The SWFED is seeking to engage a web designer, proficient in the use of Joomla to continue the development of the Fed’s website (www.swfed.org.uk) which was re-branded and designed last year. A budget of £3,000 (inc. VAT) is available for this work.
The South Western Federation of Museums & Art Galleries
The SWFED was founded in 1931. It has a membership of c200 individuals and institutions. They range from the large local authority museums such as Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, to the smallest independently run institution such as Linton Museum. Individual members include actively employed members of paid staff, through volunteers to retired members of the profession.
The SWFED represents the museum sector in the South West nationally and regionally, with organisations such as Arts Council England, the Museums Association, local authorities and county museum groups.
It provides a range of services to members and non-members such as a biannual newsletter, conferences and a training programme. It derives its small operating budget from its membership subscriptions and specific project funding.
www.swfed.org.uk
The website is the main public face of the SWFED, a source of information about the organisation and its activities. It is also a means of communication, a source of sector news, a channel for publicity and marketing and a repository of information and guidance. (see enclosed overview)
It first went live in 2008 and was re-branded and re-designed in 2011. It uses Joomla for content management. Members of the SWFED board edit and upload material onto the site regularly.
Demand for the SWFED to host resources on its website is growing apace as the museum sector nationally and regionally is re-organised. The SWFED is one of the few organisations that has survived and is seen as the logical place to place valuable guidance and information. This material is currently grouped under the ‘Resources’ tab on the main menu
The content comes from many sources and is relevant to a range of users and applications. It needs to be visible and accessible to users who will not necessarily be accessing it from the same perspective or the same degree of knowledge or familiarity with the site.
Project objectives
The contractor appointed will work with the SWFED website working group:
- To up-grade and future-proof the functionality of this section of the website to improve the visibility and usability of the material currently on the site, and to create a framework to which additional material can be added.
- To structure and upload a collection of guidance and template documents collectively known as the ‘Volunteer Framework’, currently on the web at http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/programmes/renaissance/regions/south_west/impact/volunteering , onto the website.
- To structure and upload a collection of guidance and template documents currently in course of development, onto the website. These include material on Consultation and Evaluation, Environmental Sustainability, Collections Management and a Timetable for Accreditation.
- To structure the site to include links to a blog which will provide a mechanism for individuals to post and answer enquiries in order to share skills.
- To introduce the Joomla e-news bulletin facility onto the site.
One way of achieving the greater accessibility envisaged may be to re-allocate one or more of the boxes on the front page to advertise the resource library more clearly and provide a link to an introductory and advanced search page with drop down topic selection lists.
The resources themselves need to be grouped into recognisable categories - and the website working group will work with the person appointed to devise this, possibly using the headings in the Arts Council Accreditation Standard. The Volunteering Framework and the other, new resources itself will need to be packaged and possible have interactivity added, a bit like the Workplace Diversity material and the Forward Planning Toolkit, already on the website.
Project content
The PDF files of the Volunteer Framework already have a design identity which we would expect to see reflected on this section of the site. The material currently under development does not yet have an identity and it would be expected that we will work with the web designer appointed to develop this. Some of the uploading of documents can be done by SWFED Board members. The scale of this will be agreed as part of the selection process. Any additional copy and images required will be provided by the SWFED.
Budget and timescale
The budget for the work is £3,000 inclusive of VAT and all expenses. 50% of the fee will be paid against invoice on appointment, 25% against invoice on the acceptance of the revised structure and content, 25% on completion of the work.
The SWFED would like work to start immediately on appointment and to be completed as soon as possible.
Copyright
The copyright for the site and any designs and material produced for it remains with the SWFED or its partner organisations.
Submission of proposals
Proposals from individuals or companies interested in carrying out this work should include
- Details of experience of using Joomla
- Details of and references to similar work undertaken
- Approach and initial ideas for meeting the project objectives
- Breakdown of costs of the different elements of the brief and an estimate of the time each will take.
- Names and contact details of 2 referees from similar projects
- An indication of how soon work can start and how long it is anticipated to take
Proposals should be submitted by email by 5pm 17th February 2012 to the key contacts listed in the BRIEF.
Selection
The successful individual/company will be selected on the basis of
- Their experience of using Joomla
- Their approach to and understanding of the brief
- Their experience of working on projects of similar scale and type to budget and within an agreed timescale.
- Their availability to start work on the project immediately
For an informal chat or further information please contact Natalie or Vicky by email or by phone, contact details can be found in the BRIEF.