COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING

The communications planning process determines the information and communications needs of the stakeholders: who needs what information, when they will need it, how it will be given to them and by whom. While all projects share the need to communicate project information, the informational needs and the methods of distribution vary widely.

Identifying the informational needs of the stakeholders and determining a suitable means of meeting those needs is an important factor for project success.

On most projects, the majority of communications planning is done as part of the earliest project phases. However, the results of this planning process should be reviewed regularly throughout the project and revised as needed to ensure continued applicability.

Communications planning is often tightly linked with organizational structure (Section 2.3) since the project’s organizational structure will have a major effect on the project’s communications requirements.

10.1.1 Communications Planning: Inputs

• The lessons learned knowledge base should provide access to historical information and lessons learned about both the results of previous project selection decisions and previous project performance.

• Historical information concerning previous projects can be located in the performing organization's lessons learned knowledge base or project archives.

.2 Project Charter Described in Section 4.1.

.3 Project Management Plan

The project management plan provides background information about the project

including dates and constraints that may be relevant to communications planning (Section 4.3).

.4 Project Scope Statement

The scope statement is an initial narrative description of the project scope (Sections 4.2 and 5.2) that provides a documented basis for future project decisions and for confirming a common knowledge of project scope among the stakeholders.

• Constraints. Constraints are factors that can limit the project management team’s options. When a project is performed under contract, there are specific contractual provisions that can affect communications planning. For example, if substantial project resources are to be procured under contract, then consideration will have to be given to the methods of handling resource procurement under the contract.

• Assumptions. Specific assumptions that affect communications planning will depend upon the particular project.

10.1.2 Communications Planning: Tools and Techniques

A key component of communications planning is stakeholder analysis. Stakeholders are individuals, work groups and organizations that are actively involved in the project, or whose interests can be positively or negatively affected as a result of project execution or project completion. Stakeholders can also exert influence over the project and its results.

Some stakeholders who are not project team members can have project-related responsibilities. For example, employees who are being relocated to a new building may not be project team members for the relocation project but are stakeholders because they are affected by the project. In this case the employees being moved are responsible for giving input during the planning phase, reviewing correspondence pertinent to them and responding as needed. Participation, review, and response are three responsibilities that can apply to non-team stakeholders.

Stakeholder analysis serves two purposes. First, the analysis determines the

information needs of the various stakeholders (Section 2.2) and second, it identifies the influence and interests of the stakeholders that will enable the project manager to devise a communication strategy that will best serve the project.

The information needs analysis should consider methods and technologies that will provide the required information and are suited to the project. Care should be taken to avoid wasting resources on unnecessary information or inappropriate technology.

The stakeholder influence and interest analysis should entail a structured, systematic review of the level of stakeholder interest in the project and the level of their ability to influence the project's outcome.

Stakeholder analysis often begins with a brainstorming session to list the

stakeholders. Then the brainstorming group will evaluate and list the stakeholders’ needs or conduct interviews or surveys to gather input directly from the stakeholders.

.2 Communications Requirements Analysis

The analysis of the communications requirements results in the sum of the information needs of the project stakeholders. Requirements are defined by combining the type and format of information needed with an analysis of the value of that information. Project resources should be expended only on communicating information that contributes to

success or where a lack of communication can lead to failure. This does not mean that

“bad news” should not be shared; rather, the intent is to prevent overwhelming stakeholders with minutiae.

The Project Manager should consider the number of potential communication channels or paths as an indicator of the complexity of a project's communications.

The total number of communications channels is n(n-1)/2, where n = number of stakeholders. Thus a project with 10 stakeholders has 45 potential communication channels. A key element of planning the project's communications, therefore, is to determine and limit who will communicate with whom and who will receive what information. Information typically required to determine project communications requirements includes:

• Organization charts

• Project organization and stakeholder responsibility relationships

• Disciplines, departments and specialties involved in the project

• Logistics of how many individuals will be involved with the project and at which locations

• Internal information needs, e.g., communicating across organizations

• External information needs, e.g., communicating with the media or contractors

• Stakeholder information.

.3 Communications Technology

The methodologies used to transfer information back and forth among project stakeholders can vary significantly. For example, a project management team may include brief conversations all the way through to extended meetings, or simple written documents to material (i.e., schedules and databases) that are accessible online as methods of communication.

Communications technology factors that can affect the project include:

• The immediacy of the need for information - is project success dependent upon having frequently updated information available on a moment’s notice or would regularly issued written reports suffice?

• The availability of technology - are the systems that are already in place appropriate or do project needs warrant change?

• The expected project staffing - are the proposed communications systems compatible with the experience and expertise of the project participants or will extensive training and learning be required?

• The length of the project - is the available technology likely to change before the project is over?

• The project environment - does the team meet and operate on a face-to-face or in a virtual environment?

10.1.3 Communications Planning: Outputs

The communications management plan is contained in or is a subsidiary plan of the project management plan is a document that provides:

• Stakeholder needs and expectations

• The information to be communicated including format, content and level of detail

• The individual responsible for communicating the information

• The individual or groups who will receive the information

• The methods or technologies used to convey the information, such as memorandum, e-mail, press release, etc.

• The frequency of the communication, such as weekly

• An escalation process identifying time frames and the management chain (names) for escalation of issues that cannot be resolved at a lower staff level

• A method for updating and refining the communications management plan as the project progresses and develops

• A glossary of common terminology.

The communications management plan can also include guidelines for project status meetings, project team meetings, e-meetings, and e-mails. The communications

management plan can be formal or informal, highly detailed or broadly framed and based on the needs of the project. The communications management plan is contained in or a subsidiary plan of the overall project management plan (Section 4.3). Sample attributes of a communications management plan can include:

• Communications item - the information that will be distributed to stakeholders.

• Purpose - the reason for the distribution of that information.

• Frequency - how often that information will be distributed.

• Start/end dates - the time frame for the distribution of the information.

• Format/medium - the layout of the information and the method of transmission.

• Responsibility - the team member charged with the task of distributing the information.

Communication planning often entails creation of additional deliverables, which in turn require additional time and effort. Thus the project’s work breakdown structure, schedule and budget should be updated accordingly.