Content policy for UK Parliament

Scope

Our content policy focuses on editorial content published and managed across Parliament’s websites and intranet.

However, all our content should meet our content standards. This is important for compliance and for our users to discover and access information and services, and engage with the work of Parliament.

Standards

Parliament has a devolved editor model where the content team manages the standards and guidelines for digital content, and relevant teams are responsible for managing content through their editors.

Editors use the training and resources the content team offer so they have the skills and confidence to manage the content they’re responsible for. This support is available through the Parliament content community.

If editors need content design support with larger content projects, like restructures, the content team can help.

Principles

Based on user needs

The best place to start when creating digital content is to understand our users and what they need.

By creating content based on the needs of our users we help them find and engage with the information they’re looking for, in the most appropriate content format. Research and analytics should inform these decisions.

This helps us get the information we want to share to the people who need it, meeting business objectives and providing value for money.

Clear and concise

People need to understand what Parliament is saying. The best way to do that is to think about our audience when creating content. We use clear language, and avoid or explain terms that people are less likely to understand.

Parliament can be complex, but that does not mean it has to be inaccessible. If we do not work to make it clearer for people, it alienates them. This can stop them engaging in processes that affect their lives.

Parliament should be open to everyone, no matter their background or experience.

Accessible

It’s a legal requirement for our content to be accessible to everyone.

Our standards and guidelines on creating and managing content are designed to make sure that accessibility is considered at every stage.

Accessible content benefits everyone. It helps all our users find, use, and understand our content.

Findable

Parliament shares and publishes a lot of information, and our users need to be able to find it.

With so much content across our websites and intranet, we need to think about how our information exists in the wider context. Relevant content should be appropriately linked, and duplicate content should be removed.

Impartial

Our content is impartial. It is not politically or financially influenced.

It should be accurate and up to date so our users can trust what we publish.

Consistent

This is about making sure that our approach to style, brand, and design is consistent.

It allows users to navigate our websites and intranet without experiencing inconsistent formatting, structure, and spelling. It also reassures them that it’s Parliament’s content and they can trust it.

Measuring success

Parliament’s content should be regularly reviewed to make sure it’s meeting our principles.

We use our content key performance indicators to help us assess how our content is performing.

Feedback

If you find any content that does not adhere to the principles in this policy, contact us.