About the Project
The UC Davis Web Content Management Initiative aims to implement a system to support the creation, management, delivery and sharing of Web content across the campus, while promoting compliance with standards for branding, accessibility and communications. The system will provide the tools and resources to enable even non-experts to publish Web content with minimal dependence upon specialized technical resources, skills or staff.
Background
In late 2005, UC Davis began work to identify solutions that would address weaknesses in the organization's Web content, standards, systems and publishing methods.
In addition to facilitating the use of the Web to support communications, information, and fundraising objectives, UC Davis sought to ensure campus-wide compliance with internal editorial, graphic and technical standards, and with legal requirements for content accessibility.
In early 2006, UC Davis formally initiated the search for a Web Content Management Solution to meet the campus' Web publishing objectives by hiring necessary staff, implementing a project management system, and organizing a team dedicated to the pursuit of this goal.
Project Governance
A clearly defined governance structure has been created for the Web Content Management Initiative:
A core project team, which includes representatives from several departments, reports to the executive steering committee. The executive steering committee is comprised of senior executives and principal stakeholders who are committed to the project and have the authority to make organizational policy decisions.
Additional activity committees made up of staff with targeted professional expertise, skills and experience support project execution under the management of the project team.
Project Methodology
The Web CMS search and implementation process has been organized into five comprehensive phases that include:
- Definition of the project: documenting its scope, developing a business case, and establishing a robust infrastructure for management and execution of the project.
- Research: internal, to define business and functional requirements; and external, to evaluate the Web CMS market space, and select from the myriad potential software solutions.
- Planning: to establish a process and project plan for the efficient implementation of the selected Web CMS resource(s), infrastructure and content workflows.
- Building: in which the selected solution is implemented, customized or modified as necessary, and tested.
- Deployment: including the integration of pilot/partner Web sites into the Web CMS, training and other continuing and support-related activities.
Additional information pertaining to the project methodology may be found in the project's documentation pages. (Restricted to UC Davis visitors)