Web Site Development and Standards Review Process

In order to meet policy guidelines issued by HHS and the Federal government, all web sites will need to be converted to, or created within, the new IHS template design and go through a final review process to meet or exceed the HHS/IHS standards and guidelines and the Section 508 standards.

Whether you have been assigned to update and/or maintain an existing web site or will be creating a new web site for your department, you will need to work closely with your Account Representative. The process outlined below is only intended to serve as a general overview for getting your web site project developed and posted to the live server.

Phase 1:   Development Process

New Website Development:

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Step 1:

To establish a new web site account, fill out the Web Site Request Form (WORD 144 k) and submit the form to the Contact Person. The Contact Person's information is the last item listed on the form.

An Account Representative (Account Rep) will be assigned to the account and will meet with the designated Content Manager (CM) to review the site's purpose, requirements, and location within the IHS website.

The Account Rep will be responsible for creating the website's share folder and will coordinate with the Server Administrator to provide the CM with the necessary permission to access the share folder on the development server.

Step 2:

The Account Rep will then copy three template files into the account's share folder and set up the initial site structure if necessary.

When possible, the Account Rep will meet in person with the CM to provide a “walk-thru”. In this meeting, the Account Rep will map out a drive (in Window's Explorer) to the account's share folder, this will allow the CM to access their website files on the development server. The Account Rep will also provide a detailed overview of the template file structure and provide a detailed explanation of the file’s .html code and how to manipulate it.

(Note: On specific occasions, the Account Representative may build the web site for the CM.)

Step 3:

After the initial "walk-thru", the CM should have enough information to build website pages with assistance from the Account Rep as needed. (Note: On specific occasions, the Account Representative may build the web site for the CM.)

Web pages can be built on your local hard drive or directly from the development server. If you develop on your local hard drive (or desktop), consider that you will not be able to see the IHS header or footer until the files have been copied to the development server. The template files will only work on the development server. If you decide to develop web pages directly from the development server, consider that it will be significantly slower to create, save, or move files, depending on your network connection and network traffic. Another option may be to update your site using Contribute, which provides a way to integrate editing on your local machine and posting easily and quickly to the development server.

Regardless of where the initial web pages are created, remember to test all newly created web pages on the browser to assure that the web page works properly and that the layout is correct. Testing on the browser is the ONLY way to be 100% sure that the web page has been formatted correctly and that all the template components are working properly.

Step 4:

After the CM has completed the website development, the website will be submitted for review to assure that it meets or exceeds the HHS/IHS standards and guidelines and the Section 508 standards, as outlined below in PHASE 2.

Development Process for an Existing Website:

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Step 1:

Depending on the existing website's documents, structure, and functionality, etc., each existing website has very specific issues. Therefore, the conversion process is customized to address these issues on an individual basis.

A meeting will be scheduled and the Account Rep will coordinate and work closely with the CM to determine the site's requirements.

(Note: On specific occasions, the Account Representative may convert the web site for the CM.)

Step 2:

Once the requirements are determined, the Account Rep will then copy three template files into the account's share folder and set up the initial site structure if necessary.

When possible, the Account Rep will meet in person with the CM to provide a “walk-thru”. In this meeting, the Account Rep will map out a drive (in Window's Explorer) to the account's share folder, if a drive does not already exist. The Account Rep will also provide a detailed overview of the template file structure, provide a detailed explanation of the file’s .html code and how to manipulate it, as well as, demonstrate how to copy content from the "old" website pages to the new template web pages.

Step 3:

After all the webpages have been converted from the "old" website to the new template design, the newly "templated" website will be submitted for review to assure that it meets or exceeds the Section 508 and IHS Standards, as outlined below in PHASE 2.

Phase 2: Section 508 Review Process

Step 1:

The Account Rep will do a preliminary review of the web site pages and all associated files for the web site to check for adherence to HHS/IHS standards and guidelines and the Section 508 Standards.

If the web site requires any adjustments, the Account Rep will coordinate with the CM on the corrections that need to be made.

(Note: On specific occasions, the Account Representative may make minor corrections for the CM.)

Step 2:

Once the corrections have been made, the Account Rep will contact the IHS 508 Coordinator for the final review.

You will be able to post your site to production during the time the IHS 508 Coordinator runs the web site through several software applications specifically tailored to check for Section 508 Accessibility. The Account Rep will be notified if further adjustments are required.

The Account Rep will continue to coordinate with both the IHS 508 Coordinator and the web site's CM until the IHS 508 Coordinator gives final approval for adherence to HHS/IHS standards and guidelines and the Section 508 standards.

Step 3:

The Account Rep will then notify the CM of the site's approval and will provide a "walk-thru" on how to access and post files onto the IHS Stage Server.

(Note: On specific occasions, the Account Representative may post the web site for the CM.)

Once the site has been posted to the stage server, the web site will be "live" and available on the Internet the following day.

Special Note: This process also applies for any web site accounts on the Intranet.