Intranet governance covers the policies, roles and processes that keep a company intranet running well over time. It shapes how decisions are made, who owns what content, and how the platform evolves as your organisation changes.
Intranet governance is the set of policies, roles and processes that guide how a company intranet is managed, updated and used. Good governance keeps content accurate, permissions clear and the platform aligned with business goals across every team and location.
The topic has a reputation for being dry. In practice, it has people and their needs at its centre. Discover what it means and intranet governance best practices to follow for your own intranet governance policy.
According to Gartner research, poor governance is the top reason intranets fail to achieve full effectiveness. It outranks technical failures, poor design and low adoption as the primary risk factor for platforms that underdeliver. (Gartner)
What is Intranet Governance?
Governance refers to policies and structures regarding decision-making. Without governance, a country or company will flounder and have trouble meeting its goals. The same is true of a business intranet.
For an intranet governance model to be successful, it must embody several key components:
- Establish each key policy and decision about intranet structure and objectives.
- Communicate these decisions in a clear and concise way.
- Decide who will implement intranet governance on an ongoing basis.
Staff and business needs change over time. While your intranet may be valuable when it launches, it needs to evolve with those changing needs.
Governance behind the scenes should also be reflected in the intranet pages and the overall structure itself. From clean, clear site design to easily navigable page layouts, menus, guides and content, the goal of intranet governance is ultimately to benefit each user. Purpose and function should be clear, as should the ownership of the elements and content featured within the system. Parameters for what is acceptable (and what is not) during use should also be clear.
Well-designed intranets with proper governance seem to run themselves. While self-regulation is one dimension of effective intranets, this is first set into motion with effective governance and kept on track with ongoing management. The intranet community is supported by a solid underlying structure that keeps everything in line with its stated goals and purposes.
Related reading: 4 Phases of a Successful Intranet Adoption Strategy
What Makes an Intranet Governance Strategy Effective?
An effective intranet governance strategy addresses scope, roles, procedures and how decisions will be implemented. Your strategy should be a living document, not a one-time setup exercise.
The main decisions pertaining to intranet content management that must be addressed at the outset include:
Related reading: 7 Things Your Intranet Needs to Be Successful
Which Governance Model Is Right for Your Organisation?
Before setting up roles and workflows, it helps to decide which content management model your organisation will follow. There are three common approaches, each with different trade-offs.
| Model |
How it works |
Best for |
Watch out for |
| Centralised |
All content goes through a central team for approval before publishing |
Organisations that need tight brand and compliance control |
Slower production cycles; bottlenecks when the central team is stretched |
| Decentralised |
Departments create and publish their own content freely |
Large organisations with mature content creators across teams |
Inconsistent quality; content audits become more demanding |
| Hybrid |
A central team controls official content; departments manage their own areas within set guidelines |
Most mid-to-large Australian organisations |
Requires clear guidelines on which content goes through which path |
The hybrid model works well for most organisations. It keeps official communications accurate and on-brand while giving teams enough freedom to keep their own areas current without waiting for central approval.
Intranet Governance Best Practices
Good intranet governance gives your platform the structure it needs to stay useful as your organisation grows. Here are 12 components and best practices to consider when building your intranet governance framework from the outset.
1. Clarify Intranet Focus and Purpose
This foundational step is crucial for ensuring the success of the intranet as both a project and an ongoing journey. To achieve this, businesses should align their intranet strategy with the company's mission statement and consider how the intranet will enhance the workplace both socially and operationally.
- Alignment with Company Mission: Ensure that the intranet's objectives are in harmony with the overarching mission and values of the organisation. This alignment will foster a cohesive and unified approach to achieving business goals.
- Operational Improvement: Identify specific ways in which the intranet can streamline processes, enhance productivity, and facilitate efficient communication. This may include features such as document management systems, collaborative tools, and centralised information repositories.
- Social Enhancement: Consider how the intranet can foster a sense of community and improve employee engagement. This could involve social features such as forums, employee recognition programs, and interactive elements that encourage participation and collaboration.
- Clear Objectives: Define measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the intranet's success. These objectives should be specific, achievable, and aligned with the company's strategic priorities.
- Continuous Improvement: Recognise that the intranet is a work in progress and commit to ongoing evaluation and enhancement. Regularly solicit feedback from users and make data-driven decisions to refine and improve the platform.
Step Two also have a framework for understanding the 5 purposes of an intranet as detailed below:
2. Appoint an Executive Sponsor
A governance structure needs visible leadership at the top. Appointing an executive sponsor from outside IT sends a clear message that the intranet belongs to the whole organisation. A CFO, CMO or COO works well in this role. Their involvement signals that the platform matters and helps unlock resources when they are needed.
The executive sponsor does not run the day-to-day. Their job is to champion the intranet at leadership level, make the case for continued investment, and keep the governance strategy connected to broader business priorities.
Clearbox Consulting further breaks down these roles:
Start by deciding who will be the manager and designate duties to qualified, responsible and willing persons. While there isn’t usually just one person assigned to intranet governance, there is usually a manager and an administrator. However, overall, it’s often best for a team to be assigned to intranet governance.
Intranet governance team members and administrators should genuinely enjoy participation with the structure and already have a solid sense of its purpose, mission and goals as related to the organisation.
Each participant should be clear on their duties, tasks and responsibilities pertaining to specific intranet areas and content. These designations should be focused upon and always come back to benefits for the intranet pertaining to company needs, goals and priorities. Team members may delegate responsibilities as long as their specific tasks, roles and duties are fulfilled.
3. Appoint Roles, Duties, Tasks and Ongoing Responsibilities
Deciding who is in charge and clarifying their responsibilities and roles is crucial to the success of a business intranet.
Every intranet needs a manager, administrator, project managers, communications professionals, content creators, and other specialists for specific aspects of its operations. Start by deciding who will be the manager and designate duties to qualified, responsible and willing persons. While there is not usually just one person assigned to intranet governance, there is usually a manager and an administrator. Overall, it is often best for a team to be assigned to intranet governance.
Intranet governance team members and administrators should genuinely enjoy participation with the structure and already have a solid sense of its purpose, mission and goals as related to the organisation.
Each participant should be clear on their duties, tasks and responsibilities pertaining to specific intranet areas and content. These designations should always come back to benefits for the intranet pertaining to company needs, goals and priorities. Team members may delegate responsibilities as long as their specific tasks, roles and duties are fulfilled.
4. Effective Procedures and Processes
Process is key to the success of the intranet as well. Having proven, structured ways of making decisions and implementing changes can make day-to-day operations more streamlined, fluid, and effective.
A sample intranet governance document can help you get started when setting these out for the first time. These processes can then be adjusted, refined, and added to as intranet use grows, unfolds, and evolves.
Establishing a well-defined process is crucial for the success of any intranet. A structured approach helps teams avoid ad-hoc decision-making, which often leads to confusion and inefficiency. Regular assessments can help identify areas for improvement and ensure that the intranet remains aligned with the organisation's goals and objectives.
5. Focus on Community Member Needs
Ultimately, an intranet is a social tool for helping its users to communicate and get on the same page in a range of ways. While its contribution to the efficacy of the business is primary, meeting individual and personal needs of workers is a major function of the company intranet.
To maximise the benefits of an intranet, it is essential to incorporate features that address the diverse needs of the workforce. This includes:
- Personalised dashboards
- Customisable content feeds
- User-friendly interfaces that cater to varying levels of technical proficiency
Regular feedback from employees should be solicited to continuously improve the platform and adapt it to evolving requirements.
6. Clarify User Guidelines
Communicating what is acceptable within the realm of intranet use, as well as what is not, is key to a successful intranet. Establishing clear boundaries and expectations helps to ensure that all employees are on the same page, fostering a cohesive and efficient work environment.
The guidelines should be put clearly in written form in your intranet governance document and be agreed to by all staff members who will be using the intranet. Regular reviews and updates to the governance document are also crucial, as they allow the organisation to adapt to evolving needs and technological advancements.
7. Assign User Permissions
There will be multiple levels to the intranet, and it is likely that not all users will find it appropriate to have access to all content and areas across the boards.
Assigning appropriate permissions is crucial for the effective and secure operation of the intranet. These permissions should be meticulously aligned with each user's job role, department, and level of trustworthiness. By doing so, the organisation can ensure that each user has the necessary access to perform their duties efficiently, while also safeguarding sensitive information from unauthorised access.
Implementing a robust permission structure not only enhances security but also streamlines workflow processes. Users will have quick access to the resources they need, without the clutter of irrelevant information. For Australian organisations, this also supports compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
8. Ensure Data Accessibility
The presence and access to key data is crucial for an intranet to fulfil its role and purpose. This data can be gathered from a variety of sources, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of user needs and system performance. These sources include research, usability testing, surveys, benchmarking, external analysis, and stakeholder interviews.
Data should be collected, analysed, and presented optimally to relevant departments, including the intranet governance body. This ensures that all stakeholders have access to accurate and actionable insights, facilitating informed decision-making.
A practical approach: pull your analytics from the last 90 days and identify your top high-traffic pages. These become priority areas for governance review. Assign a named content owner to each, set a review schedule based on how frequently that content changes, and add expiry dates to time-sensitive documents so outdated information does not stay live by default.
9. Set Intranet Content Parameters and Strategy
Content is king, both online and in social platforms. This includes company intranets. A premium should be placed upon sharing excellent content regularly across the various departments via the company intranet.
Content can include industry news, trends and predictions as well as blog posts, interview transcripts, and relevant audio and video. The most important aspects of good content are true utility and that it adds value to the user experience.
Your intranet content strategy should not be a static document, but one that is continually evolving based off insights from regularly measuring and understanding intranet performance.
10. Training for New Users
While at the outset of an intranet creation and launch all users will be learning about it together, this will change as the system matures and new staff members are onboarded. A training program should be developed to assist new users in getting up to speed rapidly.
- Structured Onboarding: Develop a structured onboarding process that includes a comprehensive introduction to the intranet, covering basic navigation, key features, and essential tools.
- Interactive Tutorials: Create interactive tutorials and walkthroughs that guide new users through common tasks and functionalities.
- Documentation and Guides: Provide detailed documentation and user guides that are easily accessible on the intranet, including step-by-step instructions, FAQs, and troubleshooting tips.
- Mentorship Programs: Pair new users with experienced staff members who can act as mentors. Peer-to-peer support is invaluable for helping new employees navigate the intranet effectively.
- Feedback Mechanism: Implement a feedback mechanism where new users can share their experiences and suggest improvements.
11. Leave Room for Fun
While the primary function of an intranet is to support and improve business functioning and ultimately the company bottom line, it is also a great way to allow workers to get a bit more personal and have some fun.
A company intranet is ultimately a community effort, and letting all workers know that they have a voice can do wonders for promoting workplace engagement and company morale. The best intranets allow for users to socialise regarding non-work topics, share interests and enjoy humour on a regular basis. Chat rooms, contests and user forums can all increase worker engagement and lift morale.
A centralised sense of responsibility helps to guarantee that the intranet will not become a rudder-less ship that gets off track from its goals and stated mission. Yes, creating and keeping an atmosphere of shared ownership is valuable, and a collaborative model and spirit can help to facilitate this. A ship still needs a captain and crew.
12. Invite Worker Feedback
Intranet users should be asked for their opinions and feedback about the system regularly. This is one of the best ways to take the temperature of the organisation's response to and engagement with the company intranet. It can then be adjusted, improved and fine-tuned accordingly.
Regularly soliciting feedback from intranet users is crucial for maintaining a dynamic and effective platform. Implementing structured surveys, focus groups, and suggestion boxes enables organisations to gather valuable insights into user experiences and identify areas for enhancement. Also take on board their feedback for your intranet roadmap.
Should You Hold Regular Governance Body Meetings?
Yes, and this is one of the most overlooked parts of governance in practice. Creating a structure and assigning tasks and roles is a start, but it is important that the intranet governance team stays on the same page.
Holding regular meetings can help to facilitate this. While some think intranet governance refers to a set of documents, it is far richer and more nuanced than that. An intranet is digital in nature and driven by technology, but it is ultimately the people behind it that make it successful.
A steering committee structure that works well for most organisations of 200 or more employees: a core group of 5 to 8 stakeholders from IT, HR, Communications, Legal and each major business unit. This group meets monthly to review engagement data, approve major changes, and decide how open or restricted different areas of the platform should be. Keep the group small enough to move quickly.
What Is an Intranet Governance Framework?
An intranet governance framework gives you a high-level overview of each governance area, the best practices that apply, and the action steps to put them in place. Use the table below as a starting point, then adapt it to your organisation's size and structure.
| Governance Area |
Best Practices |
Action Steps |
| Content Ownership |
Assign clear ownership for content areas. |
Designate content owners for different sections. |
| Content Approval Process |
Establish an approval workflow for content before publishing. |
Create a content approval matrix. |
| Content Standards |
Maintain a consistent style guide for all intranet content. |
Develop a style guide for tone, format, and branding. |
| Access Control and Permissions |
Implement role-based access control for sensitive content. |
Define user roles and permission levels. |
| Content Review and Audits |
Regularly review and audit content to ensure relevance. |
Schedule bi-annual content audits. |
| Training and Support |
Offer training for content creators and administrators. |
Conduct quarterly training sessions. |
| Monitoring and Analytics |
Use analytics to track content performance and user engagement. |
Set up KPIs and regularly review analytics. |
| Compliance and Security |
Ensure compliance with privacy regulations and internal policies. |
Regularly update the platform's security measures. |
What Are the Most Common Intranet Governance Challenges?
Several challenges tend to hinder effective intranet governance. Three specific hurdles come up more often than any other.
1. A Lack of Clarity of Purpose
The goal of the intranet should be clearly defined as soon as the decision to have a company intranet is made. Without a clear purpose, the intranet risks becoming an underutilised or cluttered platform that fails to meet employees' needs.
Why it is a problem: Employees may not understand why the intranet exists or how it benefits them. Features and content may be misaligned with business needs, leading to low engagement. A lack of clear objectives results in inconsistent updates and poorly structured information.
Best practices to avoid this: Clearly define the intranet's objectives, whether it is increasing collaboration, boosting engagement, streamlining processes, or improving knowledge sharing. Use surveys and focus groups to ensure the intranet meets real employee needs.
2. Office Politics
Every workplace has an interplay of relationships and power dynamics within its structure. Shifting dynamics can cause some staff members to use the intranet in skewed ways that support their own interests, opinions, or department needs.
Why it is a problem: Key departments may dominate content, reducing collaboration and transparency. Some employees may control what information gets published, limiting access to important updates. The intranet can become a platform for internal politics rather than a tool for productivity.
Best practices to avoid this: Establish clear policies on how content is created, approved, and shared. Ensure employees have appropriate permissions to contribute but not manipulate content unfairly. Promote open forums and discussion spaces to give everyone a voice.
3. A Deficit of Data
An intranet is only as useful as the quality and relevance of the content within it. If there is a lack of information or low-quality, outdated content, employees will stop using it altogether and the intranet is destined to fail.
Why it is a problem: Outdated documents lead to misinformation and inefficiency. Employees may struggle to find the right resources if data is poorly categorised or disorganised. If content is rarely updated, the intranet loses credibility as a trusted source of information.
Best practices to avoid this: Set up scheduled audits to ensure policies, guidelines, and FAQs stay updated. Implement AI-powered search functions so employees can easily locate relevant content. Track which pages and documents employees use most to refine and improve available information.
Effective intranet governance gives every employee a clear path to the information they need. It keeps content accurate, permissions aligned and the platform useful as your organisation grows. The Archdiocese of Sydney, an Elcom client managing a large distributed organisation, used clear governance and permissions to significantly reduce internal email volume across their teams.
Next Steps for Intranet Best Practices
Strong governance is the foundation every successful intranet is built on. It keeps content accurate, roles clear and the platform useful as your organisation grows and changes.
For more insights on best practices covering all components of a successful intranet, check out the Intranet Best Practices guide. If you are looking for a detailed walkthrough on launching an effective intranet within your own organisation, download How to Successfully Plan, Deploy and Launch an Intranet.
You can also explore intranet software options, read about improving internal communications with your intranet, or check out successful intranet examples from real organisations.
Further Reading for Intranet Governance