Intranet Information Page - Description

This purpose of this document is to describe the proposed University Libraries of Notre Dame Intranet Redesign Project (IRP). It describes the steps that will take place, along with estimated time frames for the steps. It is intended to form the basis for discussions on the project with Dan Marmion and others in the Libraries' administration, with the goal of reaching consensus on the project's:

• goals and objectives
• scope
• staffing and other resources
• procedures
• deadlines

Once consensus is reached, Dan will issue a ULON announcing the project, its staffing, charge and deadlines. With this blessing and launching, the project can officially begin.

Goals and objectives

The purpose of the IRP is to:

• Make it easier to find content in the Intranet by reorganizing the content, applying a consistent look and navigation, and, if appropriate, adding search capabilities.
• Add needed content and remove unneeded content
• Establish a process for ongoing maintenance of the Intranet

Scope

The scope of the project is the ND Libraries' Intranet. There are various terms used to refer to the ND Libraries' Intranet, including: "staff pages" and "internal web site." The working definition we are using is that the Intranet consists of web pages created by the Libraries for the use of Libraries' faculty and staff in carrying out their work.

Staffing and other resources

The IRP is Tom Lehman's main job responsibility. Trudie Mullins will be working with Tom on the project for up to 10 hours a week. Additional staffing resources will need to be made available during the implementation phase or should Trudie need to shift her work priorities.

Procedures

The IRP will take place in four phases.

Phase 1: Project definition and planning
Phase 2: Research
Phase 3: Analysis and recommendations
Phase 4: Implementation

Each is described in more detail below.

Phase 1: Project definition and plan

This is the current phase. In addition to discussing this proposal and revising it as needed, several preliminary interviews are planned with selected users of the Intranet to start to get some input on use of the Intranet and desired features of the redesign. These will help give an initial definition of the scope and duration of the IRP.

Also, to help define the scope, Trudie is starting an inventory of the content of the Intranet, identifying the following information about Intranet pages: name, URL, type of page, owner, target audience, and notes identifying possible outdated, obsolete and redundant pages. This inventory will be central to the IRP.

The current time frame for submitting this proposal is April 18, 2003. The time frame for discussing and revising it, then issuing a ULON i, 2003.

Phase 2: Research

Once the inventory of the Intranet is complete, the next step will be to interview users of the Intranet. An attempt will be made to interview all ND library faculty, as well as department heads and managers. Group meetings will be scheduled with departments, and at least two open forums will be held.

The purpose of the interviews and meetings will be to find the answers to the following questions:

• What parts of the Intranet le use?
• What features of the current Intranet do they like?
• What features of the current Intranet don't they like?
• What features, functionality, and content would they like to see in the new Intranet?

In addition, a literature search on intranets will be conducted to determine best practices for intranet design and redesign.

Assuming two months is long enough to carry out this phase, the time frame for completing phase 2 is , 2003.

Phase 3: Analysis and recommendations

Once the interviews and literature search are done, the next step will be to analyze the information gathered and draft a report containing a plan for implementing the new Intranet.

The report will describe what was discovered about the Intranet in the research phase, including its:

• Purpose
• Content
• Owners
• Audience (users)
• Use(tasks)

Based on what was learned, recommendations for the new Intranet will be presented, and a plan for implementing the new Intranet will be outlined.

Specifically, the report will address issues of:

• Organization of the new Intranet
• Design, navigation and labeling issues.
• Search, including metadata issues.
• Workflow – who can add and pages.
• Technology issues – do we use Contribute, should all or part of the new Intranet be database driven, what about security?
• Implementation strategy – how do we get from the old to the new Intranet?
• Maintenance -- how will new pages be added and existing pages updated.

Once the draft report is written, another round of meetings, including open forums, will be held with the people interviewed in the research phase. The purpose of the meetings will be to present the findings, recommendations, and implementation plan and to get feedback. After the meetings have taken place and the feedback incorporated, the report will be submitted to Dan Marmion for his input and approval.

Assuming this can be done in six weeks, the time frame for completing this phase of the project is August, 2003.

Phase 4: Implementation

Once the plan is officially approved, implementation of the new Intranet can take place. As no assumptions can be made at this point about the new Intranet, no time frame can currently be given.