Author: Zach Wahl

Overview

Portals aggregate a broad spectrum of content, applications, and services that are owned and managed by a variety of groups. For this reason, conflicting requirements from different stakeholder groups are a given. In addition, the proliferation of multiple stakeholder groups leads to "organic" portal development. Different groups will take ownership of various sub-components of the portal and develop them to suit their own needs with little coordination or regard for how this will affect other groups. In short, without portal governance guiding processes, developing policies and procedures, and maintaining authority, portal projects risk absolute failure.

Organizations that implement a governance model that covers the areas of project objectives, portal roles, policies and procedures, and communication have a much better chance of succeeding. A successful governance model will help gather user requirements by improving communication and clarifying roles and responsibilities within the portal implementation team. In turn, these clarified roles and responsibilities will speed development and assist team members in prioritizing activities. Finally, an effective governance model ensures consistent decision-making on the part of the portal team.