BLM California's Website and Policy Guidance
January 5, 2015
In Reply Refer To:
1631 (CA-912) P
EMS TRANSMISSION: 1/5/15
Instruction Memorandum No. CA-2015-011
Expires: 9/30/18
To: Deputy State Directors, District Managers, Field Managers, and District Public Affairs
Officers
From: State Director
Subject: BLM California's Website and Policy Guidance DD: 01/20/15
Purpose: The Department of the Interior (DOI) awarded a contract in August 2014, for a new Department-wide web content management system (WCMS) for all bureaus and offices. This Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to reinforce website responsibilities and to identify and appoint California Web Council members to transition the BLM California website to the new system.
Policy/Action: BLM California's Web Policies and Web Publication Standards (BLM Manual Handbook 1278-1) delegates the responsibility for website content to Deputy State Directors, District Managers, and Field Managers. Each manager is responsible for their program and portion of the BLM California website in the following manner:
(1) Implement Department, Bureau, and Statewide web policies and procedures within their organization;
(2) ensure the development and maintenance of relevant, current, and accurate content;
(3) develop web content that is local in nature when provided by Field Offices and statewide application when developed by State Office Divisions;
(4) appoint a knowledgeable individual to carry out webmaster duties within their organization and to provide direction, guidance, and training to program staff; and
(5) to respond to web generated email.
The California Web Council is currently inventorying all BLM California webpages to determine their status in three categories - keep, merge, or purge. Division, District, and Field Office webmasters are critical to this review.
Due 01/20/15: Identify and appoint a webmaster for your office and forward their name to Mary Lou West, mwest@blm.gov.
Timeframe: This IM is effective immediately.
Background: In 1997, BLM-California launched its website with 17 websites (1 for each office) containing static webpages built in HTML code. The task of maintaining thousands of webpages made it necessary to move to a collaborative approach to managing websites. BLM-California launched a web content management system (Collage), which was later replaced by a national system (Communique). Still in use today, both systems are no longer supported by their manufacturer/developer and BLM plans to decommission them in the near future.
The Department of the Interior awarded a Department-wide contract in August 2014, to IBM/Phase 2 for a new WCMS for all Interior bureaus and offices. The new WCMS uses Drupal, an open source platform for web content. BLM will be one of the first bureaus to move to the new system, other bureaus will follow at a later date. Implementation is estimated in 18 - 24 months. With this schedule in mind, BLM California must be ready to launch its new website as early as July 2016.
California Web Council
Division and Field Office Webmasters are the front-line in web development. At the helm is the State Web Team, consisting of members from External Affairs and Information Resources Management (IRM). Together, this team makes-up the California Web Council.
The California Web Council meets monthly through conference calls and online meetings. The role of each member is to (1) lead the web program in their respective office; (2) consult with managers and colleagues to help them use the web to improve the way BLM does business and to serve citizens; (3) develop and organize content on BLM’s website, ensuring that content is current and reflects well on the Bureau; (4) reach-out to customers to determine their needs and acts as an advocate to ensure that BLM addresses those needs through the website; (5) market BLM’s website among colleagues and intended audiences; (6) train office staff to use the website to promote their program policies and accomplishments, (7) anticipate and look toward the future, analyzing and proposing new ways the Bureau might use the web to become more transparent in carrying out its mission.
The current members of the California Web Council are:
State Office
External Affairs - Mary Lou West
IRM - Jeff Graham
Division of Resources - Vacant
Division of Support Services - Vacant
Division of Energy & Minerals - Laurie Moore
NorCal - Vacant
Alturas/Surprise - Megan Oyarzun/ Nicole Savage
Arcata - Leisyka Parrott
Eagle Lake - Jim Hunt
Redding - Shawn Stapleton
CenCal - Vacant
Bakersfield - Larry Vredenburg
Bishop - Vacant
Hollister - Brady Owen
Mother Lode - Sarah Tomich
Ukiah - Larry Ames
CDD – Barbara Croonquist
Barstow - Vacant
El Centro - Vacant
Needles - Murl Shaver
Palm Springs – Cam D’Angeles
Ridgecrest – Vacant
(Note: this is a list of appointed webmasters in each office. It does not include all web editors and content contributors.)
Contact: For more information concerning this policy and guidance, please contact Martha Maciel, Deputy State Director for External Affairs, (916) 978-4616, or Mary Lou West, Web Program Lead, (916) 978-4612.
Signed by:
James G. Kenna
State Director
Authenticated by:
Shanen E. Fox
Procurement Technician