Description

Employees must obtain approval before creating a new website, app, social media account, YouTube channel, crowdfunding page, or online interactive feature on behalf of IREX. Approval from the following parties is required:

• Practice head (or unit head, if the employee is not in a practice)
• Strategic Communications

Before granting approval, the team must answer the following questions:

• What are the objectives of the new digital property?
• Who are the intended audiences?
• What is the timetable for assessing the property’s performance and improving or retiring it if it underperforms?

IREX will give priority to digital projects that align with multiple criteria:

• It supports an opportunity in IREX’s Strategic Communications Plan
• It will strengthen IREX’s positioning for funding streams that have long-term potential
• It will help diversify IREX’s funding sources or attract key partners

Teams must buy domain names (internet addresses) through IT. See policy C.1 for details.

Teams must give IT and Strategic Communications administrative access to websites and social media accounts. See policy H.5 and policy J for details.

Scope

This applies to external-facing IREX websites and IREX social media accounts.

Rationale

Websites and social media accounts can expose organizations to significant risks and costs. For example, it costs time and money to create, maintain, promote, improve, and retire digital properties. More properties means more security, privacy, and legal risks. Creating too many digital properties can also make an organization appear siloed and inefficient. Therefore, IREX must be selective about which digital properties to create.

Author: Strategic Communications Last updated: July 20, 2016