Website Management and Governance
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Milestone 4.2 of the Digital Government Strategy tasks agencies to "establish an agency-wide governance structure for developing and delivering digital services." The OMB-led Digital Services Advisory Group worked with the Federal CIO and Web Managers Councils to develop recommendations for agencies to stand up effective digital services governance structures. The Advisory Group released its Digital Services Governance recommendations in August 2012, highlighting opportunities for agencies to deliver better services at a lower cost. The recommendations are intended to help agencies develop or strengthen their governance structures across all three layers of digital services: information, platform, and presentation. |
What It Is
Web governance is the structure of people, policies, and processes that manage an agency's website(s). Web governance also defines strategies, roles and responsibilities, policies and procedures, and organizational structures.
Why It's Important
The purpose of a government website is to accomplish a goal in support of an agency's mission. Government websites may also support cross–agency or site–specific missions (such as ready.gov or data.gov). Good Web governance helps achieve the mission by providing the organizational structure for people, policies, and processes.
How to Implement
Consider the Digital Services Governance recommendations when implementing digital services at your agency.
For agency websites, clear Web governance helps you define how your website contributes to agency mission, how your team is staffed and organized, and how content is managed:
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A governance strategy helps you develop and guides you to your goals
Governance self-assessment checklist (PDF, 19 KB, 1 page, August 2008) - Web governance documents are your plans for achieving your website's mission
- Every Web team needs organization and management
- Roles and responsibilities define who does what (along with position descriptions for Web staff)
- Web policies and procedures guide your Web team's work and work processes, including emergency planning
Examples
The resources in this section showcase how U.S. government agencies, and state and local governments, are managing their digital assets.
- HowTo.gov Website Governance document (PDF, 2.1 MB, 65 pages, March 2012)
- DHS Security Web Governance Case Study
- DoE Web Council Case Study
- EPA Web Governance
- HUD Web Management Operating Procedures (PDF, 182 KB, 25 pages, January 2012)
- ED.gov Management and Publishing Policies
- EERE Communication Standards & Guidelines for Websites
- Mass.gov Web governance guidelines
- City of St. Louis website governance definition
Resources
- Website governance definition at Wikipedia
- Meet Content—higher education content strategy
Content Lead:
Robert Jacoby
Page Reviewed/Updated: November 26, 2012