- Determine Your Communication Needs. …
- Determine the Communication Goals for Your Team. …
- Name the Project and Outline the Goals. …
- Identify Key Stakeholders, Clients, and Team Members. …
- Create a Communication Schedule for the Project. …
- Consolidate the Information into One Document.
Project Management: Creating a Communications Plan
How to create a formal project management communication plan
Everyone will be able to communicate more effectively with the aid of a formal communication plan. The seven steps you can take to make a plan that works for your project are listed below:
1. Identify the stakeholders
The first thing you should do is determine who the project’s stakeholders are. Anyone who is a part of the project and needs to be contacted is considered a stakeholder. This may include team captains, teammates, clients, and customer service Make a list of everyone involved so you know who needs to know about the plan.
2. Define your mediums
Choosing the communication channels you’ll employ is the next step. There are various ways you can communicate with each other and exchange information. You should detail all potential channels for stakeholder communication. Some possibilities include:
Write down the specific programs or applications you intend to use as you define the mediums. For instance, if your business uses a particular online messaging program to communicate, mention it. You should also add which stakeholders should use which mediums. As an illustration, team members may communicate online, but you may need to have more formal meetings or phone calls with your clients. Text messages might be appropriate in some situations but are viewed as being too casual in others.
3. Compile basic information
Prior to beginning to create your project communication plan, you should gather some fundamental data. Consider the objective of your project. You can develop a better communication strategy by beforehand outlining the objectives and vision of your project. Decide who will implement and monitor the communication plan. You require someone who can ensure that stakeholders adhere to this communication plan and who comprehends its purpose.
It will be simpler to create your plan if you gather some basic information about your project, your team, and any clients or customers. Most of this information about your company is probably already familiar to you, but by putting it in writing, you increase the likelihood that it will influence your communication strategy and that you won’t forget anything.
4. Set guidelines
Your communication plan will be built around guidelines, so put some time into creating them. When formulating these guidelines, you may want to consider the following questions:
When creating guidelines, be as specific as you can. The rules should be as clear as possible to ensure that all parties can easily abide by them.
5. Create an actual plan
Make a comprehensive document with all of your data on stakeholders and communication channels. Outline every communication process and how to handle them. In this manner, team members will have a document to refer to if they are unsure of how to communicate with someone.
6. Communicate the plan
You must inform your team members of your plan after it is created. You should take your time reviewing each component and outlining the steps involved. Your team members are encouraged to ask questions or offer any helpful criticism regarding the strategy you developed at this time. To save time with large teams, think about describing the procedure to a few team leaders before allowing them to communicate it to their teams.
7. Set up a review process
Once a project gets going, you might discover that some communication methods are quicker or easier than others. You can find areas to improve communication by having a system in place that tracks it. Assigning metrics that demonstrate the success of your plan will help you achieve this. For instance, see if you can cut down on the weekly meeting time allotted or the volume of emails sent to team leaders. These are specific objectives that you can track and measure over time.
What is a project management communication plan?
A project management communication plan consists of a set of instructions for informing stakeholders of the information they require. It stipulates who ought to receive what information and how they ought to do so. A communication plan has the advantage of making it easier for all parties involved to cooperate. You can email your stakeholders a copy of your communication plan so they have it at their disposal. Think about including it in your project plan documents as well, that way everyone can easily access it.
Project management communication plan example
Here’s a simple example of a possible communication plan:
Communication Type
Members
Goal
Schedule
Medium/Channel
Initial meeting
All stakeholders
To discuss client objects and assign tasks
At the start of each new project
Video conference
Weekly kick-off
Team + Megan
Update on each project’s status and discussion of weekly objectives
Every Monday morning
Phone conference
Client halfway check-in
Clients + Megan
Update clients on the status of their project
Halfway through each project
Phone call
Client status updates
Client + Megan
Provide more minor updates about the project
1/4 and 3/4 of the way through each project
Quick questions
Team members
Receive answers to quick questions
Anytime
Online messaging
Emails
Team members
For more comprehensive or detailed questions/comments
Before they leave for the day, team members can check their emails in the morning, before and after lunch.
FAQ
What are the five steps to a project management communications plan?
- Define the Purpose and Approach. The Plan Purpose is the first item in the document, similar to an executive summary.
- List Goals and Objectives. …
- Research and Assign Roles. …
- Determine Methods. …
- Pinpoint High Level Communications.
What is effective project management communications?
In project management, communication is the exchange of thoughts and ideas between experts working on related or congruent tasks. Communication in project management is typically a priority for the project leader to make sure that every professional working on the project is aware of the objectives and expectations.
What is communication plan in project management example?
Establishing goals, defining key audiences, identifying key messages, developing a tactical outreach plan, and establishing a timeline are the first four steps in creating a communications plan.
Which 5 points should be included when preparing a communication plan?
Establishing goals, defining key audiences, identifying key messages, developing a tactical outreach plan, and establishing a timeline are the first four steps in creating a communications plan.
