The Ararteko

Can a website truly revolutionize public service access for citizens? At Metadrop, we set out to prove that it can.

Understanding the Ararteko Institution and Its Digital Needs

In the heart of the Basque Country, the Ararteko institution—established by the Law of the Ararteko 3/1985 and regulated through the Basque Parliament—embodies the principles of independence and impartiality. The Ararteko, or the Public Defender, serves as the guardian of citizens' rights, offering a free, accessible platform for complaints and queries regarding administrative actions. Based in Vitoria, with offices in Bilbao, San Sebastián, and Vitoria, the Ararteko institution is dedicated to ensuring fairness and transparency in public services. The primary role of this institution is to investigate complaints against administrative actions and ensure that public policies align with citizens' interests. In 1985, it was created to advocate for the citizens of the Basque Country, the Ararteko needed a digital overhaul to better serve its community. That's where Metadrop came in.

Mastering the Complexities: A Stellar Content Migration for The Ararteko

The core objective of this project was to modernise and improve the existing website to provide a more functional, secure and user-friendly experience. One of the key tasks in this process was the migration of content from the old Ararteko website, which presented some unique challenges, but was approached with precision and dedication by the Metadrop team.  The process involved not just a simple transfer of data, but a meticulous reorganization and reassociation of content to create a more streamlined and efficient system.

One of the major complexities of this migration was dealing with translations. In a previous migration, the translations of contents were not created as linked translations but as independent nodes. This disjointed approach resulted in a fragmented database where translations were not associated with their original content. To resolve this, we created a series of logics to migrate and properly associate these translations. Using mechanisms based on titles and even filenames, we were able to link 2063 files correctly. The remaining 400 files were managed through another custom logic, drawing associations from a detailed Excel sheet painstakingly filled out by Ararteko’s editors. The result was a cohesive and well-integrated multilingual content system.

Another significant achievement was the simplification of the content architecture. It was discovered that there were two types of content that were essentially the same, meaning that only one could be used. So a new type was created for both; the difference that existed between them is encapsulated and preserved in the information contained in a single field. This process required a great deal of effort to merge and map the old fields into the new structure. This transformation has resulted in a more agile content management system where information is now better organised, accessible and navigable.

In addition to translations and content types, the project involved the migration of all other content types, taxonomies, features, multimedia files and so on. Each component required careful planning and execution to ensure seamless data integrity and functionality in the new system. This painstaking and complex process resulted in a robust digital infrastructure that supports Ararteko's operations without interruption.

Revitalizing Ararteko's Digital Platform

As we mentioned in the previous section where we talked about content migration, the complete digital renewal of this site was the final destination of our journey on this project, and that meant, in the first instance, moving from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10. This required updating the design to a new theme while maintaining and optimising core functionality. 

These first steps included the redesign of the site architecture, which involved the creation of a new user-centred sitemap and a well-structured menu system to improve navigation. Search functionality, central to usability, was also improved with the introduction of a powerful search engine and advanced filtering options, so that citizens could easily access the information they needed. This feature is particularly important for a public service website, where ease of information retrieval is paramount.

We took a holistic approach to content creation and management. As explained above, we migrated and simplified content types, each tailored to specific needs, but also added review capabilities to this system to ensure that information remained current and accurate. In addition, the implementation of a robust publishing workflow system allowed us to effectively manage the lifecycle of content, from creation, to deferred publication, and even withdrawal. An important improvement to the Ararteko's website was the inclusion of Vlsuite, a powerful set of tools within Drupal, designed to improve content creation and management. The functionalities provided by this suite allow landings to be created more easily, as well as customised templates, which helps to maintain the coherence of the design more easily. In addition, the reuse of content blocks such as testimonials, calls to action and headings has streamlined and increased the efficiency of content production on the Ararteko's website.

The visual presentation of documents has been improved by using free PHP libraries to generate PDF thumbnails. This feature improved the visual appeal and user-friendliness of the documents listed on the site, making it easier for users to identify and access them. By providing a visual cue to the type of content linked to, it improved the overall user experience by allowing them to quickly identify documents, reducing the time spent searching for information.

A multilingual setup was crucial due to the diverse linguistic landscape of the Basque Country. We configured the site to support Basque, English and Spanish, allowing citizens to interact with the institution in their preferred language.This was crucial for broadening the accessibility and reach of the Ararteko’s services.

Event Management was another key functionality. Calendar view module was incorporated to manage and display the website’s event calendar effectively. By systematically organizing and showcasing upcoming events, users were kept informed of important dates and activities.

Content import from existing databases was streamlined using CSV files to facilitate a smooth transition and continuous updates.

Our SEO strategies included integrating Google Analytics, ensuring GDPR compliance and utilizing meta tags and schema.org.The creation of an XML sitemap facilitated better indexing by search engines, improving the site's accessibility.

Throughout development, robust development environments on Metadrop's infrastructure, combined with a continuous integration server, ensured seamless progress and rapid resolution of any issues.

Key Modules, Themes, and Distributions Used in Ararteko's Transformation

The technical architecture of the Ararteko project was underpinned by several critical Drupal modules, themes, and distributions. These components were chosen specifically to enhance the website’s functionality, usability, and performance, ensuring that it met the high standards required for a public service platform.

The drupal/vlsuite module played a pivotal role in the Ararteko site’s content management strategy. This suite provided tools that allowed the Ararteko staff to create and manage content efficiently. 

For enhancing the site’s search capabilities, the drupal/search_api_solr and facets modules were indispensable. These modules harness the power of Apache Solr to provide robust search indexing. With these tools, the Ararteko website could deliver fast and highly accurate search results, significantly improving the user experience. The facets functionality added another layer of sophistication by enabling advanced filtering options. Users could easily narrow down their search results based on various criteria, helping them find the information they needed quickly and efficiently. 

Understanding user behaviour and website performance is critical for ongoing optimisation, so integrating the drupal/google_analytics and drupal/google_tag modules was essential. These tools provided detailed insights into how users interacted with the site, allowing for continuous improvement of the site to better serve the public.

Managing and displaying events is an integral part of the Ararteko website, and the drupal/calendar_view module was the perfect solution for this requirement. This module allowed the institution to organize and showcase upcoming events in a systematic and user-friendly manner.

Maintaining the integrity and performance of the site was crucial, and the drupal/xray_audit module provided the necessary tools for this purpose. This module offered comprehensive site auditing capabilities, allowing the Ararteko team to monitor performance and identify potential issues proactively. By continuously auditing the site, the team could ensure that any problems were addressed before they impacted the user experience. This level of proactive maintenance helped maintain the high standards expected of a public service portal.

The drupal/webform module was essential for creating and managing various forms required for citizen engagement and feedback collection. This module offered unparalleled flexibility and customization options, allowing the development of forms that could meet specific needs. 

Finally, the drupal/media_pdf_thumbnail module was critical for improving the visual representation of documents on the site. This module generated thumbnails for PDF files, making them more accessible and visually appealing in listings.

5 key reasons why Drupal is the right choice for The Ararteko

The decision to use Drupal for the Ararteko website was driven by several key factors that make Drupal an ideal Content Management System (CMS) for a public institution with comprehensive requirements.

• Modular Structure: One of Drupal's standout features is its modular design. This modular system permits incremental development, which means new functionalities can be added over time without disrupting existing services. For a public service platform, this is invaluable as it ensures continuity and stability while allowing for growth and enhancements.
• Robust Content Management: Drupal excels in content management, offering robust tools to handle complex content workflows, multiple content types, and advanced taxonomy systems. This is crucial for the Ararteko institution, which deals with a vast amount of varied information that needs to be organized, categorized, and easily accessible.
• Security: Security is non-negotiable, especially for a public service portal handling sensitive citizen information. Drupal has a strong track record of security with built-in features that protect against common vulnerabilities, regular security updates, and a proactive community that continuously audits and improves security measures.
• Multilingual Support: The diverse linguistic landscape of the Basque Country necessitates a multilingual platform. Drupal's built-in multilingual capabilities make it straightforward to create and manage content in multiple languages, providing seamless support for Basque, Spanish, and English.
• SEO-Friendly: An effective public service website must be easily discoverable via search engines. Drupal's SEO-friendly features, such as customizable meta tags, clean URLs, and integration with SEO modules, ensure that the Ararteko website is optimized for search engines, helping constituents find the information they need quickly.

By opting for Drupal, the Ararteko institution could ensure a robust, scalable, and secure website that would meet its current needs while being adaptable for future requirements.

The Ararteko: A state-of-the-art digital platform

Our collaboration with the Ararteko institution has resulted in a state-of-the-art digital platform that enhances citizen access to public services. From upgrading the system architecture to ensuring multilingual support and optimizing for SEO, our comprehensive approach has allowed the Ararteko to fulfill its mission more effectively.

Are you looking to revolutionize your organization’s digital presence as we did for Ararteko? Our expertise in Drupal development can provide the robust, flexible, and user-friendly solutions you need. Contact us today, and let's build something extraordinary together.