A website that was hard to use
When the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) set out to improve Resilient.Mass.gov, it faced a familiar challenge in state government. The Commonwealth’s website for climate adaptation and resilience had plenty of data and expert information. However, constituents struggled to use it.
Municipal officials, regional coordinators, and consultants use the site to plan and fund local climate resilience projects. But, important tools and information were difficult to find. The site was hard to navigate, and the content was dense. Key resources were spread across different websites.
The EEA Climate Team wasn’t familiar with experience research methods or constituent-centered design. To address these challenges, EEA partnered with Mass Digital's Constituent Experience Center of Excellence (CX COE). The project was part of the Commonwealth Digital Roadmap, which calls for state organizations to collaborate on easy, seamless experiences for constituents.
The partnership focused on more than updating the website’s appearance. The goal was to improve a critical public service while helping EEA build skills in experience research, and content strategy.
A new approach to understand constituents
The engagement used a coaching-and-consulting model. Researchers and content strategists from the CX COE worked alongside EEA staff in a learn-by-doing approach. Together, the teams identified the site’s primary audiences and studied how they used the site. Through interviews and testing, they learned where people struggled and how the experience could improve.
CX COE staff supported the team by:
- Reviewing constituent feedback to find patterns and unmet needs
- Conducting a content audit of Resilient.Mass.gov and related Mass.gov pages
- Leading stakeholder interviews with EEA’s climate and engagement staff
- Running experience-research sessions with city and town officials, regional planners, and consultants
This work revealed an important insight. The site served many audiences. However, its main constituents were municipal employees and consultants. They needed fast access to data and grant resources. That finding helped the team refocus the site around the tasks people needed to complete most often.
Learning through research and collaboration
Marissa Robertson, deputy director of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program, had recently taken ownership of the Resilient Mass digital experience. This was her first project involving experience research. However, Marissa quickly stepped into a leadership role. She moderated research sessions and analyzed findings. She also helped redesign the site’s content and navigation with guidance from the CX COE.
At the same time, the CX COE coached EEA staff on plain language, accessibility, and content strategy. Together, the teams rewrote technical content so people could understand and use it more easily.
The partnership also connected EEA staff to additional CX COE resources, including the Massachusetts Design System and Communities of Practice. These resources helped the team continue learning after the engagement ended.
As the work continued, it became clearer what was and wasn’t working. Marissa identified a key insight. The site could be simpler and easier to use by making better use of Mass.gov’s existing tools and content management system (CMS).
Using research to make smarter investments
EEA had planned to purchase a separate CMS to increase flexibility. But the research showed that the larger problem was not technology. People needed a simpler website with clearer navigation and easier access to information.
After reviewing the findings with the CX COE, Marissa recommended pausing the planned CMS purchase. Instead, she proposed improving the site using existing Mass.gov tools. This decision saved about $150,000 while giving the team more control over the site. It also reduced complexity and helped prepare the program for possible future budget cuts.
EEA leadership agreed with the recommendation. They saw that it aligned with constituent needs and long-term sustainability goals.
The decision became a defining moment in the project. It showed how experience research can help organizations make smarter investments and improve services more effectively.
Simplifying the Resilient Mass experience
With a clearer understanding of their audience, the team redesigned the Resilient Mass site. They focused on simplicity and helping people complete tasks. CX COE supported EEA in:
- Developing a new site structure on Mass.gov. This focused on key constituent tasks, such as applying for MVP grants, finding climate data tools, and checking community designation status
- Designing and testing content written in plain language
- Creating empathy maps and task flows to guide ongoing maintenance and future updates
The redesigned experience made it easier for people to find information, complete common tasks, and understand complex climate resources.
Building skills across the team
The project improved more than the website. It also helped EEA staff build lasting skills in experience research, accessibility, and content design.
By the end of the engagement, Marissa shared the team’s work at Content Lab, one of the CX COE’s Communities of Practice. She showed how research and plain-language communication can improve public services and support better decision-making.
The EEA team changed how it approaches digital services. Staff now study how people use Resilient.Mass.gov, identify areas for improvement, and continue making updates based on constituent needs.
A model for the future
The Resilient Mass partnership reflects the broader mission of the CX COE: Helping agencies build the skills and confidence to create better constituent experiences.
The project improved a public service used by thousands of municipal and regional partners across Massachusetts. It also gave EEA staff the tools and knowledge to continue improving the service over time.
What began as a website update became a story of empowerment. It shows that when agencies design with constituents and work together, they can create stronger teams, better services, and a more resilient Commonwealth.