31 August 2023You may remember from earlier news items that the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) is working on a new service that will help parish councils successfully adopt, and reap the benefits of having, a secure .gov.uk domain. This will be called the Small Organisation Helper Service (SOHS).
Over the spring and summer, they have been conducting user research to understand the barriers to adopting a .gov.uk domain. Ten volunteer parish councils – some with, and some without .gov.uk domains – have kindly given up their time to help uncover the barriers to adoption and also identify opportunities for support. For balance, ten domain registrars have also been part of this process. Their collective contributions will ensure that the SOHS service will fit the unique needs of parish councils.
CDDO is now looking to supplement this user research with some additional insight from parish councils who:
- Would like to transition to a .gov.uk domain but have been unable to persuade the decision makers at their parish council to do so, or
- Have decided not to transition to the .gov.uk domain.
If either of these scenarios sound like you, then CDDO would love to hear from you! They’ve put together a short survey to help them understand the factors that informed you / your parish council’s decision. Your responses will provide an alternative perspective to the insight already gathered, and help inform the development of the SOHS
You can access the survey here.
CDDO would be grateful if you could submit your responses by Monday 18 September.
Towards the end of September, look out for a summary update on the development of the Small Organisation Helper Service – watch this space!
Enquiries about the SOHS should be submitted to Naomi Johnson, [email protected]
