Aparri townsmen online portal: Sustaining access and improving delivery of key information services

J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Ontiveros et al. RESEARCH PAPER OPEN ACCESS Aparri townsmen online portal: Sustaining access and improving delivery of key information services Marie Khadija Xynefida P. Ontiveros*, Billy S. Javier, Corazon T. Talamayan, Jhunrey C. Ordioso, Estela L. Dirain College of Information and Computing Sciences, Cagayan State University at Aparri, Cagayan, Philippines Key words: Acceptability, Usability, ISO 25010:2023, SUS, UTAUT2 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.12692/jbes/27.5.35-50 [ Published: November 06, 2025 ] ABSTRACT This study assessed the user acceptability and level of usability of the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal (ATOP)- a locally developed digital platform designed to enhance public access and the delivery of key information services in the Municipality of Aparri, Cagayan. Despite increasing adoption of e-governance systems, many local government portals still face challenges related to usability, reliability, and sustained user engagement. This study addressed this gap by systematically evaluating the ATOP’s performance using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the ISO 25010 software quality framework to determine user perceptions across usability constructs, including reliability, security, maintainability, and portability. A mixed-methods design was employed involving purposively selected participants who utilized the portal’s core services. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, while qualitative feedback was thematically coded to identify best features and areas needing improvement. Results revealed a composite SUS score of 75.17, corresponding to a ―Good‖ usability rating (Grade B), and strong agreement in usability constructs, particularly portability (mean=3.98) and usability (mean=4.22). However, lower mean ratings were observed for maintainability (mean=3.20) and reliability (mean=3.73), indicating areas requiring enhancement. Qualitative insights highlighted system accessibility, clarity, and responsiveness as key strengths, while users recommended faster loading times, improved design aesthetics, and broader service coverage. In conclusion, the ATOP demonstrated high usability and user acceptability but requires optimization in performance efficiency and technical stability. It is recommended that the system undergo continuous usability testing, periodic maintenance updates, and interface redesign guided by user feedback and ISO 25010 principles to ensure sustained adoption and improved digital service delivery. *Corresponding Author: Marie Khadija Xynefida P. Ontiveros  [email protected] Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES ISSN: 2220-6663 (Print); 2222-3045 (Online) Website: https://www.innspub.net E-mail contact: [email protected] Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 36 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net INTRODUCTION Modernizing public services requires web-based and responsive governance portals for citizens to access government related information and services anywhere, anytime, and using any device. The portals can serve a variety of functions, including self-service e-portals for license renewals, tax filing, permit requests, and social service engagement, primarily to increase efficiency, transparency, and citizen engagement. The use of mobile internet via mobile phones and tablets in various sectors of the society including educational institutions has been leveraged through classrooms, and across organizations (Nikolopoulou et al., 2021). Access and use of devices to utilize web-based government portals has played significance in improving and sustaining portals. Adaptive to diverse use bases, promoting user collaboration and participation, and facilitating data understanding and explorations are central to a highly scalable use of web portals among uses for improved governance (Molodtsov and Nikiforova, 2024). However, deployment is challenging and exposes governments to the risks associated with cybersecurity, compliance needed by organizations (i.e., FedRAMP and FISMA), organizational resistance to change, a collectivism like mentality that often limits organizational performance, scant maturity models to support all other deployments, and limiting accessibility for those unserved by digital means due to the previously mentioned lack of connections and capability. There is numerous digital government service, including those in the Philippine eGov project, electronic document management, public safety alert services (messaging, push-alerts, etc.), predictive analysis of resource planning, eVoting, citizen engagement etc. Around the globe, local governments are quickly digitizing public services in the name of making them transparent, accessible, and efficient. Municipal portals and citizen-facing information systems are plentiful today, however, their standards of technical quality and social acceptability are key determinants of whether public funds are invested wisely. An online portalfor example, the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal— needs societal trust to be successful and sustainably utilized. Documented and standardsbased evaluations are needed to determine whether the system meets objective software-quality criteria, and the community will trust the system to be useful and to inform a decision that positively affects their well-being. International software-quality frameworks - such as ISO/IEC 25010:2023 - provides an established vocabulary of the characteristics of product quality to help provide direction on what to measure (e.g. functional suitability, performance efficiency, usability, reliability, security, maintainability, portability). Adoption models of behavior, such as UTAUT2, help us identify the psychological and contextual factors to predict this acceptability of use (e.g., performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, and habit). Taken together, the standards of technical quality and models of user adoption yield a holistic evaluation framework for municipal information systems (Lnenicka et al., 2025). Portals of advanced and highly urbanized Local Government Unit (LGU) are established to provide public services (licenses, permits, information) in a timely and inclusive manner. Poorly designed software can result in system outages, data breaches, slow responsiveness or inaccessible interfaces. Poorly designed software can produce failures or data breaches or slow system responsiveness or inaccessible interfaces that further marginalize vulnerable users. Likewise, even well-designed software can still fail to generate the intended impact if citizens are left with the perception that it is difficult to use or is irrelevant. On the basis of evidence gained through empirical studies of municipal and broader governmental portals, we are finding that measuring both the technical quality, and the user perspective foster systems that are credible, acceptable, and built to last. For example, studies of recent municipal geoportal and e-government studies deployed checklist and user-experiences tests to expose concrete usability issues. Likewise, development-based projects that applied ISO-based assessments documented findings related to reliability, usability, and performance that supported J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 37 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net iterative improvements (Jornadal et al., 20256; Pribeanu et al., 2010). These representative evaluations confirm approaches that agendas and health objectives are related. They also indicate that outcome systems that serve the agreements of government to employ standard quality models and HCI methods generate reliable documentation of accountability information were digital public service quality matters to users. However, no matter how an innovative solution is generally of high technical quality, it does not mean it will be adopted. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) identifies social and perceptual constructs that influence both intention and actual use, for example, performance expectancy (perceived usefulness), effort expectancy (ease of use), social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, and habit (Marikyan and Papagiannidis, 2025). Applied studies in public health, e-services, and municipal contexts that use UTAUT2 have demonstrated that these seven constructs explain a great deal of variance in intention and use behavior and may therefore be important to explore as a means of explaining why citizens may or may not engage with the Aparri portal. Including indicators of the seven constructs in the evaluation instruments (surveys, interviews, usage analytics alongside attitudinal measures) will enable evaluators to relate measurable qualities of the software to anticipated user behaviors. Additionally, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) offers methodologies and approaches for actualizing ISO 25010’s Usability characteristic as well as understanding the lived experiences of real users. Traditional HCI-based metrics includes effectiveness (task success), efficiency (time and resources required), and satisfaction, (subjective ratings). Additionally, together with qualitative methods (think-aloud, contextual interviews, heuristic evaluation) HCI-based metrics will uncover usability barriers and accessibility problems that purely technical metrics will overlook (Sørum et al., 2012). Moreover, HCI testing will inform UTAUT2 constructs; for example, demonstrably easier task completions will enhance the effort-expectancy construct scores, while enjoyable interaction (hedonic motivation) will positively impact behavioral intention (Raman and Don, 2013). Evaluations of government-facing portals that have paired HCI usability testing with ISO quality checks and acceptance modeling have shown improved recommendations for redesign and enhanced adoption after deployment. While some research has conducted evaluations utilizing ISO-based evaluations, or UTAUT or UTAUT2, in relation to e-government and public health platforms, there is still a need for integrated, contextually relevant evaluations that identifies ISO 25010:2023 characteristics and their relationship to UTAUT2 adoption indicators in municipal settings in the Philippines (Amar, 2025). Systems that are developed locally (e.g. barangay management or town portals) have been released in the past with little or no evaluation conducted post deployment against international standards and there is also limited publish evidence that connects technical compliance to citizen acceptance and actual use. This gap in suitable evaluation is particularly important for Aparri's Townsmen Online Portal, where the local context (connectivity, device mix, digital literacy and social norms) will mediate both system performance and user behavior. As part of the study, it is expected that outputs include an ISO 25010 Compliance Report indicating quantitative scores for each quality characteristic, UTAUT2 Adoption Analysis identifying significant predictors of portal use intention, Usability Evaluation Report summarizing efficiency, satisfaction, and interface issues, and an integrated recommendations for system refinement, user training, and policy support for digital transformation in LGU of Aparri. Generally, the objective of this study is to assess the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal. Specifically, it aimed at: 1. highlighting the key features of the developed ATOP project, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 38 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net 2. determining the extent of conformance of the developed and implemented ATOP project with ISO/IEC 25010:2023 software-quality characteristics based on technical testing and expert review, and 3. measuring user acceptance and behavioral intention with the UTAUT2 indicators, also performing an HCI usability \"test\" (task success, efficiency, and satisfaction). MATERIALS AND METHODS Research design The study employed a convergent parallel mixedmethods design integrating the technical evaluation, user evaluation and usability testing. Technical evaluation among experts focused on assessing system compliance with ISO/IEC 25010:2023 through expert evaluation, software testing, and performance analytics. In addition, end-users’ perceptions and behavioral intentions using a structured survey instrument based on UTAUT2 and ISO usability dimensions were used. Performing hands-on task-based evaluations with representative users to measure task success, efficiency, and satisfaction was undertaken following HCI metrics. Locale of the study The study was conducted in Cagayan State University at Aparri, College of Information and Computing Sciences, Maura, Aparri, Cagayan. Participants involved in the assessment were from various barangays of Aparri Cagayan as well as those from other towns or provinces were invited or remote evaluators are located. Respondents and sampling The study population consists of the residents and municipal employees of Local Government Unit of Aparri who had actual use of the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal. Stratified random sampling primarily includes barangay residents, personnel from the LGU and select business owners. A total of 65 residents consented to provide valid responses in the assessments. Additionally, 10 expert’s evaluators consisting of (5) IT professionals and software quality assurance specialists will conduct ISO 25010 compliance checks. Fifteen (15) representative users participated in controlled usability testing sessions following Nielsen’s (1993) and Ivanovs (2025) guidelines for small-sample usability studies. General inclusion criteria included those participants aged 18 years or above, resident or employee within Aparri for at least 6 months, with basic computer literacy and internet access, and adhered to voluntary consent to participate. Expert evaluators conformed to a required minimum of 2 years experiences along web development and programming, assessing, implementing and managing IT solutions, performed system audits. Frontline employees in the LGU whose work are into data access, management, and maintaining use of applications in the unit were included. Ethical consideration Ethical considerations on the participants’ data as well as the responses made followed the COPE guidelines, confidentiality agreements, and data privacy pursuant to data privacy act of the Philippines. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. Data confidentiality and anonymity was maintained following the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10175). Participations were voluntary, with the right to withdraw at any time. Instruments An ISO 25010-compliant evaluation checklist were developed and validated by domain experts. Although most of the indicators were proven and utilized by most research relative to compliance of web portals to ISO 25010 software quality characteristics, the study focused on the indicators designed for the ATOP. Each quality characteristic included sub-indicators rated on a five-point Likert scale (1 = Very Poor to 5 = Excellent). The checklist covers functional suitability, performance efficiency, compatibility, reliability, security, maintainability, and portability. The UTAUT2-based structured questionnaire determining user perceptions aligned with UTAUT2 constructs and relevant usability attributes focused on the aspects perceived by users of the ATOP. Each item was rated J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 39 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). These construct both adhered with HCI indicators and the ISO 25010:2023 software quality metrics. The constructs include performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, habit, behavioral intention to use, and usability satisfaction. A pilot test was conducted among 20 users to ensure instrument reliability (Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.80) and content validity (using expert review). Usability metrics were then used to determine usability testing. This included task success rate (%), completion time (in seconds), error rate (count per tasks), system usability scale (SUS) score, and user satisfaction via post-test Likert survey. Data collection procedure The ATOP application has been deployed since 2024 and modular implementation of features has been applied. With the key modules and functionalities in place covering the period of the research project, the conduct of the assessment of the ATOP project was initiated. The collection of the data comes in three (3) phases – Expert Evaluation, User Acceptance Survey, and Usability Testing. A demonstration on its use and functionalities were first initiated in an effort to provide clarity on the processes and operations involved in the ATOP. The scope of the ATOP subjected for the evaluation and assessment both of the technical experts and users were also discussed. Technical experts evaluated the system using the ISO 25010:2023 checklist and performance tests (e.g., load testing, browser compatibility). With some consented experts working outside region 2, an online questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was distributed online and via paper and pen to reach both digital and walk-in users. Participants perform test tasks in a controlled environment, while data are recorded and observed. Post-test debriefing captured qualitative feedback. Analysis of data Descriptive statistics using weighted mean and standard deviations were used to treat compliance scores by quality characteristics. Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha) were used to validate questionnaire. Thematic analysis of qualitative comments to generate HCI insights were also used. With the Likert-scale-based responses, data were treated and interpreted using the matrix below for the Evaluation of the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal. This matrix serves as the data analysis framework for computing the mean and interpreting user responses across the ISO 25010:2023 software quality characteristics, the System Usability Scale (SUS), and the UTAUT2 constructs. It standardizes interpretation of quantitative data gathered from the survey questionnaires. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The study focused on the assess and determine the extent of compliance of the developed and implemented ATOP project with reference to the constructs of ISO 25010:2023, UTAUT2 and the human computer interaction. Key features of the developed and implemented ATOP 1. The developed and implemented ATOP project includes the following features: 2. Role-based User dashboards for key offices, executive, legislative and line agencies of the LGU. 3. E-Services and transactional process of key frontline offices. 4. Functional dashboards for the Office of the Mayor, Office of the Vice Mayor, Liga ng mga Barangay. 5. Interoperability of the HEROES and BDC App. 6. Centralized database of residents and community data for report generation and data-driven decision-making. 7. Certificate generation and verification services. Profile of the respondents As reflected in Table 1, in terms of age, the majority of users (58.46%) belonged to the 18–30 age group, with a mean age of 30.34 years (SD = 1.365), indicating that the system is primarily utilized by younger, digitally adept individuals who are more inclined toward adopting online government services. Experts and service providers had higher mean ages of 35.4 years (SD = 7.58) and 36.87 years (SD = 10.155), respectively, suggesting that evaluators and J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 40 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net implementers tend to be mid-career professionals with technical or administrative expertise. This aligns with the findings of Venkatesh et al. (2012) under the UTAUT2 model, which highlights age as a moderating factor influencing technology adoption, where younger users exhibit higher behavioral intentions toward digital platforms. Ass to sex distribution, female participants slightly outnumbered males across groups, with 53.85% of users and 53.33% of service providers identifying as female. This gender balance indicates equitable participation and reflects the inclusive nature of the portal’s user base, consistent with recent findings by (Amar, 2025), which suggest that gender differences in e-government adoption are narrowing as accessibility and usability improve. In terms of frequency of portal use, most users accessed ATOP monthly (41.53%) or weekly (20%), while a small portion (9.23%) used it daily. Among service providers, weekly use (60%) was dominant, implying regular engagement for operational purposes. The key purposes of use were largely centered on information services (49.29%) and citizen services (32.31%), demonstrating that ATOP effectively serves its intended functions in local governance. Table 1. Profile of the respondents Variable Experts Users Service providers f % f % f % Age 18-30 2 38 58.46 5 31-45 5 22 33.85 7 46-60 3 4 6.15 3 Above 60 0 1 1.54 0 Mean age 35.4 30.34 36.87 S.D. 7.58 1.365 10.155 Sex Male 9 60.0 30 46.15 7 46.67 Female 6 40.0 35 53.85 8 53.33 Prefer not to say 0 0 0.0 0 0.00 Frequency of portal use Daily - - 6 9.23 4 26.67 Weekly - - 13 20.0 9 60.0 Monthly - - 27 41.53 2 13.33 Rarely - - 19 29.23 0 Key purpose of using ATOP Citizen services - - 21 32.31 9 60.0 Business Permits/clearances - - 9 13.85 6 40.0 Information services - - 32 49.29 0 0.0 Others - - 3 4.62 0 0.0 Primary Device Used Mobile phone - - 53 81.54 5 33.33 Desktop/Laptop - - 11 16.92 10 66.67 Tablet - - 1 1.54 0 0.0 Other - - 0 0.0 0 0.0 Lastly, mobile phones (81.54%) were identified as the primary device for access, followed by desktop/laptop (16.92%), reflecting the growing reliance on mobile technology for public service interaction. This trend supports the assertion by (Molodtsov and Nikiforova, 2024) that mobile accessibility is a critical determinant of user satisfaction and continued use in e-government systems. In sum, the respondent profile underscores a young, gender-balanced, and mobile-oriented user community, reinforcing the importance of maintaining responsive, portable, and user-friendly design features in sustaining engagement with the ATOP. Assessment of the usability and acceptance of the ATOP Table 2 presents the assessment results on the extent of compliance of the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal (ATOP) in terms of Functional Suitability, one of the core software quality characteristics defined under ISO/IEC 25010:2023. Functional suitability refers to the degree to which a system provides functions that J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 41 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net meet stated and implied needs when used under specified conditions (ISO/IEC 25010, 2023). This characteristic encompasses functional completeness, functional correctness, and functional appropriateness—attributes that determine whether the system delivers accurate and relevant outputs to its users. Table 2. Summary table of the assessment of the ATOP using ISO 25010:2023 ISO 25010:2023 software quality constructs WM SD Descriptive value Functional suitability 3.90 0.656 Agree Performance efficiency 4.32 0.624 Strongly agree Compatibility 4.32 0.77 Strongly agree Usability 4.22 0.585 Strongly agree Reliability 3.73 0.578 Uncertain Security 3.73 0.634 Agree Portability 3.98 0.651 Agree Along functional suitability, the results indicate that the ATOP received a weighted mean of 3.90 (SD = 0.656), which represents ―Agree‖ in meaning, reflecting those respondents tend to perceive the system to be functionally within its design and purpose. This overall review can be interpreted as the ATOP fulfilling its core purpose while meeting the operational needs of its users, primarily the residents, officials, and stakeholders of Aparri. With performance efficiency, the composite means of 4.32 (SD = 0.624) classified as "Strongly Agree", indicates that users view the ATOP as a stable and highly effective system related to performance as a whole. The strong assessment for all indicators indicates robust handling of the information technology components and user engagement design to support rapid user transactions and data interactions. The findings relative to compatibility show a composite mean of 4.32 (SD = 0.77), which is interpreted as ―Strongly Agree‖ and suggests that the ATOP exhibits a high level of adherence to the criterion of compatibility. This interpretation indicates that the portal is reliable in different settings and that it interacts well with other applications most of the time. From the table, the results provided a total mean of 4.22 (SD = 0.585), indicating "Strongly Agree". Users perceived the ATOP to be usable, intuitive, and easy to access. This finding reflects the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) principles of Effort Expectancy and Hedonic Motivation from the UTAUT2 framework (Venkatesh et al., 2012). Additionally, these findings suggest that the portal's interface and physical structure promote user engagement, reduce cognitive overload, and help users accomplish tasks with little effort. More so, the system's high learnability and operability, presenting that a user can operate the portal's functions independent of any previous technical skill or training. This finding supports (Nielsen, 1994) usability heuristics which state multi-faceted usability and engagement through simplicity and design will minimize barriers to learning and improve user autonomy. A clear interface supports the user’s ability to engage on content and actions, which (Fonseca et al., 2020) relate to aesthetic usability, whereby visual design can enhance perceived system usability and trust. Subsequently, (Ranganathan et al., 2023) found that visually appealing and consistent visual layouts enhance satisfaction and encourage continued use - consistent with the Hedonic Motivation of UTAUT2. The report of (Shneiderman et al., 2016) noted that navigation ease is central in web system usability, directly affecting user performance and perceptions of efficiency. Similarly, (Venkatesh et al., 2012) emphasized that logical information hierarchy and consistent page structure contribute to reduced user effort and increased satisfaction in egovernment portals. The reliability construct refers to the ability of the system to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time without failure (ISO/IEC 25010:2023). It encompasses system stability, fault tolerance, recoverability, and the accuracy of processes during continuous operation. The data gathered from the assessment of the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal (ATOP) indicate an overall composite mean of 3.73 (SD = 0.578), interpreted as ―Agree.‖ J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 42 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net This suggests that respondents generally perceived the portal as reliable, though certain areas require further improvement to achieve full user confidence. Zhu et al. (2021) indicated that the reliability of a system significantly impacts user satisfaction and trust in e-governance technology, as users expect a seamless and reliable service experience when using digital systems. When an application does not work, or the content is not available, it negatively impacts users and undermines the public’s trust in the government’s capabilities in technology. Al-Khouri (2013) added that having reliability with public information systems is important in maintaining continuous operations and citizen confidence in government functionality, especially critical services such as permits, taxes, or documentation. From a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) perspective, reliable systems enable positive user experience, as they tend to be less frustrating or reduce perceived risk of use. For example, Nielsen (2012) suggests that a system's perceived reliability increases the overall usability of the system because users divert cognitive resources from managing an error to completing a task. Given this, the ATOP project should consider improving the resilience of its backend systems—for example, increasing recovery protocols and server uptime—while continuing to meet ISO 25010 quality attribute guidelines and user expectations. Security is a fundamental component of software quality, defined in ISO/IEC 25010:2023 as the degree to which a system protects information and data such that unauthorized persons or systems cannot read or modify them, and authorized persons or systems are not denied access. The evaluation of the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal (ATOP) in terms of security produced a composite mean of 3.73 (SD = 0.634), corresponding to an ―Agree‖ descriptive value as presented. This suggests that users generally perceive the portal as secure and trustworthy, although opportunities for strengthening user assurance and transparency remain. Our results align with Maldonado and Cruz (2022), who stated that user trust in e-government portals is reliant upon a perceived security and privacy assurance. Even if security is built into the technology, if security mechanisms are not explicitly communicated, an end-user is likely to trust the technology less than one that is communicated to them. Similarly, Bélanger and Carter (2008) note that perceived security uniquely impacts user adoption of government online services. These findings highlight the important relationship between data protection and public trust. Ameen et al. (2021), also found that system security directly influences behavioral intention to use the technology in the UTAUT2 framework with particularly sensitive personal information or financial transactions. Additionally, Al-Khouri (2013) noted that confidentiality, integrity, and availability constitute the ―triad pillars‖ of government information systems which serve to provide both technical protective measures as well as citizen confidence. In terms of compliance with the recommendations of these security measures, the results from ATOP's assessment suggest that the portal exhibits a credible level of commitment to these pillars but can have a further positive impact by having more apparent and visible use education and transparency into data practices and use policies. From an HCI perspective, security serves to both enhance functional integrity, or usability, but contributes to perceived usability. As Nielsen (2012) states, a secure system can improve the overall user experience by providing feelings of safety and control. When users can see or read information about the protection of their data, including contextual design features like colors, visual cues, action buttons, privacy statements and even authentication feedback, they are more likely to feel confident engaging in the system. Maintainability, as defined in ISO/IEC 25010:2023, refers to the degree of effectiveness and efficiency with which a system or component can be modified to correct faults, improve performance, or adapt to a changed environment. It encompasses sub- J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 43 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net characteristics such as modularity, reusability, analyzability, modifiability, and testability. For the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal (ATOP), the results show a composite mean of 3.20 (SD = 0.605), interpreted as ―Uncertain.‖ This indicates that users perceive maintainability as an area needing improvement, particularly in aspects of system updates, responsiveness to user feedback, and ongoing enhancement. This result is consistent with the findings from Maldonado et al. (2022) which report longitudinally that the sustainability of e-government portals depends on adaptive maintenance and responsive loops for user feedback. Regular maintenance offers opportunities to not only address software concerns but to also help sustain public confidence in the system's reliability and relevance. Huang and Benyoucef (2013) similarly argue that ongoing maintenance of e-government, or any software, should include an element of iterative refinement, building on both technical audits and citizen feedback loops, as user needs and technology standards evolve, requiring the system to be flexible. From the perspective of ISO 25010 maintainability subcharacteristics, the data suggest that the ATOP sustains a basic capacity for modifiability, and analyzability—the developers can track and execute updates—but likely could benefit from bolstering their testability, and continuous improvement processes. Kitchenham and Pfleeger (2010) note that maintainability is the least talked about dimension of software quality, despite directly influencing costs and user satisfaction in the long term. A lack of regular, visible updates can also modify the perception of system credibility and user confidence. Portability, as described in ISO/IEC 25010:2023, refers to the degree of effectiveness and efficiency with which a system or software product can be transferred from one environment to another. This includes the system’s ability to maintain performance and functionality across different hardware, software platforms, and operating environments. In the assessment of the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal (ATOP), results yielded a composite mean of 3.98 (SD = 0.651), interpreted as ―Agree.‖ This indicates that users generally perceive the portal as adaptable and accessible across various devices and platforms, reflecting commendable compliance with the portability quality characteristic. Research findings emphasizes the significance of portability to maintain usability and sustainability of web-based government systems. Huang and Benyoucef (2013) note that access via multiple devices is an important user engagement with e-government services, as citizens have increased access to these platforms using mobile devices. Similarly, Al-Khouri (2013) remarked that a key to achieving successful digital governance systems will be interoperability, flexibility, and portability of the system and its engagement tools to support user access regardless of technological constraints. To address the different levels of portability, ISO/IEC 25010 defines portability with three related yet distinct concepts: adaptability, installability, and replaceability. The mean scores align strongly with portability defining a system's ability to function in different environments without significant modification. Conversely, PO2 (replaceability) had a slightly lower mean score with means indicating refinements, particularly replaceability and maintainability, could be achieved during system migrations – potentially in terms of user experience, and efficiency when updating and migrating data into the full system. Assessment of the usability and acceptability using the UTAUT2 The UTAUT2 framework was utilized to evaluate user perceptions and their behavioral intentions to use the Aparri Townsmen Online Portal (ATOP). The constructs evaluated included Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Price Value, Habit, Behavioral Intention and Usability/Satisfaction. The evaluation presents the converted weighted means along with more recent empirical evidence collected from indexed studies in Scopus and Web of Science on e-government, usability, and digital adoption. J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. Vol. 27, Issue: 5, p. 35-50, 2025 50 Ontiveros et al. Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES Website: https://www.innspub.net Krol K. 2024. Retrospective analysis of municipal geoportal usability in the context of the evolution of online data presentation techniques. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information 13(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi13090307 Lnenicka M, Nikiforova A, Wang D, Bernardini F. 2025. UX competitive analysis of smart city open data portals: Usability framework, design recommendations, and a roadmap for sustainable data ecosystems. Telematics and Informatics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2025.102284 Maqbool B, Herold S. 2024. Potential effectiveness and efficiency issues in usability evaluation within digital health: A systematic literature review. Journal of Systems and Software 208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2023.111881 Marikyan D, Papagiannidis S. 2025. Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT): A review. TheoryHub Book. https://open.ncl.ac.uk Molodtsov F, Nikiforova A. 2024. An integrated usability framework for evaluating open government data portals: Comparative analysis of EU and GCC countries. 5th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research (DGO 2024), 10. Taipei. https://doi.org/10.1145/3657054.3657159 Nielsen J. 1994. Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics. CHI '94: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 152–158. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/191666.191729 Nikolopoulou K, Nikolopoulou K, Lavidas K. 2021. Habit, hedonic motivation, performance expectancy and technological pedagogical knowledge affect teachers’ intention to use mobile internet. Computers and Education Open 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2021.100041 Pribeanu C, Marinescu RD, Iordache DD, Gheorghe-Moisii M. 2010. Exploring the usability of municipal web sites: A comparison based on expert evaluation results from four case studies. Informatica Economica. Raman A, Don Y. 2013. Preservice teachers’ acceptance of learning management software: An application of the UTAUT2 model. International Education Studies 6(7), 157–167. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v6n7p157 Ranganathan PS, Karun RS, Alawadi AM, Khamdamova VS, Rajalakshmi B. 2023. Humancomputer interaction: Enhancing user experience in interactive systems. E3S Web of Conferences 399, 04037. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202339904037 Sauro J, Lewis JR. 2012. Quantifying the user experience: Practical statistics for user research. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2222513 Sauro J, Lewis JR. 2016. Quantifying the user experience: Practical statistics for user research (2nd edition). ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780128023082/ quantifying-the-user-experience Shneiderman B, Plaisant C, Cohen M, Jacobs S, Elmqvist N, Diakopoulos N. 2016. Designing the user interface: Strategies for effective human-computer interaction. Pearson. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3033040 Sørum H, Andersen KN, Vatrapu RK. 2012. Public websites and human-computer interaction: An empirical study of measurement of website quality and user satisfaction. Behaviour & Information Technology 31(7), 697–706. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2011.577191 Venkatesh V, Thong JY, Xu X. 2012. Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2). MIS Quarterly 31(6), 157–178.