10.1 Plan Communications Management

Description: the process of developing an appropriate approach and plan for project communications activities based on the information needs of each stakeholder or group, available organizational assets, and the needs of the project. Communication management plan is developed early in the project life cycle during stakeholder identification and project management plan development. Reviewed and modified regularly.

Methods of storage, retrieval, and ultimate disposition of the project information documented.

Key benefit: a documented approach to effectively and efficiently engage stakeholders by presenting relevant information in a timely manner.

Frequency: throughout the project as needed.

Process / Asset Group	Input	The process	Output	Process/ Asset Group
4.1 Develop Project Charter	Project Charter	10.1 Plan Communication Management	Communication Management Plan	Project Management Plan
Project Management Plan	Resource Management Plan		Project Schedule	Project Documents
	Stakeholder engagement plan		Stakeholder register
Project Documents	Requirements Documentation
	Stakeholder register
Enterprise / Organization	Enterprise Environmental Factors
	Organizational Process Assets

10.1.1 Input

10.1.1.1 Project Charter

Identifies the key stakeholder list, information about the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders.

10.1.1.2 Project Management Plan

• Resource management plan. How team resources will be categorized, allocated, managed, and released.
• Stakeholder engagement plan. Identifies the management strategies required to effectively engage stakeholders.

10.1.1.3 Project Documents

• Requirements documentation. Requirements for stakeholder communications.
• Stakeholder register. To plan communications activities with stakeholders.

10.1.1.4 Enterprise Environmental Factors

• Organizational culture, political climate, and governance framework;
• Personnel administration policies;
• Stakeholder risk thresholds;
• Established communication channels, tools, and systems;
• Global, regional, or local trends, practices, or habits; and
• Geographic distribution of facilities and resources.

10.1.1.5 Organizational Process Assets

• Organizational policies and procedures for social media, ethics, and security;
• Organizational policies and procedures for issue, risk, change, and data management;
• Organizational communication requirements;
• Standardized guidelines for development, exchange, storage, and retrieval of information;
• Historical information and lessons learned repository; and
• Stakeholder and communications data and information from previous projects.

10.1.2 Tools and Techniques

10.1.2.1 Expert Judgement

• Politics and power structures in the organization;
• Environment and culture of the organization and other customer organizations;
• Organizational change management approach and practices;
• Industry or type of project deliverables;
• Organizational communications technologies;
• Organizational policies and procedures regarding legal requirements of corporate communications;
• Organizational policies and procedures regarding security; and
• Stakeholders, including customers or sponsors.

10.1.2.2 Communication Requirements Analysis

• Stakeholder information and communication requirements from within the stakeholder register and stakeholder engagement plan;
• Number of potential communication channels or paths, including one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many communications;
• Organizational charts;
• Project organization and stakeholder responsibility, relationships, and interdependencies;
• Development approach;
• Disciplines, departments, and specialties involved in the project;
• Logistics of how many persons will be involved with the project and at which locations;
• Internal information needs (e.g., when communicating within organizations);
• External information needs (e.g., when communicating with the media, public, or contractors); and
• Legal requirements.

10.1.2.3 Communication Technology

• Conversations,
• Meetings,
• Written documents,
• Databases,
• Social media, and
• Websites.

Factors that can affect the choice of communication:

• Urgency of the need for information. The urgency, frequency, and format of the information.
• Availability and reliability of technology. Compatible, available, and accessible for all stakeholders.
• Ease of use.
• Project environment.
  • Face-to-face basis or in a virtual environment;
  • Located in one or multiple time zones;
  • Multiple languages for communication;
  • Various aspects of culture.
• Sensitivity and confidentiality of the information.
  • Sensitive or confidential;
  • To ensure appropriate behavior, security, and the protection of proprietary information.

10.1.2.4 Communication Models

• Sample basic sender/receiver communication model. Two parties: a sender and a receiver. This model is concerned with ensuring that the message is delivered, rather than understood. Steps:
  • Encode.
  • Transmit message.
  • Decode.
• Sample interactive communication model. A sender and a receiver. The model recognizes the need to ensure the massage is understood. Steps:
  • Encode.
  • Transmit message.
  • Decode.
  • Acknowledge. Signal the message is received.
  • Feedback/response. Return ideas in a new message to the first party.

The sender is responsible for the transmission of the message, ensuring the information being communicated is clear and complete, and confirming the message is correctly interpreted.

The receiver is responsible for ensuring that the information is received in its entirety, interpreted correctly, and acknowledged or responded to appropriately.

10.1.2.5 Communication Methods

• Interactive communication. Exchange of information in real time. It employs communications artifacts such as meetings, phone calls, instant messaging, some forms of social media, and videoconferencing.
• Push communication. Sent or distributed directly to specific recipients who need to receive the information. This ensures that the information is distributed but does not ensure that it actually reached or was understood by the intended audience. Push communications artifacts include letters, memos, reports, emails, faxes, voice mails, blogs, and press releases.
• Pull communication. Web portals, intranet sites, e-learning, lessons learned databases, or knowledge repositories.

Major communication forms:

• Interpersonal communication.
• Small group communication. 3~6 persons.
• Public communication. A single speaker addressing a group of people.
• Mass communication.
• Networks and social computing communication.

Communications artifact and methods:

• Notice boards,
• Newsletters/in-house magazines/e-magazines,
• Letters to staff/volunteers,
• Press releases,
• Annual reports,
• Emails and intranets,
• Web portals and other information repositories (for pull communication)
• Phone conversations,
• Presentations,
• Team briefings/group meetings,
• Focus groups,
• Face-to-face formal or informal meetings between various stakeholders,
• Consultation groups or staff forums, and
• Social computing technology and media.

10.1.2.6 Interpersonal and Team Skills

• Communication styles assessment.
• Political awareness. The recognition of power relationships, both formal and informal, and also the willingness to operate within these structures.
• Cultural awareness. An understanding of the differences between individuals, groups, and organizations and adapting the project's communication strategy in the context of these differences.

10.1.2.7 Data Representation

A stakeholder engagement assessment matrix.

10.1.2.8 Meetings

Virtual (e-meetings) or face-to-face meetings, and can be supported with document collaboration technologies, including email messages and project websites.

10.1.3 Outputs

10.1.3.1 Communications Management Plan

It is a component of the project management plan that describes how project communications will be planned, structured, implemented, and monitored for effectiveness.

Contains:

• Stakeholder communication requirements;
• Information to be communicated, including language, format, content, and level of detail;
• Escalation processes;
• Reason for the distribution of that information;
• Timeframe and frequency for the distribution of required information and receipt of acknowledgment or response, if applicable;
• Person responsible for communicating the information;
• Person responsible for authorizing release of confidential information;
• Person or groups who will receive the information, including information about their needs, requirements, and expectations;
• Methods or technologies used to convey the information, such as memos, email, press releases, or social media;
• Resources allocated for communication activities, including time and budget;
• Method for updating and refining the communications management plan as the project progresses and develops, such as when the stakeholder community changes as the project moves through different phases;
• Glossary of common terminology;
• Flow charts of the information flow in the project, workflows with possible sequence of authorization, list of reports, meeting plans, etc.; and
• Constraints derived from specific legislation or regulation, technology, organizational policies, etc.

Plan can include guidelines and templates for project status meetings, meetings, e-mail messages.

10.1.3.2 Project Management Plan Updates

Change control.

The stakeholder engagement plan.

10.1.3.3 Project Documents Updates

• Project schedule.
• Stakeholder register.