Playbook Social Media Governance

Social Media Governance Playbook

Consultant note: This framework draws on Funk, T. (2013) Advanced Social Media Marketing for the governance structure and Social Media Command Centre concept, and on Chaffey, D. (2024) Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice for the operational and measurement layers. Advise the client that this framework should be reviewed by their legal counsel and aligned with their HR policies before rollout.

Use When

• Build or improve a repeatable Social Media Governance workflow for a client or delivery team.
• Turn an approved objective into roles, controls, handoffs and measurable actions.

Do Not Use When

• The task is a single-channel presence plan; use the closest platform-* skill.
• The task is upstream positioning or channel choice; use the closest strategy-* skill.

Required Inputs

Capability and Permission Boundaries

Read supplied artefacts and search relevant evidence. Treat review, audit and planning as read-only. Editing the requested draft is allowed; publishing, messaging, production changes, personal-data processing, spending, destructive actions and certification claims require explicit authority. Use network access only for authorised verification.

Degraded Mode

If accounts, files, network, rendering or current evidence are unavailable, return the narrowest useful qualified Social Media Governance playbook plus an evidence-gap list. Mark each unavailable check not assessed; never convert it into a pass.

Decision Rules

Workflow

1. Confirm the consumer, objective, market, decision owner and permission boundary; stop if the objective or owner is missing.
2. Inspect supplied evidence and verify volatile claims; record missing inputs rather than filling them with assumptions.
3. Apply the decision rules, preserve useful existing material and draft the Social Media Governance playbook.
4. Test each action against platform, privacy, safeguarding, brand and approval constraints; stop and escalate a blocking risk.
5. Run the quality and anti-slop gates. If a check fails, correct the draft and rerun it before handoff.

Outputs

Evidence Produced

Quality Standards

Use British English and the specified market context. Recommendations must be executable with the stated capacity, current claims must be verified or qualified, and acceptance conditions must be observable. A worked example must use a labelled scenario, not fabricated client evidence.

Anti-Patterns

• Inventing a client fact, benchmark, budget or approval. Fix: cite the source or label the assumption and its effect.
• Copying one channel or client pattern unchanged. Fix: tie each choice to the named audience, objective and evidence.
• Stating volatile platform or legal details from memory. Fix: verify the current official source or omit the claim.
• Treating an inaccessible account, file or metric as healthy. Fix: mark it not assessed and bound the conclusion.
• Publishing, spending, messaging or changing production state from planning authority. Fix: obtain explicit action authority.
• Delivering actions without owner, timing or acceptance. Fix: assign all three or return the item as an unresolved gap.

References

• Anti-AI-slop production gate
• East African English standard
• Use the directly cited sources and companion skills in the domain guidance below; verify time-sensitive claims before use.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when one or more of the following conditions apply:

• The client is a medium-to-large organisation with multiple people posting to social channels
• There is no clear ownership of social media internally — anyone can post, no one is accountable
• A past crisis was worsened by unclear decision-making authority or slow escalation
• The client is bringing social media in-house after outsourcing to an agency
• The social media function is growing and requires a formal operating structure
• Leadership wants documented accountability before approving a social media budget increase

Required Input

Collect the following before generating the governance framework:

• Client organisation name and sector (bank, NGO, government body, large SME, etc.)
• Country/city — defaults to Uganda/East Africa if not specified
• Primary goal for formalising governance (e.g. reduce response failures, clarify ownership, prepare for in-house transition)
• Current team size — how many people currently post or manage social media
• Platforms in active use (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Business, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, TikTok, YouTube)
• Current agency or vendor relationships — whether any social functions are outsourced and to whom
• Key internal stakeholders — names and titles of: Social Media Manager (or equivalent), Communications Director, Legal/Compliance contact, HR contact
• Reporting line — who the social media function reports to (Marketing Director, CEO, Communications, etc.)

1. Organisational Structure

Define the social media function's place within the organisation before assigning roles. In the Ugandan and East African context, social media governance must respect existing hierarchies — the framework should make accountability explicit without creating a parallel power structure that bypasses established reporting lines.

Recommended reporting line for most EA organisations:

Social Media Manager → Head of Communications (or Marketing Director) → CEO/Executive Director

Where no Communications Director exists, the Social Media Manager reports directly to the most senior marketing or operations lead. Document this line in writing and include it in job descriptions.

Function definition: Specify which of the following sit within the social media function versus being shared with other departments:

2. RACI Model for Social Media

Apply the RACI framework (Responsible/Accountable/Consulted/Informed) to each social media function. Populate this table with actual names and titles from the client's organisation. Where a role does not yet exist, note it as a gap in the staffing plan.

R = Responsible (does the work) | A = Accountable (owns the outcome) | C = Consulted (input required before action) | I = Informed (notified after action)

Instructions: Adapt column headings to match the client's actual job titles. Every function must have exactly one A (Accountable). If two people are listed as Accountable for the same function, the governance framework is broken — resolve this before finalising the document.

3. Social Media Certification Programme

Funk (2013) identifies staff certification as a foundational governance control: anyone posting on behalf of the organisation must demonstrate competence before they are granted posting rights.

Who Must Be Certified

• Anyone with admin access to an official social media account
• Anyone who publishes posts on behalf of the organisation, including guest authors or subject-matter experts who post periodically
• Agency and vendor staff who have direct account access (not just content delivery)
• IT staff who hold platform credentials

Certification Modules

Assessment Format

• Written test: 20 questions covering modules 1, 3, and 5. Pass mark: 80%.
• Practical exercise: the candidate drafts three posts (one standard, one complaint response, one crisis holding statement) for assessor review.
• Both components must be passed. A failed practical can be retaken once after a two-week remediation period.

Recertification

• Annually, at the start of each financial year
• Immediately after any major policy change or significant platform update
• Immediately after any staff member is involved in a crisis incident

Certificate Template Structure

Issue a one-page internal certificate recording: staff member name, role, date of certification, modules completed, certifying manager's name and signature, and expiry date. Store in the HR file. Attach posting rights to the certificate — no certificate, no account access.

4. Escalation Path Design

Define trigger conditions and response time requirements for each escalation level. In the EA context, escalation paths must be explicit because informal communication norms (relying on someone to "just know" to call the boss) are insufficient during a fast-moving social media incident.

Escalation Levels

Level 1 — Community Manager handles

• Trigger: routine complaint, question, or comment requiring a response
• Response time: within 2 hours during operating hours
• Action: respond using approved templates; log the interaction; no further escalation required

Level 2 — Senior Manager notified

• Trigger: complaint gaining traction (50+ interactions); a sensitive topic (religion, politics, ethnic identity); a post that could be misread as an official position
• Response time: Community Manager alerts Senior Manager within 30 minutes of trigger; Senior Manager responds within 1 hour
• Action: Senior Manager approves the response before it is published; Community Manager does not act unilaterally

Level 3 — Communications Director leads

• Trigger: 200+ interactions on a negative post; any media involvement; any post touching legal risk, safety, or fraud allegation
• Response time: Senior Manager alerts Communications Director within 15 minutes; Communications Director takes ownership within 30 minutes
• Action: all responses paused until Communications Director approves; holding statement issued; content calendar paused

Level 4 — Legal and CEO involved

• Trigger: national media; regulatory or government involvement; criminal allegation; reputational threat at executive level
• Response time: Communications Director alerts Legal and CEO simultaneously; response within 60 minutes
• Action: no public statement without CEO and Legal sign-off; Communications Director coordinates; Social Media Manager executes approved content only

Interface Matrix

Define how the social team connects with adjacent functions during an escalation:

5. Social Media Command Centre (SMCC)

Funk (2013) defines the Social Media Command Centre as a dedicated monitoring and response function — the nerve centre through which all social media activity flows. The SMCC is not necessarily a physical room; it is an operational structure with defined tools, staffing, and schedules.

What the SMCC Does

• Monitors all active platforms and brand mentions in real time during operating hours
• Routes incoming messages and comments to the correct responder
• Tracks response times and flags overdue items
• Alerts the escalation chain when trigger conditions are met
• Archives all interactions for reporting and audit purposes

Staffing by Organisation Size

Technology Stack (EA-appropriate options)

Operating Hours and Out-of-Hours Coverage

Define operating hours in the governance document. For most EA organisations, 8:00am–6:00pm EAT, Monday to Friday, with weekend cover for active campaigns. Out-of-hours coverage plan:

• Enable push notifications on all platforms to the on-call person's mobile
• Define a single on-call contact per week; rotate weekly
• Set platform auto-responses for DMs during out-of-hours periods
• All out-of-hours Level 2+ incidents are escalated immediately, regardless of time — no waiting until morning

6. Agency and Vendor Management Framework

When a social media agency or freelance vendor is engaged, the client retains governance ownership. The agency executes within the client's defined framework — it does not set the governance rules.

Client vs. Agency Responsibilities

SLA Template Structure

Include the following in any agency contract or scope of work:

• Deliverables: list every output by name (e.g. 12 feed posts per month, 4 Stories, 1 monthly report)
• Turnaround times: content submitted for approval X working days before scheduled publication (recommend 3–5 days)
• Approval rounds: maximum 2 rounds of revisions per piece before additional fees apply
• Response time for client queries: agency responds within 24 hours on weekdays
• Performance review: monthly scorecard against agreed KPIs; quarterly strategic review
• Access and credentials: agency holds secondary admin access only; client holds master credentials at all times
• Termination notice: 30 days written notice required from either party

Monthly Governance Meeting Structure

Hold a monthly governance meeting (45–60 minutes) covering:

1. Performance against KPIs from the previous month (10 minutes)
2. Content review: what performed well, what did not (10 minutes)
3. Upcoming campaigns and content plan approval (15 minutes)
4. Issues, escalations, or policy clarifications (10 minutes)
5. Actions and owners for the coming month (5 minutes)

Circulate a written summary within 48 hours. Agency provides the draft; client approves it.

Evaluating Agency Performance

Review the agency against the following criteria quarterly:

• Delivery rate: percentage of agreed deliverables delivered on time
• Quality score: client rating (1–5) of content quality across the quarter
• Response compliance: percentage of community management responses within SLA time
• Reporting accuracy: are analytics reports accurate, complete, and submitted on time?
• Strategic value: has the agency proactively identified opportunities or flagged risks beyond the basic brief?

7. After-Action Review (AAR) Framework

Conduct an AAR after every major campaign and after every crisis. The AAR is the organisation's primary mechanism for institutional learning — without it, the same governance failures repeat.

When to Conduct an AAR

• Within 5 working days of any Level 2 or Level 3 crisis being resolved
• Within 10 working days of the end of any major campaign
• When a significant change in platform performance is observed and cannot be explained by known factors

Standard AAR Format

Answer these four questions in writing for every AAR:

1. What was planned? — Summarise the campaign goal, content plan, or crisis response protocol as it existed before the event.
2. What happened? — Describe what actually occurred: performance data, timeline of events, audience response.
3. Why was there a gap? — Identify the root cause of any difference between plan and reality. Be specific: was it a resourcing gap, a process failure, an approval bottleneck, an external factor?
4. What do we do differently? — Produce a minimum of three concrete actions with named owners and deadlines.

Who Attends

• Social Media Manager (always)
• Communications Director (always)
• Content creator(s) involved in the campaign or incident
• Agency lead (if agency was involved)
• Legal/Compliance (for crisis AARs only)

Documentation and Feedback Loop

• Document the AAR in a standard one-page template. File it in the governance folder.
• Actions from the AAR are tracked in the monthly governance meeting until closed.
• If the AAR identifies a gap in the governance framework, policy, or certification programme, update those documents within 30 days and log the version change.

8. Social Media Business Plan Template Structure

The Social Media Business Plan is the internal document used to secure leadership buy-in and ongoing budget for the social media function. It is not a public document. Produce a new version annually. Adapt the structure from Funk (2013) to the client's organisational context.

Executive Summary: One page. States the social media function's purpose, the primary platforms, the team structure, and the headline KPIs for the coming year. Written last; placed first.

Positioning Statement: A single paragraph defining how the organisation's social media presence will be perceived relative to peers and competitors. Answers: what do we want audiences to think of us online, and how does that differ from what competitors project?

Mission: One sentence. States the purpose of the social media function in terms of organisational value — not platform activity. Example: "To build public trust in [Organisation] through consistent, accurate, and responsive digital communication across all active channels."

Market Analysis: An overview of the social media landscape in the relevant sector and geography. Covers platform penetration data for Uganda/EA (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn), target audience digital behaviours, and key trends affecting the industry.

Competitive Analysis: A review of how 3–5 peer organisations or direct competitors use social media. Note their posting frequency, content types, engagement rates (where visible), and any observable strengths or weaknesses.

SMART Goals: A minimum of four goals for the year, each meeting the SMART standard (Bodnar and Cohen, 2012): Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Each goal must include a baseline metric, a target, and a measurement method.

Platform Roles: A table defining each active platform's role in the RACE framework (Chaffey, 2024) — which platforms serve Reach, which serve Act, which serve Convert, and which serve Engage. This prevents duplication and clarifies investment priorities.

Staffing Plan: Current headcount, any proposed new roles, role definitions, and the reporting structure. Includes the certification status of each team member and any training investment required.

Operations Plan: How the social media function runs day to day — content calendar cadence, approval workflow, community management rota, SMCC coverage, agency coordination, and reporting schedule.

Budget: Itemised annual budget covering: staffing costs, tools and technology, content production (design, photography, video), paid amplification, training and certification, and agency/vendor fees. Include a narrative justifying each line item in terms of expected return.

Quality Criteria

Output meets production standard when it satisfies all of the following:

• The RACI table is fully populated with the client's actual job titles; every function has exactly one Accountable owner; no function is left without a Responsible party
• The escalation path includes specific, quantified trigger conditions at each level — not vague descriptors such as "significant" or "serious" without thresholds
• The certification programme specifies which roles must be certified, the pass mark for assessments, and the recertification schedule — not just a list of topics
• The SMCC section recommends a technology stack appropriate to the client's size and budget, including at least one free or low-cost option for each function
• The agency/vendor management section clearly delineates what the client retains versus what the agency manages, with no ambiguity in the platform credentials and approval authority rows
• The AAR framework produces a concrete output — a one-page document with named owners and deadlines — not a reflective discussion
• The Social Media Business Plan template includes all ten sections with a substantive explanation of each, making it usable as a drafting guide without further instruction
• All content uses British English throughout; no American spellings appear anywhere in the deliverable