Online Information Management for Web Owners and Web Managers

Online Information Management for Web Owners and Web Managers

This framework provides practical advice for web owners and web managers to effectively manage all aspects of information and data online. The framework can be applied both to existing and planned new websites. It summarises the Information and Data Management guidance pages on the Web Toolkit. It highlights key elements that should be considered as part of ensuring that your website is fit for purpose, consistent with published government guidelines, and will meet obligations as set out in mandatory standards and legislation.

Authenticity / Integrity / Reliability / Usability / Privacy / Security /
People have confidence they are genuinely dealing with government information and services. / People have trust that information they receive or submit is protected from inappropriate modification, and that it is complete, accurate and trustworthy. / People have certainty that they can rely on the information provided to inform their decision-making, and their interactions with government are accurate for their circumstances. / People have ready access to information or services regardless of their choice of technology, ability, or knowledge of government. / People have confidence that their personal information is treated in accordance with the Information Privacy Principles. / People have assurance that their interactions with government are not disclosed to or compromised by unauthorised parties.

Managing the online information lifecycle

Create / Maintain / Re-Use / Dispose / Archive

Ownership and authority

Identify the responsible agency and brand your content.
Use validated approval and publication processes.
Record a trail of evidence to support publication.
Security
Use formal processes for security assurance.
Refer to guidance on the Web Toolkit.
Seek assurance from your security advisers.

Privacy protection

Ensure Personal Information is protected.
Follow the Information Privacy Principles.
Seek assurance from your privacy adviser/s.

Accuracy and validity

Ensure information is accurate and approved.
Mark content with date of publication and update.
Establish schedules for content review.
Indicate how long content is valid for.

Continuity

Choose formats that can be accessed over time.
Consider how content will be archived in the future.
Embed metadata in content to provide context.

Usability

Structure documents properly use plain English, and test reading levels.
Choose commonly-used formats.
Provide clear licensing and re-use terms.
Comply with the Web Accessibility and Web Usability Standards. /

Ownership and authority

Identify the responsible agency and brand your content.
Use validated approval and publication processes.
Record a trail of evidence to support publication.

Security

Schedule periodic reviews of security assurance.
Seek advice from your security advisers.

Privacy protection

Validate continued compliance with the Information Privacy Principles.
Seek advice from your privacy advisers.

Accuracy and validity

Capture previous versions of content.
Ensure information is accurate and approved.
Mark content with date of publication and update.
Establish schedules for content review.
Indicate the period of validity of content.

Continuity

Choose formats that can be preserved.
Consider how content will be archived in the future.
Update metadata to provide accurate context.

Usability

Use plain English and test reading levels.
Choose commonly-used formats.
Provide clear licensing and re-use terms.
Comply with the Web Accessibility and Web Usability Standards. /

Ownership and authority

Identify the responsible agency.
Provide details of qualified contacts.
Apply a NZGOAL re-use licence.
Describe re-users' rights and obligations.

Accuracy and validity

Describe any constraints or limitations to accuracy or completeness.
Consult legal teams for required disclaimers.
Indicate when and how data was created or updated.
Indicate how frequently it will be updated.

Continuity

Choose formats that can be preserved.
Favour openly-documented formats.
Avoid product-dependent formats.
Provide information to help users access the information.

Usability

Accompany re-usable data with appropriate metadata.
Lay out tabular data as simply as possible.
Favour CSV for tabular data.
Choose easily accessible formats for APIs (e.g. JSON).
Provide full documentation for APIs.
Choose API endpoints to allow flexibility and upgrade. /

Ownership and authority

Seek formal approval before decommissioning content or websites.
Ensure an approved Disposal Authority applies to content and users’ personal information to be removed.
Consult Records Management staff.

Privacy protection

Capture users personal information from sites before archival or disposal.
Maintain a secure copy of information that was provided by users.
Maintain a secure copy of transaction logs.
Consult security and privacy advisers as appropriate.

Accuracy and validity

Aim to be able to recreate a point-in-time snapshot from an archive.
Consider using the National Library Web Archive to archive content or sites.
Determine processes to record what the Web Archive can't harvest.
Include metadata, versioning information, codebase, transaction logs and databases if creating your own archive.
Clearly mark content that is archived but left in place online.