Home > Vendor Requirements and Maintenance Guidelines 

Vendor Requirements and Maintenance Guidelines 

Overview

Current GSD faculty, staff, and student groups must request permission to create a GSD-branded subsite. If this request is approved, site owners are encouraged to use the GSD Site Builder platform to create their site. 

GSD Site Builder was developed so qualifying community members could create a GSD subsite with minimal assistance from developers. The platform is built using a WordPress multi-site framework and the Gutenberg editor. It offers a range of unique blocks to present content; however, as with all site builders, there are limitations to the platform and some sites may need to be customized for specific design or functionality requirements.  

In most cases, customization will require a third-party vendor. Vendors that are contracted to work on a subsite in the GSD Site Builder platform will be expected to work within the guidelines set forth in this document. 

Site Set Up & Hosting 

  1. The vendor will provide the GSD web staff and site owners with a project plan, a timeline and an overview of the updates that will be made to the site. This must include any plans to purchase or develop custom plugins and/or themes. These documents will be reviewed by the GSD web staff for security and accessibility considerations.  
  2. Initial development work and content entry is expected to be completed within 12 months of receiving the new subsite from the GSD. For complex customization, the GSD may allow for an extended timeline, so site owners and vendors should speak to web staff about an extension as soon as possible. Sites that are not launched within 12 months may be removed from the platform unless the GSD web staff have agreed to an extension.
  3. All plugins and/or themes installed on a GSD server must go through an evaluation process by the GSD web staff to ensure the security, good reputation of the 3rd party developer, and long-term support of such code. The evaluation must be done before plugins or themes are installed. In the case of redundant functionality, the GSD web staff may recommend your project use a plugin that has already been approved. 
  4. The GSD web staff will spin up a new subsite within the GSD Site Builder platform, and will provide the vendor with access to it. The site will be password protected behind Harvard Key until it is ready to go live. 
  5. The GSD web staff will purchase and maintain the domain for the subsite.  
  6. The GSD web staff will set up a Google Analytics account for the subsite.  
  7. The subsite will be hosted on a GSD-managed server. 
  8. The vendor will update the GSD’s Subsite Wiki with technical details when the project is complete. Additional documentation may be requested depending on the level of customization that was carried out. 
  9. In order to get the vendor a Harvard Key account, the site owner must request a Sponsored Role for the vendor. 
  10. The vendor must adhere to WordPress best practices, the GSD’s Digital Governance Policy and Harvard University’s Security Policies and Harvard University’s Digital Accessibility Policy. 

    Maintenance  

    Vendors that have made changes to the site’s code or plugins must support the site after launch. Site owners must have a plan for funding this ongoing maintenance prior to creating the subsite.

    If the vendor has customized any code or added any plugins to the site, they will need to provide an ongoing maintenance retainer that covers: 

    • Updating the “required plugins,” updating plugins they have added, and keeping WordPress up to date. Please read the GSD’s plugin guidelines for more information. 
    • Installing security patches as soon as they are released.
    • Fixing bugs that arise from WordPress or plugin updates, including any bugs that crop up in “required plugins.” 
    • Updating the Subsite Wiki with technical details, as needed. 

    This support retainer will not cover server maintenance, as that will be managed by the GSD.

    The site owner and vendor may agree to additional functions of the maintenance retainer beyond what is listed here.

    Required plugins are required on all subsites and should not be removed by the vendor. The platform’s required plugins are listed in the Platform Plugins page on this site.

    If you hire a vendor strictly for content entry and layout services, and they do not change any code or add any plugins, then the vendor will not have to provide a maintenance retainer. If you believe this situation applies to you, you must confirm it with the GSD web staff. You may choose to keep the vendor on retainer if you want them to continue their services after launch, however if they make any changes to code or plugins in the future, they will be required to provide a maintenance retainer at that point. As long as the vendor is retained for content entry and layout services, the GSD web staff will need to stay informed of their contact details. 

    Frequently Asked Questions 

    Yes. You and your vendor will need to be familiar with the GSD’s Digital Governance Policy, and will need to ensure that the site meets the accessibility standards outlined in Harvard’s Digital Accessibility Policy. You will also need to provide the vendor with relevant Harvard University contract riders for digital security. 

    The Site Builder platform is built with WordPress’s Gutenberg editor, and we recommend hiring a vendor that already has familiarity this CMS. The Site Builder website serves as a manual for the platform, and should provide a useful introduction to your vendor. The GSD cannot offer a full CMS training to your vendor, but upon request, a member of the web staff can have a one-on-one call with your vendor to show them the WordPress admin area and answer specific questions they may have.  

    All GSD-branded subsites must be approved by the GSD. You take on a risk if you choose to hire a vendor before your subsite request is approved. The GSD’s policy on unauthorized subsites is documented in Section 4.2 of the Digital Governance Policy. 

    Site owners may hire student workers for content and layout updates; however, we do not allow student workers to take on development work. If you are interested in hiring a vendor for custom coding, adding plugins, and other development tasks, then you will need to hire a professional developer or a digital agency.

    Yes. While we encourage site owners to use the GSD Site Builder, we recognize that it will not be suitable for all sites. Your vendor will still be required to follow these guidelines: 

    1. The vendor will provide the GSD web staff and site owners with a project plan, a timeline and an overview of the updates that will be made to the site. This must include any plans to purchase or develop custom plugins and/or themes. These documents will be reviewed by the GSD web staff for security and accessibility considerations.  
    2. All plugins and/or themes installed on a GSD server must go through an evaluation process by the GSD web staff to ensure the security, good reputation of the 3rd party developer, and long-term support of such code. The evaluation must be done before plugins or themes are installed. In the case of redundant functionality, the GSD web staff may recommend your project use a plugin that has already been approved. 
    3. The GSD web staff will purchase and maintain the domain for the subsite.  
    4. The GSD web staff will set up a Google Analytics account for the subsite.  
    5. The subsite will be hosted on a GSD-managed server. 
    6. The vendor will update the GSD’s Subsite Wiki with technical details when the project is complete. Additional documentation may be requested depending on the level of customization that was carried out. 
    7. In order to get the vendor a Harvard Key account, the site owner must request a Sponsored Role for the vendor. 
    8. The vendor must adhere to WordPress best practices, the GSD’s Digital Governance Policy and Harvard University’s Security Policies and Harvard University’s Digital Accessibility Policy. 
    9. The GSD web staff will be given admin access to the site, in case of emergency.

    Our web staff can answer questions about the GSD’s digital policies, and can assist with questions related to API and Harvard Key integration. Due to the number of GSD subsites, we cannot provide maintenance or bug fixes for any subsite that is built by an external vendor. Your vendor will need to provide a maintenance agreement after launch. 

    If a vendor can no longer support your site, please contact the GSD web staff immediately so we can discuss possible options for finding a suitable replacement.