Communications Standards Updates: Web Governance Team and Product Governance Team

This blog post was originally posted on April 19, 2024, and has been updated.

Notifications about changes made to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE's) communications standards are posted every two weeks, highlighting the latest updates to the Communications Standards and Guidelines website and important pages to note.

Effective immediately, we are changing the web governance and product approval processes to streamline governance and make them easier for everyone involved.

Web Project Process and Approvals

The following interim process will be in place until the Energy.gov redesign is complete and new review and approval processes are determined. Communications leads or support staff should:

Step 1: Use the Web Governance Team (WGT) flowchart (internal) to determine if your team needs to consult the WGT. If yes, move to Step 2. If no, you can move forward with your project and do not need further approvals.

Step 2: Set up a meeting with the EERE Digital Team to discuss the specifics of your project, where they may:

• Give guidance on how to move forward in Energy.gov.
• Arrange a separate meeting with technical, privacy, and security experts to determine technical solutions. 
• Ask you to attend a WGT meeting, if the team is requesting exceptions that need to be discussed with the full WGT, and be given federal approvals.

If you have questions about your project or need help understanding the WGT flowchart, please contact the EERE Digital Team.

Product Approval Process and Governance

The following interim process will be in place until the DOE rebrand is launched and new brand guidelines are published. Communications leads or support staff should:

Step 1: Submit products for Product Governance Team (PGT) approval to the EERE Products and Branding Team, and cc the EERE Communications mailbox, providing any necessary background information and your deadline.

Step 2: Receive a response within 48 hours, providing you with next steps, which may include:

• Approval to move forward with your project.
• Recommendation to arrange a meeting to review your product's audience, purpose, format, and reason for needing a deliverable outside the EERE templates.
• Elevation to the EERE communications director for further review.

If you have questions about your project, need to download EERE templates, or want clarification on the PGT process, please contact the EERE Products and Branding Team.

Questions?

If you have any questions or suggestions related to communications standards, please email the EERE Comms Standards Team.