Governance Model
A successful intranet relies on a business-supported governance model.
The key to a good model is adequate resourcing and disseminating ownership.
Intranets are not self-sustaining organisms. They need constant attention. User generated content and a well-set-up intranet will only take a site so far.
- Allowing for feedback, questions and comments is easy. It’s responding to this which requires resourcing. Have Service Level Agreements (SLAs) around how and when users will receive a response. Bring conversations and opinions into the heart of the intranet
- Commit internal resources to creating good content, including writing workshops or training
- There should be clear ownership and archiving processes
- Revise navigation as the site and/or organisation grows and changes
- Put a weekly, monthly and yearly content schedule in place, and make sure there are adequate resources to manage and maintain it. Staff must understand the reasons for updating the intranet, and must be provided with the time needed to make those changes.
- Create and maintain a rolling activations calendar for new features
- Schedule continuous improvement activities. The launched site is a first iteration that should be expected to change
- Define a content release schedule for news, annual events, staff accolades etc. Note - don't commit to a schedule ( e.g. for local news) if there are no resources to maintain it
- Establish ongoing engagement activities
Example of a Governance model:
The Platform Owner should be appointed from top-level management. They should understand the importance of the intranet to the business, and be prepared to set the agenda for the intranet over the long term, in order to align with wider business needs. They should be able to put the case for the platform at the top management level and be able to secure budgets required for its successful ongoing operation. We recommend bi-annual meetings between the Platform Owner and the Platform Steering Committee in order to communicate top-level agendas.
The Platform Steering Committee consists of the Platform Manager and representatives from IT, Internal Comms and any other relevant business areas. They report bi-annually to the Platform Owner, and take the top-level agenda from the Platform Owner, putting into place execution plans.
The Platform Team, led by the Platform Manager, consists of the various content owners, producers and communicators as required for the daily operation of the platform and execution of any rolling activation plans.
Also included in this team are the platform champions, tasked with promoting local awareness and engagement with the platform. The platform team is responsible for responding to user queries, and can escalate any issues to the Platform Manager, who will raise it in turn with the Platform Steering Committee. They will work closely with SMLWRLD in the event of technical issues, or if any operational assistance is required.