What it
is: Develop Project Communication Plan
Description
A communication plan facilitates effective and
efficient communications with the various audiences having
a major stake in the project. It describes how project
communications will occur. A good communication plan generally
includes the following elements:
- Communication objectives
- Target audiences
- Key content for the communications
- Communication method and frequency
Rationale/Purpose
Good two-way communications among all stakeholders
is key for the success of the project. Good communication
forestalls surprises, prevents duplication of effort, and
can help to reveal omissions and misallocation of resources
early enough to permit corrections.
Who is Involved
Project Manager
Project Sponsor
Project Stakeholders
Result
This information is included in a separate section
of your project plan often referred to as the “Communication
Plan.”
How to: Develop
Project Communication Plan
Recommended actions and strategies
The table below lists the steps for developing
a project communication plan:
|
|
Focus on the following
|
Questions
to ask
|
|
1
|
Communication objectives
|
What are you hoping to achieve with your project
communications?
Look at the objectives established for the project.
|
|
2
|
Target audiences (internal and external) and the
makeup of each audience
|
Who do you want to communicate with?
Refer to the
roles established for the project. Consider a broad
range of stakeholders.
|
|
3
|
Purpose of the communication for each audience
|
Why are you communicating with them?
Think about what your audience would like to know
from their perspective - “What’s in it for me?”
|
|
4
|
Key communication messages and the content of
the message
|
What do you want to say?
The content should address
the reason the audience will be interested in the
project.
|
|
5
|
Information sources
|
Where will you find the information you need to
collect for your communications?
Some information may be from official sources,
and other information will be created as part of
the project and stored in the project repository.
|
|
6
|
Frequency of the communication
|
How often do you want the communication to be
delivered?
Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, at the end of a stage,
etc.
|
|
7
|
Format and delivery mechanism for the communication
|
How does the target audience prefer to receive
this information?
Report, phone, website, meeting, formal presentation,
etc.
|
|
8
|
The messenger
|
Who is the responsible communicator?
Who prepares and distributes or presents the communication?
Usually the project manager and project sponsor
are the main communicators, but the size of the project
may require the assignment of a role of project communicator.
|
|
9
|
Communication milestones and measurements of success
|
How will you know if your plan is working?
Establish some simple performance indicators and
evaluation measures to determine if the communication
plan is effective. Example – use of a Meeting Evaluation
form after a meeting.
|
Templates/Examples: Develop Project Communication Plan
Introduction
The table below provides several templates you
can use to help develop a project communication plan.
