This is part two of a four-part series on web governance. A strategy fueled by people, process, and technology. See part one titled Web Governance: Building Structure for a Sustainable User Experience.
When organizations talk about web governance, the conversation often centers on technology and processes. Those things matter, but neither works well without the right people behind them.
Every website is the result of hundreds, even thousands, of decisions made by content authors, designers, developers, marketers, editors, and subject-matter experts. And each of these individuals plays a crucial role in defining ownership, clarifying responsibilities, establishing accountability, and creating consistent decision-making processes that build and support effective, sustainable web governance.
Clear ownership ensures every piece of content has a clearly identified point of responsibility from creation through ongoing maintenance. So, the first step is to define who is accountable for each piece of content included in the web governance lifecycle.
Assigned Ownership
Each piece of content should have:
- a designated content owner (typically a department, not an individual)
- a subject matter expert (SME)
- an editor or web / content manager (this could be the same individual as the SME)
- a review date
- a defined review process
Pro Tip: If an assigned individual leaves the organization, ownership should transfer to the department to prevent orphaned content.
Accountability
Governance is about giving people clarity and confidence to make consistent decisions throughout the web governance lifecycle. When roles, responsibilities, review schedules, and approval workflows are clearly documented, every contributor understands what is expected of them, when action is required, and who is responsible for the next step. Accountability forms a shared framework that supports collaboration and consistency. People can focus on creating accurate, accessible, and high-quality content when they have clear guidance, clear ownership, and the confidence to fulfill their role within the organization's web governance strategy.
Don’t Forget Training
Training is critical for a successful web governance lifecycle. People cannot be expected to meet web governance expectations without the knowledge, skills, and confidence to carry them out effectively. Every person involved in the web governance lifecycle, from content authors and editors to designers, developers, and approvers, needs a clear understanding of accessibility requirements, content standards, organizational policies, and the skills required to use the tools they use every day.
Regular training helps teams stay current with changing regulations and industry best practices while creating consistent habits across the organization. It also creates internal experts, decreasing reliance on a small number of specialists, and enables contributors to identify and resolve issues. As people gain experience, they make more informed decisions, collaborate more effectively, and take greater ownership and satisfaction in the quality of the content they publish.
Organizations that view web governance as a people-first strategy gain benefits that reach well beyond compliance. When people are given clear responsibilities, the expertise to make informed decisions, and the support to succeed, they’ll create more consistent content, help to reduce organizational risk, optimize accessibility, and strengthen trust with their audiences. Ultimately, sustainable web governance is not defined by the policies an organization writes, but by the people it empowers to put those policies into practice every day.
This is part two of a four-part series on web governance. A strategy fueled by people, process, and technology. See part one titled Web Governance: Building Structure for a Sustainable User Experience.
Resources
- Content governance for documentation teams
- Cornell SC Johnson School of Business, Web Governance
- Government of British Columbia, Content Governance and Life Cycles
- Web Development Group – Content Governance: A Sound Content Strategy
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