HUD's Web Management Operating Procedures

Section 2: General Procedures

K: Web Management Training

An effective web management organization needs well-trained players, throughout. Training is an ongoing process.

Departmental Web Team Duties

The Departmental Web Managers are responsible for planning and directing training for HUD's web management organization.

Training includes:

• Keeping Web Managers and Web Coordinators up-to-date on current and future initiatives and strategies
• Providing information or courses to develop specific skills, such as writing and editing web content and doing public presentations
• Demonstrating and practicing new processes, such quality control reviews, and
• Developing other knowledge, skills, and abilities that will help the Web Managers and Web Coordinators perform their duties more effectively and create a cadre of potential candidates for succession.

The Departmental Web Team also is responsible for providing technical training to Headquarters staff and Regional staff on using HUD's web templates and content management systems, as needed.

Departmental Training

The Departmental Web Team provides training in 4 basic ways:

1. Counterpart meetings
2. Conference calls
3. Written communications:

• Webwise (our Web Management newsletter),
• "Web Management" - the resource guide for HUD Web Managers and Web Coordinators on hud@work; and
• Bookshelf 15: Web Management on www.hud.gov, our compendium of public information on HUD's management of the web.

4. Provide information about outside training opportunities (particularly interagency training sessions).

Counterpart Meetings

• Counterpart meetings are held routinely (normally 2-3 times each year) to bring the Departmental Web Team, the Headquarters Web Managers, and the Regional Web Managers together to work on common issues and to receive training. The objectives of Counterpart meetings are:
  • Bring everyone up-to-date on plans and directions for the future, including participation in interagency web content management initiatives;
  • Conduct training on critical skills in areas such as writing and editing web content, assessing the usability of HUD's web pages, and analyzing customer satisfaction;
  • Work together on plans for improving HUD's web products;
  • Build personal relationships and networks across geographic and organization boundaries, key to keeping our organization strong; and
  • Develop strategies to ensure that HUD's websites meet and exceed requirements established by the Office of Management and Budget.
• Counterpart meetings involve only the officially designated Web Managers in the key organizations in Headquarters and the 10 Regional Web Managers.
• No substitutes are allowed. One of the major objectives of counterpart meetings is to build the Web Manager Team. If the players are constantly changing, it's hard to build a team.
• Web Manager meetings are most effective when held outside of the Washington area, where there's less temptation or opportunity to be side-tracked by ongoing business. In fact, the best location for Web Manager meetings has proven to be in a Field Office training room. The benefit of meeting in a Field Office is that, not only does it get Web Managers out of their own locations, it also lets them interact with Field Office staff at another location. It's cheaper to use HUD facilities than to rent meeting space.
• As possible, the meeting agenda includes opportunities for interaction between the Web Managers and the local staff. At a minimum, the FOD is invited to welcome the group.
• Web Manager meetings normally run 3.5 days, with a travel day on either end. Since these are the only opportunities for face-to-face interaction during the year, it's important to use the time to do training and other sessions that require presence.
• When developing the agenda, it's a good idea to set aside some time for the Regional Web Managers to meet separately, since this is the only time they get to meet face-to-face as a group.
• If possible, it is good to include a tour of local HUD efforts (202s, Youthbuild programs, HOPE VI projects, etc.), and discuss how they can be featured as "good stories."
• One of the major objectives of counterpart meetings is to build relationships among the Web Managers, so the web management organization can remain strong. Thus, the meeting agenda includes multiple opportunities for Headquarters and Regional Web Managers to work and socialize together.
• One of the three counterpart meetings each year should include a 2-day session for Web Coordinators, if funding is available. Web Coordinators are the unsung heroes in HUD's web management organization, and they - too - need to be trained and to build relationships across organizations.

Conference Calls

Most Web Manager coordination is done through conference calls. Even in Headquarters, where Web Managers theoretically are all in one place, conference calls have proven to be a more effective way to "meet" than in-person meetings.

• The Departmental Web Managers normally conduct weekly conference calls with their respective groups: Headquarters Web Managers meet with the Departmental Web Manager for Headquarters Operations; Regional Web Managers meet with the Departmental Web Manager for Field Operations. Departmental Web Team members participate in both calls.
• As needed, conference calls are held with the combined groups, to discuss major issues or to receive briefings.
• Conference calls normally run 1-2 hours, with an agenda set in advance. Calls conclude with "roundabouts" - individual reports from each Web Manager on current activities and issues. Roundabouts help Web Managers trade tips and ideas.

Written Communications

The Departmental Web Team is responsible for publishing these three written communications, which help Web Managers and Web Coordinators do their jobs.

• Webwise: Webwise is HUD's web management newsletter, published by the Departmental Web Team every 2 months. It provides updates on initiatives, training opportunities, recommended reading, and other useful tips for Web Managers and Web Coordinators. Webwise is posted in the "Web Management" section of hud@work.
  
  
• "Web Management" (hud@work): The "Web Management" section of hud@work documents procedures and provides information for HUD Web Managers and Web Coordinators that should not be public. It incorporates links to web management documents on Bookshelf 15 of www.hud.gov, to provide "one-stop shopping" for HUD Web Managers and Web Coordinators.
  
  
• Bookshelf 15: Web Management (www.hud.gov): The "Web Management" section of www.hud.gov was established to provide documents, reports, and other important information about the way HUD manages its web products to Web Managers at other agencies and to the public. In addition to official policies and procedures, Bookshelf 15 holds a history of HUD's web products, links to articles about HUD's web products, and job descriptions of HUD's Web Managers. If information can be public, we put it on Bookshelf 15. If it cannot be public, it goes on hud@work.

Outside Training Opportunities

Through participation in interagency efforts (such as the Web Content Management Working Group), the Departmental Web Managers stay on the lookout for low-cost and no-cost training opportunities for HUD Web Managers and web coordinators. When we find a good opportunity, we share it via email, conference call, and/or Webwise.

With increasing emphasis on identifying and using common content, eliminating duplication across federal websites, and collaborating on content across government, it is essential that all HUD Web Managers look for opportunities to work with their counterparts in other agencies. Training sessions are a great way to make these connections.

Web Manager Duties

Headquarters and Regional Web Managers are responsible for training their Web Coordinators and any other staff who assist in web management operations on a routine basis (for example, people who respond to webmail). Training should include:

• Training on HUD's Web Policies, Publication Procedures And Style Guide, and HUD's Web Management Operating Procedures.
• Routine updates and briefings for Web Coordinators, through meetings or conference calls
• Routine individual meetings and follow up with Web Coordinators to identify specific problems and answer questions
• Routine email updates to brief Web Coordinators about specific plans and activities within the jurisdiction
• Routine refresher sessions with anyone in the jurisdiction who is responding to webmail.