Overview
The Government of Uruguay has long been recognized as a pioneer in digital governance, continually striving to enhance its digital infrastructure. Faced with the challenge of unifying over 200 disparate government websites, each with its own design, functionality, and data management systems, they sought a solution that would streamline access to services for citizens, ensure security and accessibility, and improve overall efficiency. Kadabra IT was selected to lead this ambitious project, leveraging its extensive experience in Drupal development to create a cohesive, high-performance platform that would revolutionize Uruguay's digital government services.
Kadabra IT's mission was to transform this complex web ecosystem into a unified, user-friendly platform. The solution was the Gub.uy Drupal 8 distribution, later upgraded to Drupal 10, which consolidated all government websites under a single domain with standardized features and consistent design. This transformation was not merely a technical upgrade but a comprehensive overhaul that aligned with international standards for security and accessibility, significantly enhancing the user experience for millions of Uruguayan citizens. Working closely with AGESIC, Kadabra IT also developed the first CI/CD process for Gub.uy, ensuring seamless deployment and management of over 75 operational portals.
The Challenge
The Government of Uruguay, recognized as a leader in digital government initiatives, faced several challenges in its digital infrastructure:
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Fragmented Web Presence: Over 200 disparate government websites with varying designs, functionalities, and information architectures.
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Inconsistent Data Management: Duplication of data across multiple sites, causing inefficiencies and errors.
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Security and Accessibility: Inconsistent application of security and accessibility standards, compromising user safety and inclusivity.
Given these challenges, the government sought Kadabra IT’s expertise to develop a solution that would unify their digital services under a single, cohesive platform.
Solution + Implementation
To address these challenges, Kadabra IT developed the Gub.uy Drupal distribution. This approach involved consolidating all government websites under a unified domain and standardizing the design, functionality, and information architecture.
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Unified Domain
- Consolidated over 200 websites under the Gub.uy domain, streamlining access to government services.
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Standardized Framework
- Created a Drupal 8 distribution with pre-configured modules, themes, and settings to ensure consistency across all sites.
- Implemented a centralized "instruction set" for building member websites, reducing development time and complexity.
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Data Management
- Eliminated data duplication by consolidating shared resources and creating common references.
- Enabled centralized updates that automatically propagate across all relevant sites.
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Security and Accessibility
- Ensured compliance with WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards and OWASP Top 10 security guidelines.
- Implemented continuous integration for automated quality control, code standards, and security protocol validation.
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Collaborative Efforts with AGESIC
- Worked closely with AGESIC to bring the project from theory to practice.
- Designed the Drupal architecture to support all portals and collaborated on infrastructure design.
- Defined the first CI/CD process for Gub.uy, with over 75 operational portals distributed across different servers.
The Results
The project delivered substantial benefits for the Government of Uruguay:
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Improved User Experience: Citizens now have a consistent and intuitive interface for accessing government services.
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Efficiency Gains: The centralized system allows for quick updates and maintenance, significantly reducing the time and resources required.
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Enhanced Security and Accessibility: The unified approach ensures all sites meet high standards for security and accessibility.
The performance of the Gub.uy platform has been notable, achieving a PageSpeed score of 93 on mobile devices, indicating excellent performance and user experience. According to a SEMrush analysis, the site has demonstrated strong organic search performance and user engagement metrics.
Since 2017, Kadabra IT has been a leading development partner for the Government of Uruguay in this initiative.
Uruguay's digital government initiative, Gub.uy, aims to provide accessible, secure, and efficient digital services to its citizens. It emphasizes transparency, citizen participation, and the efficient delivery of public services.
Key Takeaways
Kadabra IT's comprehensive approach successfully addressed the Government of Uruguay's challenges, ensuring precise project scoping, and meeting stringent regulatory requirements.
By focusing on user needs and critical features, we significantly enhanced the platform's performance and user experience. The robust and compliant Gub.uy Drupal distribution now efficiently handles real-time data, ensuring the unified platform meets industry standards.
Kadabra IT’s ongoing support ensures continuous enhancements and adaptation to future needs, positively impacting government service delivery.