# Website Governance Framework Template **Organization:** ************\_\_\_************ **Web Properties Covered:** ************\_\_\_************ **Version:** 1.0 **Owner:** ************\_\_\_************ **Last Updated:** ************\_\_\_************ **Review Cadence:** Annual / Semi-annual (circle one) --- ## 1. Purpose & Scope This framework defines governance standards for all web properties listed in Section 2. It establishes who owns what, how decisions are made, what quality standards apply, and how content moves through its lifecycle. **Properties covered by this framework:** | Property | URL | Primary Owner | Platform | | ------------- | --- | ------------- | -------- | | Main website | | | | | Blog / News | | | | | Microsites | | | | | Landing pages | | | | --- ## 2. Roles & Responsibilities ### 2.1 Web Governance Council | Role | Name / Title | Responsibilities | | -------------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Web Governance Lead | | Final decision authority on platform changes, major redesigns, vendor selection | | Content Strategist | | Editorial standards, content templates, style guide ownership | | Accessibility Lead | | WCAG compliance, assistive technology testing, remediation tracking | | Technical Lead | | Platform performance, security patches, CMS administration | | Brand/Marketing Rep | | Visual standards, campaign alignment, brand compliance review | | Departmental Reps (rotate) | | Represent distributed content contributors; surface operational issues | ### 2.2 Content Contributor Roles | Role | Permissions | Training Required | | ------------------ | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | | Editor | Draft, edit, submit for review | Content standards, style guide | | Publisher | Approve and publish content | Above + accessibility checklist | | Site Administrator | Platform configuration, user management | Above + CMS administration | --- ## 3. Editorial Standards ### 3.1 Style Guide Reference Link to your organization's style guide: ************\_\_\_************ Key standards enforced at publish time: - [ ] Content follows approved voice and tone guidelines - [ ] No proprietary jargon without explanation - [ ] Reading level appropriate for target audience (aim for Grade 10–12 for general audiences) - [ ] All links use descriptive anchor text (no "click here") - [ ] Images have descriptive alt text - [ ] Headings follow logical hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3) ### 3.2 Content Templates Approved templates for common content types: | Content Type | Template Location | Required Fields | | ----------------------- | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | Service / program page | | Title, description, CTA, contact | | News / press release | | Headline, date, body, contact | | Event | | Title, date, location, registration link | | Staff / faculty profile | | Name, title, bio, photo, contact | | Landing page | | Headline, value prop, CTA, form | --- ## 4. Content Lifecycle Policy ### 4.1 Creation Workflow ``` Draft → Peer Review → Accessibility Check → Publisher Approval → Publish → Index in Content Inventory ``` **SLAs:** - Peer review: within 3 business days of submission - Accessibility check: within 2 business days - Publisher approval: within 2 business days ### 4.2 Review & Update Schedule | Content Type | Review Frequency | Owner | | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------- | | Homepage | Quarterly | Web Governance Lead | | Service / program pages | Annual | Departmental Owner | | Staff profiles | Upon role change | HR + Web Team | | News & events | As published; archive after 2 years | Content Strategist | | Legal / policy pages | Annual (or upon policy change) | Legal + Web Lead | ### 4.3 Archival & Sunset Policy Content is eligible for archival when: - It has not been updated in [12 / 24] months - It receives fewer than [50] page views per month for 6 consecutive months - The program, product, or service it describes has been discontinued **Archival process:** 1. Flag content for review in content inventory 2. Notify departmental owner; allow 10 business days for response 3. If no response: redirect URL to most relevant active page with 301 4. Document in redirect registry --- ## 5. Decision-Making Framework ### 5.1 Change Classification | Change Type | Examples | Approval Required | | ------------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | | Minor content edit | Copy correction, image swap, link fix | Publisher | | New page creation | New service page, blog post, landing page | Content Strategist + Publisher | | Navigation change | Adding/removing nav items, restructuring | Web Governance Lead | | Template / design change | New page layout, component addition | Technical Lead + Brand Rep | | Platform change | Plugin install, major CMS upgrade | Full Governance Council | | Domain / URL restructure | New subdomain, URL path change | Full Governance Council | ### 5.2 Escalation Path Minor disputes → Content Strategist → Web Governance Lead → [Executive Sponsor] --- ## 6. Accessibility Compliance **Target standard:** WCAG 2.1 Level AA (WCAG 2.2 preferred for new pages) ### 6.1 Pre-Publish Accessibility Checklist - [ ] Color contrast ratio ≥ 4.5:1 for normal text; ≥ 3:1 for large text - [ ] All images have descriptive alt text (or empty alt="" if decorative) - [ ] Videos include captions; audio includes transcripts - [ ] All interactive elements are keyboard accessible - [ ] Page has a skip navigation link - [ ] Form fields have associated labels - [ ] Error messages are descriptive and actionable - [ ] Page tested with automated tool (axe, WAVE, or Lighthouse) ### 6.2 Audit Schedule | Audit Type | Frequency | Tool | Owner | | ----------------------------- | --------- | ------------------------ | ------------------ | | Automated scan (sample) | Monthly | axe / WAVE | Technical Lead | | Manual audit (priority pages) | Quarterly | Keyboard + screen reader | Accessibility Lead | | Full site audit | Annual | Combined | Accessibility Lead | --- ## 7. Metrics & Reporting ### 7.1 Governance KPIs | Metric | Target | Measurement | | ----------------------------------- | ----------- | -------------------------- | | Content reviewed on schedule | ≥ 90% | Content inventory audit | | Accessibility violations (critical) | 0 | Monthly automated scan | | Broken links | 0 | Weekly automated check | | Average content age (non-news) | < 18 months | CMS report | | Pages without assigned owner | 0 | Quarterly inventory review | ### 7.2 Reporting Cadence - **Monthly:** Accessibility scan results, broken link report → Governance Lead - **Quarterly:** Content inventory review, KPI dashboard → Full Council - **Annual:** Full governance framework review → Council + Executive Sponsor --- ## 8. Emergency & Exception Process For urgent content needs that cannot follow the standard approval workflow: 1. Requester contacts Publisher or Governance Lead directly 2. Emergency publication proceeds with verbal approval 3. Full documentation completed within 24 hours of publish 4. Retrospective added to next governance meeting agenda --- ## Appendix A: Content Inventory Maintain a living inventory of all pages at: ************\_\_\_************ Minimum fields per entry: URL, title, owner, last reviewed date, next review date, status (active / archive / redirect). ## Appendix B: Redirect Registry Track all 301 redirects at: ************\_\_\_************ Minimum fields: old URL, new URL, date added, reason. ## Appendix C: Approved Vendors & Tools | Tool / Vendor | Purpose | Contract Expiry | Owner | | ------------- | --------------------- | --------------- | ----- | | | CMS platform | | | | | Accessibility testing | | | | | Analytics | | | | | SEO / GSC | | | --- _Template version 1.0 — produced by Stoneberg Design (stonebergdesign.com)_ _For governance consulting inquiries: [contact@stonebergdesign.com](mailto:contact@stonebergdesign.com)_