The concept of intranet governance may seem daunting at first, but understanding it is essential for effective implementation and functioning of a company-wide intranet. Fortunately, the topic is not as dry as it sounds, and in fact has people and their needs as its core and driving force. Discover what it means and intranet governance best practices to follow for your own intranet governance policy.
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 these changing needs.
Related reading: [Blog post] 4 Phases of a Successful Intranet Adoption Strategy
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, like well-oiled machines. 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.
Elements of a Successful Intranet Strategy
Your intranet governance strategy should effectively address intranet scope, roles, procedures and how decisions will be implemented. The main decisions pertaining to intranet content management that must be addressed at its outset include:
Related reading: [Blog post] 7 Things Your Intranet Needs to Be Successful
Intranet Governance Best Practices
While setting up a new intranet system or improving an existing one, there are a number of things to be aware of. Here are 12 top components and best practices to consider to help ensure effective intranet governance framework and functioning from the outset:
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:
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.
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.
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. Having a structured approach enables teams to avoid the pitfalls of ad-hoc decision-making, which often leads to confusion and inefficiency.
As the intranet evolves, it is important to continuously review and refine these processes. Regular assessments can help identify areas for improvement and ensure that the intranet remains aligned with the organisation's goals and objectives. This iterative approach allows for the incorporation of user feedback and the adaptation to changing needs and technologies.
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. Steps should be taken at the outset and throughout implementation to ensure that a positive and satisfying virtual work environment is created and that worker needs are met.
To maximise the benefits of an intranet, it is essential to incorporate features that address the diverse needs of the workforce. This includes offering:
- Personalised dashboards
- Customisable content feeds
- User-friendly interfaces
These need to 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.
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.
This document serves as a cornerstone for intranet management, outlining the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for all users. It is essential that these guidelines are comprehensive and easily accessible, ensuring that every employee understands their obligations and the consequences of non-compliance.
Regular reviews and updates to the governance document are also crucial, as they allow the organisation to adapt to evolving needs and technological advancements.
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. Additionally, considerations such as read/write capacity and the user's experience with the system must be taken into account. 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. This targeted access fosters a more productive and focused working environment, ultimately contributing to the overall success of the organisation.
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
- 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. The process involves:
- Collection: Gathering data from various sources to ensure a holistic view.
- Analysis: Interpreting the data to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement.
- Presentation: Sharing the findings in a clear and concise manner, tailored to the needs of different departments.
- Governance: Ensuring that the intranet governance body is kept informed and can oversee the implementation of recommendations.
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.
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.
Because of this, a training program should be developed to assist new users in getting up to speed rapidly. Here are some practical insights to consider:
- Structured Onboarding: Develop a structured onboarding process that includes a comprehensive introduction to the intranet. This should cover basic navigation, key features, and essential tools.
- Interactive Tutorials: Create interactive tutorials and walkthroughs that guide new users through common tasks and functionalities. This can help them become familiar with the system in a hands-on manner.
- Documentation and Guides: Provide detailed documentation and user guides that are easily accessible on the intranet. These should include step-by-step instructions, FAQs, and troubleshooting tips.
- Mentorship Programs: Pair new users with experienced staff members who can act as mentors. This peer-to-peer support can be invaluable in helping new employees navigate the intranet effectively.
- Feedback Mechanism: Implement a feedback mechanism where new users can share their experiences and suggest improvements. This can help identify any gaps in the training program and make necessary adjustments.
- Engagement and Incentives: Encourage engagement by offering incentives for completing training modules or participating in training sessions. This can motivate new users to take the training seriously.
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’s 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. That said, the onus of intranet governance and the majority of ongoing implementation and upkeep of the system should go to a designated, qualified team of individuals!
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; however, a ship still needs a captain and crew.
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.
This proactive approach not only fosters a culture of continuous improvement but also demonstrates to employees that their input is valued and considered in decision-making processes.
Set Regular Governance Body Meetings
Creating a structure and assigning tasks and roles is a start, but it’s 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.
Use these tips and guidelines for effective intranet governance and success within any business or organisation.
Intranet Governance Challenges and Pitfalls
There are several potential challenges to look out for that can hinder effective intranet governance. Three specific hurdles tend to come up more often than any other. They are:
- A Lack of Clarity of Purpose - Again, the goal of the intranet should be clearly defined and established as soon as the decision to have a company intranet is made. Whether the objective for the intranet is increased collaboration, higher workplace engagement, more effective training, better staff morale or any other goal or purpose, these should be clearly listed out and discussed among the intranet creators. A mission statement in writing can assist with making sure everyone is on the same page and there is clarity of purpose for the intranet from the outset.
- Office Politics - Every workplace has an interplay of relationships and power dynamics within its structure. While some are fairly fixed, most are in flux and continually changing as different workers come and go or as some workers and management rise through the ranks. Shifting dynamics within the organisation can cause some staff members to use the intranet in skewed ways that support their cause, opinions, department and meet their needs. It is human nature to look after oneself and one’s own interests; however, this tendency can open the door for the company intranet to be used and abused and support power grabs, push an agenda or even spread gossip.
- A Deficit of Data - While a company intranet is meant to help facilitate the sharing of key data to make the business run more smoothly, ironically it doesn’t always succeed in this capacity. An intranet is the framework for the sharing of information throughout the company, and if there is a lack of it (or if only low-quality data that lacks relevance is shared), the intranet is destined to fail in its purpose for that organisation.
Next Steps for Intranet Best Practices
For more insights on best practices on not only intranet governance, but all components of a successful intranet, check out the Intranet Best Practices blog post.
If you're looking for a detailed guide on launching an effective intranet within your own organisation, we recommend you download 'How to Successfully Plan, Deploy and Launch an Intranet'.
Further Reading for Intranet Governance
