Web Governance: An uncomfortable truth (at least for the boss)

1. Web Governance: An uncomfortable truth (at least for the boss) Some lessons from experience at IDS Geoff Barnard Web4Dev Conference: November 2006 www.ids.ac.uk

2. Our first institutional website Our first web project: Eldis Circa 1996 – the early days Life was a lot simpler The whole thing was an experiment Governance was not a big issue 3-4 staff, tiny budget www.ids.ac.uk

3. A whole array of IDS sites, sub-sites, partnership sites A whole family of knowledge services Ten years later www.ids.ac.uk 60+ staff, 1/3 IDS income, 180,000 visitors/mo

4. How things have changed Then Now the organisation the organisation the website the website (s) www.ids.ac.uk

5. The uncomfortable truth • The website is becoming a crucial part of the organisations identity, profile and reputation • But who is it being managed by? A new generation of young, bright, enthusiasts Not the men in suits www.ids.ac.uk

6. There is no alternative • Senior managers don’t know enough about how the web works and is evolving • Editorial processes have to be light-touch, otherwise the system would grind to a halt • The subject experts are generally not that interested in communicating • Good websites require creativity, energy and ongoing commitment • The work has to be delegated and decentralised, or it won’t get done www.ids.ac.uk

7. Implications • Organisations are being turned upside-down, and inside-out • Fantastic opportunities for junior and mid-level staff to make difference • Senior management may not have woken up to the implications of this yet • When they do, they could get quite worried! • There are quite a range of potential risks (reputation, IPR, business processes, etc.) • So how does one make this work? www.ids.ac.uk

8. The Funders The Advisory Group The Boss especially important The Contributors The Users The web team’s dilemma: caught in the middle The Web Team www.ids.ac.uk

9. Where you want to be Type 1: Disengaged and not interested Type 2: Disengaged but supportive Type 3: Engaged and Supportive Type 4: Engaged but too interested A typology of bosses www.ids.ac.uk

10. Ingredients for a success: systems and procedures • Clear objectives – purpose, audience, role • Clarity on branding • Clarity on values • Clear editorial guidelines • Explicit disclaimers – especially for interactive areas • Simple but effective quality control loops • A challenging, but supportive, advisory group • Thoughtful monitoring & evaluation • Good user feedback channels www.ids.ac.uk

11. Ingredients for a success: the people side • Empowering the web team to get on with the job • Careful recruitment • Good training and back-up • Feeling supported and valued • Scope for personal and professional development • Room for reflection and learning • Strong support when things go wrong www.ids.ac.uk

12. The result • A strong and motivated web team that is a real credit to the organisation, and a constant source of new ideas and new blood www.ids.ac.uk