COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN TEMPLATE
Introduction
The purpose of the Communications Management Plan
is to define the communication requirements for the project and how
information will be distributed. The Communications Management Plan
defines the following:
- What information will be communicated—to include the level of detail and format
- How the information will be communicated—in meetings, email, telephone, web portal, etc.
- When information will be distributed—the frequency of project communications both formal and informal
- Who is responsible for communicating project information
- Communication requirements for all project stakeholders
- What resources the project allocates for communication
- How any sensitive or confidential information is communicated and who must authorize this
- How changes in communication or the communication process are managed
- The flow of project communications
- Any constraints, internal or external, which affect project communications
- Any standard templates, formats, or documents the project must use for communicating
- An escalation process for resolving any communication-based conflicts or issues
This Communications Management Plan sets the communications framework for this project. It will serve as a guide for communications throughout the life of the project and will be updated as communication needs change. This plan identifies and defines the roles of persons involved in this project. It also includes a communications matrix which maps the communication requirements of this project. An in-depth guide for conducting meetings details both the communications rules and how the meetings will be conducted, ensuring successful meetings. A project team directory is included to provide contact information for all stakeholders directly involved in the project.
Communications Management Approach
Approximately 80% of a Project Manager’s time is
spent communicating. Think about it – as a Project Manager you are
spending most of your time measuring and reporting on the performance of
the project, composing and reading emails, conducting meetings, writing
the project plan, meeting with team members, overseeing work being
performed, meeting with clients over lunch and many more activities
related to your projects.
You should give considerable thought to how you
want to manage communications on this project. By having a solid
communications management approach you’ll find that many project
management problems can be avoided. In this section give an overview of
your communications management approach.
The Project Manager will take a proactive role in ensuring effective communications on this project. The communications requirements are documented in the Communications Matrix presented in this document. The Communications Matrix will be used as the guide for what information to communicate, who is to do the communicating, when to communicate it and to whom to communicate.
As with most project plans, updates or changes may be required as the project progresses or changes are approved. Changes or updates may be required due to changes in personnel, scope, budget, or other reasons. Additionally, updates may be required as the project matures and additional requirements are needed. The project manager is responsible for managing all proposed and approved changes to the communications management plan. Once the change is approved, the project manager will update the plan and supporting documentation and will distribute the updates to the project team and all stakeholders. This methodology is consistent with the project’s Change Management Plan and ensures that all project stakeholders remain aware and informed of any changes to communications management.
Communications Management Constraints
All projects are subject to limitations and
constraints as they must be within scope and adhere to budget,
scheduling, and resource requirements. Project planning and
documentation are no exception to this rule. There may also be
legislative, regulatory, technology, or organizational policy
requirements which must be followed as part of communications
management. These constraints must be clearly understood and
communicated to all stakeholders. While communications management is
arguably one of the most important aspects of project management, it
must be done in an effective manner and within the constraints of the
allocated budget, time, and resources.
All project communication activities will occur within the project’s
approved budget, schedule, and resource allocations. The project
manager is responsible for ensuring that communication activities are
performed by the project team and without external resources which will
result in exceeding the authorized budget. Communication activities
will occur in accordance with the frequencies detailed in the
Communication Matrix in order to ensure the project adheres to schedule
constraints. Any deviation of these timelines may result in excessive
costs or schedule delays and must be approved by the project sponsor.ABC Corp. organizational policy states that where applicable, standardized formats and templates must be used for all formal project communications. The details of these policy requirements are provided in the section titled “Standardization of Communication” in this document.
ABC Corp. organizational policy also states that only a Vice President or higher level employee may authorize the distribution of confidential information. The project manager is responsible for ensuring that approval is requested and obtained prior to the distribution of any confidential information regarding this project.
Stakeholder Communication Requirements
Most projects consist of a broad range of
stakeholders all of whom may have differing interests and influence on
the project. As such, it is important for project teams to determine
the communication requirements of these stakeholders in order to more
effectively communicate project information. There are a number of
methods for determining stakeholder communication requirements; however,
it is imperative that they are completely understood in order to
effectively manage their interest, expectations, and influence and
ensure a successful project.
As part of identifying all project stakeholders, the project manager
will communicate with each stakeholder in order to determine their
preferred frequency and method of communication. This feedback will be
maintained by the project manager in the project’s Stakeholder Register.
Standard project communications will occur in accordance with the
Communication Matrix; however, depending on the identified stakeholder
communication requirements, individual communication is acceptable and
within the constraints outlined for this project.In addition to identifying communication preferences, stakeholder communication requirements must identify the project’s communication channels and ensure that stakeholders have access to these channels. If project information is communicated via secure means or through internal company resources, all stakeholders, internal and external, must have the necessary access to receive project communications.
Once all stakeholders have been identified and communication requirements are established, the project team will maintain this information in the project’s Stakeholder Register and use this, along with the project communication matrix as the basis for all communications.
Roles
Project SponsorThe project sponsor is the champion of the project and has authorized the project by signing the project charter. This person is responsible for the funding of the project and is ultimately responsible for its success. Since the Project Sponsor is at the executive level communications should be presented in summary format unless the Project Sponsor requests more detailed communications.
Program Manager
The Program Manager oversees the project at the portfolio level and owns most of the resources assigned to the project. The Program Manager is responsible for overall program costs and profitability as such they require more detailed communications than the Project Sponsor.
Key Stakeholders
Normally Stakeholders includes all individuals and organizations who are impacted by the project. For this project we are defining a subset of the stakeholders as Key Stakeholders. These are the stakeholders with whom we need to communicate with and are not included in the other roles defined in this section. The Key Stakeholders includes executive management with an interest in the project and key users identified for participation in the project.
Change Control Board
The Change Control Board is a designated group which is reviews technical specifications and authorizes changes within the organizations infrastructure. Technical design documents, user impact analysis and implementation strategies are typical of the types of communication this group requires.
Customer
You should identify the customer if the project
is the result of a solicitation. In such a case, the customer will be
involved in reviewing prototypes, approval of designs and implementation
stages and acceptance of the final project the project generates.
The customer for this project is . As the customer
who will be accepting the final deliverable of this project they will
be informed of the project status including potential impacts to the
schedule for the final deliverable or the product itself.Project Manager
The Project Manager has overall responsibility for the execution of the project. The Project Manager manages day to day resources, provides project guidance and monitors and reports on the projects metrics as defined in the Project Management Plan. As the person responsible for the execution of the project, the Project Manager is the primary communicator for the project distributing information according to this Communications Management Plan.
Project Team
The Project Team is comprised of all persons who have a role performing work on the project. The project team needs to have a clear understanding of the work to be completed and the framework in which the project is to be executed. Since the Project Team is responsible for completing the work for the project they played a key role in creating the Project Plan including defining its schedule and work packages. The Project Team requires a detailed level of communications which is achieved through day to day interactions with the Project Manager and other team members along with weekly team meetings.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee includes management representing the departments which make up the organization. The Steering Committee provides strategic oversight for changes which impact the overall organization. The purpose of the Steering Committee is to ensure that changes within the organization are effected in such a way that it benefits the organization as a whole. The Steering Committee requires communication on matters which will change the scope of the project and its deliverables.
Technical Lead
The Technical Lead is a person on the Project Team who is designated to be responsible for ensuring that all technical aspects of the project are addressed and that the project is implemented in a technically sound manner. The Technical Lead is responsible for all technical designs, overseeing the implementation of the designs and developing as-build documentation. The Technical Lead requires close communications with the Project Manager and the Project Team.
Project Team Directory
The following table presents contact information for all persons identified in this communications management plan. The email addresses and phone numbers in this table will be used to communicate with these people.| Role | Name | Title | Organization/ Department | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Sponsor | A. White | VP of Technology | IT | a.white@abc.com | (555) 555-1212 |
| Program Manager | B. Brown | PMO Manager | PMO | b.brown@abc.com | (555) 555-1213 |
| Project Manager | C. Black | Project Manager | PMO | c.black@abc.com | (555) 555-1212 |
| Project Stakeholders | See Stakeholder Register | See Stakeholder Register | See Stakeholder Register | See Stakeholder Register | See Stakeholder Register |
| Customer | J. Doe XYZ Corp. | Manager | IT | j.doe@xyz.com | (555) 555-8121 |
| Project Team | |||||
| Technical Lead |
Communication Methods and Technologies
Many times, the methods and technologies used to
communicate are just as important of a consideration as the information
being communicated. Imagine a large project with many stakeholders who
all have different technological capabilities. Some may have access to a
share drive while others do not. Some may have access to video
teleconferencing and others only have telephone and email capabilities.
In order to be effective, project information must be communicated to
everyone involved by some method using available technology.
Determining communication methods and what technologies are available
should be part of determining stakeholder communication requirements.
The project team will determine, in accordance with ABC Corp.
organizational policy, the communication methods and technologies based
on several factors to include: stakeholder communication requirements,
available technologies (internal and external), and organizational
policies and standards.ABC Corp. maintains a SharePoint platform within the PMO which all projects use to provide updates, archive various reports, and conduct project communications. This platform enables senior management, as well as stakeholders with compatible technology, to access project data and communications at any point in time. SharePoint also provides the ability for stakeholders and project team members to collaborate on project work and communication.
For stakeholders who do not have the ability to access SharePoint, a web site will also be established for the project. Access to the website will be controlled with a username and password. Any stakeholders identified who are not able to access SharePoint will be issued a unique username and password in order to access the web site. The project manager is responsible for ensuring all project communications and documentation are copied to the web site and that the content mirrors what is contained on the SharePoint platform.
ABC Corp. maintains software licenses for MS Project software. All project teams are responsible for developing, maintaining, and communicating schedules using this software. PERT Charts are the preferred format for communicating schedules to stakeholders. The project schedule will be maintained on both the SharePoint platform and the project website.
All project communication and documentation, in addition to being maintained on the SharePoint platform and project website, will be archived on the internal ABC Corp. shared drive which resides in the PMO program directory. Organizational naming conventions for files and folder will be applied to all archived work.
Communications Matrix
The following table identifies the communications requirements for this project.| Communication Type | Objective of Communication | Medium | Frequency | Audience | Owner | Deliverable | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kickoff Meeting | Introduce the project team and the project. Review project objectives and management approach. | - Face to Face | Once |
- Project Sponsor - Project Team - Stakeholders |
Project Manager |
- Agenda - Meeting Minutes |
- Soft copy archived on SharePoint site and project website. |
| Project Team Meetings | Review status of the project with the team. |
- Face to Face - Conference Call |
Weekly | - Project Team | Project Manager |
- Agenda - Meeting Minutes - Project Schedule |
- Soft copy archived on SharePoint site and project website. |
| Technical Design Meetings | Discuss and develop technical design solutions for the project. | - Face to Face | As Needed | - Project Technical Staff | Technical Lead |
- Agenda - Meeting Minutes |
- Soft copy archived on SharePoint site and project website. |
| Monthly Project Status Meetings | Report on the status of the project to management. |
- Face to Face - Conference Call |
Monthly | - PMO | Project Manager | - Slide Updates - Project Schedule | - Soft copy archived on SharePoint site and project website. |
| Project Status Reports | Report the status of the project including activities, progress, costs and issues. | Monthly |
- Project Sponsor - Project Team - Stakeholders - PMO |
Project Manager |
- Project Status Report - Project Schedule |
- Soft copy archived on SharePoint site and project website. |
Communication Flowchart
Flowcharts provide a visual representation of a
process or processes which often allow a better understanding of how the
process is intended to work. Project communications may be extremely
complex depending on the size and scope of the project and the number of
stakeholders. A flowchart provides all stakeholders with a better
understanding of the steps involved with the distribution of all project
communications.
The communication flowchart below was created to aid in project
communication. This flowchart provides a framework for the project team
to follow for this project. However, there may be occasions or
situations which fall outside of the communication flowchart where
additional clarification is necessary. In these situations the Project
Manager is responsible for discussing the communication with the Project
Sponsor and making a determination on how to proceed.
Guidelines for Meetings
Meeting AgendaMeeting Agenda will be distributed 5 business days in advance of the meeting. The Agenda should identify the presenter for each topic along with a time limit for that topic. The first item in the agenda should be a review of action items from the previous meeting.
Meeting Minutes
Meeting minutes will be distributed within 2 business days following the meeting. Meeting minutes will include the status of all items from the agenda along with new action items and the Parking Lot list.
Action Items
Action Items are recorded in both the meeting agenda and minutes. Action items will include both the action item along with the owner of the action item. Meetings will start with a review of the status of all action items from previous meetings and end with a review of all new action items resulting from the meeting. The review of the new action items will include identifying the owner for each action item.
Meeting Chair Person
The Chair Person is responsible for distributing the meeting agenda, facilitating the meeting and distributing the meeting minutes. The Chair Person will ensure that the meeting starts and ends on time and that all presenters adhere to their allocated time frames.
Note Taker
The Note Taker is responsible for documenting the status of all meeting items, maintaining a Parking Lot item list and taking notes of anything else of importance during the meeting. The Note Taker will give a copy of their notes to the Chair Person at the end of the meeting as the Chair Person will use the notes to create the Meeting Minutes.
Time Keeper
The Time Keeper is responsible for helping the facilitator adhere to the time limits set in the meeting agenda. The Time Keeper will let the presenter know when they are approaching the end of their allocated time. Typically a quick hand signal to the presenter indicating how many minutes remain for the topic is sufficient.
Parking Lot
The Parking Lot is a tool used by the facilitator to record and defer items which aren’t on the meeting agenda; however, merit further discussion at a later time or through another forum.
A parking lot record should identify an owner for the item as that person will be responsible for ensuring follow-up. The Parking Lot list is to be included in the meeting minutes.
Communication Standards
Standardization is a proven way to simplify the
complexities of project management communications. Many organizations
develop and use standard templates or formats for the various
communication tools used throughout projects. Standard templates and
formats may be applied to certain types of project meetings or specific
types of communication (i.e. emails, status reports, etc.). By using
standardization, organizations can help ensure that its project teams
and stakeholders have a thorough understanding of what is expected and
achieve consistent and effective communications.
In addition to standard templates and/or formats,
organizations may standardize file naming or sharing conventions. An
organization may use SharePoint or some other type of Web Portal/Network
tool (blogs, message boards, etc.) as a standard platform from which to
share information and communicate. Additionally, an organization may
have standard file naming conventions for their stored data on their
internal share drives. Many of these tools and new technologies are
used in today’s projects with team members and stakeholders often spread
over wide geographic areas. Standardization provides a level of
simplicity to an organization’s communication platforms and improves
effectiveness and efficiency.
For this project, ABC Corp. will utilize standard organizational
formats and templates for all formal project communications. Formal
project communications are detailed in the project’s communication
matrix and include:Kickoff Meeting – project team will utilize ABC Corp. standard templates for meeting agenda and meeting minutes. Additionally, any slides presented will use the ABC Corp. standard slideshow template.
Project Team Meetings – project team will utilize ABC Corp. standard templates for meeting agenda and meeting minutes. Additionally, any slides presented will use the ABC Corp. standard slideshow template.
Technical Design Meetings - project team will utilize ABC Corp. standard templates for meeting agenda and meeting minutes. Additionally, any slides presented will use the ABC Corp. standard slideshow template.
Monthly Project Status Meetings - project team will utilize ABC Corp. standard templates for meeting agenda and meeting minutes. Additionally, any slides presented will use the ABC Corp. standard slideshow template.
Project Status Reports – project team will utilize ABC Corp. standard templates for meeting agenda and meeting minutes. Additionally the standard project status report document, available on the share drive, will be used to provide project status.
Informal project communications should be professional and effective but there is no standard template or format that must be used.
Communication Escalation Process
As issues or complications arise with regards to
project communications it may become necessary to escalate the issue if a
resolution cannot be achieved within the project team. Project
stakeholders may have many different conflicting interests in a given
project. While escalations are a normal part of project management,
there must be a documented process that defines how those escalations
will take place.
Efficient and timely communication is the key to successful project
completion. As such, it is imperative that any disputes, conflicts, or
discrepancies regarding project communications are resolved in a way
that is conducive to maintaining the project schedule, ensuring the
correct communications are distributed, and preventing any ongoing
difficulties. In order to ensure projects stay on schedule and issues
are resolved, ABC Corp. will use its standard escalation model to
provide a framework for escalating communication issues. The table
below defines the priority levels, decision authorities, and timeframes
for resolution.| Priority | Definition | Decision Authority | Timeframe for Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority 1 | Major impact to project or business operations. If not resolved quickly there will be a significant adverse impact to revenue and/or schedule. | Vice President or higher | Within 4 hours |
| Priority 2 | Medium impact to project or business operations which may result in some adverse impact to revenue and/or schedule. | Project Sponsor | Within one business day |
| Priority 3 | Slight impact which may cause some minor scheduling difficulties with the project but no impact to business operations or revenue. | Project Manager | Within two business days |
| Priority 4 | Insignificant impact to project but there may be a better solution. | Project Manager | Work continues and any recommendations are submitted via the project change control process |
Glossary of Communication Terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Communication | The effective sending and receiving of information. Ideally, the information received should match the information sent. It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure this takes place. |
| Stakeholder | Individuals or groups involved in the project or whose interests may be affected by the project’s execution or outcome. |
| Communications Management Plan | Portion of the overall Project Management Plan which details how project communications will be conducted, who will participate in communications, frequency of communications, and methods of communications. |
| Escalation | The process which details how conflicts and issues will be passed up the management chain for resolution as well as the timeframe to achieve resolution. |
