Best Practices for SharePoint Governance: Training, Adoption, and Change Management

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When implementing a new SharePoint solution, many organizations overlook the importance of governance. Effective governance ensures that the platform is used efficiently, effectively, and in alignment with organizational goals. Without proper governance, SharePoint can quickly become disorganized, leading to frustration and decreased adoption.

To avoid these issues, it’s essential to establish a comprehensive governance plan from the outset. This plan should include three key components: training, adoption, and change management.

Training:

• Provide thorough training for users on the features and functionality of SharePoint.
• Offer ongoing support and training to ensure that users are comfortable using the platform.
• Consider creating a SharePoint Champions program, where power users can serve as ambassadors for the platform within their departments or teams.

Adoption:

• Develop clear policies and procedures for content creation, management, and sharing on SharePoint.
• Encourage collaboration by promoting features such as workflows, document libraries, and discussion boards.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by soliciting feedback from users and making changes to the platform based on that feedback.

Change Management:

• Communicate the value and benefits of using SharePoint to all stakeholders.
• Develop a comprehensive change management plan that addresses resistance to change and builds support for the new platform.
• Consider hiring a SharePoint consultant or partner who has experience with implementing and governing SharePoint solutions.

In addition to these governance best practices, there are several features within SharePoint that can help ensure successful implementation. Some of these key features include:

• Site hierarchies: Use site hierarchies to organize content and make it easier for users to find what they need.
• Search: Leverage SharePoint’s powerful search feature to quickly locate specific content and reduce the time spent searching for information.
• Content types: Use content types to standardize content creation and management across the platform, making it easier to find and reuse content.
• Workflows: Implement workflows to automate business processes and improve collaboration among team members.
• Document libraries: Use document libraries to store and manage files, making it easy to share and collaborate on documents.
• Discussion boards: Leverage discussion boards to facilitate communication and collaboration among team members.

By following these best practices for governance and leveraging the features within SharePoint, you can ensure a successful implementation that meets your organization’s needs and exceeds its expectations.