In order to identify whether to pursue a new hire or train an existing employee, you’ll need to evaluate your needs. Here’s a set of recommendations for identifying the appropriate type of resource for your unit:
|
Primary need |
Rough definition |
Recommendation |
Other options |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Extremely infrequent site updates* |
A few times per year A few days of work in total |
Identify an existing web-trained communications officer affiliated with your department who can pitch in when needed |
Train an existing employee** for web editing (Be sure to plan site edits in advance to allow time for the person to remember what they’ve learned, read documentation, or go to a Lab for help.) |
| Occasional site updates or Regular minor changes |
Under 12x per year Less than 1h work per week |
Train an existing employee**, or add web editing to the job description of a future hire | Add web editing training and responsibilities to the mandate of an existing work study or reliable volunteer |
| Frequent site updates |
Weekly or several times per month 2h per week or more |
Hire a part-time employee or Work Study student for web editing | Expand the mandate of an existing employee, or add web editing to the role description of a future hire |
| Constant or mission-critical site updates | Daily or with less than 1 business day of advance notice | Ensure that web editing is part of the mandate of an existing, reliable employee (with a backup)** |
Hire a part-time employee with a compatible schedule. (In emergencies, a web-trained communications officer affiliated with your unit might be able to help.) |
| Site creation or redesign in the WMS or other centrally-supported platform (e.g. publications.mcgill.ca, blogs.mcgill.ca, etc.) |
Once per year (or less frequently) More than 2 days of work in total |
Leverage an existing employee who’s trained for web editing. This person can access documentation of best practices and use Lab time to get help or advice. |
Hire a qualified Work Study student, to be supervised by an existing employee with web training Hire a freelancer who can handle web writing, site customization, and data entry |
| Site creation or redesign on an external (e.g. vendor-built) platform |
Once every few years More than 2 days of work in total |
Request a consultation to (re)evaluate using a centrally-supported platform (It may be possible to adapt the WMS or another other existing platform to meet your project's needs. This is usually cheaper and better than starting from scratch.) |
To build a new site outside the WMS, get in touch with Digital Communications for recommendations tailored to the project needs. Typically, this will mean working with an agency. |
* If your site is updated extremely infrequently, it may not be worthwhile for you to operate it. If it contains essential information, perhaps this info could be migrated or merged with another site. (This could also provide better visibility and require less maintenance effort overall.)
** Be sure that these responsibilities are in line with the employee's role profile and job description