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Outline for a Strategic Plan

A strategic plan is an essential part of web management. You, your web organization, and your agency need a map showing them both where you’re going and how you’ll get there. Strategic plans should be concise and written for a broad audience—basically everyone in the agency. And in the spirit of transparency, you should post your strategic plan so the public knows what you hope to achieve. Invite comment and suggestions, when possible. Your strategic plan should guide what you do and how you use your resources.

I. Vision: Describe success. What will your customers be able to do with your website? Paint a picture of your vision for using the web. Incorporate how you’ll use new media. Be succinct.

Example:

We will use the web to serve citizens, to open government to its citizens, and to support the business processes necessary to achieve our mission. Our website will offer complete information and efficient and secure processes to work with our business partners. Our website will support the customer service standards established by the Federal Web Managers Council. When citizens interact with this agency, they will be able to:

  • Get the information or service they want without having to figure out which part of our agency provides it
  • Get prompt, complete, and understandable answers to their questions
  • Easily find and complete basic transactions online, such as filling out forms or applying for programs
  • Talk to a human being when they want to
  • Get the same answers to their questions no matter who they ask or how they ask them (online, phone, mail)
  • Get clear and accurate instructions on where to start and what happens next

This is the vision that guides our strategic goals and objectives.

II. Goals and key objectives: List your major strategic goals (normally no more than five). Goals should describe both what you want to do and why you want to do it. Under each goal, list specific objectives that describe (briefly) how you will achieve the goals.

Example:

Goal 1: Improve the quality and ease-of-use of agency websites by identifying and enhancing the efficiency of the most used tasks, by making those tasks easier to find, and by eliminating content that is outdated, redundant, and inaccurate.

  • Objective 1.a: Identify the most used (top) tasks
  • Objective 1.b: Improve the efficiency of the top tasks
  • Objective 1.c: Improve the design of the home page to make it easier to find the top tasks
  • Objective 1.d: Establish a certification process, requiring managers to regularly review and certify that their web content is both current and accurate
  • Objective 1.e: Establish consequences for failure to complete the certification process
  • Objective 1.f: Establish an annual review process to verify and enhance top tasks
  • Objective 1.g: Work across agencies to consolidate and/or link top tasks to help citizens get complete information and follow logical sequences
  • Objective 1.h: Use new/social media tools to inform and educate customers about our services

Goal 2: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency’s web governance structure to ensure the agency’s use of the web is effective and that it supports mission achievement and public service.

  • Objective 2.a: Review and update agency web policies
  • Objective 2.b: Establish a quarterly meeting of all members of the governance structure to review progress and discuss plans
  • Objective 2.c: Incorporate the Chief Procurement Officer in the agency governance structure to ensure contracts comply with agency web policies
  • Objective 2.d: Create a monthly e-newsletter for all agency managers, keeping them informed on web plans and achievements
  • Objective 2.e: Develop performance standards for all agency web managers and web coordinators
  • Objective 2.f: Develop a critical element for all agency managers, establishing responsibility for creating and managing web content from their organizations
  • Objective 2.g: Identify and publicize opportunities to work across government on web policy issues, and encourage all members of the governance structure to participate

Goal 3: Improve customer service by improving the way we communicate with citizens on agency websites and through new media. Improvements will include writing, organization, and methods of delivery.

  • Objective 3.a: Train all employees who routinely contribute to the website to write for the web, using the principles of plain language
  • Objective 3.b: Develop and implement a process to review and—where needed—rewrite web content to make it easier to understand and use
  • Objective 3.c: Work with other agencies to consolidate content around topics of interest to the public

 

Content Lead: Rachel Flagg
Page Updated/Reviewed: September 14, 2010

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