Digital Service Platform Governance Plan

Digital Service Platform
Governance Plan
DRAFT – February 2019
HALTON.CA

HALTON.CA • Digital Service Platform Governance Plan 3
Table of Contents
1.0 Table of Contents 3
2.0 Introduction 4
3.0 Purpose of Halton.ca 4
4.0 Governance Model 4
4.1 Ownership and Authoring Approach 5
5.0 Roles and Responsibilities 6
5.1 Ownership Roles 6
5.2 Authoring Roles 8
5.3 Committees and Groups 9
6.0 Approval Workflow 11
6.1 Program Area Content Pages 11
6.2 Homepage Content 12
7.0 Review Schedule 13
8.0 Privacy 14
9.0 Standards and Guidelines 14
9.1 Criteria for Content Inclusion 14
9.2 Voice and Tone 15
9.3 Accessibility 15
9.4 Tagging and Taxonomy 15
9.5 File Management 16
10.0 Records Management 16
10.1 Personal Data and Information 16
10.2 Archiving and Deletion 16
11.0 Glossary 17
12.0 Appendices 18
Appendix A
Matrix of Roles and Responsibilities:
Ownership and Authoring 18
Appendix B
Committee Terms of Reference 22
Appendix C
Website Terms of Use 26
Tools and Resources
• Voice and Tone Guide
• Visual Identity Guide
• Page Specifications Template

4 HALTON.CA • Digital Service Platform Governance Plan
2.0 Introduction
Halton.ca (the Website) – apublicservicecounterviatheweb, is the Organization’s digital service platform and an essential
tool for connecting residents and stakeholders with the programs and services offered by Halton Region (the Region). The
website and digital platforms have become the primary access points to the services provided by the Region. These platforms
will serve a large number of residents and will also provide a significant extension of the service access currently supported
by phone and walk-in channels. To ensure consistency and maintain an engaged audience it is important that standards for
messaging, usability, navigation and accessibility are maintained while also providing a unified, engaging experience for
visitors.
The guidelines, standards, directions and principles outlined in this plan provide a framework for effective website governance.
It establishes clear standards, guidelines and expectations to ensure the Website (both mobile and desktop versions) continues
to meet the needs of stakeholders and business requirements of the Region.
This Governance Plan defines ownership, roles and responsibilities, the decision-making process for the ongoing management
and evolution of the Website. It outlines the required elements and resources needed to support, sustain and continuously
improve the Website.
This Plan is informed and supported by the work completed throughout the various phases and components of the Website’s
transformation, as well as evolving from standards and practises already in place, including:
• Discovery Findings Report, Sandbox Software Solutions
• Content Redevelopment Directions Report, Halton Region
• Intranet Assessment Governance Model, Prescient Digital Media
Governance is a continuous process and should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect and support organizational
changes, industry trends and best practises. To ensure that governance is maintained, this plan provides recommendations for
an organization-wide approach to the management of digital service delivery.
3.0 Purpose of Halton.ca
Halton.ca is a critical part of the infrastructure required to deliver on the objectives of the Customer Service Access Strategy. The
Region’s Halton.ca Redesign project leveraged the findings of this strategy by redesigning Halton.ca from the customer’s point
of view.
Halton.ca has the following broad objectives:
• Provide the foundation for Halton’s Digital Service Counter
• Extend the omni-channel experience to the digital space
• Act as the primary customer access point for Halton’s digital service transformation
The new agile development approach to Halton.ca is adopt a continuous improvement cycle through perpetual beta testing
and releases. Beta versions of the new site will be developed and released every 6-9 months. Each release will contain new
features and functionality that support improved customer service and increased digital service delivery.
4.0 Governance Model
Governance is not the responsibility of any one individual within the organization but rather it is the collaborative effort of all
the Regional stakeholders who own content and/or deliver services through the digital platform. The model implemented
for Halton.ca is governed by a number of working groups and authoritative roles within Halton Region. These groups
are responsible for a range of activities including setting policy for the direction and use of the site, to exploring new and
emerging trends and technologies that could be integrated and also down to the roles and responsibilities for the day-to-day
maintenance of the platform.

The approach to the day-to-day maintenance of the platform will be carried out through the Social & Digital Media team of
Policy Integration & Communications. The centralized management of the system and its content ensures that the direction of
the Governance Plan is realized through day-to-day operations. The benefits of a centralized management model include:
• Simplified project management including process and workflow.
• Accurate, relevant, consistent and high quality content.
• Applied global structure, architecture and linkage.
• Consistent corporate branding and visual identity.
• Strategic and organizational alignment.
• Defined accountability and responsibility; and a central hub for feedback.
Adherence to standards, guidelines, policies and legislation governing the Website’s use (e.g. AODA).
The day-to-day management of the platform is overseen by the Owner of the website, the Director, Policy Integration &
Communications. The Editor-In-Chief (Manager, Social & Digital Media) is responsible for ensuring the quality and integrity of
the site and that its content is maintained. A team of Editors and content authors are responsible for composing content (text,
graphics and any other related media) onto the website. Content is reviewed against guidelines and standards set out through
the Governance plan and approved by the Editor-In-Chief and Owner.
4.1 Ownership and Authoring Approach
The transformation of content, in addition to adopting a new content management system (CMS), warrants a centralized
authoring approach. This involves a dedicated team to manage the content and publishing process.
FIGURE 4A – OWNERSHIP AND AUTHORING APPROACH
CONTENT OWNER
CONTENT CREATOR
CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
OWNER
DIRECTOR, POLICY INTEGRATION & COMMUNICATIONS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MANAGER, SOCIAL & DIGITAL MEDIA
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
WEBSITE
STEERING
COMMITTEE
WEBSITE
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
WEBSITE
WORKING
GROUP
CONTENT EXPERT
AUTHORING ROLES
EDITORS
DIGITAL MEDIA ADVISORS
OWNERSHIP ROLES AUTHORING ROLES COMMITTEES AND GROUPS

5.0 Roles and Responsibilities
The Website’s governance is a collaborative effort that spans various roles and Departments in the organization. It is comprised
of three key functions:
1. Ownership Roles: A group of decision makers who set the Website’s direction and ensure a continuously evolving platform
that is aligned with users’ expectations.
2. Authoring Roles: Defines the roles responsible for the day-to-day management and maintenance of the Website, including
the creation and publishing of content.
3. Committees and Groups: Three committees will be established to work in collaboration to uphold the integrity, day-to-
day management and continuous evolution of the Website on behalf of the organization and user community.
A detailed assignment of responsibility and level of involvement required from each role is depicted in a matrix diagram found
in Appendix A.
5.1 Ownership Roles
5.1.1 Management Committee
Role: Management Committee (MC) provides oversight for the strategic direction and approval for policies where there is
significant impact to the organization as a whole.
Responsibilities:
• Review and approve policies where there is significant impact to Corporate policies.
• Promote the Website’s vision to Regional Council.
• Provide direction where there is significant impact to Strategic Business Plan, Corporate initiatives and other high profile
initiatives.
5.1.2 Website Owner • Director, Policy Integration & Communications
Role: The Owner provides the overarching direction and vision for the Website, including securing support and funding to
ensure its continuous evolution.
Responsibilities:
• Promote the vision for the Website to MC and Committees.
• Provide prioritization and strategic direction for the Website’s evolution, including overall goals and objectives.
• Approve and secure funding for the ongoing maintenance and evolution of the Website.
• Act as the decision-making authority in major conflicts and emergencies.
• Approve any significant changes to the Website, including design, navigation, structural changes, new features and
functionality.

5.1.3 Editor-in-Chief • Manager, Social & Digital Media
Role: The Editor-in-Chief provides input to strategic direction and management for the Website. This role ensures the vision for
the Website is realized, and that the roadmap for its continuous evolution is aligned with organizational and business priorities.
Responsibilities:
• Promote Website’s progress and successes to leadership, the Divisional Management Team and Committees outlined in this
document.
• Advocate and approve Website-related initiatives and project prioritization.
• Implement the roadmap for the Website’s evolution, and ensure that it aligns with the goals and business requirements of
the Region.
• Ensure that the needs of the user community are addressed via effective management and governance of the Website.
• Manage the Website’s operations, oversees the approval workflow (outlined in Section 6) and ensures compliance of policies,
standards and guidelines
5.1.4 Editors • Digital Media Advisor(s)
Role: The Editors, co-ordinates day-to-day operations, and as final reviewer, ensures user experience, design, information
architecture are considered for content published to the website.
Responsibilities:
• Enforce a periodic review schedule for content.
• Serve as final reviewer for content published to the website.
• Prioritize major Website projects and initiatives in conjunction with the Owner.
• Determine and plan future site enhancements based on business requirements and recommendations from the Website
Steering Committee and Website Advisory Committee.
• Develop materials as needed to support the governance of the Website.
• Act as a key point of contact for employees seeking new levels of permission/access
5.1.5 InformationTechnology (IT) Services
Role: Information Technology supports the technological platform, security and infrastructure of the Website.
Responsibilities:
• Prioritize major technology changes (i.e. CMS upgrade, server migration) and updates.
• Responsible for maintaining and upgrading infrastructure to support the Website, including hardware, software, networks
and databases.
• Develop third-party integrations, API calls and offer advanced programming support.
• Confer with the Owner on planned changes, upgrades and maintenance that may affect the Website, and communicate any
loss of continuity of service.
• Develop, implement and test an effective backup/failover plan.

5.2 Authoring Roles
5.2.1 Content Owner • Directors and/or designated Managers
Role: Content Owners are Directors or elected designates across Departments at the Region. Content Owners have complete
oversight and accountability for all content on the Website under their jurisdiction.
Responsibilities:
• Ensure departmental requests are evaluated, prioritized, and strategically aligned with organizational and business objectives.
• Approve all requests including new and revised content published through the Website.
• Conduct or coordinate periodic reviews of content flagged for renewal.
• Provide final approval for content before it is publicly posted.
• Enforce compliance of standards, policies and guidelines with Content Experts.
5.2.2 Content Creator • Digital Media Specialist(s), Digital Media Coordinator(s),
Digital Media Intern(s), Digital Media Student(s)
Role: Content Creators plan, visualize and compose content for the Website, ensuring global quality, accuracy and consistency
in terms of data visualization and user experience. They are the Website’s central authors and administrators, having complete
access to edit, create, modify and remove content.
Responsibilities:
• Edit copy as needed for clarity, usage and style; and ensure content is written for the web, in plain language and free of errors.
• Provide support for visualization and presentation of information to enhance readability and adoption.
• Conform to established practices for tagging, file management, records management, archiving and deletion.
• Consult on design and development, ensuring best practices are followed and standards are met for usability, accessibility and
navigation.
• Manage, prioritize and publish requests/updates approved by the Owner, Editor-in-Chief or Website Working Group.
• Validate requests against policies, standards and guidelines, including the criteria for content inclusion.
• Evaluate and ensure all published content meets the requirements of the AccessibilityforOntarianswithDisabilitiesAct,2005
(AODA), and conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level A.
• Participate in training and knowledge sharing of trends, standards and best practices.
• Recommend and request enhancements and features to the Editor-in-Chief.
• Review Website metrics and analytics for trends and opportunities for improvements.
• Grant permissions/access to the CMS as approved by the Editor-in-Chief or Owner
5.2.3 Content Contributor • Communications Specialist(s),
Communications Coordinator, Communications Intern, Communications Student
Role: Contributors develop key messaging for the Website to support communications objectives and program delivery. They
have the authority to override suggested changes from Content Experts.
Note: Contributors are encouraged to reference the Website Voice and Tone Style Guide and Content Redevelopment Directions
Report to maintain clarity and consistency when providing written content for the Website.

Responsibilities:
• Write, edit and review copy for the Website to align with the Content Redevelopment Directions Report, Voice and Tone
Guide and Visual Identity Guide, found in the Appendices.
• Develop key messaging to support communications objectives, program delivery and organizational and business priorities.
• Collaborate with Departments and program areas to ensure informational and factual accuracy and relevancy.
• Support and enforce approved standards, policies and guidelines with Content Experts.
5.2.4 Content Expert • Program Area Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
Role: Content Experts provide suggested content and advise on subject matter to support program delivery. They work with
Content Contributors to restructure the information for the Website.
Note: Content Experts are encouraged to reference the Website Voice and Tone Style Guide and Content Redevelopment
Directions Report to maintain clarity and consistency when providing written content for the Website.
Responsibilities:
• Provide page specifications for copy on the Website; or provide a first draft for new content proposed for the Website.
• Initiate requests for new/revised content and solicit approval from approving Director and/or Manager.
• Validate website copy quality, accuracy and relevancy.
5.3 Committees and Groups
5.3.1 Website Steering Committee
Role: The Website Steering Committee (WSC) is a cross-departmental committee with appointed representatives at the
Directors level from each department. Members of WSC are appointed by Management Committee. The WSC serves to
maintain the integrity of the Website as a digital service platform, and ensures the Website’s governance and related policies
remain current, communicated and enforced.
Complete Terms of Reference can be found in Appendix B.
The WSC is responsible for the following:
• Recommend, review, refine and approve policies, procedures and guidelines related to the Website.
• Review metrics and analytics on site performance including but not limited to content pages, digital services (forms,
subscriptions).
• Ensure content is regularly reviewed and act as liaisons to content owners within departments.
• Provide updates to departmental management teams on website activity.
WEBSITE STEERING COMMITTEE
WEBSITE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
WEBSITE WORKING GROUP

• Support the continuous evolution of the Website including, but not limited to, its development and technologies, design,
structure, navigation and taxonomy.
• Enforce accessibility legislation requirements and compliance with AODA.
• Investigates and resolves any non-compliance issues.
• Review recommendations and seek advice from the Website Advisory Committee on all aspects of the Website and other
digital service access point’s planning, development and maintenance.
• Provide a forum for the Website Advisory Committee to discuss and share information about web design, technologies and
training.
• Develop and maintain a roadmap for the continuous evolution and improvement of the website.
– Prioritize Website projects and initiatives.
• Ensure strategic and organizational alignment.
• Ensures that the Website and other digital service access points meet all legal and regulatory requirements, including AODA
compliance; and investigates any non-compliance issues.
• Solicit and evaluate user feedback to continually evolve web design, governance and architecture.
• Provide recommendations to Management Committee
5.3.2 Website Advisory Committee
Role: The Website Advisory Committee (WAC) primarily consists of early adopters and advocates of the Website. The WAC
provides guidance and recommendations for the Website’s ongoing evolution and continuous improvement.
The WAC serves to provide a mechanism for receiving, reviewing, researching and implementing public feedback. As a
representative body of Content Experts from across the organization, it also acts as a forum for accessibility, design and best
practices. WAC Chair and members are appointed by members of WSC.
Responsibilities:
The WAC is responsible for the following:
• Make recommendations on all aspects of planning, development and practices for the continuous evolution of the Website.
• Act as a forum and advisory board on accessibility, design, best practices, governance, etc.
• Explore and discuss trends in digital service delivery and impacted technologies (e.g. Social media, third-party integrations,
etc.).
• Ensure testing and quality assurance of a variety of web-related functions and features.
• Provide input on future phases of the Website, including new features, functionality and enhancements.
• Report on peer municipal reviews of website technologies, evolutions and digital services.
• Review products and attend demonstrations/workshops for enhanced web site technologies.
5.3.3 Website Working Group
Role: The Website Working Group (WWG) serves to maintain integrity of the Website as it relates to the day-to-day
management, maintenance and ongoing improvement. This body acts as the data source authority, where all information
and requests for enhancements is either initiated by or filtered through the Group. WWG is made up of PI&C management,
supervisors/advisors.

Responsibilities:
• Act as the primary authority of data and information for the Website.
• Keep abreast and provide updates of emerging issues as they relate to the Website.
• Initiate Homepage Content workflow, as described in Section 6 in the event of emergencies or service disruption
• Align requests made to the Website with organizational priorities and strategies.
• Ensure vision and direction initiated from the Owner and the Committees (WWG, WAC) are aligned and coordinated.
6.0 Approval Workflow
Content will flow from initiation through publishing on Halton.ca through a defined process. The approval workflow maps out
the content production stages, tasks, and how content travels from role to role, providing staff an understanding where they fit
in the content creation process.
6.1 Program Area Content Pages
A page can have multiple Content Experts assigned to it, however, there is only one Content Owner who approves and
accountable for all changes before a request is submitted to the Website Working Group for authoring, or publishing. This
accountability is critical to maintain the integrity of content and information on the Website.
Content Creators and Content Contributors are not responsible for approving content changes, and will only action requests
that come through the identified process from recognized Content Owners.
Supporting a centralized authoring approach, these validation points allow content to be constantly evaluated for quality.
Only designated Content Creators have permissions to edit and publish pages. They are responsible for managing the
publishing process in a transparent manner, providing ample opportunity for various roles to review and approve content
throughout the publishing process. The CMS allows for all versions of a page to be archived, providing versioning history and
life-cycle for each page. Versions can be compared at any point to identify changes from the current page to another stage in
the editing process.
The various steps in the publishing process are as follows:
FIGURE 6A: PROGRAM AREA CONTENT PAGES WORKFLOW
Initiate
• Changes may be initiated by Content Experts across the organization that have a responsibility to communicate program-
specific information through the website. It is the responsibility of the Content Expert to obtain approval from the identified
Content Owner prior to submission.
• Content Experts submit requests for new or updated content to the Website, including planned campaigns via the Policy
INITIATE
(CONTENT EXPERT/
CONTENT OWNER)
COMPOSE
(CONTRIBUTOR
CREATOR)
REVIEW/APPROVE
(EDITOR,
CONTENT OWNER)
PUBLISH
(CONTENT
CREATOR)
MAINTAIN
(CONTENT
EXPERT)

Integration & Communications (PI&C) Request Form.
• When a new content page is requested, Content Experts will be asked to complete a Page Specifications Template to include
the proposed page title, menu location, headings, tags and owner(s).
Compose
• Draft content is developed by the Contributor, who uses the information to form key messaging and ensure strategic and
organizational alignment.
• Content is then relayed to the Content Creator, who, where necessary, will provide recommendations on the visualization
and representation of content, including layout and format, and user experience. Where necessary, the Content Creator will
also transform copy in alignment with the Voice and Tone Guide and ensure accessibility guidelines are adhered to.
• The Content Creator composes a draft of the content in the CMS and makes it available for review by the Editor.
Note that specific automated workflows for various categories of content and information will be defined within the CMS to
support the ongoing review and renewal of content on the Website.
Review/Approve
• At this stage, the Editor and/or Editor-in-Chief can provide additional recommendations regarding strategic alignment,
political sensitivities and organizational priorities. Highly sensitive or prioritized requests may require review and approval of
the Editor-in-Chief and/or Owner.
• Contents with changes will be assigned back to the Contributor and/or Content Expert. Once the content is updated, the
Content Creator will review to ensure that all quality checks and compliance including accessibility, readability, and voice and
tone are met.
• Once the content passes the review stage, the page is routed to the Content Owner who has the authority to approve the
content for public posting.
• The Editor performs a final quality assurance check before content is published on the Website.
Publish
• The Content Creator publishes the content to the Website.
Maintain
• Content is reviewed and maintained through a regular review schedule, which outlines the key individuals involved and the
recurrence of the reviews based on the content type. See Section 7.
• Content Experts are responsible to flag outdated or incorrect information and provide necessary updates to keep content
accurate, timely and relevant. Outdated content are to be superseded by the new content as per the current Corporate
Records Data Retention Schedule.
• Depending on nature of the content (i.e. reoccurring and seasonal), the Content Owner may elect to involve a third-party
subject matter expert to assist in the review and in keeping up-to-date content.
6.2 Homepage Content
Many different audiences and personas access Website’s homepage to learn about the Region’s programs and services, access
critical information, and/or perform a transaction. The homepage sets the overall tone for the Website and the organization,
therefore it must remain targeted, engaging and regularly updated. The Owner has final authority regarding updates to the
homepage.

7.0 Review Schedule
CONTENT DESCRIPTION REVIEW SCHEDULE RESPONSIBILITY
Homepage: Carousel, Concierge, Chair’s Corner,
Information and Services, In the Spotlight and
News and Events
Monthly CAO, PI&C
Council and Committee transcripts, agendas and
schedules
On publication LPS, Office of the Regional Clerk
Job postings On publication and expiration CAO, Human Resources
Maps, directories, glossaries, contact information Bi-annually CAO, Access Halton
Media releases On publication CAO, Communications
Program detail pages On publication and expiration,
otherwise Annually
Respective Dept.
Registration
On publication and expiration
CAO, Access Halton & Information
Technology
Subscriptions, e-blasts On publication CAO, S&DM and Respective Dept.
Document repository (i.e. promotional materials,
educational materials, reports, notices, strategies,
plans and studies)
Annually Respective Dept.
Calendar entries (events, seminars, workshop,
public meetings, clinics)
On publication and expiration Respective Dept.
Policies and guidelines related to operations and/
or regulatory compliance and enforcement
Annually LPS & Finance & Respective Dept.
Financial records (i.e. reports, reviews,
assessments, Budget Book, charges and rates)
Annually LPS & Finance
Third-party tools and integrations, databases and
applications
Bi-annually Finance, Information Technology
Surveys, feedback and opportunities to participate On publication and expiration CAO, Policy
i
In an emergency or on-call duty, a change to the homepage may be initiated by the Owner or the Regional
Emergency Operations Centre (REOC). In these cases, any emergency protocols supersede the standard
protocols for the homepage. The role of the Content Creator may be superseded by the Editor and Editor-in-
Chief. Under special circumstances, content may need to be reviewed by one or more roles in the governance
structure.
  INITIATE
(M/C, OWNER,
WWG)
COMPOSE
(CONTRIBUTOR/
CREATOR)
REVIEW/APPROVE
(M/C, OWNER,
CONTENT OWNER)
PUBLISH
(CONTENT
CREATOR)
FIGURE 6B: HOMEPAGE CONTENT WORKFLOW

8.0 Privacy
Halton Region’s privacy practices are governed by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the
Personal Health Information Protection Act. These Acts state how we must protect personal information and personal health
information.
Disclosure
Halton Region is the sole owner of the information collected through this website. We do not exchange, rent, sell, or otherwise
disclose personal information to any outside organization or person unless the disclosure is required by law.
9.0 Standards and Guidelines
9.1 Criteria for Content Inclusion
The Website requires continuous assessment and evaluation of content. Methodically and suspiciously reviewing and renewing
content for inclusion should be sustained throughout the content life cycle.
Newly proposed content for the Website is carefully evaluated against a set of criteria or content screens to determine whether
a topic warrants any coverage on the Website. The criteria are as follows:
1. Does the organization have an obligation, in order to comply with legislation or policies, to provide the information on the
Website?
2. Does the organization have an agreement in place with another partner (e.g., a sponsoring agency of the Ontario
government) to provide the content?
3. Would residents or Website visitors expect the content to be there from an ethics perspective?
4. Does the content need to be delivered because it addresses a key priority of the Region?
5. If this is the rationale, a clear path to an organizational mandate or priority must be demonstrated by the advocate.
6. Does the content address the needs of either key personas or multiple personas?
7. Does the Region uniquely add value to the content?
8. If equivalent content/information can be found elsewhere on the web at a site at least as credible and the Region adds no
unique perspective or activities related to the content, the content fails this criterion.
These screens are progressive, so meeting at least one condition satisfies the expectation for inclusion.
If content does not pass the screening criteria the Website Working Group may circle back the Content Experts or directly with
the Content Owners.

9.2 Voice andTone
The Halton Region Voice & Tone Guide was developed as part of the overall toolkit that supports Halton Region’s (the Region)
website redevelopment.
It is intended to help content owners, writers, subject matter experts and strategists develop content for the web that is
professional, consistent, friendly, informative and high-quality.
This guide describes best practices, rules and suggestions to help writers capture the Region’s corporate voice and tone; and
provides helpful tools and resources to help ensure the consistent execution of content.
This guide supplements the Region’s Content Style Guide, addressing web-specific issues that aren’t covered.
9.3 Accessibility
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires that all websites, web content, and web-based applications
to be compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA by January 1, 2021. To reach this level of
compliance, all new and existing content on the Website must strictly conform to these guidelines.
9.4 Tagging andTaxonomy
An accurate, efficient and consistent tagging and taxonomy system enables content to be searchable and dynamic, allowing
users to quickly find what they are looking for.
Tags
A tag is a type of metadata in the form of a keyword or term that is assigned to an object. All objects (webpages, documents,
images, menu items) are tagged within the content management system (CMS).
Examples: yard, waste, compost, recycle, wastewater
The list of keyword tags is fluid and will require constant additions and modifications to ensure relevancy and accuracy.
Categories
Categories are used to group similar “like” content and inform the Website’s federated search and functionality.
There are seven categories that house relevant tags:
• Audience (i.e. resident, newcomer, entrepreneur)
• Topic (i.e. health, business, tourism, parenting)
• Document Type (i.e. media release, bylaw, report)
• File Type (i.e. map, news, video, form, document)
• Departments (i.e. public works, cao’s office)
• Events (i.e. council and committee meetings, webinar, seminar, workshop)
• Location (i.e. Burlington, Milton, Oakville, Halton Hills)
Unlike tags, this list of categories has been predetermined and will not change often.
i
QUALITY CONTROL
To ensure accuracy and consistency across the Website,
the approved lists of tags and categories must be
assigned when creating, editing or updating an object.

9.5 File Management
Files located on the Website are housed in two centralized
areas in the CMS: the Document Repository and the Media
Library. These files comprise of the Website’s digital assets
including documents, images and videos.
File Naming Convention
Establishing and employing a file naming convention makes
it easy to identify, locate and navigate through files in the
CMS and on the front-end. Using unique and standardized
file names support the ability to follow path names and link
to other systems (i.e. the Digital Asset Management (DAM)
system, files located on internal drives, etc.).
The key to an effective and manageable file naming system
is to be consistent and descriptive. Each file name should
contain meaningful information organized in a logical
sequence: a) departmental ownership and b) descriptive
title.
A) DEPARTMENTAL OWNERSHIP
Departmental ownership refers to the department
responsible for creating and updating the resource.
B) DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
The title should describe the file’s contents and provide a
meaningful description to the user.
NOTES:
• Use uppercase for the department and lowercase for the
title.
• Separate each descriptor with a hyphen (-).
• Do not include years (i.e. LPS-economic-snapshot-2018.
pdf), unless appears in the title of the document.
• Use the abbreviated departmental codes noted in Figure
9A below.
FIGURE 9A – DEPARTMENTAL CODES FOR FILE
NAMING CONVENTION
DEPARTMENT
CAO CAO’s Office
FIN Finance
HE Health
LPS Legislative & Planning Services
PW Public Works
SCS Social & Community Services
Example:
• HE-child-and-parent-at-immunization-clinic.jpg
10.0 Records Management
10.1 Personal Data and Information
Personal data including names, addresses, phone numbers and contact information collected through our online forms,
surveys and subscriptions are confidential and used solely for the purpose of the program application(s). This information is not
distributed to any other parties.
See Section 8 on privacy for more information.
10.2 Archiving and Deletion
Archiving is an important and necessary part of the content life cycle. To ensure content stays relevant and current, the
maintain phase of the workflow includes guidelines for updating, deleting and archiving content.
In the context of relevance, there are three types of content:
• Current content: Information that is up-to-date, relevant and required.
• Archived content: Information that is no longer current but is retained online for reference or to provide a context to current
content.
• Legacy (or deleted) content: Information that has been revised or supplanted and that has been deleted from the site and
moved onto a repository, server or database.

11.0 Glossary
This list defines and provides clarity for terminology used
in the context of Website governance.
Accountable: In reference to the RASCI matrix, refers to
being answerable or having approval responsibilities, for
the completion of a deliverable.
Audience: The people for whom the content is intended
to serve.
Authoring: The practice of creating and modifying
content on the Website.
Category: A pre-defined taxonomy used to sort and
group like content into sections
Consulted: In reference to the RASCI matrix, refers
to the role providing valuable information, advice or
recommendations regarding the deliverable.
Content: Meaningful information in any channel, whether
written, auditory, or visual, that is created for any audience.
Content expert: The Content Expert provides content and
advises on subject matter to support program delivery.
Content Experts typically consist of program areas,
departments, business groups or units.
Content lifecycle: The stages of existence of content from
beginning to end, and including these steps: strategize
and plan, design and develop, publish and maintain,
evaluate and measure.
Content management system (CMS): A system, tool or
application used to design, manage and publish content
on the Website.
Content owner: The person accountable for a specific
piece or aspect of content. Ideally, there is only one, and
they have final approval.
Copyright: The exclusive legal right given to an originator
to publish information on the Website (e.g. images, logos,
videos, documents, etc.)
Document type: A particular kind of content that shares
a common purpose and editorial structure regardless
of topic or audience. For example: media release, policy,
agenda, etc.
File format: The final format in which the content is
published. For example: HTML page, PDF, image, video,
print, etc.
Informed: In reference to the RASCI matrix, refers to the
role who should be informed about the status, progress or
decisions regarding a deliverable.
Metadata: A set of data that describes and provides
information about other data. Examples: tags, categories,
titles, descriptions, filename, etc.
Ownership: Having certain rights and duties over the
Website as intellectual property.
Persona: A representation of the goals and behaviors of a
hypothesized group of users, identified and selected as the
target audience through use of segmentation data.
Quality assurance: The maintenance of a standard level
of quality in the areas of accessibility, accuracy, design,
usability and readability. Quality assurance is ensured at
the Review stage of the workflow.
Record: A single data item – multiple records are
contained in a data set.
Responsible: In reference to the RASCI matrix, refers to
the role being answerable for doing the work to complete
a deliverable or task.
Role: A function outlined who has responsibilities
with respects to the ownership model in the Website
governance.
Subject matter expert: Someone who is knowledgeable
about a topic and provides their expertise to ensure
content is accurate and complete.
Supporting: In reference to the RASCI matrix, refers to the
role providing support during the implementation of the
task, activity or process.
Tag: A tag is a type of metadata in the form of a
keyword or term that is assigned to an object. All objects
(webpages, documents, images, menu items) are tagged
within the content management system (CMS).
Taxonomy: The system in which content and data on the
Website is organized, categorized or classified (i.e. through
the use of tags and categories).
Tone: The mood of the content, which will vary depending
on audience, purpose, and channel.
Voice: The personality and brand that the content
conveys, reflecting the organization as a whole. Voice
should be consistently supported through all content.
Website governance: The people, processes and systems
that help create and manage the Website.

12.0 Appendices
AppendixA–MatrixofRolesandResponsibilities:OwnershipandAuthoring
R=RESPONSIBLE
A=ACCOUNTABLE
S=SUPPORTING
C=CONSULTED
I=INFORMED
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
OWNER
EDITOR-IN-
CHIEF
CONTENT
OWNER
CONTENT
CREATOR
CONTENT
ONTRIBUTOR
CONTENT
EXPERT
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Promotethevisionforthe
WebsitetoMCandCommittees.
R/AS
Provideprioritizationand
strategicdirectionforthe
Website’sevolution,including
overallgoalsandobjectives.
R/AS
Approveandsecurefundingfor
theongoingmaintenanceand
evolutionoftheWebsite.
R/ASC
Actasthedecision-making
authorityinmajorconflictsand
emergencies.
R/AS
Approveanysignificantchanges
totheWebsite,includingdesign,
navigation,structuralchanges,
newfeaturesandfunctionality.
R/AS
PromoteWebsite’sprogress
andsuccessestoleadership,the
DivisionalManagementTeam
andCommitteesoutlinedinthis
document.
R/AS
AdvocateandapproveWebsite-
relatedinitiativesandproject
prioritization.
R/AS
Implement,withthesupportof
theWSC,theroadmapforthe
Website’sevolution,andensure
thatitalignswiththegoalsand
businessrequirementsofthe
Region.
R/ASC

R=RESPONSIBLE
A=ACCOUNTABLE
S=SUPPORTING
C=CONSULTED
I=INFORMED
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
OWNER
EDITOR-IN-
CHIEF
CONTENT
OWNER
CONTENT
CREATOR
CONTENT
ONTRIBUTOR
CONTENT
EXPERT
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Ensurethattheneedsofthe
usercommunityareaddressed
viaeffectivemanagementand
governanceoftheWebsite.
R/AS
ManagetheWebsite’s
operations,overseesthe
approvalworkflow(outlined
inSection6)andensures
complianceofpolicies,standards
andguidelines
R/ASC
Enforceaperiodicreview
scheduleforcontent.
R/AS
Serveasfinalreviewerfor
contentpublishedtothe
website.
R/AS
PrioritizemajorWebsiteprojects
andinitiativesinconjunction
withtheOwner.
CR/ASC
Determineandplanfuture
siteenhancementsbasedon
businessrequirementsand
recommendationsfromthe
WebsiteSteeringCommitteeand
WebsiteAdvisoryCommittee.
CR/ASC
Developmaterialsasneededto
supportthegovernanceofthe
Website.
R/AS
Actasakeypointofcontactfor
employeesseekingnewlevelsof
permission/access
CR/AS

R=RESPONSIBLE
A=ACCOUNTABLE
S=SUPPORTING
C=CONSULTED
I=INFORMED
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
OWNER
EDITOR-IN-
CHIEF
CONTENT
OWNER
CONTENT
CREATOR
CONTENT
ONTRIBUTOR
CONTENT
EXPERT
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Ensuredepartmentalrequests
areevaluated,prioritized,
andstrategicallyalignedwith
organizationalandbusiness
objectives.
R/A
Approveallrequestsincluding
newandrevisedcontent
publishedthroughtheWebsite.
R/A
Conductorcoordinateperiodic
reviewsofcontentflaggedfor
renewal.
R/AS
Providefinalapprovalfor
contentbeforeitispublicly
posted.
R/AS
Enforcecomplianceofstandards,
policiesandguidelineswith
ContentExperts.
R/A
Write,editandreviewcopy
fortheWebsitetoalignwith
theContentRedevelopment
DirectionsReport,Voiceand
ToneGuideandVisualIdentity
Guide,foundintheAppendices.
R/AC/S
Developkeymessagingto
supportcommunications
objectives,programdelivery
andorganizationalandbusiness
priorities.
R/AC/S
CollaboratewithDepartments
andprogramareastoensure
informationalandfactual
accuracyandrelevancy.
R/A

R=RESPONSIBLE
A=ACCOUNTABLE
S=SUPPORTING
C=CONSULTED
I=INFORMED
MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
OWNER
EDITOR-IN-
CHIEF
CONTENT
OWNER
CONTENT
CREATOR
CONTENT
ONTRIBUTOR
CONTENT
EXPERT
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Supportandenforceapproved
standards,policiesand
guidelineswithContentExperts.
R/A
Providepagespecificationsfor
copyontheWebsite;orprovide
afirstdraftfornewcontent
proposedfortheWebsite.
CR/A
Initiaterequestsfornew/revised
contentandsolicitapproval
fromapprovingDirectorand/or
Manager.
CR/A
Validatewebsitecopyquality,
accuracyandrelevancy.
SR/A
Prioritizemajortechnology
changes(i.e.CMSupgrade,
servermigration)andupdates.
ICR/A
Responsibleformaintaining
andupgradinginfrastructureto
supporttheWebsite,including
hardware,software,networks
anddatabases.
ICR/A
Developthird-partyintegrations,
APIcallsandofferadvanced
programmingsupport.
ICR/A
ConferwiththeOwneron
plannedchanges,upgradesand
maintenancethatmayaffectthe
Website,andcommunicateany
lossofcontinuityofservice.
ICR/A
Develop,implementandtestan
effectivebackup/failoverplan.ICR/A

Appendix B – CommitteeTerms of Reference
Website Steering CommitteeTerms of Reference
The Website Steering Committee (WSC) is a cross-departmental committee with appointed representatives at the Director
level from each department. The committee representatives are appointed by Management Committee. The WSC serves to
maintain the integrity of the Website as a digital service platform, and ensures the Website’s governance and related policies
remain current, communicated and enforced.
The WSC is responsible for the following:
• Recommend, review, refine and approve policies, procedures and guidelines related to the Website and other digital service
access points.
• Review metrics and analytics on site performance including but not limited to content pages, digital services (forms,
subscriptions).
• Ensure content is regularly reviewed and act as liaisons to content owners within departments.
• Provide updates to departmental management teams on website activity.
• Support the continuous evolution of the Website including, but not limited to, its development and technologies, design,
structure, navigation and taxonomy.
• Enforce accessibility legislation requirements and compliance with AODA
• Investigates and resolves any non-compliance issues.
• Review recommendations and seek advice from the Website Advisory Committee on all aspects of the Website and other
digital service access point’s planning, development and maintenance.
• Provide a forum for the Website Advisory Committee to discuss and share information about web design, technologies and
training.
• Develop and maintain a roadmap for the continuous evolution and improvement of the website.
– Prioritize Website projects and initiatives.
• Ensure strategic and organizational alignment.
• Ensures that the Website and other digital service access points meet all legal and regulatory requirements, including AODA
compliance; and investigates any non-compliance issues.
• Solicits and evaluates user feedback to continually evolve web design, governance and architecture.
• Provide recommendations to Management Committee
Governance
• The Website Advisory Committee (WAC) is the primary advisory body to the WSC.
• The Chair of the WSC is the Website Owner.
• Any potential redesign of the website, including branding, structure, navigation and taxonomy requires the approval of the
Owner.
• Any potential change regarding the Content Management System technology platform requires the joint approval from the
Owner and Director, Information Technology.
Reporting
The Chair of the Website Steering Committee will provide routine updates to the Website Advisory Committee. The Website
Steering Committee may seek recommendations from the Website Advisory Committee to help with decisions and directions.

Membership
The Committee is made up of the following members, appointed by the Commissioner of each department and endorsed by
Management Committee:
• Chair, Website Steering Committee (Website Owner)
• Representative, CAO’s Office
• Representative, Finance
• Representative, Health
• Representative, Legislative & Planning Services (LPS)
• Representative, Public Works (PW)
• Representative, Social & Community Services (SCS)
In some cases, a Commissioner may elect to serve as a member.
The members of the Website Steering Committee will serve a maximum of two one-year term, to be reviewed and assessed
annually at the end of each one-year term.
Meetings
The Committee will meet once a month through a re-occuring/pre-scheduled meeting or on a more frequent basis if deemed
appropriate by the Committee. A meeting may also be held at the call of the committee Chair.
Website Advisory CommitteeTerms of Reference
The Halton Region Website Advisory Committee (WAC) primarily consists of early adopters and advocates of the Website
across the various Departments. The WAC provides guidance and recommendations for the Website’s ongoing evolution and
continuous improvement.
The WAC serves to provide a mechanism for receiving, reviewing, researching and implementing public feedback. As a
representative body of content creators and experts from across the organization, it also acts as a forum for accessibility, design
and best practices.
The WAC is responsible for the following:
• Make recommendations on all aspects of planning, development and practices for the continuous evolution of the Website.
• Act as a forum and advisory board on accessibility, design, best practices, governance, etc.
• Explore and discuss trends in digital service delivery and impacted technologies (e.g. Social media, third-party integrations,
etc.).
• Ensure testing and quality assurance of a variety of web-related functions and features.
• Provide input on future phases of the Website, including new features, functionality and enhancements.
• Report on peer municipal reviews of website technologies, evolutions and digital services.
• Review products and attend demonstrations/workshops for enhanced web site technologies.
Governance
• The WAC is the primary advisory body to the WSC.
• The Chair of the WAC is appointed by the Chair of the WSC
• Members of WAC are appointed by the members of the WSC.
• The Chair will be the formal link between the WSC and the WAC, informing WAC about the decisions made on its
recommendations.

Reporting
The Chair of the WAC will provide updates and recommendations to the WSC on a monthly basis.
Membership
The Website Advisory Committee is made up of the following appointed members:
• Chair, Website Advisory Committee
• Representative, CAO’s Office
• Representative, Finance
• Representative, Health
• Representative, Legislative & Planning Services (LPS)
• Representative, Public Works (PW)
• Representative, Social & Community Services (SCS)
• Representative, Social & Digital Media
• Representative, Information Technology (IT) Services
The members of the WAC will serve a maximum of two one-year term, to be reviewed and assessed annually at the end of each
one-year term.
Meetings
The Committee will meet once a month or on a more frequent basis if deemed appropriate by the Chair.
Website Working GroupTerms of Reference
The Website Working Group (WWG) serves to maintain integrity of the Website as it relates to the day-to-day management,
maintenance and ongoing improvement. This body acts as the data source authority, where all information and requests for
enhancements is either initiated by or filtered through the Group.
Mandate
• Act as the primary authority of data and information for the Website.
• Keep abreast and provide updates of emerging issues as they relate to the Website.
• Initiate Homepage Content workflow, as described in Section 6 in the event of emergencies or service disruption.
• Align requests made to the Website with organizational priorities and strategies.
• Ensure vision and direction initiated from the Owner and the Committees (WWG, WAC) are aligned and coordinated.
Governance
The WWG is the primary authority to a team of contributors, approvers and experts responsible for authoring and publishing
information to the Website.
Reporting
The WWG provides information to; and initiates the implementation of updates and recommendations from the Owner and
WSC.

Membership
The WWG is made up of the following members appointed by the Website Owner.
Meetings
The WWG meets daily or on a case-by-case to assess requests regarding the website and its members.
• Manager, Social & Digital Media
– Digital Media Advisors
– Printshop Supervisor
• Manager, Corporate Communications
– Communications Advisors
• Manager, Access Halton
– Access Halton Team Supervisors
• Manager, Policy Integration

Appendix C – WebsiteTerms of Use
Copyright
Halton Region maintains the copyright for all original material at this site. If you use the information at this site, please credit
Halton Region, and provide a reference to our site, www.halton.ca.
Reproduction of multiple copies of materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution is
prohibited except with written permission from Halton Region.
Notice
Every effort has been made to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information available, and the Region is committed
to maintaining the content of this site. However, errors may occur, and information at this site may be, at times, dated. Halton
Region cannot be held liable either directly or indirectly for consequential damages arising from the use of information or
services provided at this site.
Halton Region makes no guarantees, expressed or implied, as to the reliability or accuracy of this service. Further, Halton Region
has the right to discontinue, change or modify this site at any time without notice.
External Links
This site contains links to other Internet sites. These links will be identified with our external link:
Halton Region can make no representation concerning the content of any external site to you. The fact that Halton Region’s site
contains links to other Internet sites does not serve as an endorsement by Halton Region of any products or services in these
sites. Furthermore, no information in such site has been endorsed or approved by Halton Region. The Region is providing these
links only as a convenience to you. This is to inform you that Halton Region has not necessarily recently reviewed any of these
sites and therefore cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety or suitability of any information found there.

CAO-189753

Digital Service Platform Governance Plan

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Digital Service Platform Governance Plan

Similar to Digital Service Platform Governance Plan (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Digital Service Platform Governance Plan