When working on content-heavy services like our Early years child development training and Support for social workers, it's crucial to agree on and document a workflow. This is because:
- content design is not linear
- identifying the right formats and channels takes time
- collaborating with the right subject matter experts (SMEs) is essential
- producing high-quality content requires significant effort
For guidance, refer to reviewing and approving content and user-centred design practices.
Here are some of the tips for managing long form content from the teams within the Children and families digital portfolio.
Bring the team together
Onboarding sessions at the project's start help explain processes and clarify roles and responsibilities, preventing confusion later. Ensure you have: We're hiring
- The right team members, stakeholders, and SMEs.
- A system for collaboration and version control.
- A method for feedback and sign-off tracking.
- Clear roles and responsibilities.
Agree on the content workflow
As a team, agree on the workflow after establishing your strategy, which should detail users, stakeholders, objectives, and monitoring methods. Track and record your workflow using tools like Trello, Jira, or Excel, especially for large volumes of content and with multiple contributors. Tools like Jira can help track and prioritise content work alongside other streams, providing a clear history of completed tasks.
Improve your process
Consider these questions to streamline content creation:
- Who are the SMEs and contributors?
- How do SMEs prefer to communicate and provide feedback?
- How can you maximise individual expertise?
- Who has authority in case of disagreements or compromises?
- What is the backup plan if someone is unavailable?
Review Process
Regularly review the efficiency of your content workflow and the ease with which people can engagement with it. Continuously review content and designs through crits and show-and-tells, and test them. When you document the sign-off process, considering DfE and cross-government guidance.
Quality content takes time
Creating content varies by type:
- Transactional Services: Identifying required fields and formulating questions.
- Guidance Content: Creating bespoke components, audio, or visuals.
- Technical Content: Developing long-form content for specialists and explaining technical terms for non-specialists.
Timeframes
Agree on timeframes during project setup. Allow time for discussion to understand the requirements that will impact on time frames. Time frames vary, for example on our Early years training:
- updating an existing page: 3 to 5 days.
- creating a single web page article: 2 to 4 weeks (depending on user research).
- developing a full training module: 3 to 6 months (requires significant user research and testing).
Regular reviews
Review content annually for relevance, accessibility, and accuracy. Make sure you have an agreed process to update or remove content that is no longer relevant or useful.