As a project manager, you need to have the ability to handle numerous responsibilities at once. However, a good project manager breaks down high-level goals into smaller assignments to meet the deadline on time. To make the project even more productive, every leader needs a detailed project communication plan. Here, we provide the answers about the importance, as well as the crucial elements of every project communications plan. In addition, we offer this Project Communication Plan as a FREE download at the bottom of this page.
The Importance of Project Communication Plan
The purpose of the project communication plan is to identify how the information will be communicated to the team members, stakeholders, sponsors, customer, and every single person involved in the project. The plan clearly outlines the method of delivery on the information, frequency, and who will receive the message.
A clear project communication plan is a signature for the effectiveness of all communication processes during the project. The main goal of every plan is to provide the right information to the right person at the accurate time in a format that works for both sides.
Crafting a good project communication plan will bring you many benefits including:
- Improvement of the decision-making process
- Improvement of the entire communication process
- The team will be always up-to-date with the tasks
- Clear roles and responsibilities for the upcoming communication schedules
- Gathering feedback at key milestones
The Content
Whether or not your project requires to deliver a Communication Plan, it is always better that you have one, especially if you are cooperating with external stakeholders, and consultants.
The basic outline of the communication plan may include:
- Project Scope
- Communication Schedule
- Contacts Information
- Reviews and Approvals
- Constrains and Assumptions
- Definitions and Acronyms
- Reference Materials
- Comments
The outline of the project communication plan may differ, but the most important part is the Communication Schedule. This section covers the most important key aspects of the project communication plan such as the type of communication, frequency and method of delivery, the goal of the communication, the audience, and who is conducting the communication. Pay special attention when creating this section. Make it clear, and include all necessary details.
Things to Consider
Poor communication may contribute to project failure. Because of this, the plan must be detailed, with clear information, and executed as stated. Another big thing when planning a communication schedule is to know who and how to contact when the information could be a security risk. Prepare yourself for this scenario when drafting your communication plan.
Once you have got the project communication plan in order, make sure that it is distributed to everyone that is involved in the project. Besides a hard copy, you may deliver it via email, so everyone will have it on hand when needed.
Keep in mind that the projects are never fixed. They can face changes, and adaptations must be done. In these cases, make sure to revise your project communication plan, and conduct the possible changes.
Final Thoughts
The Project Communication Plan can improve the idea behind the whole project, if done correctly. If you are not sure how to draft a good communication plan, download the PMtips template. It is completely FREE of charge. We hope that we had covered the main elements of the project communication plan.
Got any questions? Write them in the comments section at the end. We do our best to respond to all legitimate queries.