Digital governance provides an informal yet formalized structure for overseeing all of your organization’s digital properties and assets, including ownership, accountability, and policies regarding them all.
Digital governance in your organization requires all employees to comprehend its policies and be willing to adhere to them, which can be accomplished through training programs or other educational opportunities.
Content Management
As content is created, stored, and distributed across channels, a strong governance model ensures consistency, compliance, and control. A good model will clearly communicate the specific protocols and standards governing content processes while serving as an opportune vantage point from which to identify opportunities for optimization.
Content Governance models that excel will include clear documentation on who can create or edit content, what guidelines exist, and the procedures for requesting changes. These documents should be widely distributed among team members as a resource for decision making.
Many companies utilize content management systems (CMSs) to aid with content governance. These platforms combine features of web content management, enterprise content management and digital asset management into one flexible and engaging solution for modern workplace. The best CMSs also come equipped with tools that facilitate team collaboration productively across distributed environments – which makes content governance key in allowing teams to work securely together on any device.
Accessibility
Digital governance must prioritize digital accessibility and inclusion. As government websites and services increasingly become portals for public administration, compliance with The Rehabilitation Act Section 508 guidelines alone shouldn’t suffice; accessibility should be embedded into all new systems and content being designed from day one.
Accessibility can be a challenging endeavor when digital technologies and devices vary significantly in their ability to meet individual needs. Furthermore, organizations must adapt their culture in order to incorporate accessibility as an integral component of design rather than adding it as an afterthought.
Government agencies face an even higher legal risk should they fall afoul of federal digital accessibility guidelines, meaning any violation could lead to funding being withheld entirely. Therefore, making accessibility part of their governance structure and providing training on accessibility practices to content creators are both key steps toward adhering to rules.
Security
Security is an integral component of digital governance and should be treated as such. Appropriate cybersecurity protocols can protect sensitive data against breaches while protecting against threats to an organization’s reputation and minimize damage caused by breaches. Furthermore, these plans should include an efficient response plan in case any threats emerge that require swift action from management.
As well, it is imperative to provide all employees with an extensive training program, and incentivize good security behavior by linking quarterly metrics related to audit findings, policy compliance and other governance programs to departmental bonuses – this will help ensure all departments work cohesively towards safeguarding your company’s valuable information.
BoardEffect and similar secure collaboration technologies should also be used to protect all board documents, to avoid their being exposed via email attachments and links, downloaded onto insecure devices or leaked onto public networks. All board members and staff should also communicate within this secure platform rather than via emails or other unprotected platforms.
Compliance
Digital governance must be an adaptable system that keeps pace with ever-evolving technologies and platforms, communication strategies, organizational requirements and evolving communication strategies. An established policy framework also keeps companies agile enough to respond swiftly when market conditions shift or evolve.
Legal compliance requirements vary based on your organization. Medical institutions and government agencies, for example, often need to abide by more stringent data protection regulations that need to be considered when developing digital governance frameworks.
An effective governance structure clarifies who is accountable for managing a federal website’s content, design, technical infrastructure, security, funding and product/project/program management. Furthermore, this structure fosters transparency and accountability by setting content standards; improving public trust while creating better online experiences is the ultimate goal.