The first phase in the development of the new website, which has been available over the Internet at its temporary address for the past year, is finally complete. We have now launched the new website officially and have retired the current site from active use.
This means that no new content whatsoever will be added to what is now the old website. The process has taken considerably longer than expected, and we should like to thank our members for their patience.
The launch of the new website is a major landmark in the improvement of ICA communications. The new website has a fresh design and plenty of visual content, and there is also a great deal of entirely new text, which explains what ICA is doing in clear and simple language. Many key standards and policy statements in the current resource centre have already been transferred to the new website, and plans are in hand to do likewise for the remaining documents in the coming months. There are also many innovative interactive features which will enable ICA members to participate in the organisation as never before.
The major change in the structure of the new ICA website is that most of the new content and functionality will be available to members only in a separate part of the website. All ICA members will soon receive some simple instructions by e-mail on how to manage the password that will enable them to access the ‘members only’ part of the website. The password will also give those members who participate in ICA governance direct access to the confidential wiki of the relevant body.
If you have any difficulties in using the new website, please send a message to this address (webmasterATicaDOTorg) and we will do our best to help.
The new website presents a much clearer image of our organisation that is intended to attract the attention of our stakeholders and to encourage new members. It also shows that ICA is an organisation which is determined to modernise through the intelligent use of the latest technologies.
I am grateful to those members who have offered advice on the project or have contributed new content. I now hope that many more members will now take full advantage of the opportunities to post new material. Finally, I should like to pay tribute to my colleagues in the Secretariat who have worked so long and so hard to get the website into its present shape.
David LEITCH
ICA Secretary General