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Albany, NY - The Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany/SUNY has released a new resource for government practitioners looking for guidance on developing social media policy. The guide, Designing Social Media Policy for Government: Eight Essential Elements, helps governments as they work to understand the necessary components of a social media policy. The guide is part of a larger CTG project focused on government use of social media tools. 

“Government agencies are increasingly looking to leverage social media to improve the quality of government services and enable greater citizen engagement,” said Derek Werthmuller, director of technology services, CTG. “Developing a social media policy can be an important first step for those government agencies considering using social media and can ultimately serve as a key enabler for responsibly and effectively leveraging social media tools.”

To help fill the gap in what is known about social media policy in government, CTG undertook an effort to identify as many government social media policies as possible, to review those policies for patterns in content and approach, and to talk with those in government experienced in developing these policies or seeking further guidance in this area. 

CTG’s study identified eight essential elements of government social media policy: 1) employee access, 2) account management, 3) acceptable use, 4) employee conduct, 5) content, 6) security, 7) legal issues, and 8) citizen conduct.

Along with detailed descriptions and numerous examples of the eight essential elements, the guide also includes an overview of the three types of social media use that fall within the domain of government social media policy and brief guidance on strategies for getting started. 

To download the guide: https://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/social_media_policy.

For more information on CTG's work on social media in government: https://www.ctg.albany.edu/projects/socialmedia 

The mission of the Center for Technology in Government at the University at Albany is to foster public sector innovation, enhance capability, generate public value, and support good governance. We carry out this mission through applied research, knowledge sharing, and collaboration at the intersection of policy, management, and technology. 

The University at Albany-SUNY has a broad mission of excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, and a commitment to public service. A University at Albany education brings the world within reach to students through nine schools and colleges, and an honors college. A student body of more than 17,000 students has a global connection to more than 140,000 alumni. For more information about this internationally ranked institution, visit www.albany.edu. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.php.