RFP Checklist
Connecting state and local government leaders
Here are questions you'll want to answer before committing to a specific Web content management solution.
Implementing a Web content management solution will affect many
parts of your organization. Here are questions you'll want to
answer before committing to a specific solution.
1. SCOPE OF THE SYSTEM. How many pages need to be converted to the new system? What is the process for importing the content? How large will it
need to scale to meet future needs? Is the content all for a single
site or for multiple sites?
2. CONTENT TYPES. What types of content will the WCM need
to support? Does it need to include Web 2.0 applications, such as
wikis and blogs? What about nontextual data, including photos and
audio or video recordings?
3. SOFTWARE. Is the software hosted? What development
language is used? In what types of databases is the content stored?
Does the WCM come with a database? Does it support the databases
already in use?
4. USERS. How many content authors will the system need
to support? How does the WCM validate authors and restrict the
types of content they can post? What type of content workflow is
required for approval? How does it track changes?
5. INTEGRATION. What enterprise content management,
portal and enterprise software does the WCM work with? Does it work
with the agency's existing systems out of the box, or will it
require customization?
6. STANDARDS. Does it support JSR 168 and JSR 170? Is it
Section 508 compliant? Does it meet the criteria of the World Wide
Web Consortium?
7. REPORTING. What types of reports does it provide to
measure age of content, how much is being created and what content
is being accessed?
8. SECURITY. What security features does the WCM system
include? Does it use Secure Sockets Layer, Transport Layer Security
and IPSec? Does it meet the requirements of Homeland Security
Presidential Directive 12?
9. CUSTOMIZATION. Can you create custom user interfaces
for different classes of authors? Can authors further customize
these for their own particular preferences?
10. TRAINING. What training will be offered by the
vendor? Is this just for the information technology staff who
implement the software, or does it also include training of content
creators?
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