TBS Guidelines on WEB 2.0: Now comes the tough part…

TBS Guidelines on WEB 2.0: Now comes the tough part…

Web 2.0 is not new.  The term was coined in 1999 and really came into its own in 2003 with the first web 2.0 conference.  The Treasury Board Secretariat has provided guidance to federal government departments and agencies that will facilitate the use of web 2.0 by publishing "Guidelines for External Use of Web 2.0".  This is a welcome addition to the Government of Canada policy inventory.  For those who have not seen the guidelines type in the following url: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=24835&section=text). Typical of TBS policy statements, 24 pages are used to spell out one clear message: “Use web 2.0 but don’t break any existing laws, Treasury Board policies and remain consistent with Government of Canada messages”. Beyond this high level message the guidelines tell departments to:

1. Implement clear accountability and governance mechanisms for all web 2.0 activities;
2. Structure web 2.0 activities to support the department’s overall strategy and direction (have a plan…);
3. Comply with existing policies regarding accessibility, FIP (Federal Identity Program), Official Languages, IM, Privacy, Procurement and Security;
4. Implement and enforce clear rules of engagement;
5. Measure and evaluate web 2.0 efforts;
6. Provide clear guidance and rules of conduct for personnel.

Sounds pretty straight forward doesn’t it? Many vanguard departments are already way ahead on many of these issues.  However, for many other departments and agencies, this marks the beginning of the real work, and some departments have a long way to go.  Consider that many Departments don’t provide access to popular social media websites.  As one communications specialist recently put it:  "How can I keep track of what my minister is saying and doing when I can’t follow him on twitter?" Indeed, now comes the tough part…