March 2003

This 18-page guide seeks to define benchmarks in the context of building extranets and online communities. The purpose of this publication is to help foundations and nonprofits as they work to incorporate the use of extranets and online communities into their operations. This guide emphasises "partnership between the parties that are requesting, designing and building the technology and “humanware” solutions that will drive the online community." According to Jillaine Smith, this makes many of these benchmarks "very focused on process."

Jillaine Smith first defines a benchmark as providing "the groundwork for creating a continuous improvement process that organizations may use to move towards 'best practices' in accomplishing their missions and advancing organizational objectives."
As Smith describes, the benchmarking process generally takes place in three phases:

The Guide recommends asking a number of questions when when building an extranet: how does this "advance or support your organization’s overall goals and objectives?" how does this "intersect with the needs and interests of your intended audience" and what are you trying to accomplish with it?

The author emphasises that the "development of an extranet is not a process that can simply be handed over to a Web design firm.
It is by nature an ongoing, collaborative process involving a partnership between the organization wanting to have the extranet built (the client) and the (usually) third party that is designing and building the architecture that will house the extranet (the vendor). And ultimately, "any extranet or online initiative is created for the purpose of serving your intended audience while at the same time advancing your own goals and objectives. The bulk of the extranet must serve the needs of its intended audience or it will not fly. It simply won’t."

According to Smith, many organisations fail to budget sufficient staff time and resources to promote and maintain their online community. She suggests that "Overlooking the key role of the human facilitator is perhaps the greatest reason that online communities fail to meet the expectations of their creators."