information for your
staff and various offices, the Staff Directory is a
tremendously valuable resource for your
residents. This directory will decrease the
number of calls requesting contact information,
and you can include as much or as little
employee and department information as you
deem necessary. Plus, Staff Directory can be
linked to pages throughout your site, providing
quick access to a specific department or
employee.
You can set up your Staff Directory so that site

visitors can contact municipal departments by
form or email, and you can even provide a link
to the department web page or give a brief
description of the departmental duties.
Employee information can include title, bio, photo, and contact links via email or form submittal. Website users
can search the directory for a specific employee by last name, first name, and by department. Employee names
will also be found in the Site Search if they are in the directory.(E-mail addresses are blocked from e-mail
harvesting programs.)

8

Opinion Poll
This module allows you to interact with your site visitors. Once they submit their
vote, they are taken to a screen that displays the total number of votes for each
choice. This is a popular module and is an easy way to keep people coming back
to see what’s new on your site.
We recommend that the poll questions be non-controversial items. The results

may be used to provide website decision-makers with valuable information in order
to make sound decisions. Also, having the Opinion Poll module demonstrates
even further the true interest your community has in residents and stakeholders.
Quick Links
The Quick Links module allows you to place links to related and often-requested information directly on the page
of your choice. The entire collection of these links is contained within the actual module, and is unlimited in the
amount of categories and links that you can provide to your users. The links can be to interior pages of your
website, to documents and forms, or to outside websites. You can organize the links by category or item and can
set them up to auto-publish and unpublish.
Document Center
The Document Center allows for a variety of file types, e.g., PDF, spreadsheets, pictures, video files, sound clips,
and more, to be downloaded or viewed by the end user. This allows easy access for site visitors. Instead of
bogging down your employees with requests for documentation, site visitors can locate the forms and documents
they need.
Your employees can easily add new

documents and direct residents to the
information they requested online,
without sending out extra paperwork.
Moreover, all files are organized by

our structured filing system of folders
and subfolders, and this features the
ability to set each file to automatically
publish and unpublish, keeping all of
your information updated and
obtainable by your citizenry 24/7.
This results in a tremendous time-

saver for your employees and for site
visitors!
9

Frequently Asked Questions
One of the benefits of being a CivicPlus hosted user is the addition of
modules and services. FAQ management was rolled out to CivicPlus
users at no extra charge.
FAQs may be added to any page and will be set up to reflect

department-specific categories for easy reference. The top 3 FAQs
appear in the feature column as is shown here, and a full list appears
when FAQ Home is clicked. FAQs also have their own search feature,
so your site visitors can easily find answers to the questions they ask
the most.
Your site’s FAQs may also be configured as a dynamic page element.
Notify Me
With this module, visitors can sign up to be notified
via e-mail regarding community activities,
meetings, and services. Users can subscribe to
multiple lists at once, and unsubscribing is easily
accomplished by simply following a link from one
of the e-mails.
An example of this service may be offered to

parents for specific sports, residents who want to
be involved in certain meetings, or people who
want to be kept informed about the results of
certain activities. This service can currently
integrate with our Job and Bid Posting modules,
and all three share much of the functionality
detailed below.
Notify Me supports HTML and plain text versions

of messages. When creating an email in Notify
Me, you can use the online editor to include your
site styles and formatting.
Messages can be sent in both HTML and plain

text versions to accommodate all email readers,
cell phones and other devices. We can also integrate text message notification with this feature, and subscribers
have the option of choosing which format and by what mode they would like to receive messages. You can set up
these notifications as drafts and set them to send to subscribers at a specified date and time. Your current
subscriber notification lists can be imported to our system, and the email lists created by your CivicPlus system
can be exported for other files.
These features make Notify Me an excellent and valuable Emergency Communication Tool.
10

CivicPlus Select Modules
Photo Gallery
The Photo Gallery module is designed to allow you to store
photographs in a central location as thumbnails and click on
them to see the full-sized image.
Pictures are stored much like documents in the Document

Center, and this way the folders maintain organization.
Pictures are limited to .GIF, .JPEG, .JPG, and .PNG formats
for best quality, and must be under 250KB each. Right-click
protection option is available and recommended for
copyrighted photos.
You can use the Photo Gallery to store and organize photo
files by department, division, and/or event. Like the Document
Center, you can store as many pictures in as many folders as
you like.
Archive Center
Unique to CivicPlus, the Archive Center was developed
specifically for minutes, agendas and newsletters. The
Archive Center allows you to sort and store date-sensitive
documents in various lists that allow your users to find the
specific document they are looking for easily and
efficiently. Archives can be searched by date, category, or
keyword.
The archive center is a huge timesaver for website

administrators. They only need to upload an item once
and the unique functionality of the Archive Center does
the rest of the work. The Archive
Center displays the item in date
order and automatically updates
the link that refers to the most
recent uploaded item.
11

Forms Development Tool
Having online forms makes it easy for you to receive useful information from your community and for your
community to complete tasks online. These forms can be used as a means for citizens to contact you with
questions, requests and feedback, or to sign-up for various events and activities. You can create as many online
forms as you would like with this module. You can easily create forms from scratch or from a template of standard
online forms. Various field options include long answer, radio button, drop-down lists, multiple choice, etc.
Formatting options include font colors, background colors, text alignment, and more (although we do recommend
that you only utilize colors that match your site template).
With this module you can preview forms as you create and edit them instead of sending it to someone else for
changes. The Forms Development Tool lets you develop every aspect of your online form with no programming
knowledge necessary. You can create a new layout or use one of the templates we provide.
In addition to being able to create your own form, you can track your forms through your website! No more lost e-
mails and sorting for statistical data through multiple emails. Any form submitted on your website can be received
via email to as many people as you wish, and/or be kept in a backend database. This data can then be exported
to Microsoft Access, Excel, or other database software!
12

Business/Resource Directory
Site visitors may use the Business/Resource
Directory pages of the website in order to find
information and links to related organizations. With
the Business/Resource Directory Module, site
visitors can search by business name or category,
and the businesses can also be organized as such—
by business (yellow pages style) or by category
(topical directory style).
The category drop-down items are defined by you

and are based on your needs and your use of this
area.
Other information such as a brief description, a link

to a map of the location, address, phone, email and
a link to the business’ site can also be provided. An
example is shown here of Granbury, TX: available
motels and their contact information for visitors of the
city.
Bid Posting
Bid Posting provides a simple and easy-to-use
method of posting bids online for those vendors that are
interested in providing products and services to your
community. You can provide as few or as many details
about each bid as you choose: provide links to upload
the full RFP package, link to related web pages, or post
other bid details like the scope of work. Bids can be
searched by category, title, or closing date and by open,
closed, cancelled, or awarded. Having this information
available online will reduce the amount of calls coming
into your purchasing, procurement, and finance offices,
and allow you to more efficiently control the bidding
process. As noted previously, this module can be
integrated with the Notify Me module, allowing site-
visitors to sign up to be notified when new bids are
available.
Like the majority of our modules, bids can be set to

display and expire on specific dates. They can also be
updated throughout the process to let the public know of
amendments, cancellations, and to whom the bid was
awarded. This type of information is very useful to
prospective bidders and community members that are
interested in a bid, whose results may impact them.
13

Job Posting
These modules allow for jobs to be displayed on the website and removed automatically with an end date. It
shares all the same functionality as the Bid Posting module, allowing you to provide as many details as you like
and link to a number of files supporting the available job. Options in this module allow the site-visitor to download
a job application and email their resume to the person/department of your choice.
The website visitor can sort the jobs by date or job type. An interested person can sign up to be notified of new
jobs like the bid announcements. The new job is automatically e-mailed when a new entry is posted.
RequestTracker System
The RequestTracker is a powerful tool that facilitates inter-office communication and workflow concerning
requests reported by residents. Citizens create a profile then log in to submit a new request or complaint, view
pending issues, reopen a closed issue, request additional information, and more. Once a profile is set up, contact
information is automatically filled in when they submit a new request. Furthermore, problems reported over the
phone can be manually entered into the system for increased efficiency. Marketing the Request Tracker System
as the primary tool for communication on problems and requests in your area will allow you to reduce staff time
spent on addressing issues by hand, and it will allow your constituents to interact with your staff at any time of
day.
The RequestTracker System makes it easy to:
9 Add comments and action items

9 Assign the request to a staff member
9 Review the history of the issue
9 Send messages to the constituent
9 Close the request
9 Print statistics and reports
9 Print work orders
Another feature of the Request Tracker System is the ability to generate statistics and reports. Requests in
process are tracked through an exportable database, and you can easily view the number of reports for a given
issue, the frequency of reports from a given requester, and many other statistics. Searchable statistics include
total requests during a particular time period, average requests per day, average time to close a request, etc.
14

Online Job Application System
We can
create
customized
templates for
this module to
fit your
community’s
needs.
15

Info
Creates an additional space on a web page that allows you to highlight important text in a compact, easy-to-
update module. The information posted with this module can relate to one or more pages. You can organize
multiple posted items by category or item and set it to auto-publish/unpublish.
With Info, Online Editor allows use of your site’s pre-
set fonts and colors, as well as insertion of photos and
tables. Important information can be related to one or
more pages and organized by category, item, and
order in which information appears on a page.
Information can also be set to auto-publish/unpublish.
You can see Info in use on the City of St. Paul’s site,
where they have utilized this module to create a
Mayor’s Corner on the homepage.
Facilities
The Facilities Module allows the site administrator to display local facilities and their amenities, and to manage
their availability to the public. A site visitor can search the facilities, review the amenities for each, retrieve location
information and reserve the facility. Site-users can search by facility type or amenities available. Search results
will offer additional options such as admission requirements, handicap accessibility, and how to reserve or make
payments. Facility Module displays short descriptions with hyperlinks providing details of the facility (location,
contact info, photographs, 360 video, map, handicap accessibility, rental availability, etc.). In addition, your staff
will have the option to allow online reservation requests and to create calendars specific to a facility in order to
display approved reservations.
The Search Screen
The Facilities Listing
The Facility
16

Emergency Alert
Emergency Alert provides alerts and notices to your community, concerning local inconveniences like street
closures, road conditions, or critical up-to-the-minute information during a catastrophic event. Graphics can be
activated, which allows you to place an alert only on the street department page or site-wide for a major disaster.
Clicking on the graphic when there is no emergency takes viewers to a web page describing how the Emergency
Alert graphic will change in appearance during a real emergency, what constitutes an emergency, and next steps
that the viewer should take in the event of a real emergency.
When the Emergency Alert is activated, clicking on the graphic will lead citizens to a page(s) with as much
pertinent information that you wish to provide. You will have the ability to create pages with your local Emergency
Management Plan and leave them unpublished, then quickly publish them when needed.
CivicPlus can assist with emergency updates to your website. Your website will be the most valuable
communication resource during an emergency because it will always remain live due to our off-site hosting and
robust data security. Family, friends, and the media want to know what’s going on and how to help in the wake of
a disaster. CivicPlus can help!
17

CivicPlus Administrative Modules

Link Redirects
This is very helpful in marketing an area of your website by creating a web address that is easy to remember.
Instead of sending your users to http://www.civicplus.com/index.asp?NID=3, you can send them to
http://www.civicplus.com/features. A more obvious link is great for print materials and much easier to tell people
how to find a particular page on the website.
History Log
With this module you can easily track changes made to your website by all of your users. The History Log Module
allows you to track changes made to items in your Page Menu, Archive Center, Document Center and more.
History Log information is searchable, sortable, and exportable.
Site Search
On the public side of the site, we supply all our clients with a
robust Site Search with advanced search features. The
CivicPlus Site Search will search through web pages on
your site, PDF documents, any module entries, and
document files. Video and sound files are searched by
name. The site search organizes the results by the type of
information (calendar item, web page, Microsoft files, PDF
documents, etc.)
Site administrators can review search words by frequency,

date, time, and exact terms used by site-visitors. This is a
vital tool for your site-users and also a means of keeping
your staff abreast of what items are being regularly
searched on your site.
Site Search Log

The Site Search Log lets you review the words that have been entered into the search box on your site. This
invaluable feature can help you determine if you need to restructure your site navigation to increase its ease of
use. You determine the date range and you are shown what terms were searched, how many times they were
searched, and the date and time they were searched. This is a valuable tool for determining what your site visitors
are missing.
Bad Links Identifier

You may not be aware of any broken links on your website, but your guests are. This module creates a list of the
broken links on your site when they are accessed. It also allows a site visitor the ability to enter comments
concerning how they accessed the page. On the backend of the system an asterisk alerts you that a comment
concerning a bad link has been posted.
Website Statistics
In order to review how your site visitors are using the site, an
administrator will be trained on the use and analysis of the web
statistics. Important information can be pulled from this data in
order to make decisions about the use of the website.
18

CivicPlus Additional Services
Intranet/Extranet
We can set up an Intranet for your site to be used by
employees or other groups that need to share non-public
resources. An Intranet is a secure location on your
website that allows employees to login and access
information specific to them.
Any modules available to the public on your site are also

available for use on the Intranet. For example, you can
use the Calendar module to notify employees of work
events; FAQs to answer questions about wages; Notify
Me to send notification of flexible benefits deadlines; and
News Flash module to let employees know of births,
marriages, and other personal events.
RSS Feeds
RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication, and in short,
it’s a way of bringing your site to the people rather than waiting for them to come to your site to find out new
information. When a user signs up for RSS feeds, they will receive notification of the latest news items as they are
released without having to visit the website.
RSS begins with downloading a free reader, like those available on sites such as Google, MSN, and Yahoo, and
subscribing to the feed. Then, as often as the website is updated, the subscriber receives notifications of these
updates at their earliest convenience.
Interactive Forms and Surveys

Forms may be created in order to gather information
from website visitors, and forms may be routed via
email to the staff member who will address the
problem. With the Forms module, you can collect
responses in a database that can be exported to a
text delimited file. CivicPlus can be contracted to
develop your online forms for you or you may choose
to develop your own forms with the Forms
Development Tool module.
19

E-commerce
The E-commerce module works on the shopping cart principle. Visitors can register for classes and activities
online, order records, or pay utility bills. A catalog of activities may be organized in a variety of ways. One of
CivicPlus’ e-commerce options is an outsourced service provided by mycart.net
E-commerce Recommendations
CivicPlus recommends that our clients phase in E-commerce in order to determine its feasibility.
¾ Phase 1 – use of a service-based E-commerce service for a catalog of items and services. Orders may
still be processed manually into your existing internal systems.
¾ Phase 2 – Integration of an E-commerce system with your existing systems.
¾ Phase 3 – Purchase internal systems that support and offer web-based interactivity for complete
transactions.
Search Engine Registration

Your site will be registered one time with the top search engines. A brief description and a list of key words will
provide search engines the necessary information to find the website. Website optimization and a search engine
registration program may be implemented for an additional fee.
Maps – Clickable or JavaScript

Help website users find commonly
requested information:
Bus Schedules
Parks
Walking Tours
Bike Paths
Trash Pick Up Schedules
Location of highways
Tourist attractions
Education Information
Major Employers
Demographics
Maps can be customized as simple,

clickable maps, or more sophisticated
JavaScript. Either one provides a great
way to present your community to web
visitors.
20

ADA Compliance
CivicPlus understands the need for ADA compliant sites and is committed to meeting these standards. In addition
to many built-in features, CivicPlus provides annual auditing as part of ongoing services to assist clients with
meeting standards as outlined by the “Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with
Disabilities”. Many features that are a part of the CivicPlus system include:
All menu items are clickable. Screen-reader software (used by blind or visually limited individuals) will tab into
each link on your webpage, including the navigation.
Submenus display for every area of the website. Many sites only have mouse-over menus that when clicked
on, do not display the submenus in a left of right navigation area. These submenus are not accessible to blind
browsers. CivicPlus offers many different navigation structures.
Alt tags are used for all images. Alt tags provide the name of the picture when the screenreader reads them so
the person may visualize the picture or determine its importance.
Site maps are dynamically provided as new pages are added. Many visually-challenged visitors and other
visitors prefer to use the site map as their form of navigation.
All documents and links can be set to open in the same window. ADA guidelines state that
links/documents/etc. should open in the same window instead of a new window. Our system gives you the option
of providing either one.

Warranty
CivicPlus provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the service that CivicPlus provides,
then you may choose to terminate the contract at any time.
CivicPlus also provides a lifetime guarantee on our programming. If at any time there is something wrong with
your website (errors, bugs, etc.), then CivicPlus will fix it with no charge. This is part of our continual customer
service, and we are always striving to improve our product and maintain our customer satisfaction.
21

Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area: Lawrence, Kansas

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area: Lawrence, Kansas

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Website Redevelopment Proposal for:

March 15, 2010

Carrie Broeckelmann • Regional Account Manager • Direct Line 785-477-4982 • Broeckelmann@CivicPlus.com

Executive Summary and Introduction

The CivicPlus Advantage – The Leader in Municipal Website Development

The Nation’s Choice for Website Expertise

Three Essential Factors of Effective Government Websites

The CivicPlus Philosophy – A Proven Development Approach

The CivicPlus Effect – Award-Winning Websites and Exceptional Results

American Association of Webmasters Marcom Awards

Company and Contact Information

Dedicated Project Team

Education 15+ Years Experience Role at CivicPlus

Education 25+ Years Experience Role at CivicPlus

Education 16+ Years Experience Role at CivicPlus

Freelance illustration business High-level skills in color

Thorough recognition of full

Dedicated Project Team, continued

Erin Cheever Amy Vikander 10+ Years Experience

Education 15+ Years Experience Role at CivicPlus

Resume 10+ Years Experience Role at CivicPlus

Grand Central USA, KS www.grandcentralusa.com

Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns, KS www.kcdcinfo.com

Manhattan CVB, KS www.manhattancvb.org

Riley County, KS www.rileycountyks.gov

Our Project Development Approach

Objective III Phase 7

Objective I: Understanding Your Audience and Establishing Your Site's Focus

Strategic Planning: Getting to Know You

Our Trained Professionals will Explore and Discover:

Five Basic Functions of Your Site:

Phase 1: Analysis and Timeline Development

Communication Goals Development

Collaboration and Implementation

Phases 2 & 3: Website Design and Navigation Architecture

Collaborative Planning and Development

ADA Compliant (Section 508)

Scope of Project, Deliverables (from the RFP)

High-Impact Custom Designs Created Specifically for Your Community

Under Development www.eurekasprings.org

Phase 4: Modules and Site Set-Up

To have a successful experience on a website, people have to:

1. Site identification (banner)

Objective II: Content Development and Page Layout

Phase 5: Content Development

• Ensured action item is near the top and obvious

Phase 6: Review and Testing

Website Planning Review

Objective III: Equipping Your Staff for Successful Website Maintenance

Page Development Training

Objective IV: Website Deployment

Phase 8: Go-Live and Project Review

Opportunities for Peer Communication and Idea Sharing

Continuous Consultation Beyond Site Deployment

Phases 9 & 10: Marketing and Ongoing Consultation

Reliable Maintenance, Support and Hosting

Hosting and Security Features

Bandwidth • 97Mbps of bandwidth for optimal speed

Backup • Tape backup performed daily

Antivirus • Continuously scan system

Data Security • Server operating systems applied as necessary

Data Redundancy • RAID Level 5 data storage array