WebandNewMediaStrategyVersion1.0

7/30/2009

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

1

TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary.............................................................................................................................2

MovingForward........................................................................................................................................3

I.StrategyinContext...........................................................................................................................4

II.StrategyThemes..............................................................................................................................5

Theme1:UpdatetheSmithsonianDigitalExperience..............................................................................5

Theme2:UpdatetheSmithsonianLearningModel.................................................................................6

Theme3:BalanceAutonomyandControlwithintheSmithsonian..........................................................7

III.StrategicGoals................................................................................................................................8

SummaryofWebandNewMediaStrategyGoals....................................................................................8

Goal1:Mission..........................................................................................................................................8

Goal2:Brand............................................................................................................................................9

Goal3:Learning......................................................................................................................................10

Goal4:Audience.....................................................................................................................................12

Goal5:Interpretation.............................................................................................................................13

Goal6:Technology..................................................................................................................................14

Goal7:BusinessModel...........................................................................................................................16

Goal8:Governance.................................................................................................................................18

IV.TheSmithsonianCommons:APlacetoBegin................................................................................19

Overview.................................................................................................................................................19

IncrementalDevelopment.......................................................................................................................20

Precedents...............................................................................................................................................20

Benefits...................................................................................................................................................21

Appendix...........................................................................................................................................23

1.Committees.........................................................................................................................................23

2.InputsfromthePanInstitutionalStrategy.........................................................................................24

3.WebandNewMediaBusinessRequirements.....................................................................................25

4.ProjectMethodology...........................................................................................................................26

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

2

ExecutiveSummaryThisSmithsonianWebandNewMediaStrategywascreatedthroughafastandtransparentprocessthatdirectlyinvolved,andcontinuestoinvolve,hundredsofstakeholdersinsideandoutsidetheInstitution.ThisstrategywillfeedintotheSmithsonianscomprehensivestrategicplan,currentlyunderdevelopment.

Threemainthemesemergedduringthestrategycreationprocess:

UpdatetheSmithsonianDigitalExperience:BuildonexcellenceandthepotentialforexcellencethroughouttheInstitutionbyfocusingonWebpublishingfundamentalsandimprovingaccesstocollections,community,andcontentacrossallplatforms.

UpdatetheSmithsonianLearningModel:Supportnewkindsoflearning,innovation,andknowledgecreationinsideandoutsidetheInstitution.

BalanceAutonomyandControlwithintheSmithsonian:Balancethebenefitsandrisksofcentralcontrolandcreativeautonomywhilebindingoversightandoperationstoasharedvisionforthefuture.

Tomakethesethemesactionable,thisstrategydescribeseightgoals,eachofwhichhasitsownsetofpolicy,program,andtacticalrecommendations.Theeightgoalsare:

1.MissionPrioritizeWebandNewMediaprogramsinproportiontotheirimpactonthemission

5.InterpretationSupporttheworkofSmithsonianstaff

2.BrandStrengthenbrandrelationshipsthroughouttheSmithsonian

6.TechnologyDevelopaplatformforparticipationandinnovation

3.LearningFacilitatedialogueinaglobalcommunityoflearners

7.BusinessModelIncreaserevenuefromecommercefundamentalsandWeb2.0perspectives

4.AudienceAttractlargeraudiencesandengagethemmoredeeplyinlongtermrelationships

8.GovernanceDesignandimplementapanInstitutionalgovernancemodel

ThesethemesandgoalsareunifiedbytheconceptofaSmithsonianCommonsanewpartofourdigitalpresencededicatedtostimulatinglearning,creation,andinnovationthroughopenaccesstoSmithsonianresearch,collectionsandcommunities.TheSmithsonianCommonswouldalsoprovidelaborandcostsavingtoolsforSmithsonianWebandNewMediateamsandcollaborators.

ThisstrategydescribestransformationalchangefortheSmithsonian.ItcanbesuccessfullyimplementediftheInstitutionbeginsnowtoactivelyprepareitselfandtoacceptthatchangewillbeachievedincrementally,onesmallvictoryatatime.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

3

MovingForward

SeniorManagementneedstodofourthingstobeginimplementingthisWebandNewMediaStrategy:

1.ConnectwiththepanInstitutionalanddigitizationstrategies

Toensureclarityandfocus,keypointsfromthisWebandNewMediaStrategyneedtobeincorporatedintotheemergingSmithsonianstrategicplananddigitizationplan,andelementsfromthoseplansneedtobeinjectedintothisWebandNewMediaStrategyastheyarecodified

2.Appointaleader

AppointapanInstitutionalWebandNewMedialeaderandgivethatpersonthedecisionauthorityandvisibilitytoleadchange

3.Createatacticalroadmap

Developdetailedplanthattranslatesthesestrategicandtacticalprioritiesintoprioritizedtasks,milestones,andbudgets

4.BeginworkontheSmithsonianCommons

TheSmithsonianCommons(describedindetailinsectionIV.TheSmithsonianCommons:APlacetoBegin)istheconceptualcornerstoneoftheWebandNewMediaStrategy,anditmaybethevehiclethroughwhichweobtainthefundingneededtoexecutetheoverallstrategy.Tellpotentialfundersaboutthecommonsvisionandconsultthemregardingitsobjectivesandfundingpotential.ProduceaproofofconceptfortheSmithsonianCommons.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

4

I.StrategyinContextFortheSmithsoniantoremainavitalinstitutionatthisimportanttimeinourhistory,weneedtofullyengageyoungergenerationswithourcollectionsandourknowledge.WeneedtousenewdigitaltechnologiestotheirfullestpotentialsothatwecanfulfilltheSmithsonian's19thcenturymissiontheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledgeinathoroughly21stcenturywayforthebenefitofallAmericansandpeoplearoundtheglobe.

SecretaryG.WayneClough,January2009

ThisWebandNewMediaStrategyispartofacomprehensiveInstitutionwidestrategicplanninginitiativecurrentlyunderwayattheSmithsonian.ThestrategicrecommendationsincludedinthisreportarecloselyalignedwiththeInstitutionsoveralldirectionandeffortstoconsidertheissuesofdigitizationandrevenuegeneration.ThisstrategyalsobuildsontheexplorationandenthusiasmoftheSmithsonian2.0eventheldJanuary23and24,2009.

ThisWebandNewMediaStrategybeganwithaseriesoffacilitatedworkshopswithSmithsonianstakeholders.Theworkshopsfocusedoneducation,businessmodels,technologyandoperations,curationandresearch,andtheperspectiveofdirectors.TwohundredandninetyfourSmithsonianstakeholdersfrom55museums,researchcentersandbusinessunitsparticipatedinoneormoreworkshops.

Eachoftheworkshopsandplanningsessionsweredocumentedbyarealtimetranscriptionoftheproceedingspostedtoawikiestablishedforthispurpose(http://smithsonianwebstrategy.wikispaces.com).Themainintentoftheworkshopswastomoverelevantinformationtothewikiwhereitcouldbeopenlyevaluated,sifted,weighed,andconsideredbyall.Thewikiwastheplatformonwhichthisstrategywassketched,discussed,debated,refinedandfinalized,allwithintheviewofthosewhocaremostabouttheSmithsonian.Finally,thestrategywasreviewedbytheSmithsonianWebandNewMediaSteeringCommittee.

ThisdocumentdescribesatransformationalchangefortheSmithsonian,whichwillhaveimpactontheInstitutionsculture,operations,allocationofresources,talentrecruitment,andpriorities.Thisstrategycanonlybecomeoperationalwithadequateresources,andwillrequiretheSmithsoniantorethinkthewaysinwhichitgeneratesrevenuesandprioritizeshowresourcesareallocatedtoprograms.ThisstrategyisboldbutachievableitcanbesuccessfullyimplementediftheInstitutionbeginsnowtoactivelyprepareitselfandtoacceptthatchangewillbeachievedincrementally.

TheSmithsonianaspirestoaboldvision.TheworldischangingataneveracceleratingrateandthisstrategyacknowledgesthattheSmithsonianhasachancenowtosynchronizeitsmissionwithnewtoolsfortheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledge.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

5

II.StrategyThemesThreethemesemergedthroughdiscussioninthestaffworkshops,onthepublicwiki,andthroughongoingengagementwithstakeholdersinsideandoutsidetheInstitution.TheyprovidecontextimportanttounderstandingtheeightstrategicgoalsdescribedinsectionIII.

Theme1:UpdatetheSmithsonianDigitalExperience

Today,theSmithsonianInstitutionsdigitalexperienceisprimarilyintheformofacollectionofseparateWebsites.Therearefew,ifany,mechanismsthatsupportfindability(thecombinationofsearch,informationarchitecture,anddesignthatenabledigitalinformationtobefound),Web2.0features(suchascontentsyndication,emailtoafriend,tagging,sharing,andsocialbookmarking),andsustained/repeateduserengagementacrossmultipleplatformsandinmanycasesevenwithinindividualWebproperties.Wearelikearetailchainthathasdesirableanduniquemerchandisebutrequiresitscustomerstoadapttodramaticallydifferentoroutdatedidiomsofsignage,productavailability,pricing,andcheckoutineveryaisleofeachstore.ThisneedstobeaddressedtorealizethefullpotentialoftheSmithsoniansdigitalinitiatives.

Addressingthischallengedoesnotmeanabandoningthenotionofstrong,unique,andcreativelyautonomousmuseum/unitWebsites(infact,strongandinnovativeunitbasedsitesarethecorestrengthoftheInstitutionandshouldbeprotectedatallcosts),butitisimportanttonotethatthecurrentmodelunderminesoureffectivenessasanInstitution.ThefutureSmithsoniandigitalexperienceshouldencouragefocused,unitdrivenandunitcontrolledaudienceengagement,butitshouldalsosupportcombinedunit,panSmithsonian,andendusersolutionsforfindability,design,collectionsaccess,andcommunityengagementacrossInternet,inmuseum,mobile,andemergingplatformsasawhole.

Traveling Exhibitions Asian Pacific American Program

Cooper-Hewitt Folklife/Cultural Heritage

Hirshhorn

National Science Resources Center

Freer/Sackler Museum Conservation Institute

Portrait Gallery

www.si.edu

WhichWebsitehastheinformationIneed?WheredoIstart?CanIgetthisonmymobilephone?CanIgetthisinanexhibit?

WhatcanIdowiththiscontentonceIfindit?HowcanIinteractwithstaffandfriends?

Frominsideanyofthesesites,wherestherestoftheSmithsonianscontent,visitors,community?

?American Indian

Postal Museum Education/Museum Studies

The Castle

Smithsonian Associates

Latino Center

American History

Air and Space SI Across America

National Zoo Archives of American Art Astrophysical Observatory

African Art Natural History

Anacostia Museum

Affiliations SI Libraries

Photo Initiative

Tropical Research Institute Environmental Research Center

UpdatingtheSmithsonianDigitalExperience:WebSitesListedonthewww.si.eduHomePage

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

6

Theme2:UpdatetheSmithsonianLearningModel

JamesSmithsonwrotethatKnowledgeshouldnotbeviewedasexistinginisolatedparts,butasawhole.Everyportionthrowslightonalltheothers.ThisWebandNewMediaStrategyseekstoupdatetheSmithsonianslearningmodeltobealignedwithSmithsonsfoundingvisionandnewkindsofeducationandknowledgecreationmadepossible,inpart,bytechnology.

Thisstrategyisbasedonthegrowingunderstandingoflearningasahybridofformaleducationandselfdirecteddiscoverythatcanbebroughttogetherandenhancedbyonlinetoolsandcommunities.IncreasingonlineaccesstoSmithsoniancollectionsispartoftheequationforpromotinglearning.(Adetaileddigitizationstrategyisunderdevelopment.)TheimpactofonlinecollectionscanbegreatlymagnifiedbyhighlightingtheknowledgeandinsightofSmithsonianexperts,anintellectualpropertypolicythatencouragesreuseandsharingofourassets(whereappropriate),andamatrixoftools,policies,andresourcesthatallowsouraudiencestobeourpartnersintheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledge.

OldLearningModel NewLearningModel

UpdatingtheSmithsonianLearningModel

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

7

Theme3:BalanceAutonomyandControlwithintheSmithsonian

Fromaninternalperspective,successfulWebandNewMediaprogramsarecreatedlargelyinisolatedpocketsofexcellence.WhilethismodelallowsforfreedomforWebteamswithintheInstitution'smuseumsandresearchcenters,italsocreatesanenvironmentwhereeffortisduplicatedandopportunitiestocollaborateandpoolresourcescanbeoverlooked.Inaddition,internalWebteams,workingseparately,areapproachingthelimitofwhattheycandoontheirown:unitscannotaffordtoestablish,maintain,andrefinetheplatformstheywantindividually,andiftheycould,therepetitionofeffortortheeffectonenduserswouldbecounterproductive:Imagine30separateecommerce,eventticketing,orpersonalizationsystems.

Thekeytoaccomplishingthetransitionfromourcurrentorganizationalmodel(inwhichthecentralorganizationtakesa"handsoff"approachtoWebstewardship)andafuturemodel(inwhichthecentralorganizationismoreengaged)isinachievingabalancebetweencentralcontrolandcreativeautonomywhilebindingoversightandoperationstoasharedvisionandgoals.

StaffattheunitandcollectionlevelaretheSmithsonian'sgreatestasset,andthebestWebproductionhappenswhencollections(orresearchdata),subjectmatterexperts,Webteams,andthepublicareworkingincloseproximity.ThisWebandNewMediaStrategyrespectsandencouragesinnovationandautonomythroughouttheSmithsonian'sorganizationalstructure.

Theexpertiseandaccomplishmentsofunitbasedstaff,however,needtobesupportedandenhancedbyaninternalcommonsofsharedtools,services,andstandards.TheuseofthesesharedresourcesshouldbevoluntaryforSmithsonianunits,butshouldbehighlydesiredbecausethetoolsandservicesprovidedarewellconceived,wellsupported,andmakecriticalworkeasierandcheaperforparticipants.

TheprincipleofacommonsisdescribedindetailinsectionIV.TheSmithsonianCommons:APlacetoBegin.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

8

III.StrategicGoals

SummaryofWebandNewMediaStrategyGoals

1.MissionPrioritizeWebandNewMediaprogramsinproportiontotheirimpactonthemission

5.InterpretationSupporttheworkofSmithsonianstaff

2.BrandStrengthenbrandrelationshipsthroughouttheSmithsonian

6.TechnologyDevelopaplatformforparticipationandinnovation

3.LearningFacilitatedialogueinaglobalcommunityoflearners

7.BusinessModelIncreaserevenuefromecommercefundamentalsandWeb2.0perspectives

4.AudienceAttractlargeraudiencesandengagethemmoredeeplyinlongtermrelationships

8.GovernanceDesignandimplementapanInstitutionalgovernancemodel

Goal1:MissionPrioritizeWebandNewMediaprogramsinproportiontotheirimpactonthemission

Rationale

Onceonthefringeofinstitutionalandpublicawareness,WebandNewMediainitiativesarenowconsideredtobeacriticalpartoftheInstitutionscoreactivitiesandfuture:Theyneedtobefundedandmanagedaccordingly.

Policy/ProgramGoals:

Leadership:TheSecretaryshouldcontinuetobeavisibleandvocaladvocateforprioritizingtheuseofWebandNewMediatechnologiesacrosstheInstitution

Budget:AllocatebudgetaryresourcestodigitaltechnologyinitiativesthatarecommensuratewiththeirimportancetothefutureoftheSmithsonian

Compensation:Aligncompensationtorewardthosewhoexcelinuseofdigitaltechnologiesthatbestsupportprogrammaticobjectives

Accountability:Createacultureofaccountability.RequireregularreportsonWebandNewMediainitiatives,includingtargetaudiences,measurableperformancegoals,technologiesused,resourcesexpended,andlessonslearned

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

9

Visibility:UnderscoretheimportanceoftheSmithsoniansWebandNewMediainitiativesbyconnectingthisstrategytothevisioningandprogramdevelopmentfortheArtsandIndustriesBuilding,NationalMuseumofAfricanAmericanHistoryandCulture(NMAAHC),andotherInstitutioninitiatives

TacticalImplementations:

RecruitapanInstitutionalWebandNewMedialeaderandgivethatpersonthedecisionauthorityandvisibilitytoleadchange

Alignbudgetaryprocessestosupportatacticalroadmapforthisstrategy.Intheshortterm,makediscretionaryfundsavailableattheunitleveltopromoteexperimentation/innovationandensurethatsuccessfulprojectscanbereplicatedacrosstheInstitution

ContinuetoleveragetheexcitementaroundSIWeb2.0withannualorbiannualfollowonconferences.Coordinateongoingengagementwithexternalexperts

Buildexpertiseinmetricsandevaluationandimplementstandardlightweight(notburdensome)reportingprocesses.Useabloganddashboardtoshowcasesuccessfulresultsandbestpractices

Coordinatethisstrategywiththeemergingprogram/goalsfortheArtsandIndustriesBuildingandtheNMAAHC

ExamineHumanResourcespolicies/practicestoalignwithandsupportthisstrategy

Goal2:BrandStrengthenbrandrelationshipsthroughouttheSmithsonian

Rationale

TheSmithsonianInstitutionbrandispowerfulinitsreach,recognitionandprestige.Thebrandisassociatedpositivelywithperceptionsoftrust,history,artifacts,andauthenticity,yetmanyaudiences(internalandexternal)havedifficultyunderstandingthefulldepthandbreadthoftheSmithsoniansofferingsorexplainingthecoremeaningofthebrand.ManystillthinkonlyofthenationsatticwhenthinkingabouttheSmithsonian.Furthermore,manyaudiencesappeartobeuncertainoftherelationshipbetweentheoverallSmithsonianbrandandthebrandsoftheindividualmuseumsandresearchunitsthatcomprisethefullSmithsonianInstitution.

FarmorepeopleencountertheSmithsonianonlinethaninperson,andtheInstitutionsWebsitesandnewmediaprogramswillplayanincreasinglystrongroleininfluencingperceptionsoftheSmithsonianbrand.WebandNewMediabrandingisanimportanttoolforensuringthatusersformstrongassociationsbetweentheSmithsonianandtheconceptsoflearningandeducation.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

10

Policy/ProgramGoals:

Positioning:RepositiontheSmithsonianbrandtoemphasizeitsroleasthepreeminentfacilitatoroflearningfornationalandglobalaudiences

Voice:ShifttheSmithsonianbrandvoiceawayfromattributesofinstitutional/omnipotent/authoritariantowardsattributesofindividuality/relevance/passionforlearning

Attitude:EnliventheSmithsonianbrandtoincreaseitsappealtoandrelevanceforyoungeraudiences

Architecture:EstablishacomprehensivebrandarchitecturethatdescribesastrongandconsistentrelationshipbetweentheSmithsonianmasterbrandandthesubbrandsforeachofthemuseumsandresearchcentersthatcomprisetheSmithsonianenterprise

TacticalImplementation:

Invitepublicaudiencestoparticipateindefiningthelookandfeeloftheupdatedbrand UpdatetheSmithsonianvisualidentitystandardstomakethebrandmoreflexibleand

accommodatingtotodaysdigitalneeds

DevelopadomainURLstrategytofacilitatemarketingandpromotionoftheSmithsonianbrand Developawritingstyleguidethatemphasizesconcise,friendly,actionorientedcontent Synchronizethisstrategywiththebrandinginitiativecurrentlyunderdevelopment.

CommunicatetheSmithsoniansfocusonlearningandeducationtointernalandexternalaudiences

Encourageandprovidenecessarysupportforstafftosharetheirworkandideasdirectlywithvisitorsthoughblogging,video,mobileplatforms,geospatialdata,andotherWebandNewMediaformats

EnsurethatthenewbrandarchitectureisreflectedinnewWebinitiativessuchastheSmithsonianCommons(describedinsectionIV.TheSmithsonianCommons:APlacetoBegin)

Goal3:LearningFacilitatedialogueinaglobalcommunityoflearners

Rationale

Byincreasingemphasisontheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledgethroughonlinetechnologies,theSmithsoniancanhelpcreateinformedandeducated21stcenturycitizensandcontinuetofulfillJamesSmithsonsfoundingvision.

LearningistherulingpassionthatdrivestheSmithsoniansinternalexpertsandattractsmanyofitsexternalaudiences.LearningmotivatestheSmithsoniansefforttoprovidecontextfortheAmericanand

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

11

globalexperiencebyhelpingusbetterunderstandourselvesthroughthelensesofhistory,culture,scienceandart.

Butthemodelsoflearningthatdefinedournationsprogressthroughthe19thand20thcenturiesarechangingwithdramaticspeed,influencedbyrapidlyevolvingtechnologytoolsandthenewculturalpatternsthatcomewiththem.Thisisnottosuggestthattheoldmodelsoflearningareirrelevantorinoperative,farfromit.Buttheemergenceofanewclassoflearningtechniquesbuiltonafoundationofbroadandunrestrictedaccesstoinformation,socialsharing,creativity,play,andparticipatorylearningsupplementthosestandardprotocolsandenablevastnewaudiencestousetheSmithsonianasonepartoftheirlifelonglearningjourneys.

Policy/ProgramGoals:

Dialogue:AcknowledgethecrucialrolethatinteractivedialogueplaysinthelearningprocessandprovideopportunitiesforittogrowonSmithsonianandexternalsites

UserGeneratedContent:Embraceusergeneratedcontentasanimportantcatalysttoengagementandinquiry,particularlyforyoungerandmoreWeb2.0kindsofaudiences

Narratives:Developprogramsthatemphasizetheroleofstorytelling

DigitalLearning:Becomealeaderinthecreationofdigitallearningenvironmentsthroughvirtualworlds,virtualeducationconferences,gaming,mobileplatforms,andasenseofexplorationandplay

Impact:EstablishmeansofdeterminingtheimpactoftheSmithsonianslearninginitiativesandamechanismtosharebestdemonstratedpracticesacrosstheInstitution

TacticalImplementation:

DevelopaplantoemphasizelearninganditsoutcomesacrosstheSmithsoniansdigitalinitiatives

Developaprogramofaudienceresearchtoinformdecisionsandanalyzeresults.Developanunderstandingofaudiencetypesandtheirlearninggoals

Provideresourcesandestablishpoliciesthatencouragetheincorporationofusergeneratedcontent.ConnectSmithsoniancontent,experts,anddialoguewithusersofSmithsonianandexternalsocialnetworks

DevelopprogramsthatsupportthelearningjourneythroughSmithsonianexhibitions,collections,research,expertise,andrelatedcommunities

Supportcontinueddevelopment/experimentationwithdigitallearningenvironmentsandincreaseconnectionsbetweenthoseenvironmentsandtherestoftheInstitutionsdigitalcontent,research,andcommunities

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

12

Goal4:AudienceAttractlargeraudiencesandengagethemmoredeeplyinlongtermrelationships

Rationale

Forgenerations,peoplehavebeendrawntoSmithsonianexhibitions.Theseexhibitionscreatememorableexperiencesbyencouragingcloseobservationofartifacts,andpresentinginterpretationthroughexhibitiontexts,sometimessupplementedwithcatalogsand/oreducationalprograms.ThisobservationallearningmodelhasbeenlargelyreplicatedintheSmithsonianscurrentonlinemuseumexperiencesasmostsitescontinuetoadheretoarelativelyconventionalcontentpublishingparadigm.

TheSmithsonianonlineexperienceshouldbeameansofextendingtheexperienceofthosewhovisitthephysicalexhibits,aswellasameansofengagingmoredeeplywithaudiencesunabletovisitinperson.Webpublishingfundamentalsexcellentcontent,strongSmithsonianwidesearch,acohesiveinformationarchitecture,andacoherentnavigationstructurearecriticaltoreachingthisgoal.TheonlineexperiencemustbecomemoreinteractiveandabletofacilitateongoingdialoguesbetweentheSmithsoniananditsuserstoensurethecontinuingrelevanceoftheInstitution,particularlytodigitallyattunedaudiences.

Policy/ProgramGoals:

AudienceProfiles:DevelopaclearunderstandingoftheaudienceswhointeractwiththeSmithsonianonline,includingtheirinteractiongoalsandunmetneeds

WebPublishingFundamentals:Acknowledgethecriticalityofsearchresults,findability,andotherfundamentalaspectsoftheuserexperience

ExtendedRelationships:DevelopinteractionmechanismsthatencouragemuseumvisitorstostartandcontinuetheirSmithsonianexperienceonlineandthroughmobiledevices

SmithsonianCommons:ReimaginetheexperienceoftheSmithsonianportaltobecometheSmithsonianCommons,aplacewherecommunitiesoflearninggatherandgrow

TacticalImplementation:

StriveforexcellenceinWebpublishingfundamentals.Investinsearchandfindability,socialsearch,informationarchitecture,andoverallusability.Makeiteasyforonlinevisitors(aswellasinternalscholarsandresearchers)tofindthecontenttheyare,ormightbe,interestedin.Oncevisitorsfindcontent,makeiteasierforthemtofindsimilarandrelatedcontentelsewhereintheInstitution

Publishmoreofourcollections,images,video,activities,andcontentofallkinds.Enablenetworkeffectsinwhichacriticalmassofcontentandusersenableskindsoflearningandvaluecreationthatmanysmaller,isolatedpocketsofcontentanduserscannot

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

13

EnsurethatSmithsoniancontentisavailableinavarietyofformatsandplatforms(SmithsonianInstitutionandnonSmithsonianInstitution)

Createasharedglobalnavigationalstructurethatencouragesdeepexplorationofunitbasedcontentanddiscoveryofcontentacrossunits

DevelopexpertiseinUserExperienceDesign.Convenefocusgroupstohelpstaffandleadershipbetterunderstandaudienceneeds.Createanaudiencesegmentationplanthatdescribesandprioritizesroles,onlinegoals,andvaluetotheSmithsonian,andcorrelatethatplantothestructure/interactionflowsofSmithsonianWebsites

ContinueandstrengthenanonlinepanInstitutionalcalendartoaggregateupcomingeventsandannouncements

Publishcontentsothatitcanbeshared,tagged,collected,rated,repurposed,commentedon,andexportedtootherWebsites.OptimizeSmithsoniandigitalcontentwithmetadataandsemanticstructuretomaximizeavailabilitytosearchengines

Dedicateresourcestomanageandsupportuserinteractionandusergeneratedcontent,Institutionwide

Redesignthemainsi.eduWebsiteandusetheSmithsonianCommonsasthebasisforapanInstitutionalsitestructurethatdemonstratestheNEWSmithsonianonlineexperience(seesectionIV.TheSmithsonianCommons:APlacetoBegin)

Goal5:InterpretationSupporttheworkofSmithsonianstaff

Rationale

Interpretationandexplanationarethebasicbuildingblocksoflearning:TheyareattheverycoreoftheSmithsonian'sresearchtraditions.TheSmithsonianhaslongexcelledatharnessinghumancuriosityabouttheoriginsoftheuniverse,theevolutionoflife,andhumandiversityandculture.Butaccordingtomanystakeholders,thepublicislargelyunawareofthedepth,breadth,complexity,andimportanceoftheSmithsonian'sresearchactivities.

WebandNewMediatechnologiesarecrucialtotheSmithsonianscoreresearchactivitiesandtothewidecollaborationsthatmustoccuramonggeographicallydistantparticipants,butmanystaffmembershaveinsufficientsupportandtrainingtouseWebandNewMediatools.Thesetechnologiesarekeytoadvancingmanyresearchinitiatives,toachievingabroaderdistributionoftheSmithsoniansintellectualproductsandtoraisingpublicawarenessoftheimportanceofresearchtotheSmithsoniansmission.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

14

Policy/ProgramGoals:

Balance:EnsurethattheInstitutionsexpertshaveaccesstothetechnology,training,andresourcestosupportboththeincreaseanddiffusionofknowledge

Support:CreateapanInstitutionalplatformwithstandardizedprotocolstofacilitatebroadcommunicationandcollaborationamongSmithsonianresearchers,scientists,curators,andtheirinternalandexternalaudiences

Transparency:EncourageSmithsonianknowledgecreatorstoexposetheirresearchtopublicaudiencesandinvitecollaborativeinputs

Accessibility:IdentifyexpertvoicesamongtheSmithsoniansstaffandsharetheirexpertiseandpassionthroughWebandNewMediatools

PublicOutreach:Communicatethedepth,breadth,andqualityoftheSmithsoniansresearchinitiativestointernalandexternalaudiences

TacticalImplementation:

ImplementSharePointcollaborationintranetandextranets EvaluatethetechnologyrelatedsupportandtrainingneedsofSmithsonians

researchers/scholars/experts

Provideincentivesandresourcestosupportcollaborationandthesharingofresearch.DevelopapoolofinternalconsultantsandsupportstaffacenterofexcellencetosupportthecoreworkofSmithsonianexpertsandWebandNewMediapractitioners

HighlightandencouragepublicengagementwithSmithsonianresearchandresearchersthroughnewandexistingblogs,Websites,mobileplatforms,geospatialinformation,andotherchannels

Goal6:TechnologyDevelopaplatformforparticipationandinnovation

Rationale

Thewordplatformisusedinthisstrategicgoaltoadvocateforaparticularkindoftechnologyinwhichacentralentitycreatesasetofstandards,tools,andinterfacesthatotherscanusetodomeaningfulwork.Successfulplatformscanbebuiltincrementallythoughthestrategicalignmentofmanyseparate,small,usefulcomponents.

TheSmithsonianinnovatesandexperimentswithWebandNewMediatechnologiesacrosstheorganization.ThisinnovationoccursdespitebarrierscausedbyinternalbureaucraticprocessesandtheabsenceofdedicatedfundstosupportITinnovationanddevelopmentovertime.Whileindividual

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

15

instancesofinnovationmayflourish,suchpracticesarenotbeingreplicatedefficiently,orappliedtopanInstitutionalchallenges,resultinginmissedopportunitiesandduplicationofeffort.

SmithsonianstakeholdersexpresseddifferingviewsofthebenefitsandrisksofcentralizingversusdecentralizingWebandNewMediaITservices.ManySmithsonianInstitutionstakeholdersappeartofavorsomeformofasharedservicesmodelthatincorporatesthebenefitsofdecentralizationwhilereducingtherisksoftoomuchcentralization.Thisisharmoniouswiththeprincipleofbalancinginnovationattheedgeswithacommonsinthemiddle.

ManyofthemenialordifficulttasksperformedbyunitWebandNewMediateamsandthepubliccanbeservedbyaunifiedSmithsonianplatform,andthedevelopmentofasharedplatform,overtime,willallowdata,ideas,ecommerce,andcollaborationtoflowacrossinstitutionalboundariesinwaysthatarenotpossibleinthecurrentdecentralizedmodel.

Policy/ProgramGoals:

Platform:InventoryallWebandNewMediatools/functionalityanddeterminethecoresettobeprovidedasasharedsolutionplatform.(Shouldincludeenterpriseapplicationslikeecommerce,onlinedonationsprocessing,customerrelationshipmanagement,search,analytics,andsocialnetworking.)

Mobile:Supportthegrowingroleofmobiledevices,andconfigureSmithsoniansitesandexhibitionsforavailabilitytowireless/handhelddevices

SupportServices:RecruitandtrainacoreWebsupportteamtodeveloptechnologysolutionsthatcanbemadeavailabletounitsonafreeand/orcostchargebackbasis

Analytics:Workwithunitstoestablishsuccesscriteriaforindividualsiteperformance.Collect,analyze,andcommunicateaccurateandtimelydatatoallunits

TacticalImplementation:

Establishclearrolesandresponsibilitiesforthedevelopmentandoperationofaplatformandsharedservicesmodel

Evaluatethemostpressingtechnologysupportrequirementsacrossallunitsandrecruitacoreteamwithskillstomatchtheunitneeds

Coordinatewithdigitizationstrategybytakinginputonneeds/meansforinternal/externalinformationsharing

UsebestpracticesinmetricsandanalysistounderstandthedimensionsofaudienceengagementacrossSmithsonianInstitutionandexternalsites,mobileplatforms,inexhibitmultimedia,etc.ValidateaccuracyofallWebusagestatisticsandbuildskillsnecessarytousedata

Implementtechnologiessuchbrowsepaths(orbreadcrumbs)toencouragebroaderanddeeperavenuesforsiteexploration

Providetoolstoshareresearchandcollectiondata

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

16

ImplementamobilefriendlyversionoftheSmithsonianWebsiteandmobilefriendlytemplatesfornewdevelopment

Goal7:BusinessModelIncreaserevenuefromecommercefundamentalsandWeb2.0perspectives

Rationale

TheSmithsoniansbasicbusinessmodelistocreatesocialandeconomicvaluethroughtheincreaseanddiffusionofknowledge.WebandNewMediaprogramsarebothanintrinsicpartofthisoverarchingmodelandanopportunitytodevelopnewkindsofrevenueinharmonywiththemission.TheSmithsonianscurrentWebandNewMediaportfolioincludesnumerousseparatetransactionalWebsitesofferingproducts,services,memberships,andticketsfromisolatedsystems.Whileeachofthesesystemsmaybesufficientfortheirindividualtasks,thefactthattheyarenotconceptuallyortechnicallyintegratedmakesthemmoreexpensivetobuildandmaintain,diminishestheuserexperience,andundercutstheSmithsoniansabilitytounderstand,serve,andgrowtheaudienceasawhole.Byneglectingtopresentdesirableecommerceopportunitiestovisitors,andfailingtounderstandvisitorneedsandinterests,theSmithsonianlosescountlessopportunitiestobuildloyaltyandgeneraterevenueeveryday.

EmergingfromtheSmithsonians2.0thinkingisthepotentialforanewrevenuemodelbasedonusersandcontent.Amazonssuccessislinkedtothewayitharnessesthecollectiveintelligenceofitshugebaseofusersthroughrecommendationsandrankings.Googledevelopspowerfulinformationaccesstools,thengivesthemtoitsusersforfreeandmakesbillionsbysellingads.Inthesemodels,therevenuegeneratingpotentialofaWebsiteisexponentiallyamplifiedbythesizeandactivitiesofitsaudience.ASmithsoniandigitalaudience100timeslargerthantodayscanopenupcountlessrevenueopportunitiesthatjustarenotfinanciallyfeasiblenow.Ultimately,themostvaluablebusinessassetwecancultivateandtheonethatismostfundamentaltoourcoremissionisacommunityofengagedandcommittedSmithsonianenthusiasts.

Policy/ProgramGoals:

RevenueGeneration:UseacoordinatedapproachtorevenuegenerationacrosstheInstitution

Incentives:Establishamodelthatoffersunitsincentivestoparticipateinbusinessdevelopment.Theseincludeincreasedrevenueshare,visibility,traffic,andaccesstosharedtoolsthatreducelaborandcosts

SuccessMetrics:Requirethatbusinessplansbecreatedtoevaluatethecost/benefitprofileofproposedonlinerevenuegeneratinginitiativesandensurethatbusinessownerstrackperformanceagainstthatplan

RevenueinHarmonywithMission:Developopportunitiesthatareefficientandscalableandthatharmonizewiththeoverallmissiontoincreaseanddiffuseknowledge

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

17

MarketingandPromotion:CreatepanInstitutionalandmuseumspecificonlinemarketingcampaignstodrivesitetrafficandgrowaudiencesforcontent,philanthropic,andecommercepurposes

AudienceDevelopment:Focusoncreatingdramaticallylargerandmoreengagedaudiencesbyprovidingconsistentlyoutstandingcontent,experiences,andengagementacrossallWebandNewMediaproperties

TacticalImplementation:

ImplementasharedecommerceandonlinefundraisingplatformasapanInstitutionalresourceandmanageitasapartnership,providingincentivesforunitstoparticipate(revenueshare,costavoidance,productivity,etc.).Usebestpracticesformeasurementandanalysisofallrevenuegeneratingactivities

Create/maintainapanInstitutionalcustomerresourcemanagementsystemformembers,customers,prospectsandotheraudiencestomaximizethelifetimevalueofeachthroughasystemofcontact,solicitation,andpromotionmanagement

Establishapolicyandframeworkforsellingcorporate/institutionalsponsorshipsonSmithsonianWebsitesandmobileplatforms

EnableSmithsonianWebvisitorstoshop,donate,becomeamember,orregisterforemailupdatesfromeverypage,andpromoteSmithsonianmembershipopportunitiesfromallInstitutionalWebsites

Establishaplantoacceptindividualmicrodonationsonlinethatcanbeearmarkedforspecificmuseums,programsorcontent

Increasethelevelofintegrationbetweenoffline(directmail,telemarketing)andonlinefundraising

Developexpertiseinmobiledevelopment(e.g.,cellphones,iPhones)andevaluatelongtermrevenuepotentialofthemobileplatform

Exploreafreemiumbusinessmodel(offeringsomeservicesforfreewhilechargingforspecialfeatures/products)usingtheSmithsonianCommonsasatestbed(seesectionIV.TheSmithsonianCommons:APlacetoBegin)

Explorethefeasibilityofcreatinginmuseumdigitalexperiences(e.g.,mobiletours,virtualrealitygames)withappropriatefees

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

18

Goal8:GovernanceDesignandimplementapanInstitutionalgovernancemodel

Rationale

Governanceisthekineticexerciseofmanagementpoliciesrelatedtodecisionsthatdefineexpectations,grantpower,orverifyperformancewithinanorganization.TheSmithsonianInstitutionoperatesinwaysthatarearguablyuniqueanddistinctduetoitsuniquetruststatus,makingdirectcomparisonswithsimilarentitiesdifficult,ifnotimpossible.TheSmithsonianlacksgovernancepoliciesformanyonlineanddigitalmediaissuesanddoesnotalwaysexercisethosepoliciesitdoeshaveconsistentlyacrosstheInstitution.Stakeholdergovernanceconcernstendedtogrouponthreemaintopics:broadlyfeltambiguityaroundquestionsrelatingtocontentingeneral(ownership,publishingapprovalworkflows,etc.)andrestrictionsrelatingtousageand/orlicensingofcontentforonlinedistribution;concernsrelatingtotheuseofsocialnetworkingtoolsingeneral,andrestrictionsforpostingSmithsonianInstitutioncontenttoplatformslikeFacebookorYouTube;andtheabsenceofaccuratemeasurementtools,metrics,andfinancialdatarelatingtotheuseofWebandNewMediatechnologies.

WebandNewMediatechnologiesthataresupportedbysomelevelofcentralizedplatformwillrequirewellreasonedandwellarticulatedgovernancepoliciestoensuretheirultimatesuccesswithintheSmithsonianInstitutionsmissionandgovernmentcharter.

Successfulgovernanceandleadershiparethekeystoaccomplishinganyofthegoalsinthisstrategicplan.

Policy/ProgramGoals:

Policy:Createapolicyandgovernancemodelthataddressesrolesandresponsibilitiesforcentralizedandunitactivities,anddeterminesthemeansbywhichcentralizedtechnologies,support,andoversightareadministeredovertime

ContentUsage:EstablishapanInstitutionalpolicyforsharingandusingtheSmithsoniansdigitalcontent,withparticularfocusonCopyrightandPublicDomainpoliciesthatencouragetheappropriatereuseandsharingofSmithsonianresources

Budget:CoordinateinputstopanInstitutionalbudgetingprocessestoensurethatWebandNewMediaactivitiesarefundedinaccordancewiththeirimportancetotheinstitution

LegalCompliance:Definepoliciesandprocedurestosecureapprovalsforonlinepublishingandparticipationinsocialnetworks

TacticalImplementation:

DeterminewhereintheSmithsonianstructurethegovernancefunctionshouldbehousedandwhoshouldmanageit.(SeealsoRecruitapanInstitutionalWebandNewMedialeaderandgivethatpersonthedecisionauthorityandvisibilitytoleadchangeinGoal1:Mission)

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

19

DeveloparesourceandstaffingplantoleadandexecutetheWebandNewMediastrategyandensurethatadequateresourcesareincludedinbudgetingatthecentralizedandunitlevels

SetintellectualpropertypolicywithparticularfocusonCopyrightandPublicDomain.ReviewandapprovethedraftdirectiveforDigitalAssetAccessandUse

ReviewandapprovedraftSmithsonianDirective950:WebManagement(whichdescribesinternalpoliciesforvariousaspectsofWeboperations)

Reviewandapprovedraftpolicyforparticipationinsocialnetworks

IV.TheSmithsonianCommons:APlacetoBegin

Overview

AdigitalSmithsonianCommonsunifiesthethemesandgoalsarticulatedinthisstrategy.

TheSmithsonianCommonswillbeaspecialpartofourdigitalpresencededicatedtothefreeandunrestrictedsharingofSmithsonianresourcesandencouragingnewkindsoflearningandcreationthroughinteractionwithSmithsonianresearch,collections,andcommunities.

Thedigitalcommonsmovementisjustafewyearsoldbuttheconceptofacommonsisquiteold.Commonsareusuallycreatedwhenapropertyownerdeterminesthatagivensetofresourcesgrassforgrazingsheep,forestforparkland,softwarecode,orintellectualpropertywillcreatemorevalueiffreelyshared.Ourunderstandingofresearch,education,artisticcreativity,andtheprogressofknowledgeisbuiltupontheaxiomthatnoideastandsalone,andthatallinnovationisbuiltontheideasandinnovationofothers.TheSmithsoniancommunityhasalwayschampionedtheseideals.

TheinitialSmithsonianCommonswillbeaWebsite(alsodesignedformobiledevices),perhapshttp://www.si.edu/commons,featuringcollectionsofdigitalassetscontributedvoluntarilybytheunitsandpresentedthroughaplatformthatprovidesbestofclasssearchandnavigation;socialtoolssuchascommenting,recommending,tagging,collecting,andsharing;andintellectualpropertypermissionsthatclearlygiveuserstherighttouse,reuse,share,andinnovatewithourcontentwithoutunnecessaryrestrictions.

ThearchitectureoftheSmithsonianCommonswillencouragethediscoveryofcontentdeepwithinSmithsonianunitWebsitesandwillexposeconnectionsandcommonalitiesacrossSmithsonianprojects.TheSmithsonianCommonswillalsobeaplatformforformalandinformalcollaborationandcontentsharinginsideandoutsidetheInstitution.Throughthesefeaturescollectionaccess,sharing,socialtools,andusergeneratedcontenttheSmithsonianCommonswillbringtogetherthecomponentpiecesoftheupdatedexperience,updatedlearningmodel,andbalancedapproachtomanagementandgovernancethatarethefoundationalthemesofthisWebandNewMediaStrategy.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

20

IncrementalDevelopment

TheSmithsonianCommonswillbedevelopedincrementallythroughaseriesofprototypesandpublicpilotprojectsdesignedtotestandrefinebusinessmodelsandimpactonmissionandaudiences.Thefirstofthesepilotprojectshasalreadytakenplace:TheSmithsoniansparticipationintheFlickrCommonsprojectdemonstratedthepotentialofprovidingopenaccesstomultipleSmithsoniancollectionsthroughabestofclasssocialmediaplatform,andtheSIRIS(SmithsonianInstitutionResearchInformationService)crosssitesearchprojectdemonstratesthepowerofprovidingasinglepointofaccesstoInstitutionalcollectionsandtheincreaseintrafficthatsuchutilitycreates.TheSmithsoniansSharePointprojectandintranetredesignaredemonstratingthepositiveeffectsofanimprovedenduserexperienceandasharedcollaborationplatformoninformationaccessandinternalcollaboration.

ThefirstiterationofaSmithsonianCommonscouldbeassimpleasimagesofafewcarefullychosenSmithsonianartifactswithlinksbacktotheircollectingunitsandlabelsthatclearlygivethepublicpermissiontouseandsharetheimageshowevertheyseefit,aslongastheSmithsonianisproperlycredited.Additionalfeaturessuchascommentingandcollecting,andexperimentswithmicrodonations,ecommerceandsponsorships,wouldbeaddedoneatatimeanddesignedsothattheycouldbeusednotjustonthecommonsbutindependentlythroughoutSmithsonianWebsites.SometoolswouldbedevelopedtohelpnonSmithsonianbloggers,researchers,educators,andenthusiastsexposeSmithsoniancontentontheirownWebsites.

Precedents

ThoughtheSmithsoniansunparalleledcollectionsandexpertisewouldmaketheSmithsonianCommonsunique,thereareseveralimportantprecedentstothisinitiative.Theseprojectshaveproventhepositiveinfluenceofopenaccessandcommunitydialogueonengagement,learning,creativity,andknowledgecreation.

TheCreativeCommonsandrelatedScienceCommonsandccLearnorganizationsencouragenewkindsofsharingandreusebyprovidingalternativestotraditionalcopyright

TheFlickrCommonsincreasesengagementwithpublicphotographycollectionsaroundtheworld

TheInternetArchivecreatesandaggregatesfree,reusablecontentofallkinds,including1.2milliondigitalbooks

TheNationalInstitutesofHealthPubMedCentralpublishespubliclyfundedresearchresultsinapublicdomainarchive

MITOpenCoursewareprovidesfreeaccesstoover1,800coursesfromMITscurriculum IBMsPatentCommonsinitiativesencouragescientistsandengineerstodeveloptheunrealized

potentialofalargegroupofIBMstechnologypatents

Theseprecedents,andadetailedrationaleforthecommons,aredescribedinImaginingaSmithsonianCommons:http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/cil2009michaeledsontextversion

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

21

Benefits

ReshapingourdigitalidentityaroundtheconceptofaSmithsonianCommonsaddressesmanyofourfundamentalchallenges.

Brand:TheconceptofacommonsbringscohesionandclaritytotheSmithsoniansvastonlineofferings.

AudienceGrowth:ThroughtheSmithsonianCommonswecanseedtheInternetwithhighvaluecontentandusesocialnetworkstoincreasetherelevanceandvalueofourwork.AudiencesespeciallydigitallysavvyaudiencesandyoungervisitorswillimmediatelyunderstandandrespondtotheideaofafreeSmithsonianCommons.Improvedcontent,features,andclaritycandriveaudiencegrowth.

UnifiedOperations:AvoluntarySmithsonianCommonsbuiltontransparencyandtrustandsupportingratherthancompetingwiththeworksoftheindividualunitsprovidesanexcellentalternativetoworkinginsilos.

Education:PlanningnextgenerationlearningprogramsisanInstitutionalpriority.Acommonscanservebothasacollaborativeworkspaceusedtocreatelearningprogramsandaclearinghousetodistributeandimprovethem.

Research:Smithsonianresearchersneedprivate,semiprivateandpubliccollaborationandinformationaccessplatformstoadvanceandsharetheirwork.Aggregatingtheseservicesintoacommonsprovidesastablebaseandopensthedoortonewkindsofcrossdisciplinaryinvestigations.

RevenueGenerationinHarmonywithMission:Attemptingtodirectlymonetizeaccessto,anduseof,museumcontentdoesnotappeartobeasustainablebusinessmodel.Throughtheselowmarginbusinesspractices,wealienateusers,perpetuatethepracticeofinstitutionschargingeachother,discourageresearchandpublications,andundermineourcivicmission.Thecommonspresentsanalternative:graduallyreduceourdependenceonaccessandusefeesbyaggregatinglargernumberofvisitorsunderastrongbrandsupportedbysponsorshipsandothervalueaddedproductsandservices.ItislikelythattheSmithsonianwillmakemoremoneybypromotingfreeresourcestoalargeaudiencethanitcanmakechargingsmallamountsforsmalltransactionstoasmallaudience,anditisamuchbetterfitwiththemission.

LeadershipandLegacy:ChampioningfreeandopencontentandassertingthecriticalroleofpublicinstitutionsinstimulatinginnovationandknowledgecreationwoulddefinetheSmithsonianasaleader.Science,education,creativity,andcivicdiscourseareallheadedtowardsaparticipatorycommonsmodel.

Policy/ProgramGoals:

Findability/Connections:DemonstrateamodelthatimprovesthefindabilityofSmithsonianresourcesandallowslearnerstoexposeandexplorecontextual/thematicrelationshipsacrosstheSmithsonian

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

22

DemocratizeAccess:Demonstratethepowerofdemocratizingaccesstoinformationthroughasharedcommonsplatformthatencouragespersonalexploration,creativity,andinnovation

Brand:Asserttherelevance/excitementoftheSmithsonianbrandbyhighlightingthedepthandvitalityofourworkandcollections

Learning:Demonstratethewaysinwhichopenaccessandsharedtoolssupportformaleducationandfacilitateselfdirectedlearningforpeopleofallages

Balance:Demonstratethatasharedplatform,developedthroughatrustedpartnershipamongstakeholders(andthepublic),cansuccessfullybalanceinternalconcernsaboutauthorityandcontrol

Funding:UsethecommonstoattractthefundingnecessarytoupdatetheSmithsoniansWebandNewMediaoperationsandbusinessmodels

TacticalImplementation:

Seekinformationalmeetingswithleadingfoundations(thathavesupportedcommonsandopenaccessinitiativesinthepast)togaugeinterestinsupportingaSmithsonianCommonsandnewmodelsoflearningandengagement

Evaluatecurrentrevenuestreamsderivedfromdigitalimageaccess/useanddevelopanevidencebasedbusinessplanforacommons

DevelopaprototypeoftheSmithsonianCommonstotestassumptionsandprovideatangibledemonstrationoftheconceptforfundraisingandevangelization

SolicitinputfromourSmithsonian2.0digeratianddevelopacoregroupfromavarietyofdisciplinestohelpshapeandbuildexternalsupportforthecommons

ExploretheconnectionbetweenthedigitalSmithsonianCommonsandtheemergingprogramgoalsfortheArtsandIndustriesBuilding,NationalMuseumofAfricanAmericanHistoryandCulture,andotherInstitutioninitiatives

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

23

Appendix

1.Committees

ThisstrategywasreviewedbytheSmithsonianWebandNewMediaSteeringCommittee

BetsyBroun ZullyDorr MichaelEdson LaurynGuttenplan EvelynLieberman(cochair) CarolynMartin ThomasOtt CristinSamper AnnSpeyer(cochair)

AworkinggroupofWebandNewMediapractitionershelpedwritethestrategyandprovidedguidance,oversight,andsupportduringthestrategycreationprocess

RiccardoFerrante VanessaHarbin DennisHasch MartinKalfatovic EffieKapsalis MatthewMacArthur CarolynMartin MichelleMcMahon DarrenMilligan JenniferNorthrop VictoriaPortway NancyProctor JenniferRossi DennisSmoot SaraSnyder KatherineSpiess CherylWilson

MichaelEdsondirectedthestrategycreationproject.LeoMullen(CEO,NavigationArts)wastheprincipalexternalconsultant.

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

24

Appendix

2.InputsfromthePanInstitutionalStrategy

InsightfromthepanInstitutionalstrategyprocess(thankstoDavidAllison)confirmedmanythemesanddirectionalshiftsexpressedbyparticipantsintheWebandNewMediastrategyworkshops:

WhatsOut WhatsIn

Stability/stodginess Change

Scholarlyindependence Strategicdirection

Increaseanddiffusionisenough Mustaddrelevance,wisdom,inspiration

Corporateorientation Educationalorientation

Focusonbuildings Focusonprograms

Curatorsasexperts Curatorsascollaboratorsandbrokers

Monographs Stories

Web1.0 Web1.0,2.0,3.0

Unitordisciplineorientation PanInstitutionalorientation

Growthandexpansion Sustainability

Diversitybasedonsingleidentities(black,white,Asian)

Complexidentitydiversity(multiracial,multiethnic)

Boomersandtheirissues Millennialsandtheirissues

Brandpromotion Brandrespectandtrust

Control Collaboration

Nationalidentityandpride Globalidentityandhumility

Therealthing Therealthingplusdigitalrepresentations

OurSmithsonian EveryonesSmithsonian

Federalgovernmentasdominantsponsor Publicprivatebalance

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

25

Appendix

3.WebandNewMediaBusinessRequirements

Inconversationswithmorethan294SmithsonianInstitution(SI)stakeholdersrepresenting55units,thefollowingwereidentifiedascrucialforthesuccessoftheWebandNewMediastrategy:

StrengthentheoverarchingSIbrandanditsrelationshiptounitbrands ClarifyInstitutionalprioritiesandreflectthemonline BettersupportthegoalsandneedsofSIaudiences Supportthecoremissiontoincreaseknowledgeandbecomemuchbetteratdiffusing

knowledge

IncreasetheavailabilityofSIsknowledgetoaudiencesworldwide Providebetterconnectionsbetweenresearchersandthosewhouseresearch IncreasetherelevanceofSItoyoungeraudiences StrengthentheInstitutionalfocusoneducation(andbetterdefinewhatthatmeans) Providenewlearningexperiencesthatmakeeducationfunandengaging ProvidemeansandopportunitiesforSItofacilitatecommunitiesoflearningandthelearning

journey

Providenewtoolsandtechniquesfortellingcompellingstoriesrelatedtoourcollectionsandresearch

MakeavailablemoreofSIsartifactsandassetsindigitalformat MakeSIwidecontenteasiertofind,understandandshare MakeSIavailabletoaudiencesthroughmobiledevices Extendandenrichtheinmuseumexperiencewithonlineinteraction StimulategreaterlevelsoffundingandstaffresourcestosupportWebandNewMedia

initiatives

EnableSIstafftocreatenewonlineexperiencesmoreeasilyandinexpensively Leverageonlinetechnologiestocreatenewrevenuesources Getthebureaucracyoutofthewayofdoingbusiness Clarifytherulesofoperationandgovernancearoundonlineinitiatives Provideacoreplatformthatcaneasilyandeffectivelysupportthecreationofinnovative

programs

Developcomprehensive,panInstitutionaldatatomeasureinvestmentsinanduseofdigitaltechnologies

MakethecostofITinfrastructureandoperationsmorevisibletoseniormanagement ProvidebettermetricsandanalyticaldataabouthowaudiencesinteractwithSI

SmithsonianInstitutionWebandNewMediaStrategy

26

Appendix

4.ProjectMethodology

ThisWebandNewMediaStrategywascreatedcollaborativelythroughaseriesoffacilitatedworkshopswithrepresentativestakeholdersoftheSmithsonianInstitution.Stakeholderswereinvitedtoparticipateinoneorseveraloftheworkshopsdependingontheirareaofexpertiseandorinterest.Eachworkshophadaspecificthemethatservedasthebasisfordiscussionanddebate.Theworkshopthemesincluded:

Education

BusinessModel

TechnologyandOperations

CuratorialandResearch

DirectorsPerspective

Eachoftheworkshopsandplanningsessionsweredocumentedbyarealtimetranscriptionoftheproceedingspostedtoawikiestablishedforthispurpose(http://smithsonianwebstrategy.wikispaces.com).Themainintentoftheworkshopswastomoverelevantinformationtothewikiwhereitcouldbeopenlyevaluated,sifted,weighed,andconsideredbyall.Thewikiwastheplatformonwhichthisstrategywassketched,discussed,debated,refinedandfinalized,allwithintheviewofthosewhocaremostabouttheSmithsonian.

TheinputsfromthesediscussionswerefilteredtoinformboththelongtermaspirationalgoalsoftheInstitution,aswellastoidentifythemostachievableshorttermtacticalimplementationofthenewstrategy.IdeaswereevaluatedbycomparingthemtotheprojectgoalsandprioritizedbytheirperceivedimpactonSmithsonianaudiences,levelofefforttoexecute,andtheirpotentialtostimulatetransformationalchangeacrosstheInstitution.

Theworkshopsincludedmorethan294Smithsonianstakeholdersfrom55museums,researchcentersandbusinessunits.