Digital Workplace Group (DWG) sheds light on good practices for robust intranet strategy and governance

14 November 2012, New York and London.

The Digital Workplace Group (DWG) is pleased to announce the release of new research into good practices around providing effective intranet strategy and governance.

DWG’s latest exclusive member research report shows the ways in which organizations are ensuring there is an up-to-date intranet strategy in place, as well as the necessary governance to help deliver that strategy.

Among its key recommendations are that intranet teams should formalize engagement with senior sponsors as far as possible, and also ensure that any processes which help to reinforce governance are clearly visible.

The executive summary of the report is free to download via the IBF website, although the full findings are available to DWG members only.

Also included in “Intranet strategy and governance: a good practice guide” are:

• Two detailed case studies from leading organizations, as well as many other examples of good practice
• Detailed analysis of DWG’s own historical benchmarking data, revealing in which areas of intranet strategy and governance organizations tend to be strong or weak
• A newly commissioned survey showing the challenges around strategy and governance
• Comparisons with DWG’s last major investigation into the topic from 2007.

Among the report’s main conclusions are:

• Intranet teams should consider leadership support, strategy formation and a governance framework as an ecosystem where all three areas support each other
• Engagement with senior leaders should be formalized as far as possible to maximize the value of the interaction and mitigate for changes in individual sponsors
• Include all stakeholders for effective sponsorship and governance including IT, communications, HR and core business lines
• Include a regular review of strategy as a key process within any governance framework to ensure credibility amongst senior stakeholders and users
• Ensure the strategy is communicated to all groups, and use this as an opportunity to build engagement with them, for example seeking their input
• Where possible utilize existing structures and processes within your organization as blueprints for governance, strategic planning and senior sponsorship
• Ensure governance is in place for new content areas and applications, an area where often it is not applied
• Make sure any processes to enforce operational governance and publishing standards are clearly visible, to ensure standards are adhered to
• Any introduction of social networking and tools should ideally come under the same governance framework as the intranet, especially if it is integrated.

Angela Pohl, Managing Director of DWG, commented: “Having a clear strategy and managing strong governance are critical for any intranet to able to deliver true business benefits. This in-depth report reveals many of the good practices carried out by global organizations and will be an invaluable reference for our members in helping them plan their own activities.”

Elizabeth Marsh, Director of Research for DWG, said: “DWG’s research programme last took a deep dive into intranet strategy and governance in 2007.  Our new research report shows that in the past five years intranet teams have become more professional in delivering governance around operations and standards, but engaging with senior sponsors is still a challenge. This report reveals that forming and communicating an intranet strategy is key and gives many examples of how leading organizations are achieving this.”

DWG’s member research programme produces three major reports and three briefing papers per year on key intranet themes. All are authored by intranet experts. Research briefings and reports are available to DWG members only.

Find out more about our research programme

View our research infographic

About the Digital Workplace Group

DWG is the world leader in intranet benchmarking, research and interaction with offices in London and New York. Its 80 plus members are all Fortune 500 and equivalent organizations including Amgen, AT&T, Avon, IKEA, Exxon Mobil, ING, Liberty Mutual, and Verizon.

Since 2002, DWG has been helping members maximize the effectiveness and value of their intranets through benchmarking, interaction and research. Only major companies and public-sector organizations are eligible to join. Members agree to strict confidentiality on joining.

Because DWG is independent of any technology vendor all benchmarking findings and recommendations are impartial.

IBF is part of the Digital Workplace Group.

For more information visit Digital Workplace Group or contact:

Paul Miller
CEO and Founder
T: +44 (0) 20 7722 8726 | + 44 (0)7785 255883
E: paul.miller@digitalworkplacegroup.com
@paulmillersays

Angela Pohl
Managing Director
T: +44 (0) 20 7722 8726 | +1 440 488 2377
E: angela.pohl@digitalworkplacegroup.com
@ibf