Communicating Sustainable Development on the Web

This guide outlines a strategic approach to Web communications for sustainable development organizations, emphasizing that a website should be an extension of the organization rather than a separate project. It provides a framework for information architecture, content categorization, and the management of technical and human resources. The document details specific guidelines for writing, meta-data, and visual design to ensure usability and search engine optimization. Additionally, it analyzes four models for joint module development—gateways, working sites, hub-and-spokes, and integrated modules—to facilitate collaboration between international partners.

• Effective Web communication requires a 'Web first' mentality, where the website serves as the primary system for information delivery, preceding the production of traditional media like press releases or printed reports.
• The document defines a hierarchy of online content units: 'files' (the basic unit), 'clusters' (closely-related files), 'modules' (action-focused collections of clusters), 'sections' (groupings of modules often reflecting institutional structure), and 'Web sites' (discrete units sharing a domain and management policies).
• Organizations should categorize their Web content into seven general types to determine appropriate information architecture: institutional content, newsletters, publications, press releases and speeches, forums, multimedia, and databases.
• To optimize searchability, organizations are advised to use meta-tags (titles, keywords, and descriptions) and implement internal search mechanisms that can index various file formats, including PDF and Microsoft formats.
• The guide recommends a specific technical approach to coding: using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for consistency, keeping file sizes under 55k (with main pages around 30k), and avoiding the excessive use of frames to prevent navigation confusion.
• The most successful management model for technical implementation is hiring professional coders and programmers supervised by communications or senior technical staff, rather than relying solely on outsourced contractors or untrained program officers.
• The document identifies four models for collaborative Web development: 'Gateways' (simple directories of links), 'Working sites' (focused on project participants with substantial content), 'Hub-and-spokes' (separate modules linked by a central hub), and 'Integrated modules' (a single, tightly managed site combining all partner perspectives).

APA

Willard, T. (2001). Communicating Sustainable Development on the Web. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_comm_sd.pdf

Chicago

Willard, Terri. Communicating Sustainable Development on the Web. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2001. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_comm_sd.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Willard |first1=Terri |title=Communicating Sustainable Development on the Web |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2001 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_comm_sd.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{willard2001communicating, author = {Willard, Terri}, title = {{Communicating Sustainable Development on the Web}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2001}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_comm_sd.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }