Structure and contacts on institutional websites
The Structure and Contacts section is one of the most practical areas of any public sector website. It helps residents, businesses, partner organisations and oversight bodies understand how an institution is organised, who is responsible for key decisions, and how to make contact efficiently. For EU public sector institutions, this section also supports transparency, accountability and good administration.
A well-designed section should do more than publish a list of names and phone numbers. It should present information in a clear, accessible and regularly maintained format so that users can quickly find the right person, department or service. It should also be structured in a way that supports accessibility requirements, data protection obligations under GDPR, and broader public sector compliance expectations.
Management structure and leadership information
Institutional websites should include a clear organisational structure, ideally supported by a visual chart that shows reporting lines and key functions. This helps users understand how the institution operates and where decisions are made, which is especially important in larger ministries, agencies, municipalities and regulatory bodies.
Where appropriate, the website may also include photographs and short biographies of senior leaders. These profiles should focus on official responsibilities, professional background and areas of competence, while avoiding unnecessary personal data. The presentation should be consistent, easy to update and accessible to screen reader users.
Meetings and transparency of official activity
If the institution publishes information about planned meetings involving the head of the institution, deputy heads or other senior officials, this information should be presented in a clear and timely way. Useful details may include the purpose of the meeting, the date and time, and the participating organisations or stakeholders.
For public institutions, publishing this information can strengthen trust and demonstrate openness in decision-making. Where advance publication is not possible, a short summary published afterwards can still support transparency. Any publication of meeting information should be reviewed carefully to ensure compliance with confidentiality obligations, security considerations and GDPR.
Employee directory and contact details
A searchable staff directory is often essential for users who need to contact the correct official or team. This should normally include the employee’s name, job title, telephone number and institutional email address, or a clear explanation of the institution’s email format if direct publication is not appropriate.
For public sector organisations, the directory should be designed to balance openness with privacy and security. Only work-related contact information should be published, and institutions should avoid displaying unnecessary personal data. It is also good practice to provide functional contact points, such as team inboxes, for continuity and service resilience.
Roles, responsibilities and position requirements
Users should be able to understand who does what within the institution. Publishing the roles and responsibilities of employees or teams helps residents and partner organisations direct their enquiries correctly and reduces delays caused by misrouted requests.
Where relevant, institutions may also publish information about the requirements attached to particular positions, especially for senior or specialist roles. This can support transparency in public administration and provide context for recruitment, governance and accountability arrangements.
Public information required by employment and performance rules
Institutions should ensure that any information that must be made public under applicable civil service, employment or performance management rules is available in this section or linked clearly from it. Rather than referring users to internal legal terminology, the website should explain the information in plain language and show why it is published.
This is particularly important for public sector decision-makers who want websites to remain compliant without becoming difficult to use. Legal publication duties should be integrated into the website structure in a way that is understandable for the public and manageable for internal teams.
Reception details and general contact information
The website should clearly display the institution’s reception hours, main telephone number, general email address and other official contact channels. If the institution still uses fax for formal administrative processes, this may also be included where relevant.
These details should be easy to find on both desktop and mobile devices. Public bodies should also consider accessibility by ensuring that contact information is readable, keyboard accessible and not embedded only in images or inaccessible documents.
Administrative divisions and areas of activity
If the institution has departments, units or regional offices, the website should explain the purpose of each administrative division. Users should be able to see which division is responsible for policy, service delivery, inspections, finance, communications or other core functions.
This improves navigation and helps external stakeholders understand the institution’s internal structure. It is particularly useful for complex organisations where responsibilities are distributed across multiple teams or locations.
Related institutions and service providers
Where relevant, the section should also include information about other institutions within the organisation’s area of responsibility, especially those that provide public or administrative services. This helps users move easily between connected bodies and reduces confusion about which institution handles which service.
For EU public sector websites, this is especially valuable where responsibilities are shared across ministries, agencies, inspectorates or municipal entities. Clear linking between institutions supports better service journeys and a more coherent digital public sector experience.
Committees and working groups
Information about committees, boards and working groups can help explain how specific issues are managed within the institution. Where these bodies play a role in governance, policy development or implementation, the website should outline their purpose, membership approach and scope of activity.
This does not need to be overly detailed, but it should be sufficient to show how decisions are prepared and who is involved. As with other published information, institutions should review content regularly to ensure it remains accurate and compliant.
Practical implementation considerations
To keep the Structure and Contacts section effective, institutions should assign clear ownership for updates and establish a review schedule. Out-of-date contact details quickly undermine trust and create avoidable administrative burden.
It is also important to ensure that this section meets accessibility requirements, including proper heading structure, meaningful link text and compatibility with assistive technologies. Where personal data is published, institutions should document the legal basis, apply data minimisation principles and ensure GDPR compliance. In practice, the best results come from treating this section not as a static compliance page, but as a core public service tool that supports transparency, efficiency and better communication.