Discussion Groups on Sharepoint – some lessons learnt

1. Discussion Groups on Sharepoint – some lessons learnt Janet White e-Communications Team Metropolitan Police Service, New Scotland Yard janet.white@met.police.uk

2. Summary • Aim of the Project • Skills and Resources • Problems encountered • Some solutions • Lessons learnt • Next Steps

3. Project Aim To move MPS Special Interest discussion groups (SIGs) to Sharepoint: SIG messages posted in Outlook Public folders, viewed via the Intranet browser

6. Sharepoint • To improve management of electronic information • Operating alongside MPS Intranet • ‘Discussion Boards’ for SIGs (Special Interest Groups)

8. Skills and Resources • Sharepoint Team – Technical support/advice • e-Communications (Intranet) Team – SIG Site Collection rights • Training • Financial constraints

9. Basic creation of Discussion Board • Site Actions > Create > Discussion Board • Option to add to ‘Quick Launch’ (navigation menu)

18. Issues • Management control (SIG ‘Owners’) • Default Discussion Board – ‘Open’ to all • ‘Closed’ and Moderated SIGs • Discussion board information • Default welcome message • User feedback

19. Solutions • Permission levels • Permission Groups • Versioning control for ‘Moderated’ SIGs • ‘Web part’ on Discussion Board

20. Permission Group: e.g. CARERS SIG MANAGER GROUP members = SIG Manager and Deputies Permission Level: SIG Mngr – rights = add, delete, approve, manage permissions

26. Permission Group: CLOSED SIG NAME SIG MEMBERS GROUP members = users being given access Group Owner = NAME SIG Manager Group Permission Level: rights = contribute

27. SIG Member Permissions • People and Groups > New Group e.g. ‘Name SIG Members’ • SIG Members Group Owner - ‘Name SIG Managers’ • ‘Contribute’ rights – View, add, update and delete

30. Applying Permissions • Create Permissions Groups • Create Discussion Board • Default – all permissions inherited • ‘Disinherit’ other Permission Groups • Discussion Board settings > Permissions for this Discussion Board

35. Select all; de-select those that apply • Remove permissions • Relevant SIG Manager and SIG Member Groups remain

39. Moderated SIG • Versioning Settings option • SIG Mngr Permissions include ‘approve items’ • Message ‘pending’ until approved • Option for Approver comments

47. ‘Web part’ • Static information - edited separately • Include links to Intranet site and e-mail • Accessed from ‘Site Actions’ menu • ‘Content Editor’ web part • Rich Text Editor (Word formatting)