Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions These reporting metrics are very useful way to measure performance, evaluate your efforts and inform future directions by identifying trends, audience preferences and successful tactics. 4.5. DEVELOPING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY A social media policy is a code of conduct that provides guidelines for NHRI staff who post content online, either as part of their official job requirements or in a private capacity. The aim of the policy is to set expectations for appropriate behaviour online and to ensure that content posted by staff will not expose your NHRI to controversy, criticism or embarrassment. The policy should include guidelines for when an employee is required to identify themselves as a representative of the NHRI on a social networking website, as well as requirements regarding what types of information can be shared. For example, it should include a restriction on disclosing confidential information involving the NHRI. Some social media policies are long and include a number of very specific rules. Others are short and broad. Every NHRI has different needs, issues and concerns so there is no “one size fits all” policy. Nevertheless, there are a number of issues to consider when developing a social media policy for your NHRI. Personnel Identify who will have overall responsibility for the NHRI’s social media presence. This person will be required to answer staff questions on policy, monitor activity and lead social media campaigns. Decide if one person will be in charge of coordinating the content for all social media platforms or if different people will be responsible for managing different social media platforms. Process Identify who will contribute the information that the NHRI will post. Is generating content everyone’s responsibility or are certain staff members responsible for seeking out content? Do new posts and responses to comments need to be approved by a manager? How will this process work in practice? Topics that are off-limits Outline what issues and topics are appropriate for posts and online discussions. These should focus on the work and mandate of the NHRI. Likewise, it is important to set out those topics that are not appropriate for posting. For example, posts or comments that are politically partisan can seriously undermine the NHRI’s reputation for independence. A good social media policy will help guide staff through the ethical issues that can arise when communicating online and help protect the reputation of the NHRI. Privacy and permissions Ensure that NHRI staff respect the privacy of people in their online community. Seek permission from people featured in a photo or video before posting, including parental permission for images that feature children. When posting information about sensitive issues, ensure that no confidential or identifying details are revealed, such as people’s names, location or affiliations. Balancing personal and professional The social media policy may also identify specific areas of work-related information that would be inappropriate for NHRI staff to disclose on their personal social media accounts. When commenting on certain issues and current events, the policy may specify instances where NHRI staff disclose where they work. 66 | Chapter 4: Using social media