Management of your website - Web service management

A team of people will be responsible for ensuring that the website achieves its strategic aims. It does this through:

• measuring achievement against overall aims and objectives set by the organisation

• effective website operation

• effective content provision

This team should consist of people with a mix of publication, web and project management skills. A senior web manager is recommended to manage the team and ensure it carries out its tasks. A further division of labour between content and technical responsibilities is likely.

Meeting overall aims and objectives

Clear, formal and regular progress reports against the aims and objectives are recommended to ensure that:

• ongoing and proposed new developments for the website have been measured against the objectives, costed to ensure the best value and considered in relation to corporate developments;

• a business case has been prepared and approved to ensure sufficient resources (financial, time and people) have been allocated;

• projects for delivery are being managed within agreed tolerances (again tied to the business case).

Reports need not be onerous, with the emphasis being on reporting by exception. They will help inform the broader organisation of progress and give stakeholders the opportunity to raise concerns, issues and/or new developments.

The benefits of this process are:

• it provides a way to ensure continued adherence to delivery against set objectives;

• open and clear communication on developments throughout the organisation;

• accountability for development work against clearly defined resource limits;

• reduced risks on overlaps, duplication and failure to deliver against expectations.