Planning/Categories

From Education & Outreach

Alternative Approach

This alternetive view was suggested on 14th November 2015. Each section includes suggested activities and notes on the content that should be included.

Initiate

  • Understand the basics
    I think this still might need a brief intro on what and why… then move into the ‘what to do’ {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Read materials
    • Watch videos
    • Ask people
    • Get training
  • Estimate the situation
    I think there needs to be the emphasis on ‘quick’ checks. I think the aim at this stage is to get a feel for the level of the problem, not to cover everything. Ideally this should feed into the business case to emphasis things. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Quick checks
    • Check policies
    • Check awareness
    • Check attitude
  • Raise awareness
    • Inform colleagues
    • Inform management
    • Inform HR, PR, QA, …
    • Invite guests / experts
  • Develop business case
    I think there needs to be an element of how to use the business case as well. The topics below simply reflect the existing Business Case resource which I think could be avoided or at least incorporated into a single sentence. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Broader benefits
    • Legal aspects
    • Marketing and PR (CSR)
    • Case studies / stories
  • Gather support
    Not sure on the word ‘Gather’, although I don’t have a good alternative atm. I think the fora for exchange may be a little too specific - although happy (and probably easily) persuaded otherwise) {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Form strategic alliances
    • Create fora for exchange
    • Promote business case
    • Get senior-level buy-in
  • Agree on key objectives
    I think the title needs to be something more along the lines of ‘Define Goals’ or ‘Set Goals’. Including the word ‘Agree’ indicates there is agreement with someone else. That may not be the case, and even if it is the case, then we would need to talk about ‘who’. I think this might be wading into too much detail. I think this topic will benefit from examples more than anything else. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Websites and tools
    • Skills and expertise
    • Procurement practices
    • Policies and processes


Plan

  • Perform detailed review
    I would be concerned that if all the ‘review’ items are put in one activity, it may hide the importance of reviewing more than just websites. I agree that three activities covering reviews is probably too many, but I think one that talks about reviewing websites and another that talks about reviewing other materials may be a better balance. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Value of developing a baseline - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Need for expert assistance - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Create a meaningful and manageable scope, e.g. don't review policies and processes if the project has a limited focus - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Websites and tools
    • Developer resources
    • Policies and processes
    • Skills and expertise
    • Attitude and culture
      I wonder if this is not covered within the Initiate section? {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
  • Create approved policy
    I would change this title to ‘Create policy’ for a similar reason to avoiding ‘Agree’ in the objectives activity. Also, I think I would have this focus specifically on the accessibility policy. How accessibility is implemented into other policies is a separate thing with a different focus. It is also worth pulling out that work needs to be done on other policies {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    It may be that the title needs to change to reflect that this isn't just about creating an accessibility policy, but about integrating with other policies {Kevin, 23 nov 2015}
    • Accessibility policy purpose and use - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Summary of what the accessibility policy should cover - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Integration of accessibility goals into other policies - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Importance of ensuring that policy is vetted and approved by management and stakeholders - Kevin, 23 nov 2015
    • Websites and tools
    • Hiring and training
    • Procurement practices
  • Assign roles & responsibilities
    I agree with the activity (although it might be simpler just to call it ‘Assign roles’) but I think it needs to avoid being too proscriptive on the roles. It may be that this is another one that might benefit from examples… not sure. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Need to ensure that accessibility is owned by individuals - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Roles possibly defined in policy, responsibilities captured in job description - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Ensure assigned individuals have appropriate skills - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Primary ownership
    • Design and development
    • Editing and publishing
    • Quality assurance
    • Hiring and training
    • Training and support
    • Procurement
    • Monitoring & complaint
  • Secure adequate budget
    Would probably drop ‘adequate. I don’t know that it adds much other that can’t be explored in the content. May also need to talk about the cost of policy work (which is one of the reasons I changed the order) {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • How much will this cost? Need to work with experienced staff to determine costs for various activites - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Touch on what things need to be considered when thinking about budget - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Consider budget approval and ROI? - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Design and development
    • Quality assurance
    • Training and support
  • Create monitoring mechanism
    My big worry with this one is that ‘Milestones’ will be lost in this. I don’t know whether anyone would think to look in a section with this title for them. This may be simply a rethink on the title or it might be a move it out. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    I think this should be changed to 'Develop reporting structure'. It is more than just 'monitoring' as it covers broader things such as what reports might be valuable, who for, and how ofton {Kevin, 23 Nov 2015}
    • Value of standard approach to reporting compliance and issues - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Define measurable KPIs, include some example KPIs - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Create regualr stakeholder feedback points - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Define target milestones
    • Performance indicators
    • Reporting templates
  • Engage with target audience
    I think in the Plan stage this should really be about engaging with stakeholders and management rather than target audience. Engaging with them comes much more during implementation. I would suggest this is two activities: ‘Plan: Engage stakeholders’ and ‘Implement: Engage with audience’. This may overlap a little with ‘Monitoring mechanism’ but I think it is worth pulling out to ensure that it is covered. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    It may be that this activity moves completely into Implement and Sustain, as the monitoring and reporting activity really needs to talk about stakeholder and management reporting {Kevin, 23 Nov 2015}
    • Accessibility statement
    • Feedback channels
    • Ensure follow-up
  • Develop milestones and plan - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Ensure appropriate milestones are identified - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Plan for sufficient time to incorporate activities - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Don't forget to allow for rework time - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015
    • Start early! - Kevin, 23 Nov 2015

Implement

I think the order of these may need to be considered - not sure if you had been thinking about that when writing up. {Kevin, 14 nov 2015}

  • Prioritize issues
    • By volume
    • By impact
    • By visibility
    • By cost / effort
    • (consider tools!)
  • Distribute and track efforts
    I am not sure what this one relates to or what it covers. May need a discussion :) {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Assign activities
    • Track progress
    • Optimize processes
  • Perform regular reviews
    I think this one is a prime candidate for the Sustain section. Regular on-going reviews are not really something that I would image people would consider as part of any Implementation activities. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Websites and tools
    • Developer resources
    • Policies and processes
    • Skills and expertise
    • Attitude and culture
  • Build skills and expertise
    Not sure about the Raise Awareness as that has a separate activity in Initiate and this should really be about teaching people the skills they need to deliver accessibility. Also, I think ‘Share Knowledge’ should move to ‘Communicate’ in this section or ‘Communicate’ may need to change a little…. not sure. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Raise awareness
    • Conduct training
    • Share knowledge
    • Recruit expertise
  • Integrate into generic policies
    Only thing I might change with this is the word ‘generic’. It’s meaning doesn’t quite sit will here. Something like ‘broader’ or ‘other’. Would need to think a bit more. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Design and development
    • Editing and publishing
    • Procurement practices
    • Hiring and training
  • Communicate successes
    I am guessing this one relates to raising awareness and maintaining support… if that is the case it may be that my comment above on Share Knowledge isn’t relevant. {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}
    • Colleagues involved
    • Allies and supporters
    • HR, PR, QA, …
    • Management

Sustain

I think that it is important to pull this out in order to highlight that accessibility is an ongoing activity. It is not a simple project that can be delivered with a little extra work. he three activities that would initially include would be: {Kevin, 14 Nov 2015}

  • Ongoing reviews
  • Customer services/User engagement
  • Stakeholder reporting

Note that these should not be considered final titles!

Categories

Initiate

Starting any program of work involves developing clear goals and solid management support, both administratively and financially. Like quality, accessibility is more a feature of web deliverables than a deliverable in itself. This means that the environment in which projects are developed needs careful thought to ensure that accessibility is well-supported.

Activities to consider

  • Introducing accessibility
    • For those new to accessibility, find out what it is and why it is important.
  • Reviewing the current situation
    • Knowing the current state of accessibility of resources will help in understanding both the scale of the task and what activities might be necessary.
  • Identifying accessibility goals
    • Having clear, achievable goals will help in identifying what needs to be done, how to do it, and knowing when it is done.
  • Prepare an accessibility business case
    • A business case will help communicate why accessibility is important and program goals. This can help in both securing management support and raising organizational awareness.
  • Obtain support for accessibility activities
    • Management support is vital to ensure that resources are available and accessibility is prioritized.
  • Communicate accessibility aims and value to wider organization
    • Spreading the word within an organization can help ensure accessibility is not forgotten and that workload is shared.

Plan

Regardless of the scope of work, ensuring that processes, frameworks, and resources are supportive of accessibility will improve the final deliverables. Assessing the current situation is important to determine the scale of work required and allow achievable milestones to be set.

Activities to consider

  • Develop accessibility policy
    • An accessibility policy will document the goals, scope, and responsibilities important to accessibility.
  • Identifying important roles
    • Knowing who is responsible for what will help ensure that accessibility questions reach the right people and that issues are dealt with appropriately.
  • Reviewing current websites
    • Understanding the current state of website accessibility will help in understanding both the scale of the task and what work might be necessary.
  • Review design and marketing resources
    • Checking design resources, such as brand or design guidelines, for accessibility issues and removing them can help reduce instances of some accessibility barriers. This will also help cultivate the idea that accessibility is for more than just developers.
  • Review technical libraries and tools
    • Ensuring shared technical resources, such as widget libraries, are accessible can make a big difference with a little effort.
  • Integrate accessibility into wider policies
    • Some policies and processes, such as those related to procurement, recruitment, or risk management, can impact on accessibility and can be modified to incorporate goals.
  • Assign budget
    • Understanding what additional costs may be required for accessibility, for example for policy reviews, training, audits, and testing with users, is essential for cost control.
  • Develop milestones or roadmap
    • Ensuring that there are clear milestones or planned phases for accessibility activity will help focus attention.
  • Develop reporting templates and standard metrics
    • Creating a standard approach to reporting accessibility findings will help communicate the current state. This can include key metrics, such as, number of Level A failures, that are to be captured.
  • Feedback loops for stakeholders
    • Long-term support is helped by ensuring regular report and feedback points to management and stakeholders.

Implement

There are key opportunities to incorporate accessibility in any web project, from personnel and training to evaluation and prioritization. By weaving accessibility throughout the project, the overall quality of final outcome improves without significantly impacting on budget or timescales.

Activities to consider

  • Assigning people to roles
    • Enthusiasm and inspiration may be suitable qualities for accessibility champions. For developers, designers, and content creators knowledge and experience are more important.
  • Training for accessibility
    • Accessibility awareness training helps all project staff. Staff, such as developers and content managers, can have focused training that addresses their specific role.
  • Recruit to improve accessibility
    • External experience can help to bolster team knowledge and support urgent goals. Longer term recruitment can focus on candidates with demonstrable accessibility experience.
  • Evaluation regime and process
    • Aim to carry out a consistent evaluation at key stages throughout the project, rather than just at the end.
  • Prioritizing identified issues
    • Prioritizing any known issues well help target limited resources for maximum effect before milestones are reached.
  • Share experience and knowledge
    • Sharing knowledge and solutions will increase project team experience and help pass this experience on to other project teams.
  • Accessible procurement
    • Assessing vendors and third-party products will help ensure project deliverables meet accessibility policies.

Monitor

Keeping momentum helps with the accessibility maintenance for completed projects and builds on completed work for new projects. Regular reviews of content, organizational processes, and resources will help ensure that accessibility remains a priority and issues are identified. Developing a management reporting process will help ensure that it is clear where activity is required for follow-up work.

Activities to consider

  • Regular reviews of policies, procedures, and resources
    • Developing a continual review cycle for policies, personnel, and design and development will help ensure that new legislation and best practices are incorporated. This will also help develop accessibility as an ongoing activity.
  • Regular website reviews
    • Changing content can introduce accessibility issues. Review developed websites to identify areas opportunities.
  • Identify areas for improvement
    • Regular reviews may flag up opportunities for improvement in policies, resources, or web content. This may form the basis for subsequent projects.
  • Manage user feedback and provide support
    • User feedback on the accessibility of websites can help guide improvement activities and identify areas in need of attention. Ensure any feedback mechanism allows identified issues to propagate to the right people.
  • Report to stakeholders and management
    • Ongoing management reporting is important to ensure that organizational goals are being met and that accessibility remains a priority.

Horizontals

These are areas that are are touched on within all of the above categories. They could be woven through or pulled out as separate sections.

  • Training
  • Communication
  • Reporting

Support for personas

This section explores how well the suggested structure is supportive of the various tasks that the personas have. Note that this explores the tasks, each persona also has more comprehensive needs identified.

Cedric

  • Find out more about what accessibility actually is.
    • Easily identifiable on first tab.
  • Create a design briefing incorporating accessibility for design agency.
    • Unclear.
    • Only reference to marketing material is in Planning but that is review.
    • Need is to create a design briefing - might be planning or implementation.
  • Organize accessibility training materials for technical team.
    • Unclear.
    • 'Training' is used in the Implementation intro text, but not in the bullets.
    • Most likely in implementation.
  • Understand what the legal risks are associated with accessibility.
    • Unclear.
    • Risk or legal is not clearly called out.

Remedy

  • Include design briefing note. Either in Implementation or Planning. This might be related to procurement as well.
  • Training is suggested as a horizontal, either that or include a specific 'training' activity. Implementation is most likely spot, although awareness training doesn't fit in there that well.
  • Risks and reasons activity in the Initiating section.

Hibah

  • Modify brand guidelines to build accessibility in.
    • Unclear.
    • Could be in planning, but that mentions review only
    • 'Broader policies' in Implementation could refer to brand guidelines
  • Prepare a business case for management highlighting the value accessibility brings.
    • Initiating.
  • Communicate accessibility aims and value to wider organization.
    • Initiating.

Remedy

  • Pull out design/brand guidelines as something that should be reviewed. Need to also talk about what to do about it.

Jani

  • Find out what questions he needs to ask developers to ensure they are able to deliver an accessible website.
    • Unclear.
    • Might be evaluation regime and process but that may not occur to persona.
  • Learn how to check for accessibility to confirm developer claims.
    • Unclear.
    • Again, might be evaluation.
  • Learn how content should be managed to ensure it stays accessible.
    • Unclear.
    • Nothing specifically calls out to managing content (as opposed to structure of page).
  • Understand what to do when some web content isn't accessible.
    • Unclear.
    • Most likely 'prioritize identified issues'

Remedy

  • Include a 'working with others' type activity - would cover questions to ask and checks to make.
  • Might also be related to procurement, but will be different for small businesses.
  • Need something about ongoing content management activities. Probably in Monitoring, although this relates to training.
  • Needs something about going live with known defects.

Svetla

  • Prepare and communicate an introduction to accessibility resource.
    • Unclear.
    • Possibly understanding in initiating, possibly develop expertise in implementation.
  • Improve existing project management process to bake in accessibility.
    • Unclear.
    • Could be whole thing.
    • Task might be too vague.
  • Develop a knowledge sharing process to spread understanding of accessible solutions throughout organization.
    • Implementation.
  • Identify and assign responsibilities within the team.
    • Initiating.

Remedy

  • Specific mention of training, although, again, could be in both Initiating or Implementation.
  • Planning may be best place to address improvements to PM process, could cover what to plan to do an when.

Matt

  • Understand the broad impact of accessibility and legal responsibilities.
    • Unclear.
    • Nothing calls out risk or legals.
  • Create a policy to address accessibility of internal systems and tools.
    • Initiating.
  • Identify and prioritize accessibility issues.
    • Implementation, although could be planning reviews.
  • Assess and track accessibility requirements.
    • Unclear.
    • Possibly monitoring.

Remedy

  • Risks and reasons section in Initiating.
  • Section in monitoring about how accessibility requirements are developed?

Megumi

  • Work with legal department to ensure accessibility is part of technology and design purchasing process.
    • Unclear.
    • Likely to be implementation, but not sure persona would consider this an implementation activity.
  • Create and track metrics on accessibility improvements and resulting corporate social and financial gains.
    • Monitoring.
  • Work with technical, design, and content teams to develop better understanding of accessibility.
    • Unclear.
    • Training is in implementation but terminology is not clear.

Remedy

  • Include comments specifically about procurement/purchasing in the process improvement section in Implementation.
  • Call out to training.

EOWG Comments

  • summary — comment {name}

From 16-20 Mar survey and related, EOWG teleconference discussion 20 Mar

  • Change titles to simple imperative verbs, for example, 'monitor'.
  • Consider how to remove the introductory information - this may require a separate page, shorter introduction, or additional information below the categories.
  • Changed 'What would you like to do?' text to 'Activities to consider'.
  • Shuffled about a number of categories:
    • Develop policy moved from Initiate to Plan
    • Review current situation added into Initiate
    • Added in Budget and milestones to Plan
    • Added in Feedback loops for stakeholders to Plan
    • Moved Develop reporting templates and standard metrics from Monitor to Plan
    • Moved Recruit to improve accessibility from Plan to Implement
    • Clarified Accessible procurement in Implement
    • Fleshed out Monitor activities
  • Reviewed the wording of most activities to improve clarity

From 12-13 Feb survey:

  • Good. Perhaps Nos. 3 and 4 could be combined. {Vicki Menezes Miller}
  • To me, these seemed to align with the Project Management PMP categories and that is how I organized them in the exercise last week. If a certified project manager was to look at these tasks as an entire project, they may do the same. {Brent Bakken}
  • All of them were straight forward except for "Process Improvement". If the organization didn't have any processes to begin with, the task may be actually creating the process. Improvement implies that there are existing processes. {Melody Ma}
  • There are fewer categories than I expected {Paul Schantz}
  • Looks good to me, very, very, very minor: maybe “Process Improvement” and “Project Management” can appear to be very similar if someone is not too involved. Might be just a wording issue. {Eric Eggert}
  • I think these categories should be condensed to ~4-5 main activities that are typically carried out for including accessibility into web development (across individual projects or entire organizations). {Shadi Abou-Zahra}
  • This is very unique. {Wayne Dick}

EOWG teleconference discussion 13 Feb

Retrieved from "https://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/wiki/index.php?title=Planning/Categories&oldid=14913"