Government of Canada Internet Guide

Skills, Knowledge and Responsibilities

This section details the skills, knowledge and responsibilities your Web team will need. It has two parts:

General Skills and Knowledge
Examining general abilities and knowledge that a Web team needs

Responsibilities
Describing tasks your Web team will carry out, in stages, throughout the lifecycle of your Web initiative

General Skills and Knowledge

This section details the various skills and knowledge your Web team requires.

All Web team members ought to understand the following Government of Canada statues, policies and standards for on-line service and information: the Common Look and Feel Standards for the Internet, Federal Identity Program, Security Policy, Privacy and Data Protection Policy, Communications Policy, Use of Electronic Networks Policy, Official Languages Act and Access to Information Act.

Web team members should be able to do the following:

• manage projects;
• advise all levels of management on Web use;
• provide client-oriented service;
• communicate efficiently, verbally and in writing;
• organize and manage time;
• budget for and finance on-line resources;
• manage an institutional Web site; and
• promote and market the Web initiative.
• Web team members who are in charge of design should have knowledge of the following:
• layout, spacing and colour principles;
• print design;
• information design;
• usability evaluation; and
• information management or architecture.

Web team members who are in charge of technical aspects should have knowledge of the following:

• HTML coding;
• operating systems, such as UNIX, Windows NT and Macintosh;
• protocols, such as DNS, FTP and NNTP;
• knowledge of server software and hardware operations;
• programming fundamentals;
• procedural and object-oriented languages;
• processes and technologies relevant to Web sites;
• multimedia and graphics packages and formats;
• common industry tools and resources, such as ad servers and auditing mechanisms; and
• Internet hosting options.

Responsibilities

This section describes tasks that your Web team members may need to undertake during the phases of a Web initiative. The team will need to set objectives, garner institutional support, perform cost/benefit analyses, analyze and implement security measures, define information content, and design, manage and update the Web site.

This section is divided into four parts:

Planning Tasks
Implementation Tasks
Evaluation Tasks
Maintenance Tasks

Planning Tasks

This section outlines tasks that your Web team should bear in mind when planning a Web initiative.

When planning a Web initiative framework, you should do the following:

• develop a project plan;
• identify institutional goals and direction;
• document goals, benefits, direction, project plan, responsibilities and accountability in terms that all team members can understand;
• identify all constraints and assumptions; and
• develop an internal communications strategy.

Analyse and respond to your clients' needs by doing the following:

• performing a needs analysis;
• quantifying what clients want in a Web presence;
• integrating client considerations into all levels of the Web initiative;
• capturing your clients' attention with your Web initiative;
• integrating the Web initiative into your institution's traditional advertising; and
• dealing with scope changes and explaining their implications to clients.

Manage resources by doing the following:

• budgeting for on-line resources;
• identifying human resource requirements;
• documenting job descriptions;
• communicating internal resource requirements;
• preparing and managing contracts with Web design companies;
• negotiating and securing resources as needed; and
• affirming management direction for Web applications and interactivity tools.

Identify technical needs, such as the need to do the following:

• connect to a local network;
• obtain a domain name;
• support FTP and mail servers;
• connect your local area network to the Internet;
• set up server hardware;
• verify HTTP daemon behaviour; and
• establish virtual hosting.

Implementation Tasks

This section outlines tasks that you should to bear in mind when developing a Web initiative.

Your Web team should do the following when designing a Web site:

• foster team collaboration on Web site development;
• prepare a storyboard;
• create a site architecture;
• create layouts of components of Web pages;
• choose layout colours and typefaces; and
• ensure the site can be displayed properly in multiple browsers and formats.

Your Web team should do the following when developing content for a Web site:

• organize files and arrange for translation;
• convert image files into needed formats;
• gather, select, organize and prepare information for inclusion;
• develop text and graphics content, and client-side scripting; and
• develop server-side program content.

Your Web team should do the following when implementing technical aspects of a Web site:

• write HTML coding;
• create and integrate scripting codes;
• troubleshoot programming;
• beta-test the site;
• use a graphics package to create 2D imagery or enhance photos;
• optimize graphics for the Web;
• select and use appropriate media;
• embed multimedia for the Web;
• load the site onto the server;
• publish content to the Web;
• mirror content across sites;
• integrate database capability; and
• register the site with search engines.

Your Web team should do the following when implementing security and privacy procedures:

• ensure compliance of the Web initiative with security and privacy legislation, policies and standards;
• manage security requirements;
• oversee backup and recovery;
• plan for an increase of Web site traffic; and
• perform disaster recovery procedures.

Evaluation Tasks

Your Web team should do the following when evaluating your Web initiative:

• ensure compliance with legislation, policies and standards, and institutional best practices;
• monitor project progress against the plan;
• ensure a usable Web site;
• establish standards for content design and user interfaces;
• inform clients of Web site changes;
• monitor the Web site's key usage and value indicators; and
• develop a Web site improvement plan.

Maintenance Tasks

Your Web team should do the following when maintaining your Web initiative:

• resolve variances from the established project plan;
• document new Web site business goals and objectives;
• incorporate new requirements, business goals and objectives into the most appropriate Web architecture;
• supervise content maintenance;
• update standards for content design and user interfaces;
• respond to e-mail inquiries according to your institution's service standards;
• analyze competitive offerings and new technology; and
• analyze network traffic and monitor network connectivity.

Your Web team should do the following when maintaining the information technology for your Web initiative:

• ensure that the network software and hardware that support the Web site are secure, reliable and efficient, in accordance with current technologies;
• ensure that content is transferred securely from clients' browsers to your server;
• ensure that those maintaining the site understand the latest network technologies;
• consider options for virtual hosting, Web server software and extensions, and DNS (Domain Name System) addresses;
• monitor server performance.