Website Development and Operations Policy
Policy Number: 02:05
Effective Date: November 01, 2001
See signed policy - Adobe Acrobat file
1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this Policy is to provide consistency in design, content, accessibility and administration of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ web sites and to ensure that DNR provides quality information and services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with measurable service goals. A secondary goal is to simultaneously allow for a seamless transition throughout all the State of Maryland web sites and eGovernment access tools.2.0 SCOPE
This Policy applies to all units, programs and divisions of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This policy also applies to all internal development and the outsourcing of DNR sponsored/owned web sites, interactive services or web page development.3.0 POLICY
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is required to develop and maintain web sites which provide information and services that are consistent with the vision of the State. Maryland’s vision is to become a digital state as specified by the goals and objectives outlined in the State’s Information Technology Management Plan (ITMP) and as mandated by the Maryland Legislature, in that DNR must have 80% of its information and services online by the end of 2004.The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Information Technology Service Division’s Internet and eGovernment Services Team shall manage and administer all DNR sponsored/owned web sites, including the Intranet, in a manner that ensures compliance with state policy, standards and relevant laws governing information accessibility policies, security and privacy policies, and appropriate use of the Internet as determined by state policy and “best practices” of both the public and private sectors.
All content and services developed for DNR and any of its web sites must be part of the DNR eGovernment Information and Services Inventory.
All content and services must follow the DNR Internet Guidelines and Standards For the Implementation of eGovernment Goals that are updated by June 1 of each year.
4.0 GUIDELINES
4.1 Industry and State Guidelines
The technologies that allow us to design, create and access the World Wide Web (WWW) are constantly evolving. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international industry consortium of over 300 organizations created to exploit the web to its full potential by developing common protocols to promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. DNR should leverage best practices and guidelines recommended by the W3C - http://www.w3c.org.The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has developed specific guidelines and standards for the processes and procedures to be followed for web-enabling information and services via DNR managed web sites.
4.2 DNR Internet Guidelines and Standards
Each Unit may have a content area. Each web site component (information or service) should have a clearly defined purpose that supports the mission of the Department. The Unit Director or designee is responsible for approving the defined purpose and general content of the web site. Content area home pages are to provide information that is of interest to the public and to the State of Maryland. To prevent duplication, web content will normally be limited to information for which the establishing organization is responsible. There must be also a targeted audience, goals for determining success and a measurement tool.The Unit Director or designee is responsible for ensuring that all information provided for ITS’s Internet and eGovernment Services Team to post on the Internet and/or Intranet is accurate and up-to-date. All information being distributed via the web is private, confidential or detrimental to the State. Interactive applications should be designed to reduce security exposures with the use of best practices in programming techniques. Web sites should be hosted only on servers that are protected by a certified firewall or packet-filtering gateway on a service network. i.e. Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Prior to online posting by the Internet and eGovernment Services Team, all new web site information or services must be reviewed for accuracy and professionalism by the Unit producing the information according to the review process established by the Office of the Secretary.
All information and services being developed by ITS or contractors must conform to the DNR Internet Guidelines and Standards For the Implementation of eGovernment Goals.
5.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
Unit Directors or their designees will appoint an appropriate number of Internet Content Managers to manage content and review accuracy and timeliness of content and services provided. The eGovernment and Internet Services Manager will ensure that all personnel (Internet Content Managers) involved in developing concepts or information and services for the DNR web site are familiar with relevant State policies and standards and aware of current guidelines and specifications endorsed by the World Wide Web Consortium and DNR. The eGovernment and Internet Services Manager will also ensure that the respective DNR Internet Guidelines and Standards For the Implementation of eGovernment Goals are maintained and kept current and submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) annually.This Policy, the DNR eGovernment Information and Services Inventory, and the DNR Internet Guidelines and Standards For the Implementation of eGovernment Goals must be reviewed, revised and reissued annually, or sooner as business conditions warrant.
6.0 REFERENCES
DNR’s eGovernment Inventory of Information and Services for 2004.DNR Internet Guidelines and Standards For the Implementation of eGovernment Goals
Section 3-401 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, State Finance and Procurement Article
State of Maryland, Office of Information Technology Policy Number 3; Data Security
State of Maryland, Office of Information Technology Policy Number 6; Email & Internet Use
State of Maryland, Office of Information Technology Policy Number 8; Universal Privacy
State of Maryland, Office of Information Technology Policy Number 13A, Universal Electronic Access
State of Maryland, Office of Information Technology Policy Number 13B, Teleworking
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Technical Reports and Publications - http://www.w3c.org/TR .
State of Maryland, Office of Information Technology Standard for Web Site Development and Operations (TBD)
Chief of Information Technology
Posted January 3, 2002; updated June 19, 2003