AVANCE, Inc.
WEBSITE POLICIES PROCEDURES
Part I - Policy
1. Purpose
This document delineates the policy and assigns responsibility related to establishing, operating, and maintaining the AVANCE, Inc. websites.
2. Applicability
This policy applies to:
a. The AVANCE National Office and all Chapter and expansion offices of AVANCE, Inc.
3. Definitions
Terms used in this document are defined in Part III.
4. Policy
It is the policy of the AVANCE, Inc. that:
a. Using the World Wide Web is strongly encouraged in that it provides the AVANCE, Inc. with a powerful tool to convey information quickly and efficiently on a broad range of topics relating to its activities, objectives, policies and programs.
b. The AVANCE mission benefits from using the Web but must be carefully balanced through the application of these policies and procedures so as to eliminate the potential risk to AVANCE , Inc. interests such as curriculum, the conduct of federal programs, the safety and security of personnel or assets, or individual privacy created by having electronically aggregated AVANCE, Inc. information more readily accessible to a worldwide audience.
c. Each organization operating an AVANCE, Inc. website will implement technical security best practices with regard to its establishment, maintenance and administration.
d. AVANCE, Inc. websites containing: FOR OFFICAL USE ONLY information, information not specially cleared and marked as approved for public release in accordance with the attached GUIDELINES, Consistent with other leadership responsibilities for public and internal communication, the decision whether or not to establish an organizational website, and to publish appropriated instructions and regulations for a website within the limitations established by this document, is hereby delegated to each AVANCE, Inc. Component.
5. Responsibilities
a. AVANCE, Inc. shall:
b. Provide policy and procedural guidance with respect to establishing, operating and maintaining websites.
c. Maintain liaison with the AVANCE Chapters and expansions to provide policy oversight and guidance to ensure the effective dissemination of AVANCE information via the internet.
d. Provide technical support consistent with existing Director of Information Technology responsibilities.
e. Approve and publish AVANCE, Inc. instructions and publications, as necessary, to guide, direct, or help website activities.
f. Provide a mechanism for feedback reporting across AVANCE, Inc. to include “Lessons Learned” and the identification of useful automated tools to aid in the conduct of multi-disciplinary security assessments of websites.
g. Ensure compliance with this policy.
h. The National Office shall:
i. Operate and maintain www.AVANCE.org as the official primary point of access to AVANCE, Inc. information on the internet.
j. In coordination with the Chapter Executive Directors, provide oversight policy and guidance to ensure the absolute credibility of AVANCE information released to the public through publicly accessible websites.
k. AVANCE, Inc. shall:
l. Establish a process for the identification of information appropriate for posting to the AVANCE, Inc. websites and ensure it is consistently applied to links, and other social service organizations, events, etc.
m. Ensure all information placed on publicly accessible websites is properly reviewed for security, levels of sensitivity and other concerns before it is released.
n. Ensure approved AVANCE, Inc. security and privacy notices and applicable disclaimers are used on all websites under their purview.
o. Ensure all information placed on publicly accessible websites is appropriate for worldwide dissemination and does not place AVANCE, Inc. personnel and assets, mission effectiveness, or the privacy of individuals at an unacceptable level of risk.
p. Ensure procedures are established for management oversight and regular functional review of the website.
q. Ensure operational integrity and security of the computer and network supporting the website is maintained.
r. Ensure that reasonable efforts are made to verify the accuracy, consistency, appropriateness, and timeliness of all information placed on the website.
s. Register each publicly accessible website with the appropriate locator service.
t. Ensure compliance with this policy for those functions, missions, agencies, and activities in their purview.
Website Administration
Part II – Procedures
1. Purpose
This document delineates the processes and procedures related to establishing, operating and maintaining the AVANCE, Inc. websites. It also provides guidelines for the review of material prior to its posting to websites.
2. Website establishment
a. Support of the AVANCE, Inc. Mission. Each website shall have a clearly defined purpose that supports the mission of AVANCE, Inc. The President/ CEO and his/ her designee in accordance with official policies, shall approve the defined purpose and general content of the website. Non-copyrighted material, text, clip art, hypertext links, images and sound or video clips may be used only if they directly relate to the mission.
b. Website security accreditation. Each organization establishing a website shall institute a security certification and accreditation procedure in accordance with AVANCE, Inc. Cost versus risk tradeoffs shall be evaluated and security requirements assigned accordingly.
c. Single source information. For the purpose of preventing duplication on the web, a website shall normally be limited only to information for which the establishing organization is responsible. Websites that contain information pursuant to the requirements of the Electronic Freedom of Information Act, 5 USC 552 (A) (2) (D) & (E) (Reference (j)) are exempt from this restriction. Information from other sources on the internet will not be copied but will be referenced or otherwise linked. This does not prevent information providers from mirroring or replicating information for performance, security or other mission-related reasons. However, when this is done, the information provider posting the replicated file on its server should contact the content owner of information and obtain written permission of the copyright owner. Procedures must also be established for updating the information. In addition, the information provider should continue to control the information to ensure its protection from inappropriate manipulation and make reasonable efforts to verify its currency and accuracy.
d. Website registration. All AVANCE, Inc., websites shall register with the appropriate provider.
3. Information Posting Process
a. Identification of information. The World Wide Web provides AVANCE, Inc. with a powerful tool to convey suitable information quickly and efficiently on a broad range of topics relating to its activities, objectives, policies, and programs. It is part of the overall AVANCE, Inc. strategic plan and is key to the reengineering and streamlining of our business practices.
b. The identification of a need to post information to a website will normally be made by the entity that generates the information and thus has the best knowledge of its content.
c. Content review.
d. Names, locations, and specific identifying information about family members of AVANCE, Inc. employees will not be posted.
e. Copyrighted material. Copyrighted material will be used only when allowed by prevailing copyright laws and may be used only if the materials relate to the AVANCE, Inc. mission. Consulting and counseling will be used when using any copyrighted material.
f. Conflicts of interest. In accordance with the Joint Ethics Regulation (Reference (K)) product endorsements or preferential treatment of any private organization or individual shall not appear on any official AVANCE, Inc. publicly accessible site.
g. Access Controls.
h. AVANCE, Inc. website may not post FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY information, or information not specifically cleared and approved for public release unless it employs adequate security and access controls. Information of questionable value to the general public must be evaluated before worldwide dissemination to assess the risk to AVANCE, Inc. Adequate security and access controls must likewise be employed for such information if it is determined to place national security, AVANCE, Inc. personnel and assets, mission effectiveness, or the privacy of individuals at an unacceptable level of risk.
i. Determinations as to the appropriate security and access controls to employ will be based upon the sensitivity of the information, the target audience for which the information is intended, and the level of risks to AVANCE, Inc.
j. Release approval. Approvals for posting of information to publicly accessible websites must be in accordance with the approval of the President/ CEO or by his/her designee.
k. Information posting. Once the procedures established in paragraphs a-j have been completed, the information may be posted to the web. In addition, the following steps must be accomplished.
l. A reasonable effort to validate the accuracy of the information.
m. All links associated with the website have been validated.
4. Privacy and security notice
A privacy and security notice must be given to users of each website and shall be prominently displayed or announced on at least the first page of all major sections of each website. The notice describes how, in general, security is maintained on the site, and what specific information is collected, why it is collected, and how it is used. All information collected must be described in this notice. Providing a statement such as “Please read this privacy and security notice” linked to the actual notice is satisfactory. AVANCE, Inc. and its entities shall avoid flashy graphics or other indicators that create a misperception of danger, such as skull-and-crossbones logos or “warning” signs.
5. External Links
a. Approval. The ability to hyperlink to sources external to AVANCE, Inc. is a fundamental part of the World Wide Web, and can add significant value to the functionality of publicly accessible AVANCE, Inc. websites. AVANCE, Inc. will establish objective and supportable criteria or guidelines for the selection and maintenance of links to external web pages.
b. Links to non-AVANCE, Inc. Web resources should support AVANCE, Inc’s. mission. External links should be reviewed periodically to ensure their continued suitability. If the content of a linked external site becomes questionable or objectionable, it will be removed.
c. No product endorsements or preferential treatment shall be given on public accessible official AVANCE, Inc. websites.
d. No payment of any kind shall be accepted in exchange for a link placed on an AVANCE, Inc. publicly accessible official website.
e. Websites shall not require or encourage users to choose any specific browser software. Only text or hyperlinked text shall be used to direct visitors to software download sites. Graphics or logos depicting companies/ products shall not appear on publicly accessible AVANCE, Inc. websites unless identifying a donor.
f. AVANCE, Inc. entities considering the use of “frames” technology to connect to external sites should consult legal counsel concerning trademark and copyright issues before establishing such links.
g. AVANCE, Inc. entities are encouraged to link to authorized activities in support of the organizations mission, such as the Gold Clubs hosting tournaments, Hotels hosting Galas, dinners, etc. If these sites contain commercial advertisements or sponsorships, the appropriate disclaimer below shall be given.
h. When a publicly accessible AVANCE, Inc. website is intended to serve a public purpose, AVANCE, Inc. chapters and expansions must realize that once the decision is made to include a link to a non-AVANCE, Inc. site, they may have to link to all similar sites.
i. Disclaimer for external links. The disclaimer below shall be displayed when linking to external sites. This disclaimer may appear on the page or pages listing external links, or through an intermediate “exit notice” page generated by the server machine whenever a request is made for any site other than the official AVANCE, Inc. website.
Example:
Americans 50 Plus
Website Disclaimers
Endorsement Disclaimer – Links to other sites
Our website has links to many other agencies, and in many cases we link to private organizations. You are subject to that site’s privacy policy when you leave our site.
Reference in this website to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by AVANCE, Inc. is not responsible for the contents of any “off-site” web page referenced from this server.
Endorsement Disclaimer – Pop-Up Advertisements
Information Disclaimer
The information provided using this website is only intended to be general summary information to the public.
Intrusion Detection
This site is maintained by Americans50Plus. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court.
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual.
Liability
AVANCE, Inc. entities and content licensors assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon, nor or performance of the vendors. AVANCE, Inc. entities take all reasonable efforts to qualify content on this site, but cannot be held liable for the actions of vendors and service providers.
6. Image manipulations standards
a. Official AVANCE, Inc. imagery provided on publicly accessible AVANCE, Inc. websites must conform to AVANCE, Inc. standards. (What are the standards?) No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced. While it is acceptable practice to adjust the overall brightness and contrast of a whole image, such adjustments should not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original.
7. Commercial sponsorship and advertising
a. Commercial sponsorships, advertisements and endorsements are prohibited on publicly accessible pages of official AVANCE, Inc. websites. Publicly accessible websites are official communications to the public. Just as AVANCE, Inc. would not print advertisements on news releases, AVANCE, Inc. shall not post advertisements on publicly accessible official AVANCE, Inc. websites. AVANCE, Inc. entities shall ensure that the credibility of official information is not adversely affected by association with commercial sponsorships, advertisements or endorsements.
8. Design standards and non-standard features
a. Website documents shall conform to the approved technical specifications approved by the AVANCE, Inc. website team.
b. Incorporation of non-standard or browser-specific features into web pages shall also be evaluated in light of the potential security risks and interoperability. Certain features have the capability of installing malicious programs on networks or on individual machines, if downloaded. The same danger exists when downloading any executable files should apply to any software that installs programs on networks or individual machines.
9. Usage statistics
As a management function, evaluation of site usage data (log files) is a valuable way to evaluate the effectiveness of websites. However, collection of data from publicly accessible sites for undisclosed purposes is inappropriate. The Director of Information Technology will be solely responsible for this task.
10. AVANCE, Inc. webmaster listserv
a. To share and coordinate information, an e-mail listserv has been established for all AVANCE, Inc. “Webmasters.” All personnel responsible for developing and/ or maintaining a website are encouraged to join this listserv. The list is open to members in all services. Instructions are located at http://www.AVANCE,Inc.org.
11. Effective Date
These procedures are effective 120 days from the date of this document.