SharePoint List Governance Checklist: What You Need to Know

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SharePoint List Governance Checklist: What You Need to Know and the Features to Use Within SharePoint

As you continue to grow your organization’s usage of Microsoft SharePoint, it’s essential to establish a governance framework for managing and maintaining the various lists that exist throughout your environment. In this checklist, we’ll outline what you need to know and highlight key features within SharePoint that can help you effectively govern your lists.

I. Understanding Your Governance Needs

Before establishing a governance framework, take some time to understand your organization’s specific needs and requirements. Consider the following:

• What types of lists are most commonly used in your environment? Are they primarily for document management, project tracking, or something else?
• Who is responsible for maintaining and updating these lists?
• Are there any specific compliance or regulatory requirements that need to be met?

II. SharePoint Features for Governance

SharePoint provides several features that can help you govern your lists effectively:

• List Settings: Use the List Settings feature to control who can view, edit, or delete items in a list. You can also set up permissions at the item level.
• Workflow: Implement workflows to automate tasks and ensure that specific actions are taken when certain conditions are met.
• Content Types: Create content types to standardize the structure and formatting of your lists’ items.
• Metadata Columns: Use metadata columns to capture additional information about each list item, such as tags or ratings.
• Views: Create views to provide customized views of your list data, making it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.

III. Governance Best Practices

To ensure that your lists are well-maintained and compliant with organizational policies, follow these best practices:

• Define clear roles and responsibilities: Establish who is responsible for maintaining each list and ensure that those individuals understand their tasks.
• Set up version control: Use SharePoint’s built-in versioning features to track changes made to list items.
• Monitor and report on list usage: Use SharePoint’s reporting features or third-party tools to monitor list usage and identify areas where governance can be improved.
• Establish a list migration process: Develop a plan for migrating lists between environments, such as from development to production.

IV. Checklist Items

Here are some key checklist items to help you get started with governing your SharePoint lists:

• Identify the primary types of lists used in your environment (e.g., document management, project tracking).
• Determine who is responsible for maintaining each list.
• Set up permissions and access controls for each list.
• Implement workflows or approval processes as needed.
• Standardize content types across similar lists.
• Create customized views to provide users with relevant information.
• Establish a process for handling list item changes and version control.

By following this checklist and leveraging the features within SharePoint, you can ensure that your organization’s lists are well-governed, compliant, and effective in meeting your business needs.