Web Governance is not for Weenies

I had a great time giving a workshop on Web Governance in the Federal sector earlier this week. It's always rewarding to spend a day sharing best practices and lessons learned with Web managers and this workshop was an especially good one. We got to roll up our sleeves, pull apart some Web governance models, and discuss what works and what doesn't. At the end of the day, the group confirmed two things: 1) just about everyone is messed up when it comes to managing the Web and 2) Web governance isn't easy. In fact, the line that sums it up best came from a participant who said, "Man, Web governance is hard!"

Yes. Yes it is.

Good, effective governance of an organization's Web presence is challenging for a couple of reasons. First, the Web likely started off as a series of ad hoc projects that germinated in different pockets of the organization. As such, there wasn't much thought put into setting  policy or enforcing standards for the Web. Trying to do that after 10+ years of unchecked growth is like trying to settle the wild west.

Second, many senior mangers have not yet clued into the organizational risk of having an ungoverned Web presence. Some choose to dismiss the Web as too technical or tactical to be given policy consideration. And to be fair, senior leaders have a lot of priorities vying for their attention, so the Web may not be seen with a sense of urgency. 

Web practitioners therefore try their best to establish policy and standards based on best practices. However, these groups lack the authority to actually make their decisions stick. I've seen a lot of good attempts at implementing Web governance in Federal agencies, but the models struggle to be truly effective. Generally it's because the governing body is too junior to set policy and/or they haven't done a sufficient job of getting cross-functional input and buy-in. The result is a group of well-meaning, but very frustrated Web practitioners and a Web presence with inconsistent quality.

Making Web governance work in the Federal sector (or any large organization, for that matter) is not an easy process. Culturally these organizations are slow to change, which can be especially frustrating given the pace of Web growth. If you're in the situation where you're trying to make a go of Web governance, here are some tips we discussed in the workshop:

1. Draft a Plan

Take the time to map out what you think the governance framework ought to be for your organization. Think through the roles and responsibilities of senior leadership and Web practitioners and draft a charter describing how these groups will collaborate to govern the Web presence. This may not be the model that is ultimately implemented, but once you have the attention of senior leadership, you'll want to be ready with a framework for them to consider. It's much easier to get a reaction to a draft plan than it is to ask them to start from scratch.

 2. Find a Champion

Identify the person(s) in your organization who has access to the senior management team and gets the Web. Perhaps there is a golden boy (or girl) who is building momentum to take on more of a leadership role or looking to make a big win for the organization. This is the person you want to meet with and explain to them the challenges and opportunities with the Web and the need for Web governance. Vet your draft framework with them and get them behind the vision. Once they are, they can help garner awareness and buy-in at the management level and position the governance framework for top-down approval.

3. Start Socializing the Plan

People are less resistant to change if they feel they've had a part in the process. I find that using real-world scenarios are a good way of explaining to folks the challenges of having informal or no Web governance and help them see how formal governance can make their lives easier.  Doing a roadshow within your organization will help garner support for the effort and increase the demand for better Web governance.

At the end of the day, implementing effective governance will take a lot of dedication and effort. Change doesn't come easy to large organizations, and this is especially true in the Federal sector. But don't lose sight of your long-term vision. A quality, mission-driven Web presence requires appropriate governance. It will take some doing to get the momentum for Web governance going, but like all good things, it will be worth the effort.