Author: Elena Talanker
Since websites are the primary communication channel for state agencies, they are accountable to the public to deliver clear information about state services, agency operations, leadership, and decision-making processes.
Behind every state agency website on the Digital Commons platform there is a team of dedicated “digital content creators” responsible for crafting web pages, communicating state services, and delivering critical information to all constituencies. Every team member from the Alert and Event creators, Editors, Publishers, to Website Managers should understand their roles and responsibilities to the delivery of state services. Governance provides a framework for decision-making by establishing standards and procedures and clarifying everyone's roles and responsibilities.
Six Key Governance Strategies for State Agency Websites
1.Establish a Clear Governance Structure
Governance starts with clearly defining roles and responsibilities. Use the Digital Commons platform's role-based structure to organize your agency's web team. Identify who oversees content creation, updates, compliance, and analytics. Agency web managers are encouraged to update their web team about platform updates and point to new trainings available on support website.
2. Emphasize User-Centric Design
User feedback is crucial for creating a website that meets user needs. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics and Monsido to understand user behavior, navigation patterns, and popular content. The Website Feedback form provides valuable insights into user pain points. This information guides design and functionality decisions.
3. Implement Robust Quality Assurance
Quality assurance guarantees the accuracy of content and helps deliver more consistent and up-to-date information. Establish processes for reviewing content before it goes live and conduct regular audits to catch errors or outdated information. Prioritize key services and resources to help users find what they need quickly. Utilize available tools like Monsido to conduct regular content audits, ensuring accuracy and relevance.
4. Ensure Compliance and Accessibility
Recently published by the U.S. Department of Justice final rule now requires state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible for people with disabilities. This new rule gives state and local governments two years (or until April 24, 2026) to bring their websites into compliance, as outlined in the summary fact sheet.
The new N.C. Digital Accessibility and Usability Standard provides guidance for designing and delivering public facing websites and digital services in the State of North Carolina. This standard adheres to the official WCAG 2.1 (Level AA) compliance standards, as proposed by federal guidelines and Americans with Disabilities Acts Title II, for accessibility.
Educate yourself and your team about creating accessible content and utilize tools available to platform users to improve your site's compliance.
Start by resolving issues highlighted in RED by the Editoria11y accessibility checker. Additionally, review Monsido reports to understand your website's Quality Assurance scores and identify ways to improve them.
5. Develop a Crisis Communication Plan
State agencies often deal with emergencies or rapidly changing information. A crisis communication plan defines who is responsible for updating information during emergencies, outlines communication protocols, and ensures real-time updates are provided to users.
6. Foster Collaboration Across Departments
Many state agency websites serve multiple departments, each with unique needs and goals. Establishing regular communication among department web managers ensures a unified user experience. Monthly meetings to review website analytics and discuss support needs help prevent conflicting information and improve quality.
Digital Commons platform offers many great features and enables state agencies to deliver information on their secure, accessible, and mobile friendly website. Reach out to Digital Services team for support on all your agency website needs. Visit our Digital Commons Support website often to learn about new features, bug fixes and available resources.