| A communication plan ensures an effective pattern and schedule of communication-related activities that are considered through the course of the project. In developing the communication plan, careful consideration about what to include is necessary for success.
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| The examples provided in this section will not be critical for any single project. The template should be used in conjunction with these examples. |
Communication Plan Objectives
Customers, people who use the system, team members and sponsors will have some common and some unique needs for information about the project and its results. The communication plan objectives should identify and address these information needs. The objectives may be communicated in different ways, using the medium best suited to the objective or the target audience.
Examples of possible objectives:
- To generate excitement about the planned features...
- To continue to articulate the benefits...
- To keep stakeholders informed of the progress of...
- To keep team members informed about the overall project...
- To keep stakeholders knowledgeable about when their involvement will be needed to...
- To maintain and enhance the broad base of support for...
- To announce new functional capability as it is implemented...
- To organize events to inform new members of the community about the service...
- To organize events where the clients can speak about their needs and the features they wish to see...
Key Messages
The communication strategy must ensure that key principles are conveyed to the University community.
The following are examples of key messages that may relate to your project or operations activity:
- intended for the use of the entire campus: students, instructors, academic and administrative units as well as prospective and former students.
- Roll-out dates for modules, features
- allows opportunities for (some examples follow):
- Providing better self-service by allowing secure, distributed, role-based access using the web
- Facilitating querying of databases, and access to on line survey results, to help administrative units to run reports for better decision-making and planning.
- Improving the quality of the student experience by
- Improving the university's external and internal image by
- The desirability of eliminating value-add or shadow systems wherever possible. Value-add systems have grown up because of shortcomings in centralized systems; shadow systems grew from a desire for distributed access to information. To provide consistent information across the university planning bodies. To reduce duplicate software development and maintenance
- Implementation provides an opportunity to introduce improvements to how we administer students, programs, financial transactions and information transfer-to reduce redundancy and duplication, and to enhance the quality of the student experience by finding the best possible way of doing things.
- We need the help and time of users and potential users in identifying needs, testing potential systems, and adjusting some of their work processes.
Key Audiences and Audience-Specific Messages
People who use the system will have different responsibilities relating to their role or roles at the University. These audiences will have both common and unique information needs with respect to the project. These needs will be analyzed and addressed in this section of the communication plan.
The following examples show ways to consider the messages that must be provided to various members of the community, including but not limited to: students, student government executives, instructors, deans and department heads, student advisors, academic and administrative department employees, student computing facility managers, project sponsors and project team members. Ensure that the messages are communicated in a timely manner.
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Audience
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Students and Student Government
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Characteristics
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- High turnover
- Good at technology
- Do not want/need to know which office has responsibility for what
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Key Messages and Issues:
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- Want to be able to access their records from where they are vs. coming to a central office
- Are concerned about security and access to their records
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Critical Dates
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- Return to classes in September
- One month prior to release of...
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Audience
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Instructors and Student Advisors
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Characteristics
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- Varied levels of technical ability
- Not a lot of time for training; need to have information delivered to them in a concise and convenient format "just in time"
- Do not want to be taken by surprise
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Key Messages and Issues:
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- Need to know to what their students have access
- Need to know how their interactions with the system will appear
- How will the results affect the public's perception of our University?
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Critical Dates
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- Orientation Week
- One month prior to release of ...
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Audience
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Sponsors
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Characteristics
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- Interested in progress of project-is it on time, on budget and within intended scope
- Do not want to be taken by surprise
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Key Messages and Issues:
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- How will the results affect the public's perception of our University?
- How will the results affect their office employees?
- Business risks are effectively avoided or mitigated
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Critical Dates
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- Once a month Steering Committee meetings
- Within one day following a practical indication that a business risk has materialized
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Media
A number of different methods to communicate information exist. Face-to-face meetings are very desirable whenever possible, as is using technology such as videoconferencing when available. Developing some permanent artifacts using the web or in local newspapers provides the opportunity to build support, communicate with people you cannot meet face-to-face and to celebrate successes.
Identify what media will be used to communicate with the various audiences and indicate what will trigger the creation of a bulletin or article. Also identify when user group events are scheduled.
The following list identifies some communication methods:
- E-mail lists
- E-bulletin boards
- PAWS groups
- Websites
- News blogs
- On Campus News
- The Sheaf
- Memos
- Newsletters
- Pamphlets
Appendices
The appendices provide supplemental information. This includes the:
- List of key contacts
- Inventory of Communication Activities to Date
Communications Plan.dot