Despite the moans and groans about the difficulties in managing SharePoint, the inherit governance properties of SP2010 is comparatively strong – when compared to similar portal and enterprise content management platforms. In fact, it is one of SharePoint’s strengths.
The site collection concept – think the portal home page, structure and information architecture (though you can have many under SharePoint – where site collections bequeath or determine the site structure and properties of all sites that reside under the collection, is in fact a powerful concept and tool. When the properties are set for each site under a collection, all the properties are then transferred to or ‘inherited’ by all other sites created under the bucket site collections (unless otherwise specified). This process of “inheritance” ensures that all sub-sites under a site collection inherit all of the behaviors (and functions) of the original site collection (and also prevents people from doing things they’re not supposed to do) including site design, structure, and information architecture.
Above and beyond site attributes and structure, governance has more to do with people and process, than the configuration of the enabling SharePoint technology. Specifically, governance is about ownership and management:
- The person (people) that own the intranet
- Management team
- Roles & responsibilities of all (including content contributors)
- Decision making process
- Policies & standards
Notwithstanding the technology, the most important element for an effective governance model – nay the intranet as a whole – is the strength and level of engagement of the end owners. People are the primary catalyst of intranet success, and senior management rule the people. When senior management is engaged, and actively support the intranet – with the requisite political clout and funding – the intranet is 100 times more likely to succeed. As represented in our model of intranet success, The Nexus of Intranet Success (below), when senior management is engaged, employees will follow and be motivated to use and rely on the intranet. Like the trickle-down effect, people determine the success of the intranet, and the flow begins in the c-suite.
Video Replay
A complete video replay of the webinar, Intranet & SharePoint Governance, can be seen and heard in our webinars section on www.PrescientDigital.com:
SharePoint Governance White Paper
Finally, for a comprehensive look at SharePoint governance, download the free SharePoint Governance white paper. A detailed, 38-page examination of governing and managing SharePoint 2010. Highlights include:
- Learn about different intranet governance models.
- Learn about the unique challenges of trying to manage SharePoint.
- Find out why assigning intranet ownership is so important.
- See how governance fits into the complete methodology for an intranet redevelopment project.
- Learn strategies for mitigating intranet sprawl.
- See SharePoint governance success stories in two case studies.
- Learn about governance for social intranets.
PowerPoint presentation: Intranet & SharePoint Governance
Video replay: Intranet & SharePoint Governance
White Paper: SharePoint Governance white paper