The SERP staff creates Webpages using content provided by the customer. SERP ensures content is accessible by users of adaptive technology, such as Job Access With Speech (JAWS) in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d).

SERP receives over 75,000 visitors on a daily basis allowing the content to receive maximum exposure.

SERP Web servers are among the most reliable.

To host content on the SERP Website the content owner must:

Authorized submitters or IRM authors are the only individuals authorized to submit content to SERP.

Initiators must obtain approval from the authorized submitter. See IRM 1.11.8.3, Authorized Submitter.

New IRM authors must:

To post an IRM currently not on SERP, the IRM author must:

After a SERP approved IRM is published, the SERP staff downloads the IRM files directly from the Electronic Publishing Website and converts the files to HTML for posting to SERP. This is transparent to IRM Authors.

Upon completion of the above, the SERP staff notifies the author that the IRM is posted on SERP.

An Alert presents information that does not change current IRM procedures or guidelines.

An Alert must not contain procedures or instructions to staff that affect the public, which are not already posted in the Electronic Reading Room on www.irs.gov.

Use Alerts to notify users of system problems, changes, and information (e.g., disaster assistance information) that do not require an IRM procedure/instruction change.

Secure necessary approvals for information provided in the Alert, if required.

You must first be added to the SERP database before you can submit an Alert request.

To submit an Alert request, access the SERP Submission Form, log into the application using your SEID and DS password, and then click the 'New Alert' link on the navigational bar and complete the form. (Your DS password is the password you use to logon to your computer and the password will update whenever you are required to change your DS password for your computer.)

Detailed instructions can be found on the tab titled 'New Alert' in the SERP Submission Form User Guide.

Once completed, click 'Save' to activate the 'Submit' button and the 'Add File' button, assign the record a temporary tracking number, add the record to your list of ACTIVE records on the MY INPUTS page, and allow you to create an e-mail to send to an approver/reviewer or co-worker.

If you need to attach a file, upload your attachment(s) by clicking the 'Add File' button and select the applicable file. This includes graphic files, Word files, .pdf, Excel spreadsheets, etc. If more than one file needs to be submitted, repeat the 'Add File' steps.

Click ‘Email’ and an e-mail will open. You can send this e-mail to an approver/reviewer or other co-worker needing to look at this Alert before submitting it to be posted.

Address the e-mail to the appropriate parties.

The subject line is auto populated with the Alert’s temporary tracking number. You may add to the subject if necessary.

The body of the e-mail will include a link to the Alert record. If your organization requires review of the Alert submission prior to sending it to SERP, your recipients can view the record and the attachments; however, they cannot make changes to this record or the attachments. If they need to make changes to the Alert or the attachments one of the following actions will need to be taken:

When you are ready to submit your Alert to SERP, you will click the 'Submit' button. The 'Submit' button will perform a validation on your input and produce an error message indicating if any items have been missed. On most messages you must click ‘OK’ to close the message, and then go back to the missing item and input the information before the form can be submitted. The following are possible validation messages you could receive:

When all inputs have been validated a warning box will display stating; “Submission will be posted within 48 hours; Are you sure you want to submit the form?” If you click 'OK':

If you click 'Cancel' a message will display, “The form will remain under My Inputs as Active”, click ‘OK’ and you are returned to your ‘Saved’ form.

If a prior Alert needs to be updated with new information, the Alert must be revised and show the updated information highlighted in yellow. SERP does not allow supplemental Alerts with a reference to a prior Alert - all information must be contained in one Alert. To revise or rescind a prior Alert, send an e-mail request to *CTR ODN SERP SECT with the applicable information.

The primary purpose of the SERP Homepage is to post daily IRM Updates, Alerts, Priority News and miscellaneous SERP topic updates.

The SERP Homepage can also be used to provide users with brief information, which does not require an Update or Alert.

To submit items for the Homepage, an authorized submitter can send a written request via e-mail to *CTR ODN SERP SECT.

Unless otherwise specified, SERP Homepage items run for one day. Upon request, a SERP Homepage item may be moved to the Priority News where it can remain for a period of one month. If there is a need for a Priority News item to remain for more than one month, include a justification with your request.

To submit a request to add content under one of the SERP tabs or buttons, an authorized submitter can send the request via e-mail to *CTR ODN SERP SECT. Include the following information:

If approved, the SERP staff provides the content owner with SERP requirements and, upon concurrence, places content on SERP.

Items can only be added by the program owner or designated authorized submitter.

The SERP staff notifies the content owner once the content has posted to SERP.

A job aid may be an IRM exhibit, an IRM job aid on SERP, a Technical Communications Document (TCD) job aid, or a document used as training material.

Do not include local procedures in a job aid. See IRM 1.11.8.4(2)d, SERP IRM Author Roles and Responsibilities .

Prepare all job aids (e.g., exhibits, charts, graphs) in a "user friendly" HTML, Word or .pdf format.

Graphics created with other software packages (e.g., PageMaker, Visio, etc.) must be converted to a *.tif, *.gif, *.pdf, or *.jpg format and contain the appropriate Section 508 alternative text tags or have a text alternative.

IRM job aids must contain an IRM reference and be approved by the responsible IRM author/analyst.

Locally prepared job aids must be submitted to the appropriate Business Operating Division (BOD) training analysts for approval.

IRM authors must review and update existing job aids with current IRM references each time procedures change in the IRM.

Items can only be added by the program owner or designated authorized submitter.

Submit job aids via e-mail to *CTR ODN SERP SECT, including the following information:

An IPU revises or corrects existing IRM information on the SERP IRM only. All other IRM formats, including the published version available to the public, will not be updated automatically. If an IPU is identified as meeting E-FOIA criteria, it will be forwarded for posting in the Electronic Reading Room on www.irs.gov. More information can be found at Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(2)(C)).

An IRM can be updated as soon as it has posted to SERP.

SERP IPUs are a form of interim guidance. IPUs must follow the interim guidance procedures as stated in IRM 1.11.10.7, SERP IPUs.

To update the IRM on SERP through an IPU:

For editorial corrections (e.g., grammatical, spelling, punctuation and broken links), an IPU is not required. Contact the SERP Office directly to make corrections via e-mail at*CTR ODN SERP SECT.

Documentation of the IRM changes including the approval of the changes and any significant comments received from reviewers must be retained for historical record keeping purposes. The author should save a .pdf file of the track changes and/or e-mails documenting the approvals.

If a prior Alert should be updated with new information, the Alert must be revised and show the new information highlighted in yellow. SERP does not allow supplemental Alerts with a reference to a prior Alert. All information must be contained in one Alert.

Submit the revision to SERP via e-mail to: *CTR ODN SERP SECT.

Notate in the e-mail, the current Alert number.

To update all other content, submit revisions to SERP via e-mail to: *CTR ODN SERP SECT.

The SERP staff notifies the content owner once the content posts to SERP.

Workplace Alerts enable users to monitor topics of interest on the SERP Website by receiving search results for these topics via e-mail when an update occurs.

Users can choose the topics they wish to receive Workplace Alerts for by inputting search terms on the "Alerts Sign-up" screen. When accessing the "Alerts Sign-up" screen you will be prompted for a user name and password which is the same user name and password you use to login everyday.

The Google search appliance will send the user an e-mail whenever it finds new or changed documents matching their search terms. The e-mail contains a batch of result listings. Clicking any result listing in a Workplace Alert e-mail displays the relevant document.

SERP has created acronyms to aid users in receiving exact results for updates to IRMs, SERP Alerts and specific pages on SERP. You will find lists of acronyms on the Acronyms for Workplace Alerts page.

Instructions for subscribing are located on the Google Training Tutorial on the Sign-up page.

Generating reports from the SERP Feedback Application is performed through either the "Previously Submitted Feedback" option on the main feedback launch screen or through the "Response" screen using the "View Report Options" button.

To generate a report from the "Previously Submitted Feedback" option:

To generate a report from the "Response" screen:

Figure 1.11.8-2

Figure 1.11.8-2

Results are displayed in a report containing link(s) to each feedback issue. Click on the Control # to view the feedback, the status and the actions taken. Figure 1.11.8-3

Figure 1.11.8-3