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Ministry of Agriculture & Lands

WEB STANDARDS
Ministry Roles & Responsibilities

Overview of Organizational Structure

Web Services : The Web Services section is a group within the Ministry IMB. Web Services is responsible for promoting, leading and supporting web related initiatives across the Ministry.

Web Administrators : Each Region and Branch has a designated Web Administrator. The Web Administrator is responsible for coordinating and administrating their business unit's web pages.

Web Administrators Working Group (WAWG) : The Web Administrators working group consists of the Web Services section of the IMB and the Web Administrators for each Branch and Region.

Web Steering Committee : This Steering Committee is responsible for providing direction to the Web Operations section of the IMB and the Web Administrators Working Group on web related initiatives.

Roles & Responsibilities

This page describes the roles and responsibilities of the following individuals/groups within the Ministry, as they relate to web initiatives :

Web Services, IMB

The Web Services section of the IMB is responsible for promoting, leading and supporting web-related initiatives across the Ministry. With the involvement and active assistance of the Web Administrators, the role of the Web Services section within IMB is as follows :

  • compiling, coordinating and preparing strategic plans for the evolution of the Ministry's web presence
  • supporting, facilitating and fostering the productive use of web based services (either via the Internet, Intranet or an Extranet)
  • establishing and promoting standards and guidelines for tools and procedures related to development and maintenance of web pages and applications;
  • providing common web forms, templates, tools, training and related development aids
  • setting systems development life cycle standards and guidelines for web related application development
  • quality assurance of web application deliverables
  • enhancing and maintaining the Ministry's web infrastructure (hardware, software, tools, roles & responsibilities)
  • planning and coordinating ministry-wide deployment of software, hardware and network upgrades related to the web
  • managing the Ministry Internet Server (capacity planning, backups, performance monitoring and optimization, and maintenance of hardware, software and network connections
  • defining and implementing security mechanisms for the web
  • supporting a Web Steering Committee
  • chairing and leading the Web Administrators Working Group, effectively forging a working level network with all business units
  • maintaining a close working relationship with the Communications Branch
  • participating on the working committees of BCIS (British Columbia Internet Services) and keeping apprised of all emerging BCIS standards and practices

The Manager of Web Services (assignment within IMB) is, additionally responsible for :

  • developing the strategic Web Plan and an annual Web Development Plan
  • supporting the Web Steering Committee in its review of the Strategic and Annual Web Plans
  • maintaining and presenting regular status reports on key Ministry Web activities, and corporate Web projects
  • reporting annually to the Web Steering Committee on the key web activities of the Ministry in terms of accomplishments as well as any proposed changes in strategic direction

Communications Branch, Public Affairs Bureau

The Communications Branch plays a key role in the Ministry's effective and appropriate use of the Internet. Specifically, the Communications Branch is responsible for :

  • ownership, management and maintenance of the Ministry Internet Home Page and non-program pages linked off the Ministry Internet Home Page
  • approval of all links from the Ministry Internet Home Page to other pages maintained by branches and regions
  • approval and logging of all outside links from all Ministry Internet Web pages
  • approval of new information being posted to the Internet as it relates to communication policies and standards
  • ensuring that all Internet pages and documents accessible to the public are in compliance with Government communication policies and standards
  • establishing procedures for publishing public information through the Internet
  • auditing Internet pages for Ministry compliance
  • reporting audit results to Director/CIO/Executive
  • contributing to the structure of public access to Ministry Internet pages
  • providing input into content guidelines for the public face (Internet)

Branch Directors, Regional Directors

Business unit directors (at the branch, region level) are responsible for the following in relation to the web :

  • establishing the business unit's Web plans (including the relevant ministry programs as agreed between the involved directors)
  • ensuring local web administrator functions are established and maintained
  • providing direction to the local web administrator
  • authorizing the creation, maintenance and content of the business unit's Web pages (Internet and Intranet)
  • ensuring all business unit Web pages follow ministry and government standards and comply with ministry and government policies
  • identifying a director to be responsible for program pages which cross branch/regional content and advising the Manager, Web Services

Web Administrators

Every branch and region has a designated web administrator. Depending on the scope of web development within the business unit this may be a full time or a part time assignment. The web administrator is responsible for the coordination and administration of the Web pages for their business unit. Specifically, the web administrator's responsibilities are :

  • assisting with and coordinating the development of business unit plans for the Web
  • promoting the use of the Web to automate business functions, workload reduction etc.
  • providing advice to web page owners regarding the use of government and ministry web standards, tools, templates, utilities etc.
  • providing high level training on standard web tools and techniques
  • publishing information to the Web, when requested
  • ensuring all business unit web pages follow ministry and government standards, policies and procedures
  • actively monitoring the business unit web site for compliance to standards
  • removing inaccurate or outdated information from business unit's web site
  • assisting web page owners with web-related questions, issues etc.
  • providing a source of contact for all web page owners within the business unit
  • monitoring local web utilization
  • participating in the Web Administrators Working Group
  • communicating business and technical requirements to the Web Servicess
  • communicating new information regarding web initiatives to others within the Business Unit

Web Page Owners

A web page owner is any individual within a business unit, who owns and is responsible for an active web page. (Note: a web page owner may or may not be the person who 'authored' the web page). The web page owner is responsible for :

  • ensuring published information is accurate and is kept up to date
  • ensuring inaccurate or outdated information is removed from the Web
  • ensuring published pages comply with ministry and government standards;
  • ensuring that ministry and government standard policies and procedures are followed in relation to publishing information on the Web
  • providing a first line of contact for all queries regarding the owned pages
  • ensuring appropriate meta data related to the published page is accurate
  • raising any web related issues to the business unit's web administrator

Web Administrators Working Group

The Web Administrators Working Group (WAWG) is made up of representatives from the IMB Web Services Section and Communications Branch and all of the web administrators for the ministry. The group is chaired by the Manager, Web Services. This group is responsible for :

  • bringing forward issues and recommendations from business units regarding web standards, tools, policies and procedures
  • working collaboratively towards issue resolution
  • assisting in the development of standards and best practices for the web
  • identifying tools and utilities required from Web Services to increase work effectiveness
  • through the formation of smaller working groups, resolving issues, developing policies, standards, defining tools related to the Web

Also, refer to the Web Administrators Working Group Terms of Reference on the Ministry Intranet

Web Steering Committee

The Web Steering Committee has not yet been established. The proposed committee would be chaired by a director or manager from one of the ministry's business units. Membership would be drawn from the directors and managers of the ministry's five divisions plus IMB and the Communications Branch. IMB would provide support as required. The Web Steering Committee would be responsible for :

  • providing clear strategic vision, direction and balance for the ministry in relation to ministry-wide or otherwise significant matters or issues involving web utilization and management
  • providing resolution of corporate web issues or disputes involving relations or interactions between different parts of the ministry, where there is a clear difference of opinion that is hindering or could hinder overall web progress, efficiency or effectiveness
  • recommending to MISSC, appropriate fiscal and/or management action as required to optimize the delivery of efficient and effective web activities across the ministry
  • reviewing and evaluating the ministry's web strategic plan and the annual web plans
  • reviewing and endorsing major corporate policies and procedures related to the Web
  • reviewing, prioritizing and potentially seeking resources for significant Web projects that are corporate in nature or impact
  • providing timely strategic direction and planning for the work of Web Services within IMB, as well as for the Web Administrators Working Group; and, more generally, for overall web operations and activities in the ministry
  • ensuring effective corporate web policies and priorities for the ministry
  • ensuring effective integration and optimization of key ministry web effort