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Part 11. Communications and Liaison

Chapter 55. Wage and Investment

Section 1. Internet Content Publishing Process (ICPP) Management Document (Cont. 2)

11.55.1  Internet Content Publishing Process (ICPP) Management Document (Cont. 2)

11.55.1.28 
Reports

11.55.1.28.1 
Expired Content Report

11.55.1.28.1.1  (06-01-2006)
Expired Content Report Procedures

  1. As part of their roles and responsibilities, Functional ICPP Coordinators are responsible for their monthly Expired Content Reports; the role of the Functional ICPP Coordinators, Content Area Administrator, and Division ICPP Coordinator is discussed in the following paragraphs.

  2. The W&I Content Area Administrator:

    1. Reviews the report for accuracy of information pertaining only to W&I

    2. Partners with the Division ICPP Coordinator ensuring the information is timely and no actions are previously taken

    3. Prepares a report spreadsheet to distribute to the Functional ICPP Coordinators and their managers

    4. Consolidates all responses on the master report and maintains for historical and reporting purposes

    5. Coordinates, for future reports, with ETA to obtain the report within 60 days prior to the expiration date; this allows time to take corrective actions

  3. W&I-owned content is highlighted and the report is sent (including all other content) to functional ICPP Coordinators to review for ownership. Responses are due within thirty (30) calendar days from the report issue date.

  4. The Functional ICPP Coordinators:

    1. Coordinates with Page Stewards within their areas reviewing applicable content and acts accordingly (delete, revise expiration date, etc.)

    2. Coordinates with the Page Steward who informs the Functional ICPP Coordinators of necessary action using the W&I CPR

    3. Ensures approval (at the director level) of actions taken for affected content (additions or deletions)

    4. Submits the CPR electronically to the content area for necessary action in the CMA tool

    5. Consolidates responses from within their areas and forwards a consolidated response to the W&I ICPP Coordinator

    6. Documents actions taken in the "comment" column of the spreadsheet

  5. The revised report, including actions and comments, is returned to the W&I Content Area Administrator, is retained for historical record and to reconcile CPRs received to delete, add, extend the expiration date, or update the content.

11.55.1.28.2  (06-01-2006)
IRS.gov Site Usage Report

  1. The IRS.gov Site Usage Report is issued weekly; a cumulative monthly report is also generated. The reports lists top pages visited, visits by areas, referring sites, entry pages, and top search terms.

  2. This information is for internal use only and CAN NOT be released to the public without prior discussion and approval by the ETA, Public Portal Office.

11.55.1.28.2.1  (06-01-2006)
Weekly Site Usage Report

  1. Weekly reports focus on aggregate site usage statistics (i.e. traffic to the site as a whole, not to a particular page) for the specified week (Sunday through Saturday). In addition to weekly usage, reports contain limited historical statistics.

  2. The report includes the following information:

    • Weekly Dashboard statistics

    • Usage Comparison to Same Period Last Year (SPLY)

    • Usage Summary (Yearly, Monthly, Weekly and Averages)

    • Usage Detail (Daily)

11.55.1.28.2.1.1  (06-01-2006)
Weekly Site Usage Report Glossary of Terms

  1. Definitions of "terms" used in the Weekly Reports include:

    • VISIT - A series of actions that begins when a visitor views their first page from the server, and ends when the visitor leaves the site (or remains idle beyond the 30 minute idle-time limit). Note any given web page may be accessed (i.e., viewed) multiple times during a single visit to IRS.gov. This causes the number of page views for any given web page to be significantly higher than the number of visits recorded for the same page.

      Example:

      A visitor enters IRS.gov by initially landing on the IRS.gov home page; the visitor immediately goes to the e-file landing page on IRS.gov. After viewing the e-file landing page for 5 minutes, the visitor returns to the IRS.gov home page and then decides to close the web browser; In this scenario, the visitor generates two page views on the IRS.gov home page because they accessed the IRS home page a total of two times; however, the IRS.gov home page records one "visit" by WebTrends. Although the IRS.gov home page was viewed twice by the same visitor, all the visitor’s actions occurred during a single visit to the site.

    • Page Views - This web metric is also known as a "page impression" ; it is a measurement of the number of times a web page is viewed from a web server and is a better metric thank "hits" for measuring web traffic. Unlike hits, when a given web page is accessed by a visitor to IRS.gov, it is counted as one page view. Effective October 1, 2004, all page view statistics are based on SDC data collection methodology using an embedded client-side JavaScript. With SDC, this enables us to provide accurate page view counts including those visitors accessing the site via firewalls and proxies; it allows us to measure page views even if an Internet Service Provider (such as AOL) caches any IRS.gov web pages

    • Hits - The retrieval of any item, like a web page or graphic, from a web server.

      Example:

      A user navigating to a web page with four images is equivalent to five hits -- one hit for the web page and four for the images; for this reason, hits are not a good indicator of web traffic.

      Note:

      Effective FY 2005, hits are no longer used by IRS as a strategic web measure; the new IRS strategic web measures are page views, visits and downloads.

    • Page - Any document, dynamic page, or form. A page is classified as such if the extension is one of the following values: <no extension>, .action, .asa, .asp, .cdx, .cer, .cfm, .cgi, .dbm, .dhtml, .do, .hdml, .htm, .html, .htmls, .htp, .htpl, .htr, .htw, .ida, .idc, .idq, .ihtml, .jhtml, .jsp, .mdl, .php, .php3, .py, .sgml, .sht, .shtm, .shtml, .sql, .stm, .txt, .wml, or .xml

11.55.1.28.2.2  (06-01-2006)
Monthly Site Usage Report

  1. Monthly reports contain detailed aggregate and page-level usage statistics for the specified month; in addition to monthly usage, reports contain historical web statistics. This report includes the following information:

    • Monthly Dashboard statistics

    • Usage Comparison to Same Period Last Year (SPLY)

    • Usage Summary (Yearly, Monthly, Weekly and Averages)

    • Usage Detail (Daily)

    • Top Pages

    • Top Entry Pages

    • Top Single Access Pages

    • External Referring Sites

    • Tracked URLs

    • Top Site Search Terms

    • Top Site Search Terms (No Search Results Found)

    • Parameter Analysis

11.55.1.28.2.2.1  (06-01-2006)
Monthly Site Usage Report Glossary of Terms

  1. In addition to the Glossary of Terms for the Weekly Site Usage Report, the following additional "terms" apply to the monthly report and include:

    • Top Entry Page - The first IRS.gov web page accessed by a new visitor to the web site; a new visitor is one who has not actively navigated the IRS.gov web site in the previous 30 minutes

    • Top Single Access Page - A page on IRS.gov visitors open, and exit from, without viewing another page

      Example:

      A user might have a single IRS.gov page, such as the individuals landing page, "bookmarked" in their browser; if the user accessed the page via the bookmark, then close the browser (or navigate directly to a non-IRS.gov page), this results in a Single Access Page in the usage analysis.

    • External Referring Site - The host name of a page on an external site where the user clicked a link to enter the IRS.gov web site; instances with no referral are if a user entered the web site address directly, if they used a bookmark, or clicked on a direct link from an e-mail message

    • Tracked URLs - URLs of either specific pages (for example, http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html) or specific directories (for example, all URLs beginning with "(http://www.irs.gov/individuals/)" the operating divisions request be monitored; upon request to PPB, new URLs or directories can be added for monitoring from the request date onward

    • Top Site Search Terms - The Top Site Search statistics track the most popular entries visitors typed into the IRS.gov search box at the top right corner of a page on IRS.gov; the top site search is broad in scope, covering all HTML content and all IRS Forms, Publications and Instructions

    • Top Site Search Terms (No Search Results Found) - The No Search Results Found statistics track the most popular unsuccessful search terms when returning search results; for search terms listed in this report, the "No results were found for your search" page was displayed to the end user

    • Parameter Analysis - A limited number of online applications within IRS.gov are customized to seamlessly pass embedded "parameter" information directly to WebTrends reporting servers; different parameters are generated depending on user interaction with the web application

      Example:

      Parameters can be the answers to specific questions on an online application such as the EITC Assistant

      By utilizing these parameters, detailed web analytics can be provided on how web visitors are actually using an online application

      Caution:

      Parameter analysis enables precise measuring for EITC user traffic associated with users failing the 2005 EITC Eligibility sub-application because they did not have a valid SSN

      The page views and visits within the parameter analysis reports correspond to the number of times a given parameter was generated

11.55.1.28.2.3  (06-01-2006)
Usage Analysis Methods

  1. Usage Analysis Methods to capture data for these reports is described below:

    1. Traditional Web Server Log Analysis - Web servers are typically configured to record file requests in a log; traditional web server log analysis refers to the analysis of data contained in the web server logs themselves

    2. SmartSource Data Collector (SDC) - SDC is a mechanism provided by WebTrends 7.5 On-Demand utilizing client-side JavaScript to report and record all views of HTML content including those served from caching servers; SDC is also used to collect additional data from the web browser such as screen resolution, used to better design the site matching the predominant end-user technologies and configurations. SDC does not allow measurement of hits and does not track users across multiple visits; this requires issuance of permanent cookies, not used on IRS.gov

      Note:

      All data in reports beginning 10/1/2004 are based on SDC; all data reported before 10/1/2004 were derived from traditional web server log analysis.

11.55.1.28.3  (05-01-2007)
Broken Link/Link Integrity Report

  1. This report distribution is to Content Area Administrators and other similar designates. XML Bulk Content owners and "Careers" site managers are also included in distribution. This report is generated internally by ETA:PPB, run against the production site, and no CMA elements are available.

  2. "Broken" means the intended destination of a link is not available. As a disservice to visitors, it is necessary to take appropriate action ensuring a site link a visitor follows actually takes them to a valid destination and not an error page.

  3. This report contains the five columns:

    • From - The web page containing a link, when followed, is broken; if a CMA page, then this is the page requiring correction and re-launching. The full URL of the page is provided; if the page is managed by the CMA, determine the content type (Article, Assembly, etc.) and content ID in most cases

    • Title - The HTML page title of the "From" page; in the CMA, this is the CMA "Title" field

    • Links To - The "broken" URL, is contained somewhere within the page identified in the "From" column.

    • Text - The text displayed in the web page for which the link in the "Links To" column is applied.

    • Error - The error message returned from the destination web server; because an error was returned from the destination web server, the link is considered broken. This information is provided as sometimes the destination may exist, but the web server may be unavailable for various reasons

  4. IRM 2.25.101 includes additional information on this report.

11.55.1.28.3.1  (05-01-2007)
Explanation of Errors

  1. The most common errors identified in the report include:

    • Err 404 Not Found

    • Err 500 Internal Server Error

    • Err 403 Forbidden

  2. Err 404 Not Found- The destination page no longer exists on the destination web server meaning:

    1. The page has been moved or deleted

    2. This is a truly broken link requiring removed or correction on IRS.gov

  3. Err 500 Internal Server Error - This is a destination web server error.

    1. The destination page may still exist; the link may not be broken, but there is clearly a problem

    2. There may be maintenance occurring on the destination server and once completed, the link will work; consider investigating further and/or contacting those managing the destination web site to identify the problem.

    3. Corrective action may or may not be necessary on IRS.gov

  4. Err 403 Forbidden - The visitor does not have permission to access the applicable content on the destination web server.

    1. There are many reasons why this occurs; the destination may no longer exist

    2. The destination may require login or other authentication for access

    3. There may be a configuration error on the destination web server

    4. This may require some research and/or contact with those managing the destination web site to identify the problem

    5. Corrective action may or may not be necessary on IRS.gov

11.55.1.28.4  (04-01-2005)
Orphaned Content Report

  1. The Orphaned Content Reports are received via e-mail from ETA and distributed to Operating Division Content Area Administrators and, when appropriate, the Division ICPPC. The Performance Improvement staff coordinates with ETA ensuring the Division ICPPC is included in the distribution of the report.

11.55.1.28.4.1  (04-01-2005)
Orphaned Content Report Procedures

  1. Functional ICPP Coordinators are responsible for their organizations' Orphaned Content Reports when made available from PPB. The W&I Content Area Administrator (CAA) will:

    1. Review the report for accuracy of information pertaining only to W&I

    2. Partner with Functional ICPP Coordinators ensuring information is timely and accurate with no previous action taken

  2. The Functional ICPP Coordinator will:

    1. Review the report

    2. Identify report content owned by their organization

    3. Make necessary adjustments; in most cases, deleting the orphaned content

    4. Send the CAA a report indicating actions taken on each report

    5. Coordinate with Page Stewards in their area to review content and take appropriate action (delete, hyperlink, etc.)

    6. Coordinate with the Page Steward to inform the Functional ICPP Coordinator of necessary action using the W&I CPR

    7. Ensure approval at the director level for actions taken with affected content

    8. Submit the CPR electronically to the content area for necessary action with the CMA tool

    9. Consolidate responses in their area and forward the response to the W&I CAA

11.55.1.29  (04-01-2005)
Publishing Overview

  1. Page Stewards are required to provide certain documents and instructions to the Functional ICPP who, in turn, sends the information to the Creator/Editor and, finally, to the Content Area Administrator for publishing/launching.

  2. The Functional ICPP Coordinator is responsible for ensuring information provided in the content change request:

    1. Is accurate

    2. Is vetted via the clearance and approval process

    3. Changes identified are made and updated to the Web

      Note:

      If a change is not made, provide an explanation.

  3. The Functional ICPP Coordinator files the content change request on the shared drive. Based on the content type review, time frames vary from one hour to one day. The "content page package" in electronic format consists of:

    • Form 12956, Staff Summary Sheet, with required signature

    • Completed W&I IRS.gov CPR

    • Content material in Word format (attachments in other format e.g., PDF)

11.55.1.29.1  (04-01-2005)
Tracking Material Through the Publishing Process

  1. Once a package is submitted to the Creator/Editor, the launch date can be tracked. Page Stewards are required to provide certain documents and instructions to the Functional ICPP Coordinator, who sends the information to the Creator/Publisher and, when necessary, forwards to the Content Area Administrator for Publishing/Launching. This information is typically via e-mail with a copy of the CPR.

11.55.1.30  (04-01-2005)
Linking To and From Other Sites

  1. This section addresses handling of requests linking to and from other sites. The IRS is a public entity and, as such, has no policy denying a request to establish a link to IRS.gov.

  2. There is no objection to anyone linking to IRS.gov provided the descriptive words of the site are accurate, not misleading, and do not misrepresent an unofficial relationship between the linking site and IRS.

  3. No permission is needed from the Performance Improvement staff for linking to IRS.gov provided guidelines above are followed; if linking directly to specific forms or publications, link to IRS.gov to ensure access to the current product. The naming convention remains static for the "current" product; prior year products back to 1992 are also available.

  4. The IRS.gov disclaimer is used for all links outside of IRS.gov. The following is details the IRS.gov disclaimer; this indicates you are exiting IRS.gov and entering a non-IRS site. Check for the most current version of this text below:

    DISCLAIMER: Please note that by clicking on this link, you will leave the IRS Web site and enter a privately owned Web site created, operated and maintained by a private business. The information that this private business collects and maintains as a result of your visit to its Web site may differ from the information that the IRS collects and maintains (please see the IRS Web site privacy and security notice for privacy protections IRS provides to the Web site visitors). By linking to this private business, the IRS is not endorsing its products, services, privacy or security policies. It is recommended that you review the business's information collection policy or terms and conditions to fully understand what information is collected by this private business.

    See IRM 2.25.101.3.6, Links to External Web Sites, for additional information.

11.55.1.31  (04-01-2005)
IRS.gov Help Desk

  1. IRS.gov Web site users can submit inquiries about the Web site via e-mail, telephone or Web "chat" to the IRS.gov Help Desk. Inquiries can be questions, problems or comments regarding Web content and IRS programs.

  2. The IRS.gov Help Desk (Help Desk) answers a majority of inquiries received from the public within 24 hours of submission. When an inquiry is submitted to the Help Desk, it is checked against a repository of known issues, i.e., "canned" responses and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

  3. Canned responses are for recurring issues and created by the Subject Matter Expert (SME) or the Public Portal Branch (PPB). IRM 2.25.102.4.8 contains additional information regarding canned responses.

  4. Inquiries the Help Desk cannot address are escalated to IRS.gov Points of Contact (POC); if the inquiry falls within W&I's purview, it is sent to the W&I POC listed in the Help Desk Escalation Matrix.

    Note:

    Such escalated inquiries are not tax related inquires requiring interpretation of tax law and procedures. Tax-related inquiries requiring interpretation of tax law, procedures, and specific account information are referred to the 1-800-829-1040 for individual questions and 1-800-829-4933 for business questions.

  5. IRM 2.25.102.2, Contacts to the IRS.gov Help Desk, includes additional information regarding contacts. SMEs or page stewards are asked to respond to Help Desk e-mails; throughout W&I, at times the POC is also the SME. The W&I POC are listed at the following Web site: http://win.web.irs.gov/icp/wi_icp.htm.

11.55.1.31.1  (04-01-2005)
W&I Point of Contact (POC) Procedures

  1. The W&I POC (Content Area Administrator) determines who in W&I is the most appropriate party to answer a question and designates a response time frame. The Help Desk determines the priority and designates a response time frame; the response time frames are outlined as follows:

    • Normal Priority - 5 days

      Example:

      These inquiries include questions about fill-in forms, contacting people (including IRS employees requesting information about other IRS employees and programs), and programs.

    • High Priority - 3 days

      Example:

      These inquiries include multiple attempts to contact IRS from Web users, time sensitive issues, application issues, Web content issues (broken links, missing links, misdirected links, and inaccurate information), and spelling errors.

  2. The W&I POC forwards the e-mail to the SME and sends a copy to the Help Desk at IRSEscalations@Affina.com and to the W&I organizational mailbox at WI.Web.Content@irs.gov.

  3. The designated SME answers the inquiry and send an e-mail back to Help Desk personnel with a copy to the W&I POC and the W&I organizational mailbox located at "*W&I Web Content" . Te W&I POC keeps a copy of the e-mail in a personal folder. f a response cannot be sent within established time frames:

    1. The W&I POC requests the Help Desk send an interim response to the originator indicating additional time is needed for a response; the time frame for responding to the inquiry will be reset.

      Note:

      This ensures prompt customer service and allows W&I additional time to prepare a response.

    2. The W&I POC copies the reply to the W&I organizational mailbox located at "*W&I Web Content" .

11.55.1.31.1.1  (04-01-2005)
The IRS.gov Help Desk E-mail

  1. W&I receives an e-mail from the Help Desk consisting of an inquiry from an IRS.gov user. See Figure 11.55.1-10. for an email example.

    Figure 11.55.1-10

    From: IRS Escalations [mailto:IRSEscalations@AFFINA.com]
    Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 10:01 AM
    To: Doe John
    Subject: AF102204-XX
     
    Dear IRS Point of Contact,
    The IRS.gov Help Desk received the following question from an IRS.gov web site user with regards to a possible missing link to information. This is a Normal Priority issue.
     
    Original message is located at the bottom of this message.
     
    Please follow the steps below:
     
    1. Prepare a response.
    2. Obtain executive approval, if necessary.
    3. e-mail the response to IRSEscalations@Affina.com within 3 or 5 days (High Priority = 3 days or Normal Priority = 5 days).
     
    Thank you for your assistance in resolving this matter.
     
    Sincerely,
    IRS.gov Help Desk
     
    Not the right Point of Contact (POC)? If this is not within your jurisdiction, please send the e-mail back to IRSEscalations@Affina.com and CC: irs.gov.comments@irs.gov. Please indicate that the e-mail was misdirected and the issue is not in your jurisdiction. The e-mail will be resent to the correct POC and the IRS.gov Help Desk Escalation Matrix will be updated to reflect the correct POC.
       
    What happens to my response? Affina will contact the originator of the inquiry and provide your response via e-mail or phone.
       
    What is my response time frame? For all Normal Priority issues, the response time is 5 days from escalation to response. For all High Priority issues, the response time is 3 days from escalation to response.
       
    --Original Message--
    email=john.taxpayer@irs.gov
     
    Begin Comment Text --------------------
    re: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=98XXX,00.html
     
    Where are the "two separate lists" ? There is only one link provided.
     
    End Comment Text ---------------------

    Example of IRS.gov Help Desk E-mail

    The originating Web site user message is included at the bottom of the e-mail.

11.55.1.31.1.1.1  (04-01-2005)
Answering the IRS.gov Help Desk e-mail

  1. Take the following steps for IRS.gov Help Desk e-mail responses:

    1. Prepare a response to the inquiry

    2. Obtain local management approval

    3. See IRM 11.55.1.31.1.1. for additional information

    4. Send a carbon copy to the W&I organizational mailbox located at "*W&I Web Content"

  2. If Not the right Point of Contact?:

    1. Return the e-mail to the Help Desk and copy PPB at: irs.gov.comments@irs.gov and to the W&I organizational mailbox at WI.Web.Content@irs.gov.

    2. Indicate the e-mail was misdirected and the issue is not within the intended area of program oversight

    3. PPB reviews the inquiry determining the correct receiving area for the inquiry and why the Help Desk misdirected the issue

    4. PPB re-sends the e-mail to the correct POC; the Escalation Matrix is updated to reflect correct information

  3. If a W&I POC receives an inquiry and the POC/SME makes a business decision that a response is not warranted, the W&I POC returns the e-mail to the Help Desk and explain why a response is not warranted; the inquiry is closed by the Help Desk.

11.55.1.31.2  (04-01-2005)
Reminder and Deferral Notices

  1. A Reminder Notice is sent to the IRS.gov POC when an inquiry is escalated to the IRS.gov POC as "High Priority" or "Normal Priority" and a response is not received within the specified time frame. The Reminder Notice indicates a response was not received and explains the steps the IRS.gov POC should take to advise the Help Desk of the escalation status.

  2. After the Help Desk sends the original escalated inquiry and one Reminder Notice, a Deferral Notice is sent to the IRS.gov POC. The Deferral Notice explains the escalation will be deferred to PPB’s organization mailbox at irs.gov.comments@irs.gov if a response is not received by close of business.

    1. The escalation is placed in a "Suspended/Forwarded to PPB" status at the close of business

    2. PPB follows up on these inquiries

    For additional information on Reminder and Deferral Notices, see IRM 2.25.102.4.10 and IRM 2.25.102.4.11.

11.55.1.31.3  (04-01-2005)
Monitoring Help Desk Responses by Electronic Tax Administration (ETA)

  1. The Electronic Tax Administration (ETA) staff distributes two Escalation Reports to the Content Area Administrators to monitor responses to IRS.gov Help Desk e-mails:

    • (IRS.gov Unresolved Escalation Report

    • IRS.gov Escalation Cumulative Report)

  2. The "IRS.gov Escalation Cumulative Report" is a cumulative report capturing escalations sent during the calendar year; escalations in this section include:

    • Escalations closed during the calendar year

    • Escalations suspended and forwarded to the Public Portal Branch

    • Escalations requiring a response

    • Escalations forwarded as a "For Your Information (FYI) Only"

      Note:

      FYI escalations require no response.

  3. The "IRS.gov Unresolved Escalation" captures individual activities on escalated e-mails requiring POC assistance or follow up; if an escalated e-mail is redirected or forwarded to several individuals, the audit trail is reflected in this report. The report reflects if escalations are late and when the next reminder will be sent to the POC, or when the escalation will be referred to ETA; escalations in this section include:

    • Open escalations requiring response from the IRS.gov POC.

    • Escalations referred to ETA

      Note:

      When an escalation is referred to ETA, ETA contacts the POC to determine the status; if ETA is not successful, they contact the Content Area Administrator and/or management.

    • Escalations closed and a response sent to a customer during the current week

  4. For additional information, see IRM 2.25.102.5.1, Escalation Reports.

11.55.1.31.4  (04-01-2005)
W&I Monitoring and Corrective Action

  1. The Performance Improvement staff monitors a portion of the report generated by ETA on a weekly basis.

    Example:

    Unresolved Escalation Report for 2004

    An analysis on the unresolved items occurs by utilizing response e-mails in the "*W&I Web Content" organizational global mailbox. If a response is sent to the W&I organizational global mailbox and not captured on the report:

    1. The response is forwarded to the ETA and POC

    2. The report is updated to reflect any corrective action

      Note:

      This enables PI staff to monitor responses and instances where responses are made to document such occurrences to ETA and illustrates functionality of the W&I organizational mailbox

  2. For all remaining items, the report is forwarded to the POC listed with a request to take necessary action (answer the e-mail, provide an update, etc.).

11.55.1.32  (06-01-2006)
XML Bulk Content Process

  1. This subsection provides information on the XML bulk content process. The bulk content process affects CARE and CAS functions. Document types for this process are:

    • Tax Topics

    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    • Internal Revenue Bulletins

    • Tax Form Instructions and Publications (Tax Products)

    • Internal Revenue Manuals

    Note:

    Written Determination Documents are included in the Bulk Process, but are owned by Chief Counsel.

  2. The XML Bulk content process is the same for all document types in W&I. All XML Bulk content is posted by CAS and CARE (Media & Publications) as a service to all BOD customers Servicewide.

    Exception:

    Chief Counsel materials

  3. All bulk content is managed outside of the CMA; there is no CMA interface for the bulk content. To update content in the bulk process, a new XML file is submitted. For more information on linking to and using bulk content, see Content Management Guidelines, Section 4.1.4 at http://win.web.irs.gov/icp/wi_icp.htm

11.55.1.32.1  (04-01-2005)
Customer Accounts Service (CAS) Content Managed Outside the CMA Tool

  1. To ensure Content posted outside the CMA tool is accurate, CAS implemented the following additional procedures for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Tax Topics:

    • 100% final review of content before upload to IRS.gov

    • "Save/back-up" of content on share drive

    • Written procedures for the multiple review process

    • Identified "back-up" for program maintenance/continuity

    • Established specific review procedure provided to Subject Matter Experts for Quality Assurance staging platform review

    • Require additional review for linkage problems

    • XML software tracking/reporting process of content reviews

11.55.1.32.2  (04-01-2005)
W&I Internal Process for Handling XML Bulk Content

  1. The XML Bulk Content process is the same for all document types. The W&I internal process is handled by the Document Type Owners; a listing of W&I Document Type Owners is available at http://win.web.irs.gov/icp/wi_icp.htm.

  2. Document Type Owners transfer bulk content XML files and images from the internal IRS network to the CMA Release 1.0 (Version 6) Production environment via File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

  3. Once XML files and image data are received, it is converted to HTML format.

    1. If XML conversion of files is successful, an automatic e-mail is sent to the Document Type Owner requesting they perform Quality Assurance (QA) review on converted content.

    2. Document Type Owners verify quality of transformed files to ensure content converted properly (i.e., maintains proper formatting)

    3. If an error occurs during XML conversion, an automatic e-mail is sent to the Document Type Owner identifying the error and the XML file generating the error

    4. Once XML bulk content QA is complete, the Document Type Owner sends an e-mail reply to the Accenture Operations & Maintenance (O&M) team indicating the content successfully passed QA

  4. XML Bulk Content is "pushed" to Production once a day, Monday through Friday, at 4:00 p.m. EST; the schedule enables content updates and availability on the live IRS.gov Web site by close of business daily; therefore, content is searchable by the next business day.

11.55.1.33  (06-01-2006)
Posting Public Disclosure of Instructions to Staff Documents

  1. The Electronic Freedom of Information Act (E-FOIA) initiative, pursuant 5 U.S.C. § 552, identifies and controls interim instructions to staff issued on or after June 1, 2005. Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) authors and other staff, in coordination with ICPP and Internal Management Documents (IMD) organizational points of contact, prepare interim instructions to staff for posting to the E-FOIA Web page on IRS.gov.

11.55.1.33.1  (06-01-2006)
Interim Guidance (IG) Instructions to Staff

  1. IG memoranda are the first form of instructions to staff to post to the E-FOIA Web site on IRS.gov with subsequent posting of W&I Division Delegation Orders (DO). Other types of IMDs may be posted in the future. Access the E-FOIA Web page, including these and other instructions to staff, at http://www.irs.gov/foia/content/0,,id=132732,00.html

  2. Additional IMD/IG and Division DO information includes:

    1. IG and Division DO are defined as instructions to staff providing national program guidance for quick dissemination to affected employees

    2. See IRM 1.11.1.9, Public Disclosure of Instructions to Staff, for additional information on the E-FOIA posting process

    3. Additional documentation is available on the ReferenceNet Web site at http://rnet.web.irs.gov/index.htm

  3. Employees responsible for posting IG memoranda and/or Division Delegation Orders should contact their organizational IRM/IMD coordinator for assistance after affected documents are complete pursuant IMD issuance and clearance guidelines. Additional procedural information include