At the start of any new intranet project there are often clear goals and objectives. At the very least these goals may be simply to address the most pressing issues of communication that are affecting the business at this time.
As the project gains momentum the intranet is created and the excitement of the promised solution increases. What’s often forgotten or even marginalised is the need to think about how the intranet is going to be governed and held accountable for achieving these goals.
A good governance policy should address six key questions:
- What are the objectives of the intranet?
- What roles are needed and what are their responsibilities?
- What intranet standards and processes do we have?
- How do we form and maintain good intranet practice?
- What happens when people break these guidelines?
- How do we improve the use and usability of the intranet on a regular basis?
Notice the continuous nature of these questions. How do we form and maintain good practice, improve the use and usability on a regular basis?
Governance isn't just about a management structure, it is also concerned with the ongoing quality of content and the user experience on the intranet.
But why define governance at all?
You have a project sponsor and/or an intranet manager, isn't this enough? For a small organisation where the intranet is a tool to communicate AT employees, maybe. But modern intranets (or should I say modern employees) want to collaborate, sharing knowledge and beginning discussions.
A good intranet therefore needs a regular injection of (engaging) content. Governance not only helps contributors understand the boundaries of this communication, but also helps employees get recognised for their contribution. This helps ensure that intranet contributions move from being a hobby to a key element in the achievement of an organisation’s business objectives.
If you need to create an intranet governance policy for your organisation's intranet, download our free intranet governance policy guide that’s packed full of examples for you to get started with right away
