Web Governance

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Web Governance at the U. S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development Candi Harrison Departmental
Web Manager for Field Operations September 2005
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Key Objectives

• Tie web governance to mission achievement
• Involve everyone who needs to be involved to make
  sure were successful
• Ensure top level buy-in
• Make sure everyone knows the rules and plays by
  them

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Factors for Success

• Commitment of top officials
• Organization
• Documentation
• Training
• Communication
• Accountability

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Factor 1 Commitment of Top Officials

• From 1995, web management centralized in Office
  of the Secretary
• Special projects staff
• Deputy Secretary
• Critical event Web Management Task Force
  (2000)
• Mandated by Deputy Secretary
• Objective institutionalize web management at
  HUD

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Factor 1 Commitment of Top Officials

• Top managers and web managers from every org
• Interviewed web managers in govt agencies and
  private sector
• 4 major recommendations
• All adopted by Deputy Secretary

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What Happened to Task Force Recommendations?

• Separate content management from tech support
• Completed
• Hire/train full-time web content managers
• Completed in Field, some HQ offices
• Designate Chief Web Officer in the CIO
• Didnt happenyet
• 4. Educate managers about E-Government
• All the time!

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Factor 2 Organization

• Includes top officials
• Dep Sec - chief management officer
• CIO, Public Affairs, Procurement Officer
• Web Team is part of Dep Secs staff
• Authority needed to be successful
• Web Team directs, trains, guides web managers
• Web managers classified management analysts
• Consultants, writer-editors, teachers,
  marketers, advocates for citizens, entrepreneurs

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Factor 2 Organization

• Web Coordinators
• Points of contact in every major organization
• Grass roots very important
• Carry info up and down the chain
• More than 100 across the Department

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Deputy Secretary

Director, Office of Departmental Operations and
Coordination Departmental Web Team (6)
CIO
Asst Secretary for Public Affairs
Asst Secretary for Administration
Chief Procurement Officer
Tech support contractors
Asst Secretaries (12)
Asst Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and
Management
Headquarters Web Managers (12)
Regional Directors (10) Regional Public Affairs
Officers (10)
Headquarters Web Coordinators (about 30)
Total number of people in HUDs governance
structure 175
Regional Web Managers (10)
Field Web Coordinators (about 80)
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• Factor 3 Documentation
• Policies (issued by Dep Sec)
• Documents organization, relationships,
  overarching rules
• Publication procedures/style guide
• Rules for putting something on the web
• Management operating procedures
• Roles, controls, and rules for functions such as
  marketing, email, etc.
• See http//www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf15

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http//www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf15
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Factor 4 Training

• Web manager meetings
• 2-3 per year
• Bring in experts
• Weekly conference calls
• Routine team projects, HQ and field
• Webwise internal newsletter
• Web Management - intranet and Internet
• Forum calls, workshops, task groups

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Factor 5 Communication

• Briefings at Dep Secs management meetings
• State of the Web published annually
• Memos/email to/from Dep Sec about web
  achievements
• Routine meetings with Public Affairs and CIO
• Updates to Regional Directors, Field Office
  Managers
• Tell the story - success begets success

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Factor 6 Accountability

• Top managers must certify content quarterly
• In writing, to Dep Sec
• Causes thousands of fixes every quarter
• Web management performance reviewed in annual
  Quality Management Reviews of HUD offices
• Web requirements for all managers in annual
  Management Plan

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Governance Challenges

• Changing administrations/changing players means
  constant educating
• Balancing mission and message
• Times are tight Web Managers get pulled into
  other duties as assigned
• Avoiding lone ranger syndrome
• HUD is part of larger government web presence
• Collaborate dont duplicate