Most organisations cannot confidently identify who is the current intranet owner.
As with most intranets, long-term success is simply impossible to achieve without a clearly defined ownership and management structure. Intranet governance provides clarity and rules, specifically the titles, roles, and responsibilities of its owners, managers, stakeholders, and contributors.
Guidelines for managing an intranet (governance) are often overlooked, despite being one of the most important aspects of the digital workplace.
Governance is concerned with all processes required for intranet development and management. Furthermore, it governs how (parts of) the intranet are used within the organisation. Even if the platform works intuitively and appears to manage itself, it is critical to understand that the intranet will never be a success without some form of official management.
The initial step is to establish roles and responsibilities. This can be a difficult topic to discuss. Intranet ownership is frequently a source of contention within organisations. This is frequently claimed by the communications department, but the IT department also sees itself in this capacity.
However, there is no single owner. Instead, there is an intranet team comprised of intranet development and management experts. Employees in functional and technical management roles, as well as project managers, content owners, and the (management) sponsor, are frequently included.
An information strategy specifies where information is generated, shared, and disseminated. This identifies who generates the information, who reviews it, and when it is published. It also identifies the intranet goals of various functions.
As an example, consider the following:
How do we store information on the intranet? Is this a prerequisite?
To avoid misunderstandings, the information strategy should be clearly written and actively promoted to intranet users. The strategy assists the intranet team in keeping the platform current and provides clear direction. As a result, information strategy is a critical component of intranet management.
One of the most significant benefits of the intranet is that the user has access to accurate, relevant, and timely information. This data makes the platform more social, informative, and relevant. It is critical not to undervalue this and to define who is authorised to post information on the intranet.
The intranet is created by your employees. As a result, it is critical that the governance model does not limit or frustrate them. Give employees a say by providing a space for them to provide feedback. Giving them a say in how the intranet operates will also ensure that they participate in its ongoing development and improvement.
Communication and collaboration are essential. When both of these are stimulated, the platform expands and employee interest in the intranet grows in unison.
Governance is highly valuable because of its practicality and transparency. The easier it is for everyone to understand the process, the easier it will be to manage the site.