Communications Plan For [Project Name]

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

Document Control
Document Information

Document Id Document Owner Issue Date Last Saved Date File Name

Information [Document Management System #] [Owner Name] [Date] [Date] [Name]

Document History
Version [1.0] Issue Date [Date] Changes [Section, Page(s) and Text Revised]

Document Approvals
Role Project Sponsor Project Review Group Project Manager Quality Manager (if applicable) Procurement Manager (if applicable) Communications Manager (if applicable) Project Office Manager (if applicable) Name

Signature

Date

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

Table of Contents
TEMPLATE GUIDE..........................................................................................................................1 1 COMMUNICATIONS REQUIREMENTS...................................................................................................2
1.1 STAKEHOLDERS....................................................................................................................................................2 1.2 REQUIREMENTS....................................................................................................................................................2

2 COMMUNICATIONS PLAN...............................................................................................................3
2.1 SCHEDULE..........................................................................................................................................................3 2.2 MATRIX.............................................................................................................................................................4 2.3 ASSUMPTIONS......................................................................................................................................................5 2.4 RISKS...............................................................................................................................................................5

3 COMMUNICATIONS PROCESS..........................................................................................................5
3.1 PURPOSE...........................................................................................................................................................5 3.2 PROCESSES........................................................................................................................................................5 3.3 RESPONSIBILITIES.................................................................................................................................................5 3.4 REGISTER..........................................................................................................................................................5 3.5 TEMPLATES.........................................................................................................................................................6

4 APPENDIX..................................................................................................................................6

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

ii

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

Template Guide
What is a Communications Plan? A Communications Plan is a document which outlines the information to be provided to all project stakeholders to keep them informed of the progress of the project. A clear Communications Plan is vital to the success of the project to ensure that all project resources are working towards the stated project objectives and that any hurdles are overcome in a well planned and informed manner. The Communications Plan contains the following information: The communication requirements for each project stakeholder A schedule of the communication events, methods and releases A matrix of the resource involved in each communication event A clear process for undertaking each communication event within the project.

When to use a Communications Plan The Communication Plan is documented during the Planning phase of the project to ensure that the expectations for communication to project stakeholders are clearly set. After the Communications Plan has been agreed, the Communication Management Process is invoked to ensure that all communication events are undertaken in accordance with the Communications Plan.

How to use this template This document provides a guide on the topics usually included in a Communications Plan. Sections may be added, removed or redefined at your leisure to meet your particular business circumstance. Example tables, diagrams and charts have been added (where suitable) to provide further guidance on how to complete each relevant section.

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

1 Communications Requirements
List all communications stakeholders and their requirement for information during the project.

1.1 Stakeholders
A communications stakeholder is a person or entity within or outside the project requiring regular information about the project. For instance, a Project Sponsor will be interested in the overall progress of the project, whereas an External Body may be concerned with legislative or regulatory compliance. List all communications stakeholder groups who require information during the project. Examples of stakeholder groups include: Project Sponsor Project Review Group Project Manager Project Leader Project Member Quality Manager Procurement Manager Communications Manager Project Office Manager Other Project Resources Other External Bodies.

1.2 Requirements
For each stakeholder listed above, identify the information required to keep them appropriately informed of the progress of the project by completing the following table (includes examples): Stakeholder

Requirement
Project status information (schedule, budget and scope) Understanding of critical project risks and issues Information required to approve each project phase Project status information (schedule, budget and scope) Detailed knowledge of important risks and issues Information regarding proposed project changes (for approval) Detailed project status information (schedule, budget and scope) Understanding of current project deliverables' quality Detailed knowledge of all risks, issues and change requests Status of project activities and task status information Day-to-day knowledge of issues and risks identified Status of the activities and tasks they have been asked to perform Awareness of events which may affect their ability to undertake their role Progress of each deliverable against quality standards and criteria set Detailed understanding of all quality issues for resolution

Project Sponsor

Project Review Group Project Manager

Project Leader Project Members Quality Manager

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

2 Communications Plan
2.1 Schedule
Describe each communication event, its purpose, method and frequency by completing the following schedule. ID
1.1

Event
Project team meetings Quality review meetings

Description

Purpose
To keep the team informed of the project status and ensure that issues, risks or changes are raised accordingly To ensure that quality issues are identified early, thereby providing time to enhance the quality of the deliverable and meet the required quality criteria To control the progress of the project through each phase in the project lifecycle, thereby enhancing its likelihood of success To provide a formal process for the approval of project changes To provide a controlled process for the acceptance of deliverables and ensure that customer requirements are met To provide a forum within which to assess supplier performance and resolve supplier issues To keep all project stakeholders informed of the status of the project

Method
Verbal

Frequency
Weekly

Date(s)
xx/yy/zz

1.2

1.3

Stage-Gate Review Meetings

1.4 1.5

Change Approval Group meetings Customer Acceptance Meetings Supplier Performance Meetings Status reports

Meeting involving all team members to discuss the work in progress / recently completed / coming up Regular meetings involving the Quality Manager and quality review staff to ascertain the level of quality of all project deliverables Formal meetings held at the end of each phase to identify the overall status of the project, the quality of the deliverables produced and any outstanding risks, issues or changes Formal meetings held regularly to review change requests Held with the customer to obtain final acceptance that the deliverable produced meets the criteria identified Regular meetings with each supplier to discuss and resolve performance issues and approve supplier payment Frequent reports providing the status of the schedule, budget, risks, issues and changes

Verbal

Monthly

xx/yy/zz

Verbal

Weekly

xx/yy/zz

Verbal Verbal

Fortnightly Following deliverable's completion Monthly

xx/yy/zz xx/yy/zz

1.6

Verbal

xx/yy/zz

1.7

Status Report

Weekly

xx/yy/zz

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

2.2 Matrix
Complete the following matrix table, outlining the people participating in each communication event. Use the Unique Identifier (ID) to link the participating parties to the communication events listed above.
Key:

A = Accountable for communication event: builds and distributes communication materials, facilitates meetings (as marked in yellow). R = Receives communications materials provided, takes part in meetings (as marked in white) M = Monitors communications process and provides feedback (as marked in orange).

ID

Project Sponsor
A A R R

Project Manager
A R R R A R A

Project Leader
R R R R

Project Member
R -

Quality Manager
R A R R

Procurement Manager
R A R

Communications Profit Manager Office Manager

R,M M M M M M M R R R

Other Project Resource

R -

Other External Body

R (Supplier) R (Supplier) R (Supplier) -

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

2.3 Assumptions
List any planning assumptions made. For example: It is assumed that the communications tools will be provided as required adequate communications resources will be available when needed the communications resources have the required expertise.

2.4 Risks
List any risks identified. For example: That key communications resources leave during the life of the project That the requirements for communication change during the project That communications are not undertaken effectively.

3 Communications Process
The final stage in comprising a Communications Plan is to identify the process for undertaking communications events within the project. This needs to be a generic process for undertaking any of the type of communications event listed within this document. (NB
Refer to the VALC Consultants LTD Communications Management Process for a complete example).

3.1 Purpose
Describe the reason for undertaking regular communications within the project.

3.2 Processes
Provide a diagrammatic representation of the communications processes undertaken to provide project stakeholders with sufficient information to be able to make timely projectrelated decisions.

3.3 Responsibilities
Define the roles and responsibilities of all resources involved with development and distribution of communications within the project.

3.4 Register
The Communications Register is the database which records all formal communications from within the project. Insert a copy of the Communications Register here. (NB Refer to the
VALC Consultants LTD Communications Register for a complete example).

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.

Project Management Administrative Policies & Procedures Draft 2 - 2007

3.5 Templates
Insert a copy of each of the templates required (e.g. Status Report) to undertake communications within the project. (NB Refer to the VALC Consultants LTD Status Report and
Stage Gate Review forms for a complete example).

4 Appendix
Attach any documentation you believe is relevant to the Communications Plan. For example: Newsletters General correspondence Corporate policies, standards and procedures.

2003 VALC Consultants LTD. All rights reserved.