The communication of project management: principles + example of a communication plan

What does project communication consist of, what is the importance of communication in a project? How?
How to design a project communication plan? How to communicate internally and externally?

Communication is a central aspect of project management.

Good communication around the project allows for optimal team management through objectives.
clear, rhythmic and shared. It helps to combat ambiguity and the unsaid, by encouraging feedback from the field.
It ultimately allows for the development of the project's performance by identifying risks as early as possible.
Project communication also allows for inclusion and unification well beyond the project team, through a dialogue with
external stakeholders.

A project is above all a story of communication! Let's get into the details.
Project management communication: a path full of obstacles.
Communication problems are the primary cause of project failure. Indeed, information
Data given too late or misunderstood can have detrimental consequences for the entire course of the project.
Let's remember that communication consists of the transmission of a message by a sender (person who
transmit the message) to a receiver (the person receiving the message):

The diagram above shows the different stages of message transmission, and the risks involved.
result from:
. On the sender's side, there can be a gap between the intention (the idea) and the encoding (formulation, gestures).
. On the receiver's side, there can be a gap between decoding and interpretation, due to distracting elements that
can take hold: feelings, emotions, pre-conceived ideas...
. When traveling, the message itself can be subject to interference.
Let's start by addressing the internal communication of the project, that is to say within the project team and within
of the company as a whole.
The internal communication project.
The internal project communication concerns the communication actions towards:

. The project team itself,

. The service providers involved in the project, including external providers if they participate in the meetings.
project or if they work physically within the company,
. The subcontractors directly involved in the project,
. The company's hierarchy and the decision-makers (steering committee),
. Internal users,
. As well as the company's staff.

Internal communication in the project can take different forms:

. formal or informal communication: informal communication occurs spontaneously and not
planned, but its content can be important and sometimes even decisive: it will be necessary to formalize well by
write important informal exchanges to inform the rest of the team,
. vertical communication (hierarchical) or horizontal/transversal communication (between persons of the same level)

. upward or downward communication.

Withintheprojectteam:projectmeetings.

Within the project team, meetings regulate communication.

Well preparing a project meeting involves asking the right questions:

. When will the meetings take place?
. With whom?
. What time to invest? To be effective, it will be necessary to set and communicate the objectives in advance.
the meeting. The meeting starts with the agenda and the round table, before starting the discussion.
properly speaking. The meeting facilitator must ensure effectiveness, respect for time and
the agenda. It should be noted that the objectives of the meeting must be "SMART".
. What was concretely decided? A report must be established that must lead to ...
specific action objectives.

There are actually four types of project meetings:

1. Working meetings or "technical" meetings:
. Participants: concerned team members, technical specialists, future users...
. Objective: to deepen specific and technical points,
. Procedure: agenda, point-by-point discussion, setting of objectives,
. Duration: technical meetings can sometimes be long,
. Horizontal communication,
 2. The construction site meetings:
. Participants: the steering committee (Copil) and the various project leaders,
. Objective: to present progress, make decisions,
. Proceedings: agenda, presentation, questions, deliberations, report
. Duration: relatively short,
. Vertical communication, upward and downward,
3.Internal meetings:
. the project team
. Objective: to monitor progress (each manager or participant presents their actions and their
problematic)
. Proceedings: agenda, point-by-point treatment, setting new objectives,
. Timing: a maximum of 2 times a week, variable duration,
. Horizontal communication,
4. Stand-up meeting:
. Participants: available members,
. Objective: to make a quick point,
. Process: round table, point-by-point discussion, adaptation of objectives,
. Duration: very short,
. Horizontal communication, sometimes informal.
In any case, project meetings must result in a report intended to be disseminated and validated.

Theminutesofprojectmeetings.

A good project meeting report must include:

. A reminder of the schedule and the project outline (table of actions and responsibilities),
. A reminder of the detailed objectives and deliverables,
. The follow-up of actions: this is the heart of the report. It involves recalling the objectives that had been set.
in the previous report and to measure the progress as well as any potential difficulties.
Finally, to be effective, the report must be sent to participants and absentees quickly (ideally...
within 24 hours). Approval from everyone must be requested.
The communication project in external.

Project communication must also be directed externally. It will particularly involve communicating with:
. customers,
. suppliers,
. of the general public,

. or even partners of the company.

The goal is for people who are initially distant from the project to feel concerned and involved, rather than
stressed or defensive. Loyalty is sought.
This can be the subject of a 'corporate' or 'institutional' communication.
The communication project.
Properly managing a project involves developing a real communication plan, especially if the project is long.
complex

Developing a communication plan consists of 4 successive steps: here they are.

1)Definethetargetgroupstocommunicatewith.

This is the first step: it will involve listing the different categories or groups to address, and defining
for each of them:
. their current level of involvement,
. their concerns
. their interest regarding the project,
. the challenge of communication,
. your expectations regarding each of these groups in terms of support, involvement...
Definetheobjectivesofyourprojectcommunication.

This involves defining communication objectives for each of the different phases of the project: phase of
preparation, execution, monitoring...
For each phase, it will be necessary to define the overall communication objectives as well as the objectives by
target group, as well as the list of communication actions to be taken.

Definethemessagesbyphaseandtargetgroup,thecommunicationchannels,andthetiming.

We are entering here, strictly speaking, into the project communication plan, which concretely describes it over time.
the communication actions to be carried out, by group, by channel and by project phase.
See our example of a project communication plan a little further down.
4)Evaluatethecommunicationactions.

It is about assessing what worked and what did not work (or worked less well) in terms of actions.
communication, in order to best adapt the efforts.

An example of a project communication plan

The project communication plan: objectives and stakes

In project management, success does not solely stem from effective planning and execution, but
also on the clarity and precision of communication. This is where a project communication plan becomes
indispensable.
Indeed, well-orchestrated communication facilitates team coordination and reduces the risk of misunderstandings.
and reinforces the motivation of all the actors involved.
This is what we will explore in this article, from the definition of communication to the understanding of
reasons to establish a project communication plan.
We will examine the 'what', the 'why', and the 'how' of this essential tool that is often underestimated.
We will also provide you with a usable template for the project communication plan.
Summary
What do we mean by communication?
2. What is the purpose of a project communication plan?
3. When to do it and who does it?
4. How to create a project communication plan
5. Project Communication Plan Template
6. What is the purpose of a project communication plan?
7. Conclusion

What do we mean by communication?

Communication is a means of transmitting ideas and information.
Communication can take multiple forms:
The words
The media: printed newspapers or media information
The press or press conferences
Posters, brochures, or mailboxes
The presentations
Special events
And many others...
Communication must always be two-way.
It is just as important to provoke feedback as it is to communicate.
If only to verify that the message has been understood as it was meant to be.
Misunderstandings, unspoken words, half-truths, or even lies have no place in a plan of
communication transparent, well designed and well executed.

What is the purpose of a project communication plan?

According to a PMI® study, 29% of organizations believe that inadequate communication is one of the
main causes of project failure.
A communication plan is very important, as effective and transparent communication is essential.
to ensure the success of a project.
To communicate effectively, one must have defined what they want to communicate, to whom, when, and how.
This communication must be done both internally and externally.
Whether it is to obtain feedback, know where documents are archived, receive information
primordial for a client or conducting a review with stakeholders, all of this is part of communication.
Have a communication plan that details all stakeholders, as well as when and how.
contacting is essential.
It allows you to target your messages according to needs.
It makes your communication simpler, more effective, and more precise.
A communication plan will allow you to carry out your project smoothly and avoid many pitfalls.
errors and risks.
But it will also help you manage stakeholder expectations and plan your project accordingly.
information received and shared.
Too many projects have failed because they did not take into account the importance of good communication.
comprise and well executed.
Keep in mind that the purpose of the communication plan is to define communication strategies with the parties.
essential for effectively managing the project.

When to do it and who does it?

A project communication plan describes how essential project information will be communicated, by
who and how often.
The mapping of decision-makers plays a key role in this planning, allowing for the identification of stakeholders.
keys and their communication needs.
When planning the project, you should also plan its communication.
In summary, the communication plan is established during the planning phase of the project.
It is the project manager who is in charge of it, with the help of their team and sponsors.
Some major projects essential to the company assign a communication manager.
change manager) who will work in tandem with the project manager and whose main task
It will be to create, maintain, and execute all communication actions.
The communication plan will be updated throughout the project and sometimes corrected when messages need to
to be adapted.

How to create a project communication plan

The first two questions to ask are:
What is the purpose of communication?
2. Who is the audience (the stakeholders)?
Objective of communication
We therefore start by defining our project communication objective.
For example: "Regularly inform our user community about the progress of the project."
Like any objective, it can be accompanied by a time frame and the goal to be achieved (SMART).
Regularly inform our user community about the progress of the project since its inception
from May 3 until its production launch in January 2022, so that all employees of the company can
follow and participate in its evolution.
With this goal in mind, we will inventory the stakeholders:
Who will manage it?
Who will carry it out?
Who will benefit?
 Who will be affected - or who will think they are affected by the project?
What will be the impact on customers?
What will be the impact on the other sites of the group, if any?
Which companies or outside organizations should be kept informed?
One understands it right away: the register of stakeholders can be very long if we don't want to forget anyone.
 Project Communication Plan Template
Describe
and effectively drive your communication strategy

I get the model

Tip: And this is one of the keys to a well-designed plan: to have a list as exhaustive as possible of
people, groups or organizations with which one wants to communicate.
A very important stakeholder that is forgotten can have very negative consequences on the course of a
project.
Stakeholder analysis
Next, we will analyze this stakeholder register and group them into 4 categories:
The key players
Active actors
The attentive actors
Passive actors
Building on this 'grouping', we will establish communication strategies, define the messages we want.
communicate, at what frequency and with which media.
For each group, we will now answer the following three questions:
What will be the message to convey?
What communication channels are we going to use?
How are we going to distribute the message and when?
And finally, we are going to add two aspects to the communication plan:
The organization of project meetings and the various committees, their frequency, their purpose
The training strategy that will be implemented
The latter will not be very detailed, but it is important to start communicating with the users.
on this important step for them.
This will also provide very useful feedback for the continuation of the project.
The communication needs of projects vary according to the size of the project, as the number of stakeholders will
influencer by its simplicity or complexity.
A communication plan is therefore unique, tailored for a specific project.
Use the following communication plan template as inspiration. Your project and your stakeholders will benefit from it.
grateful.

What is the purpose of a project communication plan?

The main objective of communication is to communicate effectively with all parties.
gripping.
Good communication will allow your project to run more smoothly and will help you avoid
certain 'human' problems.
Moreover, it will help you better manage the expectations, real or supposed needs of stakeholders and therefore
to facilitate the planning of your project.
We can see it: the benefits are multiple and fully justify the investment in a well-designed plan. Not to mention
Of course, 90% of the problems encountered in project execution are human issues that
can often be avoided.
Understanding and managing expectations

As explained earlier, project communication must always be two-way.

And as during the establishment of the project plan, expectations must be defined, understood, and managed between the
client, internal or external, and the project team, so that responsibilities are clear and communication is
fluid between the different parts.
Without unspoken things, omissions, or half-truths – in a completely transparent manner.

One would not start a project without having a plan. Similarly, one should not start a project without a plan.
of communication, however simple it may be.

By clearly defining from the start what expectations can be – or what does not fall under them – you
clarify the project rules from the outset.
At the same time, it is useful to communicate to the final client what your expectations are and when you
you will need this, so that it can be ready when it is necessary.
Maintain a good relationship
Throughout the life of your project, successful communication around goals, milestones - and sometimes their
alignment when changes occur - is essential for the transparency and acceptance of the project and
its evolution.
A good approach to communication allows you to maintain the relationship with the client, and the sharing of a
same understanding of what is happening or what will happen during each phase.
The management of stakeholders and end customers is therefore a key success factor.
Conclusion
Often underestimated or established too late, the communication plan is nonetheless an essential element of your
planning.
Few projects fail due to technical problems, but most of the major issues encountered are due to
to human factors.
A well-thought-out and well-executed communication plan significantly reduces these human risks.
We can only advise taking the necessary time to establish this document as completely as possible.
and to carry it out systematically, correcting it if necessary.
Transparent communication all around and the generated feedback help reduce risks.
of lag, while improving support for communities and stakeholders.